Tchopitoulas Barathon

                                                           My first race back. 

Chug a beer at the gun, chug a beer at every bar, finish 6 miles of this, then hang out and drink beer the rest of the evening.  I got this.  slow running, socializing...no problem.  HA HA HA!!!!!

This was so fun, and I am sad to say it took me getting hurt to participate is something like this.  I figured "why not?" since I wasn't running fast anyway, I might as well have some fun in New Orleans with NON Northshore people, right?  They were FUN!

well, here's how it played out.  I started off slow.  the beer was heavy.  first bar, I started to sip my beer and noticed everyone else was chugging then taking off.  This was an actual race?!?  How on earth can these people run fast with a belly full of beer?  so I chugged mine too (I got a little competitive I suppose) and took off.  I began to loosen up a little, still "full" of beer, but not a bad pace. 

Across Audubon Park - roots were not good for the foot.  4 letter words flying, but I survived.  Next Bar, I had to sip.  There was NO WAY these chicks were drinking the ENTIRE beers. this is what I thought.  I am ashamed to say I thought they were cheating.  LOL...this is a FUN EVENT, right?  What was wrong with me.  Could I PLEASE let go and not care?  Who cares if they were or weren't.  I was gonna drink them all and do the full race.  sip, sip, sip....5 minutes later, i was off.
Back across the Oak tree roots to bar #3..I actually felt pretty good.  sip, sip sip...I was passing people while running bar to bar, but they were passing me while I was drinking.  CLEARLY, I was not trained for the drinking portion of this event.  lol.

Bar #4 - again...sip, sip, sip...all the wile people I passed while running were slamming their beers and taking off.  time to go catch them...

Bar #5.  F&M's.  Pool Table.  I wanted to lie down.  somewhere between bar #4 & 5, I got hammered. I was toast.  sip, sip, sip, sip, sip, sip, sip.  There were people sitting down inside and outside - all along the streets lining the way to the final bar - finish line.
I was walking at this point.  I finally didn't care.  things were spinning.  and others looked as bad off as me. 

I made my way to the finish - well sort of.  I walked there - went the wrong way and completely missed the finish line.  I just walked into Le bon temps to get another beer and hang out with the party.  it was about 20 minutes later, someone asked me what my time was at the finish...I said "what finish?"  LOL

So I walked outside to the finish and filled out a tag and got my coozie.  I was toast.  Good thing we had a designated driver.

It took me 2 days to recover.

Wobbling Back

3 weeks after Boston, Dr. Groves gave me the go ahead to start back to running at my own will.  No stress fracture meant the pain was all soft tissue and running was ok.  he assured me the pain will shut me off before anything worse can happen to it, and that was music to my ears.  I love Dr. Jay Groves!!! He knows my mind and knows my drive...most other doc's would have said to stop running and take up something else...poo.  I run from fat, unhealthy docs who prescribe laziness and pills!!  I was ready to turn my run back 'on".

So, he said the pain will be the limiting factor, and IT WAS.  I started off on the ellipticals for a few days, then I was able to jog a little, slow and easy, with a noticibly altered stride.  I was scared to hurt something else while I was running so unevenly, but I just wanted to go.  it was running and I was just happy to be out there and breaking a sweat.  I started slowly for me - 3 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles...some days I made it 3 minutes and turned around and went home, it was just too painful for even me to withstand.  I wanted to be super careful not to let it alter my stride too badly that I would cause another injury.  It wasn't long before I eased into an every other day running plan that worked best, and was able to gently raise the mileage enough to start to rebuild some endurance.

Before Boston, I decided I would pick one BIG race and try to make my way back to IRONMAN HAWAII this year.  The race I picked was the BUFFALO SPRINGS LAKE 70.3  in Lubbock, Tx because I loved that race (i've dont it 4-5 times) and I could drive to it.  However, it was kinda hilly.  ok, really hilly.  actually Canyon hilly.  70% flat, then straight up and straight down pretty much.  I began to regret signing up for this race now that I have the foot to rebuild - as well as running endurance, but it was on the radar wether I liked it or not.

I suppose all i need is a rabbit.  that rabbit was Lubbock on June 24th.  6 weeks. 

Gulf Coast Tri in 1 week (May 12) was out.  bummer. 

For the upcoming 6 weeks, I would be teetering the line between getting the miles under my belt and getting injured. And I was ok with the risk. I was determined to get back on track, so I kept on the rebuilding, payed close attention to my foot, calf, knee - everything up the left side of my body.   I battled a few extra pounds, as well as chin splints and plantar fascitis along the way, but stayed one step ahead of them and still managed to get some modest miles in while spending time in the weight room and focusing alot on my bike and swim.  Things were moving along nicely...

Out, But Not Down

It's been 16 days since Boston. 

It's hard for me to believe that I could run a race like that then be immobilized by a foot injury 20 minutes after the race.  What's even harder to understand is that it didn't just go away after a few days which I admit I was expecting it to do.

The past 2 weeks have been a challenge to stay positive, keep focused on what I CAN do, and keep moving as if I would just wake up one day and be able to run.  I have enjoyed the free time to get other stuff done, but frankly, everything I do in a boot (and even moreso on crutches) has been exceedingly SLOW and encumbered.  So, I really don't feel like I was able to accomplish much.

But, GUESS WHAT?  This past Monday I got the best news possible.  After 2 weeks in a walking boot and most of the time on crutches for pain & "just in case" it was a stress fracture, I got the news that there was NO FRACTURE and my foot appears to be in good shape, with fluid and inflammation in that darn 2nd metetarsal/toe trouble spot I have.  What a relief.

For a while there, I thought all was lost on the year, but maybe I can get back on the run before long and still salvage the year and get to Kona and Vegas via the Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 in June in spite of this little speed bump.

So, sadly for me, Crawfishman is out this weekend for sure. The Gulf Coast Half Ironman next week...well, the optimist in me can't say I'm out just yet, although the reality is I probably wont do the run if I can get around without the boot at all by then.  Either way, this year I'm closing a chapter to a seven year streak as Overall Female in Crawfishman, and a three year streak as Overall Female at The Gulf Coast Triathlon in Panama City Beach, Fl. 

Bittersweet.

oh, right - planning my comeback for the TCHOPITOULAS BARATHON on May 18th. 

6 miles

6 bars

6 beers