The Good, The Bad & The Burning

I guess I'll start with the (semi) good. The White Rock 'n Roll 5-miler was pretty good, all things considered. It was horribly humid (think 80%+), but thankfully overcast and only in the 70s. But still, it felt like running in a rain forest. I would have preferred it just start raining, as the girls and I had a glorious run in the pouring rain the Wednesday prior. Anyhoo, I was downright grumpy before I even hit the halfway point--I was on pace but feeling like I was working much harder than I should be just to be on (and not ahead) of pace, the outsides of my calves were positively burning and I was having to wipe sweat out of my eyes pretty much every chance I got. All in all, I had to stop 3 (!!!!!!!!) times to stretch my calves, so I knew something was definitely wrong. The past few weeks I'd had to stop no more than twice during a run to stretch them (and even that wasn't every time), and this time the stretching provided no relief. Whether the pain stopped or I just ignored it I'm not sure, but I was happy to see the finish line. My dad was there, which really gave me the energy to sprint it in. I finished in 51:40, about 2 minutes slower than my 5-mile PR, but considering the news I learned a few days after the race (read on), I'd say that's pretty good!

Long story short, my calves hurt all day Saturday after the race, all day Sunday, all day Monday and finally started to loosen up after I worked out Tuesday morning. I attempted my standard recovery run that Sunday after the race, but it was quite clear early on that something was not right... I made an appointment with a podiatrist who is also a runner/marathoner and went to see her on Wednesday. The verdict? Peroneal tendonitis in both legs... which is why finishing just 2 minutes slower than my PR is pretty good in my book. Basically after about 3/4 of a mile to a mile, the outsides of my calves--where the peroneal tendons are--start burning. I mean like 'holy shit my legs are on f-ing fire!' burning. I took from last Sunday until this morning off (doing only elliptical and weights at the gym) and bought new running shoes per the doctor's advice. (For anyone wondering, I got the Saucony Triumph 6--so far, so comfy!) I tried to run this morning, but was only about a mile and a quarter in before the burning set in. Following the doc's advice, I stopped immediately, but still, it's incredibly frustrating.

So the good--a decent race overall considering I ran it (and have been running for more than a month) with tendonitis in both legs. And the doc didn't put me in two soft casts/short leg boots!

The bad--peroneal tendonitis sucks. I miss running. :(

The burning--my calves. It's a good thing it's (mainly) only when I run, but on the other hand since it typically only hurts while running, I have no way of gauging how it's healing unless I go for a run, which could end up aggravating it (like today).

I doubt anyone's reading this, but I'll provide updates no less. Trying to stay optimistic yet realistic. For now I'm icing and relaxing because there's not much else to do. Until 5 a.m. tomorrow--and then it's back to the elliptical. Bah!