Running 6.5 miles... and an injury.

Today was the day. I was finally going to be able to have the time, the motivation and the plan to run 6 miles non-stop as part of training for the 10k race I signed up for at the end of the month.

I got one of these suckers.

I waited a few hours in the morning, had breakfast, chatted, and used the facilities. I put on my new sports bra, old sports shirt, over shirt and slacks. I laced up my running shoes grabbed my phone and it's new arm band I got at Target a week or so ago. I set Pandora radio on "Club Music and was ready to go. My run on Wednesday helped me find a new loop that would take me around for 4.6 miles. All I had to do after that was do the 2 mile loop I've gotten used to and TA DA! I'd complete a 10k run! More than that actually.

It was a great plan. I'd run 6 miles before but I had to stop after the first 2 miles last time because I don't know about you but running makes me have to visit the little girls room like you can't believe. It's annoying, uncomfortable and a hassle. I'm learning to work around that body fluke. But anyway the first time I ran 6 miles a few weeks ago I had to do a potty break after 2 miles and then complete the next 4 miles. So I ran 6 miles but I had to stop.

Yeah, maybe one day right? LOL

This time I wasn't stopping. It was interesting because most of the run was going to be on pavement but there is an almost 2 mile stretch next to a highway. I found out that there is a horse trail parallel to the highway and I figured it would be a better, safer route to take than have to move to let cars pass every five minutes. It was good because I didn't have to worry about traffic but I am NOT used to trail running and although I've done some of that stretch once or twice before that horse trail always changes with weather and erosion so I had to be very careful of where and how I stepped.

After the two mile trail running stretch I headed back to camp down a curvy trail, made it back to my starting point and kept going. I was going to do another, smaller 2 mile loop to finish my 6+ miles.

I had to motivate myself to keep going on that last stretch but I did it. I finished my jog in 1hr and 28 minutes. Most of that time was spent either watching where I was stepping, day dreaming about cooking or enjoying the view of all the gorgeous ranch houses I passed along the way. But when I finally stopped and sat down, relieving my feet of my weight I was able to feel my feet and legs throbbing. Talk about pounding the pavement. A minute later I started feeling a piercing pain in my left arch. "Aaah sh**" was all I could say to that.

Right about there, yes. 

This wasn't the first time I'd felt a bit of pain in my left arch. I figured the last time that I stepped wrong during a hike and my foot had swelled up. I had iced it and elevated it and eventually the pain went away. So today when I felt my left arch hurt, and as the minutes continued the pain got stronger and stronger, I knew I was in trouble.

By the time I finished stretching, went back to the house and took off my shoes my left foot was in agony. My first instinct is to use 'arnica' and massage it. But I don't have 'arnica', don't even know what it's called in English, and my foot was in too much pain for me to want to touch it.

Eventually, after google-ing foot cramps, texting my mom, and feeling my foot out I left my room and hopped to the fridge where I knew we had ice packs. My roommates gave me suggestions and one of them handed me a book called Fix you Feet. I gratefully accepted everything, wobbled back to my room, elevated my foot, put on the ice pack and opened the Foot book to heel and arch pain.

Gotta love it. 

Eventually after putting on and taking off the ice pack and stretching my foot to localize the pain I realized I was starving. I needed to get up to cook lunch and take some Advil. (I learned the hard way that you can't take Advil with an empty stomach so I NEEDED to eat something before I could indulge in pain killers.) So I wrapped my foot up and headed to the kitchen.

I heated up tomato soup, added garlic, garlic salt, oregano, baby spinach and slices of grilled chicken. I had to limp run to the smoke alarm to turn it off because apparently my kitchen doesn't appreciate the smell of smokey garlic cooking. I had to call the Fire department and tell them it was a false alarm, but finally I got to sit and eat.... and take Advil. LOL

Now I'm in bed with my wrapped foot slightly elevated and the pain killers are taking effect. In a few hours I'll inspect the damage and I might add a hot press.

I'm a little bummed I got hurt but I'm hoping that the foot will get better soon and that it mainly had to do with over exertion and lack of hydration on my part (I definitely didn't have any water on this run, and it was a warm sunny day too.)

Do I regret running this far. Not at all. I'm actually ecstatic that I was able to finish such a long run. This is the farthest I've ever run non-stop EVER! I know now that I have to take care of my feet if I'm planning on continuing this running regime. I really hope that by tomorrow my foot is better. I need to keep training to be ready for my 10k at the end of the month.

Wish me luck and remember to take care of your feet!

love
-w0rld