3 Miles

Last night, I ran 3 miles last night. And it felt AMAZING.

Because I've been awful at writing, here is why 3 miles is a big deal:

Back in August I declared that I missed my double digit runs and I would begin training for the Staten Island Half Marathon. Knowing this would be a great feat- having come out of the boot for my foot injury just a few weeks prior and not having done any long runs in months- I started to train. About one week into training, something was majorly wrong. The bottom of my heel hurt- it was painful to walk or put any sort of pressure on it, let alone run. The outside of my calf- the peroneal tendon- burned when I ran for only five minutes. It felt like someone was pulling the tendon, stretching it, in opposite directions. My foot and calf were inflamed and I could not take it anymore. I decided enough was enough and made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor.

She told me no running for 4 weeks, no training for any half marathon, and put me in 6 weeks of physical therapy. At least there was an answer and a solution.

Diagnosis: plantar fasciitis and peroneal tendonitis.

Following doctor's orders, I did not run for a full 4 weeks. I mostly stuck to spin classes, the bike, and elliptical. Slowly, I have been increasing my runs, about two times a week, at 2 miles each. My first run was 1 mile. I tried not to think about how just months ago, I was running 12 miles and finished a half marathon and did 6 mile "fun runs". Needless to say, I was frustrated.

Until last night. I felt stronger, healthier, and ready to really run.

I am now about 8 weeks into physical therapy (really, 6 due to vacations and changed appointments) and my original diagnosis, I feel 90% better. The injuries are not 100% healed- I know plantar fasciitis will take a while to completely go away (I ice my foot after every run, receive laser treatments, and wear shoes with cushioning) and the much of the tendonitis is mechanical (I have never walked properly and have had to retrain myself to walk and run).

3 miles is a big deal right now. Especially because I do want to start training for another race soon, want to run shorter distance races in the very near future, and still have my eye on running a marathon within the next year.
(I love running the reservoir at night. This is where I first started running and it's a great reminder of how far I have come, even with set backs. It is also a constant reminder of why I love this city.)