Two-a-days

Boston is exactly 3 weeks from today and my injury has finally subsided enough to where I can run without pain.  Unfortunately, I was forced to take 3 weeks off due to this achilles tendon issue. I have decided to condense time frames and try to run Two-a-days in an effort to make up for lost training time. Is this a good idea? Who knows? I do run the risk of injury again, but I gotta roll the dice because I refuse to finish in 5 hours and have that go down as my first Boston "experience."

I am not sure what my goal time will be at this point but after these next two weeks I am hopeful that I can get into near 3 hour marathon shape. I do not expect a PR of sub 2:56:30, however, I am looking to go low at this years Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN on June 19th. BTW, I am looking forward to meeting Hal Higdon, Kara Goucher, and Dick Beardsley at the Expo.  :)

In God's Economy nothing goes to waste. So perhaps this wasn't my ideal training schedule leading up to Boston which included a glute strain, achilles pain, and a stomach virus. Yet what I have learned in the process is an introduction to two-a-days. Otherwise, I don't believe I would have been compelled to put my body through this ridiculous training regiment. Perhaps 100 miles a week is not so unimaginable when you can run 7 miles both morning and night for 98 miles in a week. I continue to fill my body with Recovery Drinks, Lean Protein, and lots of food.

Boston bound...

My Achilles Heel

An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common. This equals IRONY.
Training has taken a turn for the worse over the past week. After coming off a solid month of mileage, I seem to have a text book case of tendinitis in my Achilles tendon, and training has officially halted after reading it is possible to rupture the tendon and/or cause permanent damage.

This tendon is the largest in the body and can withstand force many times greater than a person’s weight.

Achilles tendinitis involves inflammation of the Achilles tendon as a result of overuse. To treat Achilles tendinitis, decrease playing time, take NSAIDs, use heel lifts in your regular shoes, and diligently stretch the calf muscles with your leg straight. Or, sit on your butt and eat ice-cream. :)

In the story of Achilles, his mother, in an attempt to make her son immortal, dips him in the River Styx holding him by his ankles. Because the river could not touch his feet where she held them, it was where he was most vulnerable. He ultimately died from a poisoned spear to the foot.

While I do not fear death as a result of this injury, I do feel as though I am mourning the death of a beloved friend during this hiatus in my training for Boston. The plan is to give it a week's rest and resume training for the final 6 weeks to the race. This past week has given me time to reflect on my training goals as well as recharge my battery for the home stretch.