Confession: I hurt myself aqua jogging

I know it’s been awhile. I have a couple blog post drafts saved (like the one about my Half Ironman) but I just haven’t been able to finish them.

The truth is I just really need the 2014 Boston Marathon day to be here. I love the race and I’m excited and honored to run again this year (especially to be a part of Tedy’s Team), but I have a huge overwhelming feeling of just wanting it to be over. I have been training for this finish line since November 2012. I have been thinking about running the race since 2010 or longer. I’m not sure a single event has ever caused such a large reaction in me. It has made me shy away from people and settings who, in my opinion, “don’t get it” given what they choose to say about the events of that day last year.  It is also probably a major reason I have not written in this blog.

That being said, I haven’t been my same ole happy goofy self. I’m trying to get back there. The best way to start is to laugh more so here is a story that, although not great for marathon training, definitely makes me giggle when I say out loud what happened.

I hurt myself aqua jogging.

So here is the not so fun backstory: I really did hurt my foot running a 16 miler. I have been mostly out from running, I got an MRI, I had to bail from a long last weekend etc… I do not have a stress fracture or anything serious like that, just a strain. I should not have tried to run last week’s long run. I went to PT twice this week and I have the approval to run tomorrow as long as I go slowly and I’m smart about it.

Having to jump on my bike after CP2 had to come pick me up on Comm ave after I failed at my long run :/

You are probably wondering where aqua jogging fits into all of this. Well, I was told to try and “cross train like crazy this week." My swimming has been slacking (to say the least) so I made CP2 force us to go to the pool this week. I was swimming normally, using my swimming paddles, doing drills and I was feeling really good. I heard from a girl at Marathon Sports this week that she once ran 15 miles in the pool because she was injured. Jokingly, I decided to start aqua jogging in the pool and challenged CP2 to a race. He was going to swim and I was going to aqua jog (he gave me a big lead). Just as I realized he was going to win and I decided it would be more fun to cheat and start swimming to beat him. I went to push off in the middle of the pool and my foot/calf that has been the issue went ON FIRE. I got one of the worst Charlie horses’ I have ever gotten in my calf and I was frozen in the pool. CP2 had to help pull me over to the side of the pool and yes, there were other people in the pool at this time. And guess what else? It STILL hurts as I sit here and type this post-and it happened Tuesday night.

When I saw my PT on Thursday she just laughed. She could easily tell there was something wrong with my calf and I endured a lot of painful graston work and deep tissue massaging. OUCH. That being said, I was still able to run on the treadmill for her so she could watch my stride/foot and she gave me approval to run tomorrow. I just have to be slow and smart. Fair enough.

But yes, I’m probably one of the lucky few (or maybe the only one) who has hurt themselves aqua jogging.

Half Ironman Finisher but still bad triathlete ;)

-CP1