Monday, March 9, The weather has turned and now in the low 50’s. I stalled around in the morning because I wanted to listen to Mark Simone who comes on at 10 am. I tried to stay on pace and I did not walk but was very slow. My goal was to get four miles and I did that, with an inch or two to spare.
The trouble is – in that last mile my left Achilles tendon was hurting. Shins were hurting on both legs and right foot got painful. Does this mean that I am rushing my training? Come on – four stinkin miles?
Tuesday was a loss. I wore the same shoes and same socks and my right foot toes felt crammed in – I got to the half mile post and turned back and walked home.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Roger was very helpful about my crammed toes. “Wear thinner socks!” This from a man who pairs up socks and running shoes to the ninth degree. He definitely knows sock and shoe compatibility. So I wore thinner socks this morning and yes, my toes were fine. But the Achilles tendon, the shins, and the pain in the foot all made themselves known. I was determined to go a little farther than on Monday so turned back at 33:05. I was on the Chester Trail, which has quarter mile post all the way down to the Chester end. On the return trip I began to take quarter mile splits and darn, they were slow.
If I have any chance to place at the Cherry Blossom 10K in my age division I’ll need to get fit a bit faster than I am. You think I’m joking?
Oh, sure, sometimes I am the only person in my age division or one of two or three, but that is not always the case. A couple years ago at a local race I was late getting to the awards ceremony. A lot of the race directors now are starting with the older age divisions and working down. I spotted my Morris County teammate, Doris Hafeman, who is only a couple months younger than me. She had just walked back from going up to get her award. We were in the 75 to 79 age division.
“Hi Doris,” I said. “We just got here. It looks like I missed getting my medal.”
Doris is one of the sweetest women I know. She looked at me and in the kindest way possible she said, “Madeline, I don’t think you got a medal.”
And I hadn’t – finished fourth. Some of those same women, Doris included, are now in the W80 to 84 division. My comeback after my pneumonia lay-off needs to start jelling a little faster.
Thursday, March 12, 2020 Yesterday when I was complaining about my painful last mile home, I got no sympathy from Roger. “Maddy, I told you to just go out a mile and come back, and if you feel good, go out another mile the other way. But no, you go out for over two miles and then limp home!”
Well, today I only went out for about a mile – turned around and headed home. When I got to my starting point, I realized the wisdom of what he had said. I was tired from Wednesday’s run and to bed late last night. I ended the run. Wisdom prevailing. She lives to run another day.