Week 16 Key Run #3

Well, 13.1 miles completed at a 11'30" pace. Yup, it took me 2:29, and I was supposed to be running at planned marathon pace or 9'52". Here's what went down: My foot started bothering me after a couple of miles, so I loosened my shoelaces, which seemed to help. Starting at mile 3, I took a one-minute walk break during every mile, basically to check in on my foot pain. I figured if it started to hurt while walking I would quit running. The walk breaks turned out to be great for me in general - I can't imagine running all those miles without them. I'm not sure if I got too much exercise yesterday or what, but I don't think I could have run at PMP foot pain or not. After 5 miles I started to feel like the pain was maybe more of a strain, so I tightened my shoelaces for support, which helped for awhile. I ran the next several miles without too much pain, although it came and went. I never felt a sharp pain until after mile 10, and I took a couple extra long walk breaks, finally walking completely for the last mile.

My first 4 splits were 10'30" or less (mile 2 was 9'55"), miles 5 through 9 were around 11'00" ranging from 10'48" to 11'08". And then miles 10-12 were nearly 12 minute miles (around 11'50"). I must have been running slow in addition to slow or longer walk breaks. And my last mile was nearly 17'00". Pretty depressing. If I kept this pace up, I could complete the marathon in 5 hours, but I can't imagine upholding this pace, as I got slower and in more pain throughout the run.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Either give up on the marathon or stop running (and just cross-train) until the marathon, hopefully giving it enough rest to get by. It's very frustrating. I wish I knew the answer - even if the answer was, you have a stress fracture - that means no marathon and no running for several weeks. That wouldn't even make me that said as I'm going to start cycling and need to do more yoga and strength training anyway. But this not knowing what to do part is difficult. I don't want to run the marathon if it's going to suck, but I also don't want to give up on it now if my injury's not really a big deal. This would be the second year in a row. Perhaps my body is telling me it doesn't want to run marathons.