Days 120-121 : It's a Go!!

Yep, you read that right! Months of hard work and a little luck will all come into play on Sunday in Dallas. The visit with the doc was encouraging and I got the all-clear as long as I can handle the discomfort.

After a few minutes of stretches and exercises, the doc gave me the good news. He told me that I don't have any nodules on my Achilles and the creaking sound isn't present so I am basically fighting a case of bursitis/tendonitis that is there, but not major yet. He said the chances that I would do something catastrophic by running the marathon were slim to none so he thought it was ok for me to give it a go. After going over my treatment options, I decided I wanted to be aggressive and nip this in the bud before it becomes a nagging injury ordeal. He provided me with an Achilles brace, heel lifts, prescription for physical therapy, and 3 prescriptions for a topical anti-inflammatory cream, steroids for pre-race, and anti-inflammatory pills for post-race. I am hoping with all the cross-training and stretching I have been doing lately it will pay off on race day. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

It's also a big day for OKC. MAPS3 looks like it is going to pass and OKC will continue to rocket up the food chain of major metropolitan areas. The central park, whitewater course, loops of bike and running trails, and the start of public transit will be such an exciting thing to see in the near future. I still don't know why people were opposed to the idea of funding such great projects, but to each his own. The results aren't official yet, but the numbers are promising. I hope the YES votes win!

Here is an updated forecast for this weekend. Looking ok still! Stay away wind!

Saturday Night, Dec 12

Low: 38 °F RealFeel®: 27 °F

Partly cloudy; breezy late

Sunday, Dec 13

High: 59 °F RealFeel®: 54 °F

Sunny to partly cloudy

Day 119 : Nervous Already

Is it possible to be nervous already? Well, I am. I have had that butterflies in my stomach feeling several times today thinking about next Sunday. Fears, doubts, thoughts of joy, thoughts of pain, expectations, missed opportunities. You name it and I have probably felt it. Idle minds can do funny things.

It was a relatively productive day, but I did have a lot of time to ponder the past 17 weeks and second-guess my strategy for this coming weekend. I have a plan in my head but we all know that can change in an instant when you get out there and start running. I hope my body is at full strength and I hope my mind is stronger than the pain. Keep me in your thoughts and send positive vibes my way. Next update will be Tuesday night after the doctor visit.

New updates from accuweather.com. It's looking warmer :

Saturday Night, Dec 12

Low: 42 °F RealFeel®: 36 °F

Mainly clear and breezy

Sunday, Dec 13

High: 63 °F RealFeel®: 68 °F

Mostly sunny

Days 116-118 : One Week

Week 17 of marathon training is in the books. I can't believe it's finally here. The final taper week. Although I did no running at all this week, I stuck to the book and did the cross-training equivalent to keep the fitness level near the peak. I know it's not the same, but at this point I don't think running would do me any good. My goal is to get to Dallas, lace up the shoes, and give it my all.

What a crazy day of football?!? I was very amused by both the Cincy game and the Texas game. I am glad Texas hung in there and pulled out a win. As much as I know it doesn't help our recruiting at O-State, it is still nice to see Texas make it to the title game. It looks like my fellow Cowboy fans and I will be dancing in Dallas in a few weeks for the Cotton Bowl. It's very deja vu playing Ole Miss again. Hopefully the outcome will be in our favor this time around.

No plans on Sunday except to rest up and get stuff ready to pack. I have business functions 3 of the 4 nights before I leave for Dallas on Friday so I want to make sure I am not rushing around forgetting things when I head out. It looks like the weather forecast is trending colder which will make dressing for the race more of a challenge. I would rather be a little cool than a little warm though.

As you can tell, my focus has turned towards positive thinking about actually being able to run this race. I do have my doctor's appointment still scheduled for Tuesday, but it is more of a precautionary measure and an option to get some tips, treatment, and recovery advice before I embark on my journey. I am expecting to get the go ahead based on how things have improved since Monday/Tuesday of this week. The knot on my Achilles is gone and I am not experiencing any pain when I walk or step now. I am sure that will change as soon as I run again, but it's a good sign the week before the race. All I have to do is make it one more run and then I can go into the offseason and treat it well for a few months.

