Getting Into the Flow

I can honestly say that I'm please with how things have progressed so far this year. The first two weeks of the year had mileage in the 60's, with most of it being slowish paced, probably right around the 7 min/mile pace. Maybe occasionally a bit faster than that, but not too often. As I mentioned in the previous post, the real point right now is to get my legs back under me and to get my body used to training again.

With the increased workload has come the normal aches and pains. My right hip has given me some problems, but I've actually found a few pilates stretches that really seem to help, and since incorporating them into my nightly routine a few times a week, I've seen great improvement. Probably the most troubling thing right now is my right big toe. I believe I have a pretty bad case of Hallux Limitus/Rigidus, which is basically arthritis of the big toe. While it doesn't give me too much trouble while I'm running, I'm usually forced to limp for about 5 minutes immediately following every run. After that it seems to calm back down and is back to normal. I've seen a doctor about it last year and for the most part, the general consensus is that as long as I can deal with the pain, it's OK to keep running. Now I have to decide if this is something I can deal with for an entire year. The long-term solution is to get surgery to fix it. I'm hesitant to do that though, because from what I can tell, recovery is slow and uncertain. I'd hate to give up a year of peak running to get a surgery that I could live without right now. Hopefully as the weather warms, the stiffness will decrease and I can at least make it through October with things as they are.

Speaking of the weather, things are getting frigid around here lately. Temps today were in the single digits when I awoke at 5AM, so of course I did what any hearty Midwesterner would do. I bundled up and headed out the door…and made a beeline straight for the health club treadmill. The thought of doing a long run in the cold windy weather was even less appealing than doing it on the treadmill. Overall it went OK, with all 16 miles done at 9MPH. Just a few more months of this nonsense and then things should start to warm up. I truly cannot wait.