Running Injury = 2 words a marathoner never wants to hear.

Running injuries suck.  

Thankfully I am working from home today with my leg elevated, ice on my knee, and a bottle of Advil in arms reach.  As much as I really hate to admit this, it looks as though I have a running injury...

You can see a nice swollen and bulged knee to the right of the knee cap.

Right now I'm totally a mix of ecstatic and crushed.  Brad and I ran 20 miles yesterday....20 miles!!!!!  When I stop to actually think about finishing 20 miles, it's hard to fathom that I actually did this!  I put aside the pain yesterday, celebrated with a beer and some awesome food afterwards, napped with a smile on my face, and then spent the rest of the evening and this morning with a swollen knee and in a lot of pain.  This morning I can't bend my knee and and am walking with quite a limp.

6:30 in the morning...excited about running the longest run of training so far!!!

Following our 18-miler last Sunday I noticed my right knee felt a little aggravated so naturally  I did everything you're supposed to do when a new pain arises - ice, Advil, foam roller, cut back on running and cross training instead, and REST (okay, maybe I didn't do very much resting, but at least I tried...).  Long run Sunday yesterday came along and the knee pain seemed to have subsided, so I decided it was time to get out and do our longest mileage yet - 20!!! We got up the earliest we have ever gotten up to run and were hitting pavement by 6:45 (in the dark).  It was calling for rain so we wanted to start early.  About 2 miles in the rain started and didn't end until about mile 13.  It was a very, very chilly and wet run.  Around mile 4 I noticed a slight pinch in the knee but ultimately decided to ignore it.  Around mile 10 the pain started getting more noticeable but was dull enough to keep going.  By mile 16 I knew I should stop running but clearly my mind and my body were in an argument and ultimately my mind won.  I really wanted to finish the 20 miles.  Let's just say that by mile 19 I thought my knee cap was going to shatter.  As I crossed the imaginary finish line at mile 20, I was unable to walk.  Fortunately, there was a CVS nearby so the wonderful husband of mine quickly ran to get ice and a knee brace and from there I stumbled my way to the local Bethesda bar knowing that beer would at least alleviate some of the pain.

Husband to the rescue!

So today, I lay on my couch and feel so happy and accomplished about running 20 miles.  If it hadn't been for the right knee pain, mentally I think I could have finished and run the entire 26.2.  We took yesterday's long run on the easier side because of the pain and incorporated about five or six  3-minute walking breaks which definitely helped.  I couldn't believe how easy this run was compared to 18 - it literally flew by!  When I wasn't focused on the knee pain I was busy thinking about how what a difference one week makes in feeling more in shape.  I never thought I'd be able to say that a 20-miler wasn't exceptionally difficult.  Yes it was long, but it certainly wasn't my hardest run so far.

I head to an orthopedic dr. on Wednesday morning and until then I am praying that I haven't done anything detrimental enough to prevent me from doing this race.  I'd be totally crushed after months and months of training to not finish this over such a stupid injury (I say stupid because I dealt with months and months of back pain and got through it, and if it's not going to be back pain that is preventing me from doing this, then I REALLY won't be happy).  

Keeping focused on the positives....I finished 20 miles.  13 weeks ago when this training started I never thought I was capable of running that much.  Just another testament to why I love this training so much.  Whatever you put your mind to you are capable of accomplishing (unfortunately there may be a few major and minor bumps along the way).

Celebrating with lobster roll, fries, an amazing Stout and mac & cheese.