Recovery...and...Taper

I guess this will be the theme of the next three weeks. Actually, so far this week it's been all recovery - which leads to a drastic taper. This isn't the way I planned it, but sometimes toes get in the way. I had planned to run this morning, and maybe tomorrow. Instead I slept in this morning. Tomorrow is still up in the air. I will admit I am feeling a little anxiety over my toe. It is so disgusting that I am not willing (!) to photograph it. After much thought, I performed some self-surgery last night. I know, I know! I shouldn't do that. I did it anyway. The top of my toe had a protruding calloused and scabbed mess over the nail bed. The 50K produced a blister underneath. It was all wiggly and shifty. It was catching on blankets and when I had to wear them, socks - it even stuck out with a bandaid on. I decided that it would only get more damaged while running - because it was sticking out, and because it could move freely. I figured if it moved around while I am running it would end up worse than last weekend. I cleaned the scissors and the site with rubbing alcohol, and then I took the gnarly mess off. Yuck and double yuck. This is Wednesday - I think -hope- it will be healed by Sunday. It's bright red and really not too painful, but looks a little scary. We'll see. Worst case scenario is I don't run Eugene and I blow my four week streak. I guess I can live with that if I have to.

I have taken some action though. I ordered the Fixing Your Feet book. I'm on the search for Hydropel (which I am not finding and would order, but to get it here on time would cost more than the product). I asked my doc for a referral to a sports medicine podiatrist. I sure hope he remembers the sports medicine part.

Thank you to everyone for the great support of my decision not to 50K. Of course, by the next day I was second-guessing myself. Was it really that bad? Could I build up to it? Maybe it felt worse because I was tired? Don't worry though, talking it through with Eric confirmed my decision. He said it was that bad, he could hear my "funny" breathing when I ran (that's the breathing that Sonya instructs everyone to listen for, because she's learned over the years that it is the herald of the heart) and he could hear me struggling for breath when I walked. It reminds me of a couple years ago - like clockwork, my chest would tighten and my breathing would start to go right about an hour and 15 minutes. I tried to run past it, I tried to slowly, slowly build up to it and nothing would work. Figure, at my pace then, an hour and 15 minutes was just over six miles. Sometimes, it'd be that way at the end of five miles. If I'm having problems now at 28 miles, then I really have nothing to complain about! (for those of you who are newer to my blog and don't have the history, it's a long story - you can read about it here and here if you are interested.)

Can you tell I'm in that anxiety-producing taper stage?

This weekend's plans are exciting. My crazy husband is running the 50 mile at Capital Peak on Saturday and the marathon in Eugene on Sunday. Our crazy friend Rob is running the 50K at Capital Peak, then catching a nap while Eric finishes, so he will be awake to drive them to Eugene to run the marathon on Sunday. Our sane friend, Steve, is running the 50K with them, but has the smarts to call it a weekend after that. Eugene should be a blast - there are a whole bunch of Y Runners going - I think 13, plus a few supporters. We'll be meeting Sarah and Darrell for a meal or coffee - it's kind of loosey-goosey on the planning with that many people involved. Plus, it could be 10:00 that night before Eric and Rob make it to town. Lest you think I am alone in running a 50K last week and a marathon this week - Melissa, Michelle S. and Patch are all doing the same.

I believe Eugene is about a six-hour drive from here. We are going to have to come back Sunday after the race - I have to be at a conference-retreat thingie for a statewide Parent Ed Coordinators meeting Monday morning, and Rob has to be at school. Eric was going to take the day off till he found out we both had to be back, so he'll be at work Monday morning too. I am going to get a sub for Pilates though - I really don't want to get up that early, then try to drive myself for an hour to get to the conference. I'd fall asleep for sure!

Signing off from the cloudy town of Puyallap, where some runners are recovering, some runners are tapering and some runners are just plain nuts!