Surprise … bonus Marathon!

T-15 days until the Antarctica Ice Marathon! This is what’s been going on since my last post:

• I have run 2 marathons and endless hours of PT as I work through some Achilles pain from calf triggers
• In have also run 2 VERY important races; Michaels very first and second 5ks!
• Plus… surprise! I signed up for a trail marathon… for this weekend. 

Only 10 days until I start the 24 hour journey to Punta Arenas, Chile to meet the other runners, debrief and wait on the weather report to see when we are cleared to fly! Is it overwhelming? ABSOLUTELY. Am I excited? Also ABSOLUTELY.

#94 and #95

Over the past few weeks I completed the Hudson Mohawk Marathon (NY) and the Louisville Marathon (KY). I was feeling great in NY (running around an 8:10 mile) until mile 20 when I felt my the back of my left ankle lock up completely. Full club foot… so I dragged it for the last 6 miles. I went into the race knowing I had issues with my Achilles but no tears shown during my MRIs. 

The next week I became “that runner” and walked into PT saying “I ran a marathon yesterday and I need to run one in 2 weeks”. Luckily I found a PT that didn’t dismiss me right away and was able to narrow down what was happening: lots of triggers in both of my calves causing those to not work very well. When your calves don’t work, your Achilles take the entire brunt of pushing off causing a ton of tendinitis. The short term some was dry needling to unlock my calves. Have you ever heard of dry needling? It looks like this --> (note: not my calves... I'm usually squeezing my eyes into a pillow as this is happening)

After 2 weeks of therapy, dry needling, putting a heel lift in my shoe and generally taking it easy, I ran the Louisville marathon VERY easy. LIKE VERY EASY. 4:00+. I felt like my achilles ached around a 2-3 in pain at the start but it eventually went away. I was sore the next day, but happy that I was able to run. 

#96... This Weekend? 

As I'm listening to Peloton's Matt Wilpers in my training run say "don't do anything crazy and add extra workouts in your last 2 weeks of training" I was hearing "you should definitely sign up for another marathon... in fact, make it a trail marathon to really test the fates. Insert: The TOPO Trail Marathon. TO be FAIR... I had to get brand new trail running shoes with big lugs to run in Antarctica. I have never worn them and I do not want the first time to be IN Antarctica. Could I have just gone to a trail and run? Well yeah... but I saw this race and felt like fate put it in my path for a reason... to get to 96. Plus I only have another 4 races planned between here and the pig and needed another one. Shhh don't tell my PT. 

My Little Runner:

My main man, Michael, ran his first 5k 2 weeks ago. We took it very very easy doing running/walking intervals. REALLY proud to say that he finished STRONG at 35:40. 

Well last week, he did the Troy Turkey Trot and wanted to beat his first time SO badly. We started with running/walking intervals with LOTS of weaving as there were 4,000 runners! Well at the 1.5mile point he started taking off before the walk portion was over and eventually started doing run/run hard intervals and finished with a 34:26! Crushing his first time by over a min. 

Most importantly he had FUN doing this. He has definitely caught the bug. 

We are NEARING the HALFWAY point of my fundraising goal of $10k to support Autism Connections in Cincinnati. PLEASE consider donating to this amazing group... and supporting me as I take on 26.2 miles in the arctic :) 

DONATE HERE

Keep Running,

Stephanie