<p>Thanks blankmind and BB - I’m pretty excited to do it. As H and I talked it over, he began to see my reasoning. I’m not getting any younger. I run 30-35 miles a week for fun and haven’t had any significant pains or any injuries to speak of. I like having a goal to work towards AND if it seems like it’s going to be too much, I can drop back to the half or defer to 2015. I looked over several training plans and the longest training run any of them had was 22 miles. I thought to myself, heck, I’ve run 14 miles before, I can run 22. I think a big part of it is mental and being realistic about what I can accomplish. I can finish. That’s the goal. </p>
<p>Woot, woot sabaray! </p>
<p>No marathons in my future, but I did my run/walk for 4.14 miles this morning. </p>
<p>First of all Sabaray, I’m loving this comment:
“I run 30-35 miles a week for fun”
Not many can say that!!! ;)</p>
<p>You’re not crazy you’re ambitious! You do seem to like a goal - go for it. November will probably be a good weather/temperature month to do it. I’ll cheer you on!!! </p>
<p>sabaray- I’m so excited for you! Just take the training slowly so you don’t get hurt. That’s the biggest risk. There are many different training programs, but I believe you should not run more than 18-20 in training. I know you can do it! I always felt that if you could run 10 miles you can get into marathon training and finish. My daughter (of course she’s younger) has been doing really well and lowering her times on less than a 30 mile a week average. She does the Run Less Run Faster program which works really well for many, but for an older runner I think it has a risk of injury that is higher than I want to assume.</p>
<p>The side effects of my oral steroids which I thought I had avoided finally kicked in and I’ve been awake since 2am. I mean- not even drowsy (except now at work). Very frustrating. Still in total pain unless I take Tylenol, so I’m going back to the ortho group today to see if they have any other tricks to try.</p>
<p>" Just take the training slowly so you don’t get hurt. That’s the biggest risk."</p>
<p>Very solid advice! Do not overdo it. I personally like to follow the Marathonrookie training sheets, and the longest training run I ever did was 21 miles. Do not mean to scare you, but funky stuff can happen to the body after 16 or so miles. Your body will ask for more fuel, so experiment with gels etc. to figure out want would work best during practice runs, not during the real race. Additionally, training runs are a good place to practice blister and similar ouchie prevention. Body Glide makes a good anti-chaffing stick that I usually smear generously on my toes. You do not want to be that person hobbling into a medical tent with a bloody blister the size of Texas on your foot after the race! 
Have fun. If you run 30 miles a week for fun consistently - you are marathon ready! :)</p>
<p>Thanks all! Posting here is part of my accountability strategy - I told you all I was doing it, so now it will happen.<br>
Abasket, I’m definitely counting on the cheering. </p>
<p>MOWC, I’m not worried about my time so long as I can finish within 7 hours. The 22 mile long run was a definite outlier - most of the plans I’m looking at have the long runs peaking at 18 - 20 as you recommended. I estimated a 5 hour time to finish based on my half and if I do that I’ll be thrilled. Onward ho! I’ll try not to bore you all to death. </p>
<p>BB, I already have Body Glide and use it! I have really ugly feet in spite of all my efforts. The gels I will need to work on. Recommendations are welcome, so long as it isn’t a chocolate gel. Gross. </p>
<p>Hope the ortho has some relief in store for you, MOWC. What a pain. </p>
<p>Funny you say not chocolate - I tried chocolate gels at home and has the same reaction, but once I had to eat a chocolate mint gel at mile 17 (because that was all I had with me), and it tasted soooo good. ;)</p>
<p>Ive used Gu gels and they are ok. My current favorite is Powerbar vanilla gel - it is liquidish and easy to swallow. I know that MOfWC likes Huma gels. I am trying to find a place where I can get just one gel for a trial, since they are usually sold in boxes! There is a running store in Seattle that carries them, but it is inconveniently located. Someday, I will go there. </p>
<p>I’m cheering for you too, Saba! No words of wisdom, though, since I only run those distances in my imagination. </p>
<p>I did a little over three miles of run/walk outside–humid, sunny, and in the mid-80’s already. </p>
<p>MoWC, I hope you’ll get some relief from the pain soon. You will probably sleep soundly tonight, steroids or not. </p>
<p>For my sleeping last night, I was doing okay until about 4:30 AM, when DH got up with a bright flashlight, looking for an appointment card to check the time of his morning dental appointment. Good grief, the things that worry us! I told him the time (7 AM) but I then had a difficult time falling asleep again. </p>
<p>PlantMom, I hear you! I was awaken by the hotel alarm clock that some idiot set to 5:30. Of course, I should have checked it yesterday before going to bed, but I was so tired after a full day of work and my 6 am flight! </p>
<p>Fingers crossed for you, MOfWC! Maybe the side effects are the sign that the meds will start working soon? Wishful thinking, but still…</p>
<p>Steroids stink! Good luck MOWC! </p>
<p>Way to go sabaray! Amazing!</p>
<p>My calf hurts a lot. I consulted Dr. Google and I think I’ve strained my calf muscle. It said to not run for 5 days, ice and ibuprofen. The ibuprofen helped a lot. Oh and they said to try a compression sleeve for the calf. I went to my favorite running store 
