Well, tomorrow is the day. The Indy Mini Marathon that I’ve been waiting for since this time last year has finally come. But I won’t be running it. Maybe you could’ve seen this coming a mile away (no pun intended,) but I injured myself in the process of training for this half-marathon. I pushed myself too hard, too quickly. While it felt amazing to pile on the miles mentally, physically, I wasn’t giving my body enough time to adjust.
A few weeks ago, I ran 8 miles. I thought it would be fun to listen to the 8 Mile soundtrack in celebration of reaching such a milestone. Eminem and other various rap artists kept me company as I pounded through the familiar terrain. The trail I use to run my long runs is a mile long, so I knew that I was in for at least 8 laps around it. The trail has an option to take a path that goes by the creek. I always do, because I love the way it makes me feel. The weather was perfect- a bit chilly with no wind. I wore a Nike windbreaker, a fanny pack to hold my energy gels and water bottles, my newfound favorite leggings that don’t budge as I run, and a floral hat I bought last summer. It was a fashionable outfit if I say so myself.
The first couple of miles of the run were rough. I was having some pain in my ankle and knee, but nothing over the top. I took it very slow, and I was having thoughts that maybe I couldn’t complete the full eight miles. I remember thinking though, that it was all a mental game. In the past, while I’m running, I can be pessimistic about my abilities, but then I push through and surprise myself. This run turned out to be similar. As I pushed passed the two mile mark, I was beginning to find my rhythm. The endorphins kicked in, and any semblance of pain was washed away. Lap after lap, I kept telling myself how awesome I was, how incredible it was that my body is capable of such feats. Eminem sang about beating his wife and other questionable music decisions, but the music didn’t matter- I was practically flying.
I crossed the imaginary finish line, feeling beyond proud of myself. The ultimate goal of 13.1 miles didn’t feel so unachievable anymore. I mean, I’d run 5 miles before, and now, I’d run 8 miles. All I needed to do was combine the two, easy peasy! At that point, I had about four and a half weeks of training left, meaning I’d have to add on about a mile each week to reach the goal. In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t enough time. I knew I was pushing myself a little too hard, but I also felt that I was capable of doing it. I had a goal I really wanted to achieve, and it felt worth it to go a bit beyond my limits to make it happen.
Unfortunately, after that eight mile run, my ankle/foot started hurting, and it never really went away. I would wake up in the middle of the night with extreme pain. I was taking the maximum amount of ibuprofen. Using every method I knew of to relieve the pain, like ice, compression, rest, elevation. I was still working and getting 20,000 steps in the process. I also had to take my car to the shop, and that resulted in me walking to and from work one day. I think if I had taken maybe two weeks to totally stay off of it, it could’ve worked out, but because I kept overusing it, it got worse. About three weeks ago, I finally broke down and went to my doctor. I told her I’d tried everything, but it hurt all the time. Even just sitting down doing nothing, I could feel my foot throbbing to the beating of my heart. A small pocket of fluid had developed directly above where the pain was localized.
The doctor sent me to get an x-ray, and sure enough, I’d developed a small stress fracture in one of my foot bones. The next day, I got a bo0t that I would come to be very familiar with over the span of the next 4 or so weeks. I was referred to an orthopedic doctor, but thankfully the fracture is small and will likely heal well. I started physical therapy already to make sure that I recover the right way. One thing is certain- I will run a half-marathon some day, but I want to do it the right way.
So, while it saddens me that I won’t be running tomorrow, I’m ultimately glad that I learned a valuable lesson. That main lesson is to listen to my body. There were little signs here and there that I was pushing myself too hard. I chose to ignore them because continuing to get my personal best runs in the book felt good for my ego. This situation has definitely humbled me in that regard.
On a happier, much brighter note, I’ve finished my Junior year of college with all A’s! I took my last final on Wednesday, and I now have a full summer ahead to recover from the chaos that was the spring semester and prepare for the upcoming fall semester. It’s hard to believe I’m now a Senior, only one year away from the goal of “RN.” This semester absolutely pushed me to my limits, and having gotten through it makes me feel kind of bad ass, if I’m honest.
My goals for this summer are to get outside more- hiking, camping, taking walks with friends, fishing. As well as, working more on my creative ventures- this blog, my podcast with Alina, and my memoir. I will still be working all summer long, but I’m excited to have the free time that is nonexistent during the school year.
As a reminder, I’d love to receive any questions you may have that I can use for a future Q & A blog post. You can leave them in the comments here, or send them to my email beryan282@gmail.com I would love to hear from you, ask me anything!
Hope you’re all doing well for now, and until next time ~
