Life as an injured runner

Fall is a time of crawling under a pile of blankets to sleep and waking up refreshed and ready to emerge from my cocoon.

I wait all year to run in the crisp, cool air of October and November, only to injure my Plantar Fascia.

Two days after registering for a 5k and 10k race my foot became sore enough that I’ve only run a mile in the last week. That’s what I get for pre-registering.

Rolling my foot on top of a tennis ball seems to be the best therapy. I don’t leave home without it. The ball sits on my desk at work and I use it 2-3x a day. 

Most of my exercise now consists of swimming 2-3x a week and lifting weights. I’ve biked a few times, but not fast enough or long enough to really call it a workout. If the injury keeps up I should look like a fat Incredible Hulk in a month. 

The Incredible Hulk can’t run very fast though. 

I need to get my bike on the trainer and start pedaling. 

I’m an okay injured runner for about two days, then the crankiness begins to come through. I start feeling fat, bloated, out of breath when walking up a flight of stairs and thinking that drinking isn’t such a bad sport.  

It’s amazing how much time I have to clean the house, fix things and go through my job jar. I’ve accomplished more in the last two weeks then the previous two months. 

I’d rather spend that time running.

Rochester Runner of the Year

Only two races left in the Rochester Runner of the Year series (sponsored by GRTC). First up is a 5k in downtown Rochester, the East Avenue Grocery Run, held on November 4. The last race in the series is the Race with Grace 10k, held in Greece, NY on Thanksgiving morning.

It took me a long time to learn that competition sometimes comes down to who shows up and runs the race, stays healthy and motivated. Thinking about how you would have finished in a race if so and so competed isn't relevant. You compete against yourself and who is there on that day. In that vein our Sal's group is doing pretty well against Rochester area runners.

Jan has completed five races in the series (4 is minimum, 6 maximum out of 12) and I've done six, so we are eligible for an award if we finish in the top five in our age group. Currently Jan is third and could finish anywhere from third-sixth in her group. I am second and could finish from second to fifth.

Pete is second in his age group, but could finish from second-fifth. Eileen is fourth and if she finishes the next two series races will be at least top five. Mike W is in seventh, but if he runs the next two series races and finishes in the top three or better could possibly make it to a top five spot.

I find the RROY series a nice motivator to measure myself against myself, really. Can I stay healthy all year, since the races run from March - November? There are a variety of distances, from 1 mile to the half-marathon, a good method to discover which distances you are best at. Can I maintain my speed compared to the previous year if the same course is used? Speed is all relative since my 5k per mile pace times are about the same as my marathon per mile pace from ten years ago. But on the other hand, I'm sixty and have been a "runner" since I was twenty-three. Normal society would consider that amazing or weird, depending on who you are talking to. 

And so I continue to run, albeit slower, since it usually feels good and I'm able to.

Pre-Race Caffeine?

There have been many scientific experiments regarding the effect of caffeine on athletes. Despite these studies one's own personal experiences generally determine whether you believe caffeine is necessary prior to a workout or race. Runner's World 2017.


I am a caffeine user. Judging by my ever slowing race pace over the years it probably doesn't matter if I drink a cup of tea or coffee before a race or not. There are times I'm so anxious before a race that I can't even finish eight ounces of coffee. I think it's out of habit, the hope that it helps my body wake-up and become regular (i.e. bathroom) that drives my usage. The argument can be made that the caffeine makes me seek out a port-a-pot too often before a race to make drinking a cup useless.

When I get up before work to lift weights I'll definitely take a mug of coffee with me to the basement. At least then bathroom concerns are alleviated since I'm still home. The same is true when I do an early morning indoor bike ride. A water bottle is on the bike and the coffee mug is on a stool next to me. 

Wondering what kind of coffee to drink? Check out this Runner's World article.