[backpost] up to the injury -- Mar. 23~26

This was a scary development, and I'm still feeling it even now.

March 23/Wed. morning run (8.23 miles @ 7:45 pace) on local roads -- by which I usually mean some part of the geoHannum/Rural loop -- went well enough, so I felt recovered from St Pats and ready for what was going to be my last long slow one before the marathon.

March 25/ Fri. morning went out for a short tempo run on the same loop -- 5.72 miles @ 7:22, with two miles at 6:45. Then in the evening did the same route again for the double, steady pace overall for 5.73 miles @ 7:38.

So far so good.

Saturday, all ready for a great new long route I'd planned -- basically out to the mall via the railtrail and other bits, then back. it was going great, TOO well: I was having trouble convincing myself to run at marathon pace, especially once I hit the flat straight rail trail (was doing mainly sub-7:00s). As I approached the mall, about 11 miles in, I saw the big rocks next to the rail trail and figured I'd rock hop to break up the rhythm a bit. *BAD* idea.

Misjudged one distance between rocks, landed a tip toe about six inches above ground and couldn't hold it, ripped down to ground. Right achilles, ankle strap, calf and hamstring all shrieked. Too angry with self to stop and anyway miles from home, so I jogged gently for a bit, and thought maybe I'd be okay, mainly. But as the next few miles went by it got more and more painful. Finally at 16.41 I stopped clock and sat down to rethink. Ended up jogging the next four miles making it almost all the way home, then stopped the clock for good, packed snow into sock and walked.

That was it for March. Best solution = rest, ice, compress, elevate.