t h e m a y f i l e s is foremost a family blog, chronicling everyday life. Life including natural, healthy eating (with recipes thrown in at random), home educating (with ideas popping up sporadically), an attempt to homestead on .2 acres (with very meager yields), raising 3 of 4 children with a rare genetic disorder, and lots of highly personal family triumphs and failures. You may also find an eclectic array of musings on politics, exercise, sewing, emergency preparedness, backyard chickens, and religion. This blog isn't a campaign to glorify anyone or anything. Just simply a record.

3.31.2012

Blasted Toe!

If I could somehow make my big toe look demonic I would.  It is a true source of evil in my life.  It doesn't look swollen, painful...really it looks quite innocent.  But somehow on Monday, to the best of my internet research knowledge, I must have strained a muscle.   The pain is right at the joint where my toe meets my foot, kind of on the inside between it and my "royal" toe (you know it is sign of royalty that extra long second toe).  

Who knew the big toe joint is one of the most important in the entire body, and receives some of the most strain?  Now I know, and now it is causing me problems.


I've been running 70 miles a week for 2 months, training my "Olympic Qualifying" schedule, I've run at least 8 runs over 20 miles, and three weeks to the day of the big race I get hurt.

I pushed through the week, thinking it would go away.  I finished my last long run Friday morning.   17 miles.  The workout included two 5 mile intervals at 5 seconds under marathon pace.  Josse and I ran a flat loop and I finished both intervals with an average 6:54 pace.  I was in my brand new marathon outfit

Side Note:  I am addicted to Lululemon running gear.  Yoga brought me to the brand, but the running clothes are heads and tails better than anything else I have run in. I am pretty certain I will run faster in my new clothes, wink, wink.  On Thursday Brent and I visited the store at Trolley Square.  As I tried on potential fast running gear, I had forgotten to bring a sports bra.  In a non-supportive top, having nursed 4 children, no padding or pushups, 70 miles a week with a few extra pounds gone (from my chest that is), it wasn't a pretty sight.  The thoughtful saleswoman rushed to find me a sports bra to help my rapidly dropping womanly self esteem.  Sigh...



The injury is possibly connected to my new shoes.  I love the kinvara 2's.  A couple weeks ago I went up a half size.  I was having a bit of pain on the balls of my feet.  I thought a little extra room in the toe box would be helpful, but possibly there was too much movement leading to the strain?  Who knows.

I didn't run today hoping that 2 days off, icing and ibuprofen may help.

Mentally I am so excited for this race.  I have never run like this in my life.  I don't know what April 16th will bring.  It may bring lots of toe pain, but it will not stop me from going as hard as I can.  If I fall apart, it will only be from trying too hard.

4 comments:

Brittney said...

Ouch!! I hope the pain goes away soon, and I totally laughed at your shopping description. :) Can't believe your big race is so soon! Good luck!! I'll be thinking of you!

Erin said...

Rebecca, I'm wondering if you could tell me about how you incorporate the school into your children's schedules. I saw an older post where you mentioned keeping the doors to the schools open, and another post you mentioned using the language program from one of your school's charters. How does that work? Are you kids actually enrolled in the schools? My son just got into a great charter school, and I'm not sure what my options are, but using curriculum sounds fantastic. Thanks.

Rebecca said...

Erin, Callista goes over to the elementary school from 9-11 everyday. I coordinated that with the principal and teacher. It is just for social interaction. She is very social. Ellery is enrolled in a charter school which allows me to check out curriculum from a curriculum library and also provides reimbursement checks to supplement some educational costs. I have been happy with both options. They seem to fit the needs of each of my children.

Erin said...

So you get reimbursement, or the school does? I've never heard of this idea before, and am wondering, if I chose to use it, how I'd go about it. Can you do a partial day at a charter school? Did you just go in and talk to them in the office to see what you could do?