Houston, we have a problem.

My 18 mile run left me with a bruised foot. How? Haven’t a clue. I’m guessing it’s just one of the many things as a runner I was bound to encounter. This is going to sound strange, but in a way, this setback doesn’t surprise me. My feet have been pissed off at me since day one of marathon training. Clearly I am getting old! Sigh.

But! If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past ten years of running, the only thing I can do is listen to my body and rest. Running this week would have been a HUGE mistake and more than likely caused permanent damage to my feet. My plan is to scratch this week and start fresh for my 20 miler. Of course, only time will tell.

Chicago Marathon Training Recap: Week Fourteen

Monday – Rest.

Tuesday – 3 1 miles.  This run was a very stupid idea. In the back of my mind I knew my foot wasn’t ready to run, but I felt I needed to prove myself wrong. Note to self: always listen to your gut. Well, I ended up calling it quits after a mile. In fact, I actually laughed at myself when I stopped for being such a bone head. What was I thinking? I knew after this “run” I would be spending the rest of the week with my foot elevated. Oh the joys of training for a marathon.

Wednesday – Bike ride. When one can’t run, one bikes…or something like that. Let me state for the record, I haven’t ridden a road bike in over a year. Bikes still freak me out, especially the whole clipping in thing. Even though I was freaking out about falling over, and I almost caused Mr. B to crash into me because I took the wrong exit ramp, I had a great ride. I can definitely see why people enjoy this sport. Mr. B and I biked for about 40 minutes and at the end, I felt like I just got done running, but without all the knee pain. If I ever decide to stop running, I would definitely start riding a bike for cardio.

Thursday – Rest.

Friday – Cross Train. Does walking around shooting guns count? I’m thinking it’s definitely a total body workout because 1) holding a gun for two hours is like lifting a dumbbell over and over again, 2) it’s a core workout because I have to remain balanced as to not shoot someone, and 3) it’s a lower body workout because I strolled around in a dirt field. I’ll tell ya, this cross training stuff is super fun!

Saturday – Rest. 

Sunday – Bike ride. Mr. B and I headed east again in search of flat roads and zero traffic. I’m really starting to like this whole biking thing. Even though we only biked for an hour, I got a great cardio and leg workout. I should have been riding a lot more during the early stages. Maybe my foot wouldn’t hurt right now!

Total miles: 1