Updated weather forecast from accuweather.com:

Saturday, Dec 12

High: 59 °F RealFeel®: 58 °F

Cooler with more sun than clouds

Saturday Night, Dec 12

Low: 34 °F RealFeel®: 27 °F

Partly cloudy

Sunday, Dec 13

High: 47 °F RealFeel®: 42 °F

Mostly cloudy and colder

Friday, December 4th : 35 minutes on stationary bike (replace 3 miles of running)

Saturday, December 5th : 30 minutes on stationary bike and 65 minutes on elliptical
(replace 8 miles of running)

Days 113-115 : The Cold is Settling In

Yep, the cold weather finally made it back to Oklahoma and I think we may be settling into winter finally. After one of the warmest Novembers on record I think we all got spoiled and thought it was supposed to be 60s and 70s all year round. Reality check!

I actually like the cold, but I haven't had to get out and run in it lately due to the lingering injury concerns. I have opted for cross-training the past 2 days because Monday and Tuesday were not good days for the old Achilles. I had a knot on the side of my left Achilles on Monday when I woke up and it has slowly given away to a small bump and is not nearly as noticeable pain-wise. I got really concerned on Monday, but my fears are easing a bit. I have scheduled a doctor's appointment for next Tuesday, which was a chore in itself. It took several phone calls, a lucky cancellation, and me rescheduling a business visit to finally get into see my running doc. I want to get it checked out and get another opinion before I dive into the marathon next weekend. I want to limit the long term impact of this injury and if that means I have to postpone my marathon adventure then so be it. I hope that's not the case though.

I am a little concerned I won't be in tip-top shape for the marathon. I have opted not to run this week due to how the Achilles reacted to the 12 mile run this weekend. I figure since my mileage is so low this week and next that it wouldn't kill me to just substitute cross-training for the running. However, it's not the last 2 weeks that concern me, it's the previous 2 1/2 weeks. My running has been pretty limited since I did the 18 mile run on Nov 8th. I have done a lot of cross-training and haven't lost my cardiovascular fitness, but the running fitness will definitely be lacking on race day. I know my adrenaline will be rushing so that will help, but there is that voice in my head telling me to slow the pace down and just try to finish. I think that voice will win out in the long run. I know it's going to be a fight to the finish.

Time to get ready for bed. The evenings just keep flying by and tomorrow is our company Christmas party. I guess it will keep me from running so that's not necessarily a bad thing at this point.

Tuesday, December 1st : 47 minutes on the stationary bike (replaced 4 miles running)

Wednesday, December 2nd : 65 minutes on the stationary bike (replaced 6 miles running)

Updated weather forecast from Accuweather.com:

Saturday, Dec 12

High: 68 °F RealFeel®: 65 °F

Partly sunny

Saturday Night, Dec 12

Low: 47 °F RealFeel®: 45 °F

Partly cloudy

Sunday, Dec 13

High: 68 °F RealFeel®: 68 °F

Partly sunny

Sunday Night, Dec 13

Low: 45 °F RealFeel®: 47 °F

Partly cloudy with a shower late

Days 110-112 : Is It Already Over?

Wow, where did the last 4 days go? All of a sudden I look up and it's time to go back to work. Talk about a bummer! I guess holiday weekends are always that way. You get time off from work, but you are traveling and doing things that you never really get a chance to soak in the extra days away from the office. Back to the grind. Can you believe it's December in 2 days?!

Well, good news for all of you actually following along leading up to the marathon! I managed to get in 12 miles today and am feeling ok about it still. I woke up this morning about 8 AM and did some pre-run preparation at the apartment. I had the usual whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and jelly and did a few stretches in the living room. The weather took a turn towards late fall/early winter finally so I actually had to pull out the long sleeves today. It was also a bit rainy so I put on my Brooks jacket and gloves and hit the road.

I opted for running in the neighborhood this morning because I really didn't feel like running at the lake because I knew it would be colder there. I also was kind of in a time crunch so I figured being close to home would eliminate some of the time needed to get in my run. Another perk was the ability to leave water and Gatorade at the corner of my block so I could hydrate without having to carry fluids with me.

The run started off about the same as the last 3 weeks or so. The first half mile was pretty routine and everything felt good, but soon after the heel started the usual burn/ache. It never really eased up the entire run but I made myself get through 12 miles to makes sure I could at least get to that point. I also wanted to see how I felt after I ran for that length. I know I haven't ran anything over 3 or 4 miles the past week or two, but I felt pretty fresh at the end of my run and it left me encouraged and optimistic. Obviously the run wasn't ideal, but it was a good indication that the marathon dream is still intact.

