Post 10K injury

My foot's been really aching like crazy since Sunday. Madhura doesn't seem to be too happy about the pain not subsiding. So I go to this place in Dover and the doctor said that it most probably is a case of Plantar Fasciitis. She prescribed some NSAID and asked me to continue with the RICE procedure. Apparently stress fractures (what Madhura suspects) do not show up on X-Rays very well. And she didn't feel the need to do an MRI or CT scan as yet. So I am still limping around. I have tried taping it and icing it. And with all that limping, my knees and shins are getting sore. No wonder Rest is first in RICE.

The doctor's asked me to go to a podiatrist if the pain does not subside in 2-4 weeks. So its a wait-and-watch game. I really really hope this goes away 

I guess cross-training/weight-training might help me busy doing something atleast. Next 2 weeks I am at home. So the apartment gym can be used, unlike here in Dover where there's not really anything.

Since I have started running, there always has been one foot related problem after another and its irritating to the point that its no longer interesting. Plantar fasciitis, shin splints, arch pain...gosh! I even followed a non-injury training schedule to the dot, got good running shoes (after trying one one and not liking them!). What else am I to do? Lets see what and how this unfolds.

Jingle All The Way 10K race report

Sunday December 13th was Jingle All the Way 10K in DC downtown by the Potomac river. Chavone and Jerome were running too. We were going to drive together but the weather's been nasty last couple of days. We got up at 5:30 (after an interrupted sleep) and decided that we don't want to run. But we still wanted to go to the race nevertheless. "Atleast lets pick up the race shirts", we thought.
I guess Chavone and Jerome were not coming to an agreement if they wanted to go so we decided that we will drive separate. We dressed up and drove over to find a good parking spot. It was just drizzling a tad. So no harm in running. Picked up the bibs and shirts and got to the finish line just in time for the race to start. I didn't really stretch a lot. We were jogging from the parking spot to the start off point. So I thought that should be warm up enough.
We positioned ourselves almost at the back. The crowd was 3,700 strong! Quite a few were dressed up in Santa hats and dresses and sorts. It was a fun crowd. The temperatures were ~34F. Pretty cold. Madhura and I were together for about half mile and then I took off after that.
At the 3 mile marker, I saw the leaders heading back. This time I had my stop watch started. Hit the 3 mile marker at ~29min. Good enough. I was determined to do a negative split this time. I took off my ear muffs at about the 2 mile point. There was too much of a crowd and the roads were quite narrow. So the weaving was problematic. But who am I to complain. All throughout the race, my goal was 55:00min. Then the dastardly cramps set in at 4miles! Gosh! No amount of deep breathing helped. The pain was stabbing! So I slowed down to a walk. Madhura caught up with me. She was going strong! Great girl! But she was worried about her back which she had thrown out a couple of weeks ago. So she prodded me to go on and not worry about her. "I don't have a goal. You go for yours", she said. So I took off trying to ignore the pain. I knew by 5 miles that I was not going to make it at 55min. So I decided that I have to make it within 60 mins. My previous peeve of 61min at the "Life Without Limits 10K" race would be 'avenged'. I hit the finish line at 58min. My tag timing was 56:39. Not bad at all!

Madhura had some problems with her hands getting too cold. Nothing too serious though.

Me on the other hand - after we had breakfast with Chavone and Jerome, the lateral side of my right foot started aching like crazy. Madhura doesn't like the look of it after she did some tests on them. Well, its a wait-n-watch game. Hopefully its just a damaged tendon/ligament/muscle and not a stress fracture. Time will tell. Till then its R-I-C-E (Rest Ice Compression Elevation).

Pictures as we get them.

Rottweiler on the loose

We decided to do this small quick run before our upcoming 10K on Sunday. A small one. Maybe 3 miles. So we take Maggy along. Its dark and its cold! So the base layer and ear muffs and hats are on. We were on Monument, just behind Safeway and Madhura stops in her heels. "There's something rustling there", she says. And sure enough, there was this Rottweiler rustling in the leaves. No leash! We froze right there when he looked at us. I don't know if it was the dark or the cold, but I could feel the hair on my back raise. Imagine this 'thing' staring at you:

We did not want to take any risk to check if it was homeless or whatever!
For this one time, we were of the same opinion - Turn around! Both of us slowly moved back and headed straight home.
Strange Maggy did not sense him. Maybe he was just a lost puppy. But we were just not up to it. Though Madhura did call the ASPCA as soon as we got home to report a dog on the loose.
Now I know what I want when we get our own home with a yard. A Rottweiler. Yes sir! The effect it had on us, I want that exact same effect on any intended prowler.

Regular run [Dec 07 2009]

Its snowed over the weekend in Virginia. Though there was no snow here in Delaware, its very very cold. 40deg F. I donned the base layer, ear muffs, my cap and a tee. I decided I will curb my 'enthusiasm', come what may and try a negative split. There was no way of calculating precisely my negative split, but I am pretty sure I did one! Breathing was a wee bit difficult in the cold, but not impossible as such. Infact, I did the 4miles in 35 min! yaayy!! The left foot was aching near the plantar fascia, but I didnt let that bother me too much and the pain just vanished at about mile 1.5. The ear muffs are a boon! I have to get ones that snuggle better. I will not be able to run till Friday atleast thanks to all these parties at work. But I think I am pretty set for Sunday's Jingle All the Way 10K in DC this coming Sunday. A reminder: target time - 55min.

Meals: Cereal & coffee for breakfast + Quiznos regular turkey sub & iced tea + black eyed peas रस्सा भाजी & beer + usual quantity of water.

Regular run [Dec 04 2009]

I did a short 2 mile run on the treadmill on Thursday which, as always, was as boring as can be. Reason I did the treadmill was because it was raining quite heavily. I really did not care to record what I ate and stuff.
Yesterday was pretty pleasant. A tad chilly. But nothing the base layer could not handle. Madhura threw her back out earlier this week while running in the morning. So she is taking it easy till she is comfortable for our 10K next Sunday.
I did our usual Random Hills & Government Center Pkwy. It was a very satisfying. Concentrated on breathing throughout. No cramps at all! I tried to do negative splits, but couldn't manage that. It sure does take control to do accomplish that.

Meals: Cereal and an egg for breakfast + 2-3 cups of tea + Chicken sandwich at McD (I went out to the American History museum at the National Mall today afternoon while I was free and thats where I had that sandwich) + delicious Mysore Masala Dosa + Bhel Puri + coffee at Saravana.