How Are You Emotionally About the Marathon?

My angel Heather asked me that yesterday.

I loved my answer. It was a 180 degree different answer than the answer I would have given her the first day I saw her. That day, I couldn't not cry.

I told her that I knew I could complete the 26.2 miles, if I arrived at the starting line healthy. I told her I trusted I was doing the right things to get healthy. I told her that it very well could be my 'first marathon stoopidity' but if I can run 16 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes, I can do the last 10 miles in less than 3 hours and be done before the bus comes to pick me up. I even think I could do the last 10 miles in less than 2 hours and 15 minutes and be done in 5 hours.

The key is getting healthy.

Heather worked on the tendon in my left ankle. It was hot poker painful in one spot. I called that 'ground zero'. She told me that tendons do not have the blood supply of muscles and that they take longer to heal. This particular tendon is also very close to the bone and then other stuff I didn't really follow, as there was the hot poker pain thing going on.

Then she moved to my right quad. My quad pain was the most debilitating. I was unable to do my hip-flexor stretches as my leg would not move the right way. I couldn't roll over in bed without wincing in pain and moving my leg with my hands. There were times while driving when I had to lift my thigh up with my hands to move from the gas to the break.

We couldn't find any place on my quad that was "tender". She searched and searched and then - BINGO - there it was.

Remember way back in May, I had my second first - I fell. Heather started working on that spot where I fell. Holy Crap! It was not hot poker pain, but it was not fun. She showed me stretches for that muscle group.

Then she had me walk. It was another miracle. I had no discomfort in my quad. I had a little twinge around my knee cap - but nothing like how I walked in.

Then she worked again on my ankle. Hot poker still. She recommended that I see a chiropractor. She was so gentle and sweet about it, not really recommending it, but asking if I had ever seen one and so on.

So, Monday I have an appointment with a chiropractor who deals mostly with sports issues. Ha! I have sports issues! Ha!

So, last night and early this morning, I could roll over completely in bed without wincing in pain - that is very cool. I am walking without a limp although there is no spring in my step.

I am bailing on the 18 miler tomorrow.

I am open to doing 3 hours on the elliptical and will see how I am in the morning.