So following my friend’s Scott advice I’ve been really careful ramping up my mileage on the Bikilas. Running no more than once a week, the first time I did just two miles. Then increase weekly to three, four and yesterday five. On top of that I decided to run in them yesterday because it was a club run and usually we have a little of a slower pace and sometimes we even squeeze in a walking break.
Well, yesterday we had a nice five-mile run. At some point, running by the university of MN, the road and sidewalk were closed due to construction and Robbie, our club’s running guide, steered us to a grassy area to bypass that construction.
Midway through that, the ball of my very unprotected right foot stepped on a root… Ouch! I immediately corrected the step not to put any more weight on that stride (something you get used to do with Five Finger Shoes) and then kept running normally.
By the time I got home, I had some pain. When I took my shoes off and walked barefoot, I was in serious pain. My fear was having broken something. Not now, in the middle of effortless running season. Prime running season!
To give you an idea of poor timing, this is what a broken foot and 6 weeks down would threaten out of my schedule:
- Sun, Sept 12: People for Parks 5K. This run is so short that I was planning on running from home to Lake Harriet (~4.5 miles) on a pair of Kayanos, then switch to my Bikilas for the race and at the end turn around and head back home back in my Kayanos, for a total of ~12 miles.
- Sun, Sept 19: Harmon Farms Trail Run (10 miles). This one I am really looking forward to, since it is a rail run (of which I don’t do many) and allows me to use my beloved New Balance MT800.
- Sun, Oct 3: Twin Cities Marathon. This is not just another Marathon. It is not only a beautiful run, but this year, this run will be my 10th marathon!! this reminds me that when my friend Tim was training to run his tenth marathon (also Twin Cities), he suffered a stress injury that kept him out of the race. Obviously, this memory compounded my fears.
- Sat, Oct 16: Big Woods Run (1/2 marathon). Also a rail run to use my MT800’s.
On top of that, being out 6 weeks and missing all those wonderful races, it will totally ruin my training schedule for the third annual Rails to Trails Marathon (Nov 7), of which I have run every previous one.
So needless to say, not an ideal time for an injury. That said, I just came back from a 4.6 mile run around home and even managed a respectable 9 minute mile pace. I have no pain when walking or running on athletic shoes, but still see the stars when walking barefoot. I am thinking (hoping) this means it is just a bruise…
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