You can't always get what you want.

Race recap from Saturday, final race of the Forge Trail Series.

Forge always puts on great races, heck I'm always happy to not be on the road running but I'll take what I can get. I came in expecting to finish strong knowing that I had a smidgen of a chance at an age group award. This race was a 10k through the Port Hudson civil war site. It was amazing last year, and didn't fail to upset this year.
No swimming was involved, but there was a jump over a washout and hills. I've felt great this week on all of my runs, and actually had prepared to run this race and a 1/2 marathon the next day (that's for later). For once, no overtraining, no skipping runs, I was ready. About a mile in, a friend in my age group hunched over. She's been through a lot and I hated to see it. I asked if all was ok, and she assured me she would be on my tail in no time. I kept on. First mile 9:44, whoa slow down nelly! Then again keep it before you hit the hills. I felt wonderful the whole run, heart rate went a little crazy at one point and I had to back off, but all and all no problems. I had an amazing time and when it was over I was able to pull the legs into high gear and hit the finish at 1:04:20! PR for 10k, road or trail. My neighbor was running this race too, it was his first trail race and he was not too far behind me, so I ran back and met him at a hill. He did great! 1:11 for his first ever trail race, that is excellent especially since Louisiana's as flat as a pancake except in a few spots. I didn't finish where I hoped (where did all these others in my age group come from?), but my friend was still ahead of me (the one who slumped over). I was pleased with that, she deserves that award and more.

I'm glad I had such a great trail race Saturday because Sunday really sucks. I had such high aspirations and all was fabulous besides my husband is still dealing with piriformis syndrome and couldn't come. The weather could have been cooler, but alas, can't have everything. I started off great, strong, light, smooth, easy. The miles were flying by. Mile 4 I got a cramp in my foot, nothing I haven't dealt with before. It stopped and I continued. On my merry, happy way. Mile 8ish the pain started, minor at first, then increasing with every step. I started walking on my heel and made the decision that a DNF is better then a more severe injury if I continue the next 5 miles or so. I was on PR pace, finally going to put that sub 2:20 in my records and here I was hobbling at mile 8.  It was hard to make that decision, I have never quit, but with a broken husband and the amount of pain I was in I had to. I cried for a good 10 min while waiting for the race director to pick me up. I hated that I was a quitter, but knew it was for the best. The whole, miserable, ride home I tried to figure out what I had done. I had trained properly, felt great, but here I was worse off then the races I had winged.  5 hours later in the ER and many explanations of what is really wrong with my foot to the doctors (who had never seen anything like it before) they had no answers and sent me to a orthopedic specialist.  I have something called Freiberg's Diesease (Infraction), to put it simply my 3rd metatarsal on my left foot is flat instead of being round.  I was diagnosed when I was 14 with this.

The arrow points to my Freiberg's toe.  

So off to the specialist I hobbled yesterday.  Let me just tell you my arms are so stinking weak it's ridiculous and I think they might fall off from usage!  You'd think a specialist would have their office set up so people on crutches can hobble easily and not from 3 miles away (ok, only like 1/8th of a mile).  If my husband wasn't also broken he could have dropped me off at the door, but alas we have to be broken at the same time.  The doctor was very polite and commented on my Freiberg's.  Apparently it had interested him during his classes, but have never actually seen a case of it so here I sit, the rare foot problem gal.  He couldn't see anything on the x-rays so that ruled out a fracture, however, since I cannot put weight on it and when he hit the 2nd and 3rd metatarsals I about flew out of the freaking building, never mind walls!  Diagnosis: Stress Fracture.  He asked some questions and then concluded that during the race at some point I stepped wrong, one misstep…  He concluded this since it was so sudden, I had no previous pain, and had trained properly for this day.  We should be able to see the actual stress fracture on the x-ray next week.  Until I'm released to swim, I'm on crutches and in a boot. When I'm at home I pretty much leave the boot off.  I cannot put more than 10% of my weight on the heel in the boot anyway and it provides false security.  So I just hop around and around… We moved a rolling chair into the living room and kitchen so I can get around in those 2 rooms without the torture of crutches.  It will take 6-12 weeks to heal. :(  Which means I might not be able to run the Gulf Shores Half Marathon January 13.  I'll still go to the Blues, but will not run.  I think it will be too close to Gulf Shores to attempt to run 2 back to back weekends.

We had to cancel our Fertility Appointment yesterday, between the 2 of us being broken, we have more important things to worry about.  It stinks, but it's the truth.  It's hard to worry about it when we are both so broken.  I probably won't worry too much this month, I'm not sure when I'll be out of the dang boot to worry about anything anyway.