Oh, and about that run...

So, I headed out for what I hoped would be at least a 15-mile run today. I finally felt like someone had untethered that giant brick tied to my a$$ after the 50K in Alabama.

I felt fleet-footed. I wasn't coughing. I wasn't even breathing heavy. I was managing about a 12 minute pace, which felt very easy, and my heart rate was around 130 or so.

About a quarter mile into it, though, IT came back. At first, it wasn't as bad as it's been, just more of a hint of pain, sort of a warning, really. Kind of "Hi, I'm your knee. Remember me?"

I managed about 12 miles on a smooth, flat black-top path by stopping and stretching every couple of miles and and by taking a 5 minute walk break for every 10 minutes of running, but then around mile 11, I stopped to answer my phone, and stood there for a moment talking to Mini-Baboo, and then something happened. I don't know what, maybe it started to stiffen up. All I know is that the next step was excruciating.

It took me by surprise, so much so that I kind of gasped and then went down. I stood back up and hopped around a bit, shaking out my leg, because this pain is so weird, it always feels like the kind of pain you should just be able to shake out, like a muscle spasm. I walked for a bit, and eventually was able to start running again, and that lasted for another couple miles and then it came back again, after I hit about a half mile of trail that had deep, fine sand on it.

No, no, no, no, no, said the knee.

By this time it was so bad I called Sweet Baboo to meet me in the parking lot about a mile ahead. tNo matter how I moved my right leg it hurt, so I finally started SAUNTERING so as to take advantage of the rest from the pain that I got between each step. I limped all the way back to the car, and once I'd sat down for a while and it stiffened up, I could barely hobble.

I ate comfort food, and it comforted me. Then I came home and continued the aspirin regimen I started yesterday. Then I iced the knee and took a nap and right now it's feeling much better. No throbbing or anything.

Believe it or not, I'm actually encouraged: a week ago I couldn't run after 3 miles. By Thursday I was able to complete a 5 mile run relatively comfortably. Today I did a total of 15 miles. It seems that I cannot do anything downhill or technical, only flat and smooth. Tonight I'll roll on the foam roller that I bought for Sweet Baboo until my eyes bleed based on information I've read here and here. Later this week I'll get deep tissue stuff done by my friend and masseuse and fellow Outlaw. So, we shall see.

Two weeks to the Grasslands Marathon. I wonder if I'll be able to do it.

Update, that evening: I just rolled on the foam roller thing. Oh. My. God.
Who invented this torture? Who said to themselves, "Huh, I'll just try a myriad of extremely painful moves and see if any of them have any benefit at all.''
Good thing it works.

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