Run From The Darkness

Chris and I were in the middle of a fifteen mile training run a few weeks ago when he turned to me and asked, “Do you think this is the human version of the hamster wheel?”

Abbi and I are knee deep into New York City Marathon training. This week, for example, looks like this:

MON 8/14 – 4M
TUE 8/15 – 6M
WED 8/16 – 5M
THU 8/17 – 5M
FRI 8/18 – 3M
SAT 8/19 – 18M
SUN 8/20 – 3M

It’s not an inordinate amount of mileage, but it adds up. Here’s where I’m feeling it:

Plantar Fasciitis (left): Tension/soreness in my arch
Achilles Tendonitis (right): Tension/soreness behind ankle
Patella Syndrome (right): Burning pain on downhill
Metatarsalgia (right): Soreness on the ball of the foot
IT (right): Soreness in the band that connects hip to ankle

Plus I have injury-induced arthritis in my left ankle (from falling off the stage at CBGB’s — swear to God!). And I’m tired, hungry, and cranky most of the time (especially in the morning — sorry, Abbi).

But before you go dispensing good advices, you should know that I stretch for twenty minutes after every run, and have been doing some core conditioning, and cross training. What I haven’t yet done is a) give up beer (unrelated, but not a bad idea) b) added weight training or c) taken up pilates. All of which are probably requisite prior to November 3.

So, is all of this running around Central Park (and Riverside Park, and the East Side Promenade) just some kind of modern urban hamster wheel? And if so (or not), why bother? Is anything worth this sort of pain and sacrafice?

I don’t know (though my hunch is yes, and yes). I’ll get back to you in 350 miles.