Initially, I leaned heavily into cycling to keep up my fitness in a safer way - less lateral movement, low impact, not putting weight on my ankle. I did a 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 mile bike ride to mimic what would have been my long runs.
BUT on August 16th, I was cleared to run. Happy birthday to me. The following Monday, I took my first few steps - ankle wrapped, 1 minute walking, 1 minute "running". It was painful both mentally and physically. But this was not my first rodeo with injury, so I also knew what to expect. It was wobbly, it was slow, but I got through it. Two days later I gave it another go. Then another - for a longer distance. By the next week I unwrapped my ankle and did my first true run - a 5K. It wasn't pretty, but the muscle memory did come back to me. One foot in front of the other. Literally!
So where am I now 4 weeks later? I took some pretty big jumps after that. 6 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles, and 12 miles as of last week. This week I will tackle my 14 miles. I wasn't kidding when I said no rest. From this point on, my progression is only upward. It has to be...with such a crunched timeline.
But I have to admit, reinjury is top of mind. And the odds feel really high. I've been trying to protect myself the best I can with the timing of my runs, my slower pace, and making sure I cap-end the long runs with true rest or active recovery. There is no room for error in this plan. I'm also keeping an eye on my reoccurring IT band issue - the slower pace is good mitigation to that for now.
As I've got back to running, I've also been able to return to running with my running club on some mornings. There's something about like-minded people commiserating about challenges, failures, and triumphs that is extremely comforting. People who may look different than you, but speak the same "language" as you. Their support has been unwavering.
This past week, I made an uneasy return to CrossFit. Yes, I'm scared. But I need the cross-training to help my running. And I missed the feeling of the metal barbell on my hands too much. In the end, CrossFit will always be my "first love". My fitness impetus. But as my goals have shifted over time, and frankly, as I get older, the way I approach the activity is likely going to continue to be more supplemental and cautious. As long as running is the priority, I'll never be able to give 100% at CrossFit.
This is my current mix until the marathon:
- CrossFit
- Short Run
- HIIT
- Short Bike
- Long Run
- REST
- Long Bike
As I continue my long-run progression from 14, 16, 18, 20 - Rob and I have the Staten Island Half smacked right between the 18 and 20 miler. This will be the true "test" of how I operate in a race setting.
Praying for good rest, a steady pace, and a solid time to help boost my confidence in my body's ability to perform.
