No NYC for me

I went for a 6.5 mile run at the reservoir on Sunday morning. The run started out pretty well, but by the end of the first lap my foot was hurting. I pressed on and ran the second lap, still feeling the pain, but it wasn't severe enough to stop. My legs felt fabulous and full of energy, but my lungs were holding me back, on account of the cool air, the hills, my body's insistence on running 9 minute miles and the scarcity of my running the past two weeks.

I decided I would do a few more weekday runs and I would be in okay shape for the race.

Monday morning, my foot was all kinds of swollen and ugly. My arch was non-existent and my feet were entirely flat. It was not pretty. I used my little rubber ball on my foot and some ice throughout the day. I had an appointment with a new sports med doc that evening. After waiting for more than an hour in the waiting room, he looked at my foot and advised me not to run. I thought it was typical doctor talk and too conservative, so I was like, "yeah, yeah, yeah. what if I just load up on advil?" He said I could do permanently damage to my foot and at the very least miss out on an entire season of running." I still wasn't budging. We took x-rays. No breaks, but I need a bone scan to detect a stress fracture, which I'll get on Monday. He made me promise not to run if I have a stress fracture and I said I wouldn't, but I didn't think that was what's wrong. He agreed, but still suggested I not run no matter what. He said I probably won't finish and that if I do, most of it will be walking. Ugh.

So, after some tears and some mulling, I cancelled my entry yesterday afternoon. No marathon this year, but I did guarantee myself a spot for next year.

I'm still sad, though. i really thought I could get 4:30 this year. Boo.

And I still can't run!