French Novelist Alphonse Karr once wrote "The more things change, the more they remain the same". Well that pretty much sums up the start of this year's training for the Boston Marathon. Another year, another Boston, and YES...another injury.
Where we last left my blog stories, I had just finished the 2008 marathon, had done pretty well (survived AND qualified in the old man's division so I could get a number in 2009), and physically had no lasting injuries. Through the summer running was going well and I went into the fall expecting to be in great shape as I started the ramp up for the marathon training.
Sure as snow in Boston in the winter, come November I develop a problem with my left hamstring. Normally recovery is a week of rest, some stretching and a slow start to running again. Not this time. After a month of rest and stretching I tried again at Christmas and got about a mile before it gave out.
As an aside...I should point out that I hate going to doctors for running injuries. Most tell you if it hurts when you run, don't run. DUHHH. Can you imagine if the whole world operated like that? If you find it difficult to wake up in the morning, don't get up. If it's uncomfortable going the dentist, don't go. They fail to understand the mentality of a marathoner. If we all stopped when it started to hurt no one would make it to the finish line.
By January I'm getting emails from the rest of my team mates talking about getting together for 10 and 12 mile runs. I haven't run a step. It was time to bring in the big guns. I went to see Michele Holland who is a Lazarus House marathon team mate, a triathlete and a top notch physical therapist. With her help I am on a structured program that will hopefully help me heal in time to get to the starting line with a prayer of making it to the finish.
SO...what will make this year's story interesting will not be what time I do in the race, or the excitement of running with my daughter Heather and son-in-law Marshall (they can't make it this year). Given I'm two months late in starting, the big excitement for me will be dealing with the injury while trying to get in enough miles to get to the starting line with any chance of making it to the finish line before the 4th of July.
My first run is tomorrow...a whopping 1 mile. Stay tuned...should be interesting.
