Marathon Weekly Update

Maintenance runs

So Tuesday morning comes and I cut 3 donuts of moleskin and tape up my feet. I'm ready to run my 3 miles. I gingerly put my running shoes on and can barely stand. After limping around the house for several minutes I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to be able to run. I sent an email to Eric asking about the water running class at the YMCA, thinking that was the only way I was going to get any exercise.

After work I set off to the Presido with my bathing suit and towel ready to workout. Now, I don't have what you would call an appropriate bathing suit for water running. I own one that was definitely made for lounging next to a pool or on a boat - all show, no support. I recently bought another suit to take on my cruise to the Bahamas that is cute and covers a bit more of me, but still isn't the kind of thing you see in the pool at the Y. I'm also still wearing my glasses and can't really see without them. I tried getting in the water with them on but that only lasted a couple of seconds.

I talked with the instructor and told her that I was training for a marathon and had a blister that was keeping me from running. She gave me some pointers on form, etc... and sent me off to join the group. I did my best to work as hard as possible but I'm not what one would call a "water person." I attribute that to almost drowning at the age of 3, but that is beside the point. I can swim and hold my own in a pool, lake, or ocean. I just don't seek out the water - I would rather do my exercise on dry land. I never got a good feeling as to whether I was was really working out or not. I didn't feel out of breath and in the pool you don't sweat, or at least you don't feel it. It was so foreign to me that I still don't know how much good it did. At least it really cleaned the remaining sand out of the blister.

I chatted with Patti on Tuesday and kept up a steady regimen of neosporine, second skin, and knuckle bandages this week to heal the blister that was bothering me. This morning I slipped into my running shoes like they were glass slippers. I ran for 3 miles and felt like I could have done another 3. I decided not to push it since we will be running 12 miles on Saturday. I have got to find a better solution for the blister problem on my long runs or this is going to get really old really quickly.

posted by Heidi @ 7:26 PM