Please, oh please don't let it be...

... a stress fracture. That's right. Only a few days after I blogged about finally feeling an intense love of running, I feel a little twinge of pain on the top of my left foot. Not enough to cause me to cry or curse or stop running.

And then, of course, that pain got a little stronger and a little more intense. If this had happened a year ago, when I was running in shoes, I would have forged on -- a little discomfort wasn't going to stop me (I was already in constant pain; a little more wasn't going to break the camel's back). But this is now, where I'm a barefootin' girl and I can't afford to hurt my precious feet. So, I backed off running for about 5 days and stuck my foot in a bucket of ice & water (how, I wonder, do athletes SIT in ice baths without going absolutely mad?).

I'm thinkin' that a few things contributed to this pain:

1. I did a pretty fast workout on the treadmill the week before the foot started to talk to me. For some reason, I feel like I'm flying when I do anything on the treadmill, and I know that I don't pay nearly as much attention to my form when I'm running on it. I can definitely say that I was pounding harder on my feet during that workout than I should have been.
   
2. I wore heels for about 6 hours straight soon after my treadmill workout. Super. Stupid. Idea. Ok, ok, I have to say that they are cute heels and they totally completed the outfit. A girl can't let herself totally go when she starts tickling the pavement with her baresies (is that a real word?). But back to the point...my feet aren't used to that much altitude.

I'm really hoping that this isn't a stress fracture. I've never had one, so I dont' know how they are supposed to feel. But what I do know is that the pain isn't super intense, so I'm going to take it easy and ice a lot to see if that will help. I did a "maintenance" run this morning (a short and sweet 22 minutes) and things felt in good order. Will keep you posted on how the foot heals (fingers crossed).

I'm back!

I think I am officially back as a runner and that is so exciting! How, you ask, does one know if you can officially call yourself a runner? Let me count the ways:

1. I rarely sleep in on the weekends anymore -- those beautiful morning hours are definitely for training, whether that be a long run or a long ride.
2. When I began packing to go home for the holidays, I knew I had to make room for my running clothes. Regardless of whether I run once or each day I'm there, I know I'm going to need those clothes. That makes me happy.
3. I have a small tennis ball under my desk at work. What is it for, you ask? Don't tell my boss, but I take my shoes off every now and again and massage my feet with the ball. Not only does it feel good, but it also helps to strengthen my toes and feet. Have you ever tried picking up a tennis ball with your feet? It's not as easy as you might think.
4. I have a million water bottles. They are in my car, at my desk and in my room. And then of course, there are the ones I run with and ride with. They are pink, orange, green and Stanford-tree adorned. One can never have enough water (or water bottles).
5. This morning, my back split from my out-and-back run was faster than my out split. I was moving really, really well and had found a great breathing rhythm. Totally clearing your mind and only focusing on the one step to one breath ratio is liberating. There's almost nothing that feels better.
   

It's been a while since I've felt this good about running and about being a runner. And I'm lovin' where I'm at.

Welcome, December

Wow, it's been two months since I've last posted. I'm trying to wrack my brain to see what might have happened in those 60 days that would be interesting to put down in a blog post...let's just go with a nice little list this time.

1. It's been chilly here in Redondo Beach for the last week.

Good things:

• Snuggling deep into my down comforter
• It finally feels like the holiday season
• There's just something about digging out the warm running clothes that makes me happy. I heart my knit cap and pink running jacket.
  
• Seeing my breath when I go out reminds me of home

Bad things:

• It is SO hard to get out of bed in the morning
• Because I don't get out of bed, I feel guilty for not running
• I hate feeling guilty

2. Because I felt guilty yesterday for not getting up in the morning to run before work (see above), I ran on the treadmill at the office gym during lunch. I've done this before, but for some reason, this time was different. I was in my Vibrams, but my toes still felt like they were getting "burned." They were warm to the touch and were a little buffed up afterward. Not sure what that's about, but figure I should probably lay off the treadmill for a bit (maybe it will make me get up the morning. Maybe.).


3. To my excitement, I have found that my feet can sustain running two days in a row. Before, I was hesitant to run back-to-back because after each run, my feet were pretty tender and I didn't want to cause any damage. But after a few weeks of running two days in a row, I think that my body has adapted. I feel really good about this - I'd imagine it is how babies feel when they realize they can toddle all the way from one set of arms to the other. Just like those kiddos, my body is getting stronger.

4. I'm not usually one for New Year's resolutions (it is about that time of season, right?) but I am going to make it a point in 2011 to train for and race 10k's. I've haven't done a real training regimen since running cross country in high school, but I am going to be dedicated next year to doing track workouts, going out on long Saturday runs, even fartleks if I have to. I'll try to do a post with more details about my resolutions as January gets closer.

Well, for now, I think that's all I've got. Over and out.