Notes
A tough day at the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. I went into the race with a calf issue. Three weeks ago it was my right calf - that was healed and felt fine. Ten days ago it was my left calf. This did not feel good before the race and got to the point of unbearable pain during the 5th mile of the race today. I had to drop out. I felt great aerobically at 5 miles, but my calf was very painful. I ended up running to just beyond the 11 mile mark (shut my watch off at the 9 mile mark when my average pace read 6:59. I could not bear to see it read 7:00 or higher after the work I put in and where I have come from as a runner) where I got picked up by a course vehicle and taken to the finish. Very disappointing. I was very fit and really believe I could have run under 2:44 perhaps well under.
What to do??
1) get healthy - I have not run pain free since falling off my bike in early August. I am really sick of running in pain.
2) training changes??? - I was super fit so my training is working, but I could not stay healthy once the school year began. Was this a product of overcompensating from my hip injury from the bike fall? OR was it too much mileage OR something else
3) lots of miles get me very fit. how much is too much?
This was the first marathon that I could not finish. I have definitely felt awful in a race before, but never had an injury stop me. I want to avoid this feeling again, yet be fit enough to run fast. I am VERY disappointed in myself. I have worked to hard and come to far in this distance racing pursuit to put myself in this position again. I need to figure out how to avoid this feeling yet be fit to run fast.
Is Boston my next marathon? Do I focus on getting healthy and then getting fit for April. OR do I hope my calf heals and try to carry over my fitness to a fall marathon or travel for a late fall/early winter marathon?
I got to figure this out. This sucks.
Trying to put on a good face for friends and people around me, but inside feeling terrible. I can't do this to myself again.