B-11 Days: Boston Marathon & Phantom Pains
I had never heard of phantom pains before a marathon until now. After feeling some pain in my soleus/Achilles/lower leg, I did a quick Google search and found out that many people feel new, odd pains right before their marathon (also during taper time). Some people claim this is the pain of their muscles repairing themselves. I hope those people are right. These "phantom pains" usually go away by race day morning. I hope that's the same for me.
In order to keep a log/record of this situation, just for my reference or anyone else's, I shall write it here.
On Monday, I was running an easy 4-6 miles when I started to feel a weird tingle in my right lower calf/soleus/Achilles. It felt like small sharp tears (imagine when taffy is pulled and you see the little threads snapping...that's what I felt like was happening to my leg). I stopped and stretched at the end of my workout and felt fine. I thought nothing of it.
On Tuesday, I had a quick 1 mile-2 mile-1 mile all at marathon goal pace (7:00-7:15, not much faster than my every day pace) with a 1 mile warm-up and cool-down. I was allowed a 4 and 7 minute jog between each interval. On the final interval, my leg began to hurt in the same place as Monday...except this time it made me limp a little. I stopped to stretch a few times, but I finished my run (I thought I had to teach on Tuesday evening). When I got home, my leg was still hurting--now very strong a dull, almost like a knot. I hobbled around and gave my boyfriend a worried look...I was in slight panic mode. I foam rolled, took some Ibuprofen, drank some water, and went to bed.
On Wednesday, I decided to slash the day's run (6-8 miles), took some Ibuprofen, and went to get a hot/cold clay pack at the store. I heated up my leg. Stretched. Foam rolled. Got a quick leg rub from my boyfriend. Iced. Drank water. Heated it again.
Today, Thursday, I took some Ibuprofen in the morning, tried not to run up and down the stairs at work too fast, and grew anxious all day long. I tested the leg on a very easy 6 mile run. It felt okay, but I had some dull ache at the end of my run. I also noticed some weird ankle pains on both ankles--very sharp, pinhead-sized pains that would alter my gait. I stretched after the run, did some BOSU ball barefoot balances, barefoot step-ups, and some stretching/foam rolling/SMR (wall push-ups, calf stretches, rolling a lacrosse ball under my foot and along my painful leg). I did some core work and some pull-ups to feel like I did a little workout today. I got home, took some more Ibuprofen, iced, and ate dinner. Praying for my leg to stop bothering me.
Yes. I am in freak-out mode. I want to break a 3:10 marathon. I KNOW I can run faster than a 3:10 marathon. I am in shape to do it. I have the ability. Now THIS. This "tweak" is posing a slight mental block to me. I want to tear it down, toss it aside, laugh it off as "phantom pain." I want to taper well and run an injury-free Boston Marathon. It can hurt from all the racing on race day, but I do not want to start with my legs hurting. I do not want to injury myself either. I'm trying to eat healthy, but it's difficult for me to eat when I don't run as much...
...my mind is going to explode during taper time. Hah.
Dear body, get your awesomeness together. We have the Boston Marathon to run in eleven days!! (Yes. I am still excited about it.)
In order to keep a log/record of this situation, just for my reference or anyone else's, I shall write it here.
On Monday, I was running an easy 4-6 miles when I started to feel a weird tingle in my right lower calf/soleus/Achilles. It felt like small sharp tears (imagine when taffy is pulled and you see the little threads snapping...that's what I felt like was happening to my leg). I stopped and stretched at the end of my workout and felt fine. I thought nothing of it.
On Tuesday, I had a quick 1 mile-2 mile-1 mile all at marathon goal pace (7:00-7:15, not much faster than my every day pace) with a 1 mile warm-up and cool-down. I was allowed a 4 and 7 minute jog between each interval. On the final interval, my leg began to hurt in the same place as Monday...except this time it made me limp a little. I stopped to stretch a few times, but I finished my run (I thought I had to teach on Tuesday evening). When I got home, my leg was still hurting--now very strong a dull, almost like a knot. I hobbled around and gave my boyfriend a worried look...I was in slight panic mode. I foam rolled, took some Ibuprofen, drank some water, and went to bed.
On Wednesday, I decided to slash the day's run (6-8 miles), took some Ibuprofen, and went to get a hot/cold clay pack at the store. I heated up my leg. Stretched. Foam rolled. Got a quick leg rub from my boyfriend. Iced. Drank water. Heated it again.
Today, Thursday, I took some Ibuprofen in the morning, tried not to run up and down the stairs at work too fast, and grew anxious all day long. I tested the leg on a very easy 6 mile run. It felt okay, but I had some dull ache at the end of my run. I also noticed some weird ankle pains on both ankles--very sharp, pinhead-sized pains that would alter my gait. I stretched after the run, did some BOSU ball barefoot balances, barefoot step-ups, and some stretching/foam rolling/SMR (wall push-ups, calf stretches, rolling a lacrosse ball under my foot and along my painful leg). I did some core work and some pull-ups to feel like I did a little workout today. I got home, took some more Ibuprofen, iced, and ate dinner. Praying for my leg to stop bothering me.
Yes. I am in freak-out mode. I want to break a 3:10 marathon. I KNOW I can run faster than a 3:10 marathon. I am in shape to do it. I have the ability. Now THIS. This "tweak" is posing a slight mental block to me. I want to tear it down, toss it aside, laugh it off as "phantom pain." I want to taper well and run an injury-free Boston Marathon. It can hurt from all the racing on race day, but I do not want to start with my legs hurting. I do not want to injury myself either. I'm trying to eat healthy, but it's difficult for me to eat when I don't run as much...
...my mind is going to explode during taper time. Hah.
Dear body, get your awesomeness together. We have the Boston Marathon to run in eleven days!! (Yes. I am still excited about it.)
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