Doped

My ankle has been bothering me since last week.  I think I need to tweak my training schedule to ease the first long run after my last long run before a marathon.  At its current length, it puts too much stress on my joints.

Rest for a week didn't do much, so, while it does not bother me walking, after a mile running I start feeling some pressure and then a sharp pain develops.  With less than a week t go to my next race (none other than the Tokyo Marathon), I decide to go to the doctor.  Two co-pays later, I have seen my family physician and a specialist.  The X-Rays show no fracture, so I end up with a cortisone shot to the ankle.

Last night, just a few hours after the shot, I am limping.  This morning I am better, but I can certainly feel some pressure.  At this point I am giving myself no more than a 5% chance of finishing Tokyo without pain and at most 20% chance of finishing at all.  he 12 hour flight will be even longer with this over my head...

BTW, I did check and cortisone shots are not banned by the Olympic Committee.  Not that out of a field of 33,000 runners I'd be anywhere close to a qualifying finishing time to see a pee cup, but still, I didn't want to cheat.