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Walking Boston

david waredavid ware
in General Training Discussions

Long story short:  Mid January tore Rectus Femoris (quad) muscle.  No running until March 14.  (OK, no way to be able to run Boston, but maybe part?)  Slowly built up the runs and on 3/31 ran 5 x 1 mile with 1' walk breaks.  (Maybe I can run 1/2 of Boston.)  Tried running 4/3 and the calf strained at about 20'.  Saw Doc who says it is actually the hips that are causing problems (lack of mobility) and the calf is just being overworked.  Got treatment and he said to try running again over the weekend.  Ran 4/5 and made it a whole whopping 6 minutes.  Took off running until yesterday 4/8 and only made it 5'.  Saw Doc this am and he says no running until at least Saturday, 4/13, 8 days before Boston.  At this rate, even if the hip issue is resolved and the calf is OK, is there any real way to try and run Boston, and other than walking is there any safe threshold.  Obviously if it hurts I will simply walk...could be a long day, but a day walking in Boston is still a whole lot better than what the city went thru last year. Suggestions?  Thanks!

Comments

  • Anu RaoAnu Rao
    image Bummer.That really does suck. Be very careful, the downhills in Boston can be rough on your calf. I can understand you wanting to run it regardless, but it does sound very risky for your training rest of the year. What are your goals for the rest of the year? Its a tough decision image
  • Steve WestSteve West
    Bummer is an understatement. Sounds serious. Seems from what you post that you really want to do Boston. It could cost you more than the entry fee though - like the rest of your 2014 season.

    First advice is get healthy. You can't do much if your fighting injuries month after month.

    The way I would do the calculus is if you did attempt Boston as a walk/run/limp, you may end up as a DNF. You also my exacerbate the calf/hip issues further to the point of forcing DNS long into the summer. So the question is, how much does Boston mean when compared to a worst-case scenario?

    This is a big year for Boston but it will be here next year and the year after that. Keep us posted as you mull over your options.

  • Robert SaboRobert Sabo
    My vote would be for DNS. Unless you have some specific reason you have to do it now you will be putting your health at risk even if you try to walk it. If you don't do it you don't have to feel you let the terrorists win.
  • david waredavid ware
    Thanks everyone. I had not run a stand alone marathon since the late 80s. I was very moved by the events last year and found a way to "crash course" a 7 week training before the tri season started to qualify and was really looking forward to supporting Boston and the running community. This year was going to be my last stand alone marathon, there were no plans to go back. That makes this a really hard decision. I am good at shutting down to avoid injury and had to do that a couple years ago at IMSG, walking over half. I guess I will have to see what the doc says and play it by ear.
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