The pain is stubborn though. I still feel it now and it is 8 hours after the run. I have iced and stretched a few times already today and will keep up that regimen for the next 2 weeks. Again, the pain never really got to the point where I felt I needed to stop, but it never really was comfortable either. I am definitely resigned to the fact that I will be running with some level of discomfort in my first marathon. My hope is that it won't get worse in the later stages of the race, but it is still a big unknown so I will just have to keep my fingers crossed.

Only 2 more weeks until the marathon. I am a weather nerd so this next section is basically for my own viewing pleasure, but it will give you an idea of what the weather will be like on race day. I am going to start posting an update on the forecast for Sunday, Dec 13th with each of my posts leading up to race day. My source will be Accuweather.com for now. They have a 15 day extended forecast so here is what they show for Dallas on race day:

Saturday, Dec 12

High: 48 °F RealFeel®: 47 °F

Cloudy with a shower in the afternoon

Saturday Night, Dec 12

Low: 41 °F RealFeel®: 35 °F

Mostly cloudy

Sunday, Dec 13

High: 61 °F RealFeel®: 56 °F

Cloudy and warmer

So far it looks pretty decent for a marathon. My only hope is that the wind is light. Stay tuned for more weather updates!

Sunday, November 29th : 12.05 miles in 1:53:43 (9:26 pace)

Day 109 : Un-Official Turkey Trot

In honor of all of the Turkey Trots around the country today, I decided I should at least go for a run to join the thousands of other avid runners hitting the streets today. I opted out of the official Turkey Trot here in OKC because I tend to run too hard when I go to races. A nice 4-mile run in the neighborhood was just right.

All in all, the ankle/Achilles wasn't too bad. It still definitely isn't 100% but the run was somewhat encouraging. If it holds up the same over the next 2 weeks, it will make marathon day even more enjoyable. I will continue to follow the extended taper plan for the next 2 weeks and try to ice and stretch as much as possible. All signs are pointing towards a go though. We are moving in the right direction. I will attempt a longer run this weekend and see how it goes. I will go for a 12 mile or 8 mile run depending on how everything holds out. I haven't fully decided what I am doing tomorrow. It is a scheduled rest day, but Saturday is Bedlam in Norman so I won't be able to cross-train then. I think 2 days of rest may not be a bad option anyway. Sunday will be my run day this weekend and hopefully it goes well.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone had a great time with family and/or friends. Time for some Texas/Texas A&M football now. We need the Longhorns to win to keep our BCS dreams alive. I will be fired up in Norman on Saturday. ORANGE POWER! BEAT OU!

Thursday, November 26th : 4.01 miles in 34:57 (8:43 pace)

Days 106-108 : Holiday Week

Oh it feels so good to be off work for 4 more days. I could really get used to this 3 day work week thing we have going on here. Wishful thinking!

No real big plans for Thanksgiving. My mom is working so I am going with the Pops down to his folks for Thanksgiving lunch. I don't really plan on staying long so I can get back and watch some football in the comfort of my apartment. The goal for Thanksgiving and beyond is to continue to eat well and taper towards the marathon. I really need to make sure I don't gain any unnecessary weight the last week or two. I am going to have enough strain on the body as it is now.

Yesterday was also my first run since last Wednesday and the disaster I experienced at Lake Hefner. I was really nervous for some reason. I have been stretching and icing like a madman the past week and I think it has helped some. The run was not perfect, but it was doable. I only ran a nice, easy 3 miles just to get back into the swing of things and will now alternate running and cross-training days until the marathon. I really am trying to not push it and just get to the starting line and see where the chips fall.

The pain is not debilitating like I have said before, but it's definitely there. It's more of like a constant dull, burning pain once it starts. I really am leaning towards a case of bursitis in my Achilles region, and not tendonitis. It is definitely aggravated more with pressure on my Achilles region by my shoes. I have been trying to wear Crocs, softer backed shoes, and/or go barefoot when at all possible to help cut down on the inflammation. The time off has definitely made this more of a possibility so that has been helpful. I also am going to schedule a doctor's appointment next week to go get checked and see if the doc can give me any tips or advice to get through the marathon. The goal is to still run the marathon. I think race-day will definitely help the situation and I would be very upset with myself if I didn't at least give it a shot. I would rather try and fail, then not try at all. The only thing that will stop me now is if I further injure myself between now and race day or if the doctor tells me I am stupid for trying. I don't foresee either one of those happening though. I am being as conservative as possible with my running to help promote healing and still maintain fitness.

Off to get some stuff done around the apartment. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 24th - 3.0 miles in 29:35 (9:52 pace)

Wednesday, November 25th - 60 minutes of stationary bike in place of running