Out!

The marathon is out. It's a Total Bummer. Everything was going just dandy and then out of the blue on a nice recovery run I felt a sharp twinge in my left knee on the inside. I did all the normal things to try to get it to calm down - ice, stretch, foam roll, drink water, but no avail. My long run the next day was cut a mile short (looking back it should have been cut 6 miles short) and I walked home. Humbling.

I rested for a week doing elliptical and not running at all. Then Friday, one week post injury, I tried running again. I made it two miles and had to stop because I felt my knee would lock in the extended position.

I think it's tendinosis but, I am scheduled to see and Orthopaetic next week to confirm there is nothing wrong with the joint itself.

I'm actually ok with it all. It stinks for sure. But it would stink more if toughed out the marathon and ended up in a cast or boot for the next 12 weeks. I know what a marathon can do to you and it's not pretty even when you are healthy. So going in already beaten is just not a good idea at all. I would rather be back on my feet in a few weeks and run all winter to make my big comeback than run one day this fall and be out for who knows how long.

So instead of wallowing in not running my marathon day I'm taking a continuing ed class. It's an all day class on "reflexology for stress." Reflexology is basically foot massage in its most simple sense. But the study of reflexology is about channeling Qi (energy) in the body to corresponding meridians (energy paths) to achieve optimal health. I think it's all very interesting, and I love to have my feet worked on. (Probably because they hurt from all my running.) But I'm not a "woo-woo" massage therapist by trade, so selling me on the whole "science" of reflexology is going to be tough. But what I do know is that it feels good. And that, most often is the best healer there is.

I imagine that taking my class and having time to deepen my knowledge base will be (almost) as satisfying as running a marathon. At least in theory. I do know I'l be getting some really good foot massages throughout the day so there is that!