Shipping Out to Boston

A few weeks ago I hit a minor snag in my usual uninterrupted marathon training.  After about a month of my training for Boston, I started to feel swelling just below the front of my knee. It wasn't really painful, but something felt different.  I have been doing my speedwork at an indoor track, so I suspected the 8 laps to the mile running counterclockwise.  Plus, we have had a lot of snow this winter, so I haven't been on running trails for my long runs, rather on the plowed/salted streets in my town.  So, I switched my speedwork to the dreaded treadmill.

On the next long run, I was on an 18 mile run with Dale, who has sycnched up his training with mine in a bid to qualify for Boston at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth in June.  About 5 miles into our run, I noticed a sharp pain/pull behind my right knee, just above and to the right (but not on the side).  After an 8 mile loop, we had a brief stop before running another 10 miles.  It went away for a while, but it came back for the rest of the run.  I gutted it out, but I made sure I stretched the hamstring and calf really well after the run.

I tried to do my tempo run on the treadmill on Monday or Tuesday, and the back of that leg hurt right away.  stupidly, I kept running up to 2 miles.  I had been thinking about what might have caused it.  This is the fifth marathon in a row I have used the F.I.R.S.T training program.  I guess I could be aging, but I just PR'd in the Chicago Marathon in Oct. '09.  Because I have been out of work, I have delayed buying new shoes.  Plus, I usually get a massage every month or two during marathion season.  So, as soon as got to my phone in the health club locker room, I called my massage therapist.  I had already ordered shoes, but I knew then that I was going to miss my 20 mile long run that weekend.

Running is such a great anti-depressant, the prospect of being without bothered me, as well as the prospect of not being in shape to run Boston for the second year in a row.   Then, I start to thinking about how I have been out of work since the last Boston Marathon, and what am I doing taking a trip when I don't have a job. 

I did what I could with the hamstring problem.  First ice, then massage and stretching. I got by with cross-training for a week, and 8 days after my last aborted run on the treadmill, I tried and easy 3.5 run.  I could feel the hammy at first, but it wasn't the pain I had the week before.  I think I spent more time stretching afterwards than I did on the actual run.  Two days later, I try a longer (6-7) mile run outside.  I feel more sluggish than I feel the hamstring.  Not the 10 mile tempo run at an 8 minute pace that was on my schedule, but I am happy to be out running at all.

The real test comes on Saturday.  Dale has 15 miles, just like me, but his goal pace is 30 seconds slower, both in part to a 5 minute slower marathon goal, and the fact that he is in the scond week of his program, and I am in the 9th of my 16 weeks.  We are also joined by Ken, who is (half-heartedly) training for a half-marathon, and surprise, surprise, my first running parner, Bill- the wise Boston Jedi Master to the brash Young Padawan  runner, Tom "Skyrunner" Nolan.  Bill and Ken will run one 8 mile loop with us, and Dale and I will add another 7. 

I must be out of practice from mssing a Saturday run, because when we get to the corner of my block, I realize that I left my water bottles outside my garage. I spring back across lawns, and grab them,  Then I run across the meltin snow in my backyard, up a steep, small hill and catch them about 2 blocks away. (mainly because Ken stopped to tie his shoe).  Great, I am supposed to run an 8:20 pace, but I will happily stay at Dale's 8:50 - 9 minute pace.  But here I am sprinting 800 yards on a gimpy hamstring