Week 6: 41 runs | 123.8 mi | 17.7 hours Cuboid syndrome (right), very mild
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (right), moderate
Metatarsalgia (left), moderate
Plantar Fasciitis (left), very mild
Sore throat, moderate
Head cold, severe
Day 36: 8 runs | 24.2 mi
Day 37: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
Day 38: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
Day 39: 9 runs | 27.2 mi
Day 40: 4 runs | 12.1 mi
Day 41: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
Day 42: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
The sore throat at the end of last week immediately transitioned into a nasty head cold. It peaked in severity midway through the week on day 39 and finally only went away on day 42. This was now two weeks in a row running through head colds. Hopefully that will be the end of them for the remainder of the challenge but likely not. With pounding I am doing to my body and immune system, the smallest virus my kids catch will likely wreck me each time.
The injury on the ball of my left foot (Metatarsalgia) continued to improve this week. It did not hurt to run or walk anymore but every now and then during day to day activities I would step on it the wrong way and a tingling sensation would remind me that it just isn't fully healed yet. Even though my injury list is still long and capped off with another head cold, this week was a step in the right direction compared to last week.
I believe the new course on Zwift (May Field Track) was released the previous week. I only stumbled upon the new course at the beginning of this week. Almost every mile on Zwift this week was on May Field track. You would think that the only thing worse than running day after day on a track would be running day after day on a treadmill. Now combine them, treadmill and track at the same time. It is surprisingly fun to run around a track in Zwift. I see a lot more runners and start to see familiar names and avatars on the track day after day. I even spotted Slowman one day. The track kind of brings the running community a little closer together. Every now and then I venture off the track mid-run and work my way to downtown Watopia for a change.
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Week 7: 42 runs | 126.7 mi | 18.2 hours
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (right), moderate
Metatarsalgia (left), very mild
Day 43: 8 runs | 24.1 mi
Day 44: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
Day 45: 6 runs | 18.1 mi
Day 46: 4 runs | 12.1 mi
Day 47: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
Day 48: 5 runs | 15.1 mi
Day 49: 9 runs | 27.2 mi
It was a huge boost to run this week without a head cold. My cuboid syndrome is finally healed. I still run with the cuboid pad in my sock for caution, but I have not had cuboid pain in a long time. Pain in the ball of my left foot (Metatarsalgia) is almost completely gone. Barring any set back I will remove it from my injury list next week. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in my right knee has come and gone many times the past few weeks. It came back this week here and there. Without taking time off, all I can do is continue to ice my knee and hope for the best.
This is the healthiest I have been in weeks. Unfortunately, now my mental edge is starting to slip. I have been rating each run on a scale of 1 to 10 both physical and mental. The last few days of this week were the first time that my mental rating has been lower than physical. There have been many times lately where I just don't want to go back to the garage for another run, yet I do it 3, 4 or 5 more times. It is starting to become hard mentally for me. When I came into this challenge this year one of my goals was not to repeat last year in the sense that I coasted through the back half when I had more to give physically. I have always had the mindset that if it stops being fun, don't do it. That said, the challenge this year is the exception. I really want to get through the mental lows and not give up.
I have been so focused on documenting injuries that I often forget mention that my muscles do hurt. Calves hurt the most. Sometimes quads and sometimes hamstrings. I wouldn't say I have any muscle injuries in the sense that I do for tendons, bones, joints etc. My muscles do in fact hurt though. Some days more than others. The worst for me is at night in bed, everything stiffens up and that is when I have pain.
I ran almost exclusively on May Field track again this week. I have been running a lot with Slowtwitch Indoors the past few weeks. We run at 7AM EST and 7PM EST on both Mondays and Wednesdays. I usually make it to every evening run but I have only made it to a couple morning runs as they conflicts with my work schedule. I am looking forward to running with Anthony Familglietti during the
Slowtwitch Indoors special event this Friday.
"If it costs you 30 minutes at Maryland so what" -dwreal
