Long Overdue Update

I have been woefully absent from any real commentary on training, racing, or running news for the past few months. While I enjoy using this blog for those things, I have been caught up in other things that have drained my ability to be as creative. I thought that now, less than three weeks out from the San Francisco Marathon, would be a good time to try to make up for this absence.

My training started out great. I was getting more miles in than before, and doing long runs faster. I did my longest training week ever- 47 miles- with an 18 miler on Saturday and a 10 miler on Sunday that week. I felt great.

Then, I got in a car accident. My coworkers and I were T-Boned by a truck who either California stopped or just plain didn't stop for a stop sign. Luckily, the impact was in front of the driver door. Unluckily, I saw the truck coming, tensed up, and have experienced neck and back pain and tightness ever sense. We were very lucky, and the injury is more annoying than anything else, but it certainly has impacted my running performance (as well as my ability to sit at work for long periods).

I took it easy the week after the accident, which was my second easy week (the week of the accident was a scale back week). The next week (two weeks after), I did an 18 miler and was in so much pain I didn't know how I would finish. My left hip, then knee, then all the way to the ankle, tightened up and hurt sharply. Unfortunately, we were on a loop course far removed from the road, so I had to finish. I could barely walk the following few days.

I went to Kaiser's physical therapy the Monday following, and they were not helpful. The session opened with the "therapist" telling me my range of motion was very good. Apparently, being in good shape makes real treatment from that institution hard to come by. Shrug my shoulders was their cure, and not running if it hurt. I explained that I needed a more aggressive program, and the "therapist" scoffed at me.

Thanks to my friends at the Chips, I got in to see the fantastic Mits Motoyoshi at Primary Therapies in Folsom. My left leg had shortened due to the accident (bracing the foot), and I was generally all out of alignment from the neck and back pain. I've been going weekly, and while I still have some pain, I can get through my runs without sharp pain. He really is a miracle worker!

I scaled back my training due to the injury, which was really disappointing after starting out so well. I always want this race to be the one where I'm trained perfectly and I do my best, and it never seems to work out.

Despite my challenges, I am excited to run the San Francisco Marathon. I am better trained than I have been for past marathons, and smarter about nutrition and hydration. The course will be beautiful, and it will likely be cool out, a welcome thing after our hot July so far.