...33 Days until Paris!

Believe it or not, I'm not as freaked out as I was a few weeks ago or even a couple of months ago. My stomach still drops a bit when I see how many days are left, but I'm not feeling as deflated as I had been. I have struggled, majorly with this training. If I haven't been sick...it's been an injury. I feel bad that my training has gone so poorly, but there is not much I can do about that. I can't go back and make up the miles I lost.

My knees have been the biggest issue for me. I've gotten out there in the cold and snow and even a little rain, but it's the knees that keep playing up. In September 2012 it was my left knee. Not sure what was wrong with it but finally after time off it eased up and is better. However, my right knee has been an issue since Dec/January. I have been icing it, resting it, getting it massaged, using a brace, a knee strap, I got new shoes...nothing seemed to be working or helping!

I have refused to take time off and baby it the way I did the other one. Believe it or not it hasn't hurt near as bad as the other one did. It does get sore and achy. Sometimes it gets a little more painful than I'd like it to be which scares me and slows me down a bit. When it really hurts my pace suffers the most.

Recently, I've been seeing a chiropractor about it. I've been to the doctors on base over and over and to physical therapy over and over. Another running pal Eva recommended this chiropractor to me and I went to see her. The first thing she wanted to do was look at my feet! She was also the first to do so.

Most people tell me I have a high arch. I'm not sure that's a 100% correct. I'm not 100% flat footed either tho. I have felt since back in December that I needed better arch support, but wasn't sure how to get it...other than new shoes. So I bought new shoes and they are really comfortable, but I still felt I could use a little more support. This was just my personal feeling on the matter.

As she is looking at my feet & having me march in place she asks me, "When you are not wearing trainers do you wear cowboy boots?" Uh...yeah! hahaha Apparently, I walk very flat & straight down, clomp, clomp, clomp... She said we have to teach my feet that the normal 'heel' from the cowboy boot is not there. I need to go from heel to toe vs flat down. So I've been trying to make sure I do that when I walk & truth be told I'm noticing a difference!

The next thing she told me to do was to buy these gel wedges (arch supports) and put them in my shoes. So I did. My first 3 mile run with them was pain free!!! I also did it in 35:40!!! Just 2:95 slower than my fastest 5K. Nearly 3 minutes slower looks horrible and most runners would be like "Urgh!!!" But I was absolutely thrilled!!! I hadn't been able to get under 40 in while!

My next run with the inserts was 11 miles and it took longer than it would have but I believe the hills had a lot to do with that! Not only that I just simply enjoyed the run! I ran it with my friend Jessica and we just chatted and chatted, got a little lost and a little found, and had a great time. I can honestly say those are the kind of runs you want to have. They maybe slow, perhaps a little painful, but they are highly enjoyable.

Yesterday, Jessica & I ran/walked 3 more miles through a beautiful country park and we took that even slower. It was so beautiful and the sun is rarely shining in England and you just can't rush a run like that.

After these past few runs, yes I'm still worried about my knee and my pace and successfully completing this marathon within the 6 hour time limit, but I've found the joy in it again and I'm not near as afraid as I was. I will go out there and do my very best, that's all I can do.

This weekend I will run 12 miles with Jessica and the following weekend we will run the Reading 1/2 marathon. We both have a goal of completing it in 2:30. I know together, by encouraging each other, pushing each other and remembering to enjoy the run we will accomplish this task. I'm actually looking forward to it.

I think I'm finally getting my head around this marathon. I keep thinking 18 miles until you reach the Eiffel Tower - then it's gonna have to be all heart from there. Keep us crazy runners in your prayers!

Have a BEAUTIFUL day!!!