MARATHON DREAMING

The marathon is, apparently, deep within my psyche. Last week I had 2 Marathon dreams, both about New York, on consecutive nights:

Dream 1: I ran a really great time...3:10! I employed a unique strategy. After running the first half in 1:45 I went home and took a nap. Since the race was scored by running chip time, I knew that my rest wouldn't work against me. However, I didn't want to delay too long because Shelly, my running coach would be disappointed if I reached the finish 7 hours after the race began. So I went back to the mid way point and ran the rest of the way in an extremely fast time, 1:25, giving me my overall time of 3:10. This was my fastest Marathon BY FAR. I was very proud.

I wrote to Coach Bob's Diary (this is true, not part of the dream) to describe my dream and suggest (humorously, of course!) that this strategy of resting between marathon halves could be used by others. Bob failed to appreciate the humor and responded seriously that time would accumulate while resting. Disappointed, it would seem, by Bob's failure to enjoy the joke, this is what I dreamed next:

Dream 2: I completed the second half of the NY Marathon FIRST and then went to the starting line to run the initial section. I struggled to find the way, however, and it took quite a while till I arrived at the start. Finally I did, but I did not run well. My overall time was disappointing.

In this dream, Bob was right. The clock kept going all the while I was between the second half of the course and the first.

Interpretation: The marathon is on my mind. I think it shows that the disappointment I felt at being ill, missing the Disney Marathon and not running for almost 3 weeks is still with me and that it is very strong. I handled this period as well as I could. I did all I could to get well, took time off from work, amused myself in various ways (including blog writing), accepted that I would miss the race pretty well, didn't try to be heroic and didn't overly obsess about it. Still...WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!! My psyche, apparently, is still working through it. The oddness of my dream races, I think, reflect how strange it is for me to miss such a big event and to be sidelined for so long. The first dream is an attempt to make this ordeal into something good...I run, by far, my best time. But it's a fragile attempt and Bob's reality comment apparently undercuts the attempt and leads to the disappointment in the second dream.

Oh, well!!

DREAM

Last night I dreamt that Wanda (my running mate and friend) and I joined the Army. We were waiting to be assigned to our barracks for basic training, but we didn't like the one we were assigned to...it was unfinished. So we said no. The Army was fine about it and put us back on the line of soldiers still waiting. Unfortunately, we were again assigned to the unfinished barracks. Suddenly I became frightened and told Wanda that we must stay together. Then I went up to an officer to complain. He responded: "Mike...may I call you Mike?" I said that was fine and he directed me to the proper person to talk with.

Unfortunately, I had no idea what he meant. Had he said a name or someone's title? I didn't know. I walked in the direction that he had motioned me, hoping for the best.

Interpretation: Wanda and I have been in some running and racing battles together and it's like we are kindred warrior souls, just like being soldiers in the Army. But we still need to train to make ourselves better, just like we aspire to be in the finished, not unfinished barracks. But I'm not confident of the information that I have.

Nah, I don't think that's it!

NO LONGER A TEN

Numbers are important to me. So it is with happiness that I announce that I am no longer a 10!!!!

Though I've been a 10 on several occasions, it never lasts for long. This time was similarly brief...3 days.

A 10 is what I become when recovering from injury. I run slowly, a 10 minute per mile pace, to lower the risk of reinjury. So in my Thursday (10:36), Saturday (10:15) and Sunday (10:02) jogs I was a 10 plus. But, as you can see, my pace came down, as did my heart rate, each time. Though I was a 10, I was an IMPROVING 10. In addition, with less and less pressure on the injured area each time, my confidence was similarly improving.

So today (Tuesday) I went out (well, actually in, to the health club's tread mill...too frosty outside) and ran and found that I am a 10 no more! My pace picked up nicely to 9:38 per mile for 5 miles. And my heart rate improved as well. I'm back on the road.

And so I can now say: "Today I am a Nine." With even better numbers, hopefully, in store.

RUNNING AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

Lately it seems that I'm always starting over. Today I ran for the first time in a week. I'm glad to be running again. And frustrated to be coming back from yet another interuption.

When I injured my calf last Wednesday I didn't want to acknowledge that I was hurt. I wasn't running fast or doing anything risky so, therefore, nothing should have happened. I should've been fine. But I couldn't finish the run, I was limping for the next 2 days and walking down steps really pained me. Running was out of the question and, after cross training for the first time on Sunday, the calf ached when I walked.

On Monday I went to my sports chiropractor. A technician there looked at my leg and said that the achilles area was swollen. It really upset me to hear this. Apparently there was visual proof that something was wrong, concrete evidence that I was injured. I had wanted them to say that all was fine, even though my experience the last few days said that it wasn't. Then the doctor worked the area over and said not to worry, that I would heal soon. Heal? Apparently he was saying that he too believed that there was an injury that had to heal. No one was supporting my "I'm okay" fantasy. What was wrong with these people?

The doctor said that it was some mild tendonitis, a strain of the muscle that raises the foot and also a strain of the gastroc. Nothing serious. After treatement he suggested ice and 2 more days without running. "Aim for Thursday," he said. Vigorous cross training was fine till then; just ice afterwards. Okay.

So this morning I ran. And, on the first step, I felt it. Pressure in the injured area on the lower inside of the left calf. And each step I continued to feel it. This was not a good or hopeful start. But the pressure never got worse except for 2 twinges I felt during the first mile. I considered stopping but instead plunged on, hoping there wouldn't be a real problem. There wasn't and I completed a VERY slow 2 miles.

After stretching I set off for another mile, not quite as slowly. The area still felt some pressure but it was actually better. After the planned mile I decided to go for another. It felt even better. That was it. Four uninjured miles was enough for my new start. My heart rate for such a slow run (average over 10 minutes per mile) was awfully high (125 beats per minute...at that pace it should have been barely over 110). Obviously I've got a long way to go.

But at least I'm running again for the first time.