What really happened when training for the Boston Marathon

It’s something I stopped talking about once the pain set in and I realized that the only way to run was going to be to run with pain.  The marathon training plan I had set out in early January was really a work of art.  It included hills, intervals, speed work, and of course long runs.  It was one of the very best training plans I have ever came up with.  Then the Disney World marathon happened. I thought it was just my IT band and I would be back running within a week or maybe two, no big deal. We make plans and God laughs.

This undiagnosed knee injury was incredibly annoying. One opinion was that there was a problem with my fibula bone and that all the muscles in my leg stopped reacting causing pain (part right). The second opinion was that it was popliteus tendinitis or strain. The third and final opinion was that it could be the popliteus, but it was likely something else causing the pain.  The third opinion came by the way of a Physical Therapist who was able to provide some solutions through dry needling and exercises.

First of all, no matter what anyone says, dry needling hurts – a lot. The very first session I had addressed the popliteus issues, but also the calf and hamstring. When I got home, I could barely walk across my room.  The pain was intense, but because I wanted to get back to running, I kept going back for more. After a few more sessions, it became clear that the problem was in the quad area, maybe hamstring.  After these areas were needled, I was dragging my leg along when I walked since the pain prevented me from fully bending my leg. 

I did feel the treatments were improving and after the first few weeks, I started stringing very slow walking miles together and some very short runs of about ¼ mile. The pain was still there, and it was still settled in the one spot on the side of my knee. By the end of February, I had enough and started running through the pain with permission from my PT. It was a little dejecting at first not to be able to run at a 7 minute or even 8 minute pace.  However, running in the 9’s was way better than spending 2-3 hours on an elliptical trying to replicate a long run. 

For March, I felt that I had to ‘cram’ to train for Boston.  Despite my best efforts, I lost fitness and muscle endurance in my legs, back, and arms, and would really have to work to get it back.  I was able to run a total of 250 miles in March – the most mileage in one month that I had ever done.  Yet, it came at a price.  At the beginning of the month, I realized that my ‘injured’ leg was not pushing off and my right leg was doing most of the work.  I had to relearn how to push off my left leg and it involved a lot of pain in the process. The first 4-6 miles of any run was agonizing and I usually wanted to quit after the first 2 miles.  I had to push through the pain because I knew once I got further into the mileage, my knee area would get better and allow me to go 16-22 miles.

The running was getting better and I was even able to pick up some of my speed again.  But from the moment I would step off the treadmill, my knee would hurt, my right ankle would sometimes hurt, and it would mean spending the rest of the day with my new friend the heating pad.  Not to mention, going from 0 miles up to about 50 per week was leaving me completely exhausted.  Every muscle in my body hurt and my legs were very tired. Still, the whole focus was running and Boston.

With two weekends left in March, my knee was at about 65-70% back where it should have been.  My left leg was able to push off much better, but still had lazy moments, and the pain was more sporadic and would last maybe a mile or two.  Then, during what was supposed to be an 18 mile run, I strained the inside of my right quad – my good leg that had been doing all the work.  Even though I pushed to 17, I knew I should have stopped a few miles earlier. After a day or so, it felt fine…until the 20 mile run the week later. This was the last 20 miler of whatever plan I still had left, so I was going to complete that thing no matter what.  I ran that 20 miles with mild soreness in my knee, a sore right quad at about mile 12, and a strained tendon in the right arch of my foot from my run the day before.  It was pretty safe to say that by this point, I was being held together by tape.

As I sit here and write this on the eve of the two weeks before I leave for Boston, I really have no idea what is going to happen in the marathon. I can now say that the injury to my knee is very likely a meniscus injury or tear, and my PT has mentioned this several times throughout my therapy, but he also knows how important Boston is and he has also said he will do everything to get me there.  After the marathon – who knows? Depending on how things hold up or not hold up, it could mean an MRI or more than that.  And while I don’t know how I will do in the marathon, that really doesn’t matter to me. Not only am I determined to get to the START line, I am more determined to get to the FINISH line – no matter what. I will not quit, I will not be defeated.

While the last two and a half months has been full of pain, exhaustion and a lot of tears, it has also been full of hope, excitement and anticipation.  Everytime I was ready to give up, I had a reason to keep going. So many, many, many members of my faMMily have inspired me and pushed me to continue just by being the wonderful people they are. I am running this marathon for me, for every painful moment of my past, for everyone that told me I was not smart enough or fast enough or good enough.  Even though I run by myself, I never run alone anymore. Sometimes in life, if we are lucky enough, God lets us pick the family we were meant to have. A family that makes us laugh when we cry, pray with us through hard times, challenge each other, support each other, and inspire each other.  We really do run together.

January 13 near Lake Buena Vista, FL

It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small, and the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all. It's time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through...

Next up...Boston!!!