Just go away already...

In order to save everybody from the boring details, basically I went out for a run last Sunday intending to do at least 10 and as many as 14 miles, but I only got 5 down before the arch started bothering me. I stopped, massaged it a little, and kept going....and I could only manage two to three more miles before it was definitely hurting. So all during the rest of the day I kept oscillating between a state of anger (because I'm hurting again) and a state of depression (because I can't seem to get a freaking long run in anymore).

I was wearing my usual running shoes when it happened. On Monday I went to work and one of the employees told me that my feet may still be getting used to the new inserts (I got them last Wednesday), but I didn't think they needed that much time to get used to them since they felt the same as the last one. So that was one theory. Then on Tuesday morning I was talking to a friend who just did a presentation at the Michigan American College of Sports Medicine conference on her own foot biomechanics, and she noticed that the shoes I've been using for everyday purposes (Asics 1100) has the dual density foam on the outside heel like most running shoes do, but this rubber cut off in the middle of the arch instead of supporting the whole arch. So that's another theory and it makes sense because I bought the shoes at the sidewalk sale in middle January and shortly thereafter I started getting pain. So, I've mostly been wearing my Adrenalines the past couple days and things have been getting progressively better. Thursday I wore the Saucony Jazz 11 (the test shoes)...I had them on for a grand total of about 12 hours (it was a LONG day) and I barely felt any pain at all. So basically I think my problem was a case of those two theories. I stopped wearing the Asics 1100 altogether and I'm gonna get a new pair at Playmakers. One of my buddies who works there wants me to wait until the pain goes away completely so that he can analyze my gait on the treadmill and find the best shoes for me.

Soooooooo it felt better in the couple of days after that, so I didn't schedule a doctor appointment. Tuesday I biked 10 miles and lifted weights with the legs, Wednesday I biked 6 miles and did upper body, and Thursday I did 14 miles on the bike, 9.5 of which were speed intervals. So I'm trying to keep my aerobic fitness up as well as I can. It just sucks because my longest run has only been 10 miles so far, and Boston is less than 2 months away now.

Friday was an off day, but I went to see a friend's band play at a local place...while we were standing around, the arch started bugging me again and that obviously didn't make me too happy. Saturday it kind of felt better and today was about the same, but it's still there. It's hard to be specific in words about where something hurts, but it's along the medial side of the foot below the bones....if that makes any sense. Saturday I biked 6 miles and today I did 5 more...eventually this week I'm gonna make myself do some aqua jogging, but I'm also definitely gonna call the doc tomorrow. It seems like there's no way I can't call him.

I'm also in a real battle with myself about whether or not I'll actually run the Boston Marathon. I'm going there whether I like it or not because the plane ticket and hotel is already booked. If worse comes to worse, I can always cheer on my sister and soak in the atmosphere. It just seems like it would be a stupid idea to run it, seeing as how I've done far less than what many consider to be the bare minimum of a marathon training plan. Well I guess if there's anything good about this, it's that my time from Detroit also qualified me for the 2008 Boston because they're good for a year and a half. And I've also been doing a bunch of leg exercises in the hopes of strengthening weak areas, so I'll (hopefully) be a stronger runner when I'm healthy again.

Oh well....I just want this to go away already....