My "short" runs were 3.5 and 4 miles each, several times a week. My long run? An "easy" 10 miles. I was tired, yes, but I rallied and (after taking a nap) felt great.
I developed pain in the piriformis muscule (think smack in the middle of your butt cheek), but that was manageable when the prospect of my first half marathon loomed. I would have walked on glass barefoot those last few weeks just to get through the race.
Doc said to rest for a couple of weeks until my body healed. You'll be back, he said.
And yet...
The pain lessened enough that I'm no longer taking over-the-counter pain meds. I have been following all of the doctor's orders (stretching, heat, exercises, yoga, massage and almost no running). But I've plateaued and am no longer making progress.
What's a runner chica to do? Reassess, of course.
I got new shoes in the hope they'd help with the healing. Hoka One One Cliftons, which feel like I'm walking on a cloud. Squishy. Comfy. Um, ugly.
Runners tend to be fanatical about their shoes. Some of us have a dozen or more pair in our closets, showing the trial and error phase until -- like Cinderella -- we find just the right shoe.
My closet "just" has two pair of running shoes. My trusty, beat up Brooks Ghost 6s and the new Hokas.
So back to the Brooks it was with me just as I restarted my running yesterday with another trusty tool: My Couch to 5K app. I still have my eye on a Thanksgiving morning 5K, so this may just work out.
That is, until I rediscovered shin splint pain. Boo. Hiss.
It wasn't so bad that I could say no to my favorite 8-year-old's request to go for a short run this morning. He did great for the first half, then petered out and stayed home for the second half. I finished, lungs burning just a little.
The body's complaining, but my spirit was soaring.
What does a running chica serve with humble pie? Just a little patience and hope.
What's your favorite running shoe? How many pair do you have littering your closet?
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