Not So Fast...

This was the week.

The week I would return to the running world.

I took a premature jump by going to track on Monday - my first track workout since before Christmas. And my first run outdoors, on my full body weight, since the "test runs" when hoping for a stress reaction.

I've been running on the g-trainer faithfully, increasing the amount of body weight over the past five weeks from 20-75%.

And, after Monday, I can tell you that last 25% makes a difference. (Now if I can just lose like 30 something pounds, maybe I'd have a chance of running at the pace I've grown accustomed to on the g-trainer.)

Track was hard. My foot was stiff. My pacing was off. Toward the end, it started to feel a little more natural, but it was a bit of an eye opener. I have some work to do.

Fast forward to Tuesday - and my doctor's visit to check out the foot and discuss the "back to run" regime. Ironwoman Canada kindly came with me to hear the plan.

For some reason, I thought I'd be back up to 8 miles by the end of March.

Not so. I'm supposed to run, very slowly, 3 times this week for 20 minutes (plus an hour and a half on the g-trainer), then 30-40 minutes per week (plus 2 hours on the g-trainer) for the next 3 weeks, gradually building up some speed.

I am going to be a good bit behind my Lake Placid training mates with running come April.

Patience...

On My Way

Today I am boot free.

No cute shoes yet, but no clomping around, either.

My foot? Dare I say? It feels healed. Stiff and a little “off” – but no pain.

I still have one more week of the Gravity Trainer – which is quite cool. Basically you put on this bike short style wetsuit with a “tube” around the middle that you zip into a big bubble on a treadmill. It fills up with air to displace body weight. I started at 20% of my body weight the first week – and am up to 60%. You can run like the wind when you don’t have to lug around all your weight. I’ve actually been sore afterwards from the faster gait.

Then – the following week, I meet with Dr. Stadler to discuss my “back to running plan.”

It’ll be awhile before I can run fast or far. No Shamrock, no Monument 10 K even (silver lining – I’ll be cheering folks from a balcony on the race course, sipping mimosas and bloodies) – but, with any luck, I’ll be hitting the pavement in a couple of weeks.