(TJ Maxx) and they had compression socks so I’ll try them and see if it helps. Also picked up arm warmers there for $5. </p>
<p>10 mile bike ride. It was colder than I thought so the arm warmers came in handy. Didn’t hurt my calf but wasn’t much of a work out, I need to go faster or farther! </p>
<p>I finally downloaded my Garmin from my race. Oh boy, I got my heart rate up. My max HR was 188 and my avg HR was 175. Not sure what to think of this… </p>
<p>Deb 922, maybe your “rear” will think differently the next 24 hours about that bike ride not being much of a workout! </p>
<p>Deb- I love my various compression sleeves and socks. I haven’t used them lately since I haven’t been doing any distance (even before this injury), but as my daughter says “they feel like a hug for your legs.” My Dr. Son in Law thinks it is all a big gimmick and offers to bring us those hideous compression hose from the hospital instead of our cute, bright colored calf sleeves and socks!</p>
<p>Stopped by TJMAXX to pick up some wrapping paper and a pair of exercise shorts for my daughter for her birthday. Figured I’d see if they and any arm warmers like Deb922 found. No luck! However walked out with a pair of Brooks running shorts, a Brooks sports bra and 2 dri-fit tank tops . Go figure!!!</p>
<p>Got an MRI today. We’ll see if it sheds any new light on this. Took some Tylenol before I went into the MRI and when I came out I could walk, so there was that bright spot. Bought a very think light tank at Lulu for hot yoga. </p>
<p>Kudos, Sabaray, on the marathon plan! So cool that our “threadmother” has literally gone zero to ten…or 26 as the case may be :)</p>
<p>MomWC, I’m clearly going to have to send you a heap more healing mojo and send it harder!</p>
<p>So, how about ultrasound – has physio given you any, and if so, does it help with the pain at all? With me the physio peeps would do the ultrasound therapy, then the tens therapy. They did that 3 times a week…and the other two days my acupuncturist would have at, and throw in some Tuina massage. All those things gave at least temporary relief to allow me to get ahead of the pain a bit, but I seemed to get better faster once I bought the hot tub and started taking magnesium in addition. It’s hard to tell exactly which thing was the most effective, since it was all kind of a blur But I do know magnesium is pretty good in terms of muscle relaxation. Careful of high doses digestively though. (I supplement magnesium every day now, but use robaxacet if I have a little lockup to prevent protracted spasms.)</p>
<p>I don’t know if its honeysuckle or wild lilac up on the hill but something in blossom right now along the easement part of my trail makes my morning hill hike an outstanding olfactory treat. It is the most awesome, uplifting smell! I don’t remember the experience from last year, possibly because the flood-induced zombie mosquitos drove me to the dreadmill in may before my permethrin arrived followed b a swim, I gotta say its been the best part of the workday this week.</p>
<p>Which I might add, has sucked, and not been less than 15 hr days so far…my punishment for a long weekend!</p>
<p>kmc- thanks for the tips. I’m only 2 weeks into this, and I think the obvious starting point was the steroids and dry needling to try to relax the muscle. Today will only be my 3rd PT appointment. I suspect we’ll try more things. I’ve never had much luck with ultrasound with past injuries. I’ll find out if the MRI shows anything enlightening. </p>
<p>I miss being outside.</p>
<p>So excited for you sabaray!!! You will do awesome in the marathon! What an inspiration you have been to us! :)</p>
<p>MOWC…The combination of ultrasound, tens and massage have been helpful to me in the past. Hoping you can find something that gives you relief.</p>
<p>Good to see you back, NMinn! Thanks for your constant support and encouragement! </p>
<p>At one point in H’s career he actually managed distribution of TENS units…yesterday when I came home he told me he saw “Shaq” on television recommending the use of the unit with Icy Hot. TENS never did anything for me and I was actually grateful when I was pregnant because TENS was contraindicated for preggos. H couldn’t practice on me anymore! The other thing I saw recently were compression items (briefs, bike shorts, socks) that you could use in combination with ice packs (110% Compression?). Not sure if that is new or not. New to me! Needless to say, I thought of MOWC when I saw the bike shorts you could put cold packs in. </p>
<p>My PT is a man of few words, and today he said, “Boy, you are in bad shape!” There is definite nerve involvement. He did a bunch of mobility things and this all (as with all my injuries) stems from my pelvic rotation and alignment. I took the Tylenol after I left and am starting to feel better.</p>
<p>This has been going around the internet, but it’s pretty hilarious and gives you a good grasp of hot yoga.
<a href=“http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3153/Hilarious-Yoga-Mat-for-Sale-Ad-on-Craigslist.html”>http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3153/Hilarious-Yoga-Mat-for-Sale-Ad-on-Craigslist.html</a></p>
<p>Here I am debating between a 5K and 10K, and sabaray signs up for a marathon! So, inspired, I just registered for a 10K. This Sunday. After vowing I’d never run that far again. I think I can switch to a 5K since the start and course are the same (the 10K runners do the 5K course twice) – does that sound right, experienced runners?</p>
<p>MoWC – your injury just sounds worse and worse every day, and my heart goes out to you. I think the lack of progress would drive me crazy – most injuries I’ve had slowly improve over time, yet you seem to have acute pain long after the injury. Hoping relief comes soon. </p>