Friday, April 02, 2010

Back on top.

Will you believe that I've been offline for over 2 weeks? Eerie that it co-incided with my knee injury - it was very weird to be off running AND off the internet. I couldn't endlessly google knee injuries, couldn't endlessly lurk on your blogs or FB and I couldn't go off running either. The washing and ironing got done, a room that needed clearing out got cleared out - amazing what happens when you can't run or surf the internet.

Touch wood, I think that injury was just a warning shot across the bow. As in - this is not so bad, but you have to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Last year it was about 6 weeks before the Berlin marathon(I think), this year 4 weeks before Boston , but still. Perhaps I should be just a little more careful with myself when I'm tired and my muscles are tight. A day of rest might just have avoided this. Just sayin..

I followed my osteopath and all-round running Guru's advice to not run over the weekend after I hurt my knee - thereby missing most of a week's training. Besides getting to jobs that needed doing, I iced my knee, took glucosamine and massaged my knee with Ibuprofen gel.

10 days ago I went back to Jonathon who told me the swelling had gone down some. I did 4 easy miles the day before to test things and although I was not pain-free I did manage to carry on and through. Jon then revised my schedule for the week, reducing my speed session to a 6 miler session with 4x1200m repeats, my 11 miler to an 8 miler and my 20 miler to a 17 miler. The speed session went so-so - I aimed to get between 7:10 and 7:30 min/mile in those intervals but only managed on two out of the 4 intervals. My 8 miler was okayish - not painfree but okay. I took Friday off and met Sally on Saturday morning at 7am to do 17 miles. This, unbelievably for both of us, is the first time we've run together since we each lost our wheels in the course of the Berlin marathon. She's been injured (calf, shin and knee issues) and to see her hobble while she warmed up I couldn't believe she was doing this. We are both back to wearing our orthotics (I think we're both a bit superstitious about them - they're our blankies when we're sore) and in addition I put on a ChoPat knee strap I bought last time I was injured. And I don't know whether it was the orthotics, the knee strap, the much slower than usual pace for both of us (9:40 min/mile) or just the cracking conversations we always have but we did it. And it didn't hurt me!.

It's amazing. 2 weeks ago I was obsessing that I was slow and listless. I could feel that, for whatever reasons, I was not in the top form, mentally and physically, I was in last year for London. Having had a week off training and having faced, in my darker 3am moments, the prospect of not making it around the Boston course, I have turned a corner. Right now I feel that I might just be able to make it round the course. And that's just great. I am meeting so many of you out there - Greg, Jeanne, Emily and Meg and hopefully many more of you! - and I am so looking forward to being in Boston during such an exciting week and running in such a historic race and, generally, THAT I, PETRA, AM RUNNING BOSTON WILL YOU BELIEVE IT? that I think I can cope with the fact that my time will not be amazing. I know that many of you will be watching it online - I promise to beam and wave at every camera I see. I guess I'm truly not going to win this thing, but I'm okay with that.

To top things off, things have been going a lot better this week training wise and - as you can see by this blog - I am back online. I am smiling again - see?

9 comments:

Irish Blue said...

That's what we love about you...you fall down, but you always get right back up. I had no idea you hurt your knee btw though?! Did this happen during your break from the cyberspace time-sucking machine? At any rate, sounds like you did all of the right things. FYI - the ChoPat knee straps are my security blanket...wear them all the time now, sometimes even under jeans when not running.

I'm also learning to listen to my body. I was having some knee pain this week too, so I backed down my mileage a bit, ice & motrin, ice & motrin...and now I'm back at it.

Boston...what a journey it has been. Isn't that the real prize? I know for me, it's been a privilege and an honor to get glimpses of the evolution of you and to get to walk a few steps here and there with you on this path.

I'll be at work tracking you...mouse in one hand, Kleenex in the other.

Love,
M

Maddy said...

Yay Petra!

I'm glad to see you back online and back on top.

I cannot wait to track you and read your race report.

You have done amazing things to get to this point.

Much love to you!

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I am in wave 2 - (19226 is my race number). Seems a lot of us are heading to Boston a little bit "beat up" For me, it was such a HARD effort to BQ. I am still hoping for a good race, but my training has not been typical for me. Either way it will be a FUN day. Hope all your "nags" disappear.

jen said...

And SUCH a lovely smile it is.

Sounds like you took the break you needed and are getting back on track. Thanks for the reminder to listen to our bodies- I can never hear that enough.

You're going to have such an amazing time in Boston. Enjoy every step. I wish I could be there! I'm so proud of you.

Keep up the great work! :)

Unknown said...

Oh, I MISSED you! I saw that you were on Facebook the other day but haven't read your blog in forever...I kind of assumed something had happened. I LOVE the way a little set back can help our perspective on racing, especially the big ones. I felt like that in January and you know, it was one of the most enjoyable marathons I had done. I feel like Boston is going to be like that for you! My husband took away my Garmin for my first Boston and I loved every minute of the experience. OK, I'll save the rest for when we meet and I'm also sending you some meet up info. I received this morning. My email is on my blog, please email me so I can send you my cell # for meeting up or perhaps you'll come to the meet ups???
HUGS, hugs, hugs!
meg

Unknown said...

Wait! Can you send me your email address to lingfam@blogspot.com? Thanks:) .

Susan said...

Yes, yes, yes! I am going to be cheering louder than ANYONE for you as you take off in Boston! Isaac will, too! We will be positively glued to the internet that day!

I am so glad that a bit of time off did you some good. And I am enermously thankful to have you in my corner!!!

I am wearing running shoes this very minute...

Geoffrey said...

Have a great race, Petra. I hope the 3AM doubts are banished for good. Remember (worst case!) that your 2010 entry can be deferred to 2011. (I think it has to be done at the expo--your race booklet should have the details.) But it sounds like you're THERE. Looking forward to a great race report. Go get those hills at 19. Good luck with everything.

Marathon Maritza said...

Welcome back, I've missed you! Sorry that the knee is bugging you again, but you know exactly what you need to do. And lucky it's flared up during taper, right?

I love these pictures you've been posting lately, I love seeing my gorgeous friend!