Friday, January 3, 2020

New Year, New Beginnings

Well, I meant to write a recap of The 3 Country Marathon. I really did. It's just...my feet hurt. And I couldn't run. For a really long time. Writing about running didn't make me feel any better.

I developed Plantar Faciitis while training for the marathon. Or during the half. Or during my run streak. I'm not really sure. I guess it's not typical because most of my pain was (is still) in my arch, not in the heel. I have rested. I have done physical therapy. I have seen a few doctors. It's better, but it's not gone. Thus I have not run much. I was almost a year before I ran again, and that was so that I could give Henri a little extra exercise before I left him for two weeks. It was a mile and a half and my feet were not happy, but I was. I just want to run.

I have run just a handful of times since then. I try to run once a week, but it depends on how loudly my feet are complaining. I am slow and that feels weird. I wasn't exactly fast before, but now I'm SLOW! I know I need to be patient. With my feet. With my body. With myself. Henri has only been on a few of these runs. Sometimes I really want to run and it's raining. I know he hates that, so I go alone.

I also have my loving, supportive husband who slows his long legs down to jog along side of me. He's been taking Henri on runs since we got married and he moved in, which makes me more jealous, but I'm glad Henri gets to run again.

Today was the first run of the year, hopefully of many. I'm up to 5k again, but my feet start hurting somewhere around mile two. I'm trying different inserts, different shoes, just trying to get to where it feels okay. It is much easier with a dog pulling you. I am faster, as long as I can keep him from stopping to pee because getting started again is a challenge. I know he's thinking, "We're not going very fast. I totally have time to stop and pee on this." He's usually right.


*Marathon shoes for luck!