Sole food

It's about time.

Time for a much needed break from the pounding on the road. Nothing dramatic, I'm in the midst of taking a little--2 weeks--break from running and I have to admit that it feels pretty good. This is the first time in my 20+ years of running that I've taken a voluntary break. Any time I've taken off in the past has been due to pregnancy, surgery, and of course, injury. Mostly injury. No injury now, but I have a few aches and pains that are telling me I need a rest, and I'm listening to that, for a change. 

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I'm not always good at listening to my body, which is how, over the years, I've ended up with just about every injury in the book, including 2 stress fractures in my feet. Out of every body part affected by running, my feet seem to give me the most trouble. I wrote about this last year, and right now, some of those ghosts from the past are whispering in my ear. Pssssttttt:

Left heel pain? Oh, no you don't.

Plantar fasciitis? Go away.

Foot cramps? Ever get those? Will time off make them stop?

And my nemesis, my left big toe, keeps barking at me. Simmer down, old frenemy.

Coming over the bridge at about mile 11--Great Western Half Marathon

At the start of last Sunday's race, while I was really dragging, I felt some sharp pains in that toe. I adjusted my gait, but it wasn't until my legs lightened up that the pain went away. It's become very clear to me that when I'm "off", I'm landing hard on that toe and aggravating it. The pain is a reminder that I have some work to do, and incentive for me to get on the floor and do those exercises Becky prescribed:

Clamshells and more Clamshell variations;
Bicycles forward and backwards;
Kickbacks;
Supermans and more Supermans;
and more Kickbacks.
Monster walks and Side Steps with the resistance band,
Pistol squats.

All in the name of strengthening those hips. All to keep me from landing on the toe.

Side plank variation

Yoga continues, all in the name of strength and flexibility. I do a class in the studio once a week and a class at home. My toe doesn't like high lunge and I have to adjust my planks to avoid putting pressure on that joint. I used to do jumpbacks in my vinyasas...not so much anymore. Landing wrong on that toe? Ouch. Namaste.

20 miles in the Forest Preserve today!

But because I'm an adrenaline junkie, I can't not move, and so I'm riding my bike. I do love my bike, and taking it to those forest preserve paths where I do so much running helps quiet my craving for speed. Sometimes I feel like I could fly...and then a walker or a dog steps into the path and breaks my concentration. The roads around here aren't any better for riding--there are potholes and assholes--so I find if I go early in the day, the bike path is the best bet. My feet thank me for pedalling instead of running.

I pamper these hard working guys too. In the morning while I drink my coffee, I put my feet on the heating pad, to loosen them up. That really seems to help, and especially in the cold mornings, it feels great too. I rub a special massage oil called The Runners' Choice into them before I go to bed. Once a month, I get a pedicure, which has become less of a treat and more of a treatment. Plus, the pretty toenails is a win.

Finally, I never wear heels anymore--that puts too much pressure on my toes and ouch! It's just not worth it. I've become a champion of the comfort shoe. I wear Danskos to work and my used running shoes everywhere else. No more fashion for me. 

I'm hoping to avoid this!

All this for my feet. I'm feeling pretty good now, after only a couple days off. Staying on top of my foot issues has really helped. My feet feel pretty good. Have you ever noticed that how your feet feel seems to affect your overall well being? 

What I've also noticed this week, more than anything, is this feeling of contentment I've been walking around with. Overall, I feel calm and more relaxed. I don't know if it's that post race high--I felt this way after the marathon--or if it's just knowing that I'm done with racing for a while. I won't be training for anything until I start marathon training mid-summer. While I love having a goal and training for a race, I really like how I'm feeling now. I worked hard the past 3 months. When I look back, I can't believe all that I accomplished-- the workouts I did, the speedwork I put in, the miles I ran, and the races I finished. Goals were met. I feel satisfied. It's a good feeling.

PRs and AGs. Wow.

Time to pull the sled again...

In a week, I'll start running again, but it will just be for fun for a while. Marathon training starts in about 6 weeks. For now, I'll get to ride my bike more. Becky's going to have me lifting weights again. It's a great place to be. Mentally, I feel good. Calm. Satisfied.

I like it. As hard as this is, I'm really, really glad that I decided to do this, to take a break, so that running doesn't break me. I'm working on that goal I set for myself in January--to stay injury free. Because none of my other goals are achievable if I'm hurt.

Yep, Becky, you can say, "I told you so". Everyone needs time off. Because as always, you were right.

Do you ever take a break from running? Voluntarily? How has it helped you? If you don't, why not? And what do you do to keep yourself from going crazy without running?

I'm linking this post with Tara's Weekend Update! Head over to RunningNReading to check it out!

Also linking up with My Tuesdays on the Run friends, Erica, April, and Patti. Find out why taking a break is a good thing!