18 August 2012

Decision-making

I'm pondering deferring my registration for Raleigh to next year. Thought process? Thought process:

1. I'm still taking Accutane (one month away from being done). It is a fabulous, wonderful, amazeballs medication that has completely transformed my skin but it is also a serious drug that has common but serious side effects, including increased sensitivity to sun, super dry lips and eyes and, most importantly, joint and muscle pain. I have been running consistently and increasing my mileage slowly and my fitness and endurance levels have been handling it fine. My body, on the other hand, feels like someone smacked it repeatedly with a tire iron. My hips hurt. My shins hurt. The backs of my heels hurt. As I type this I haven't run in six days and my muscles, mostly around my hips and butt, are still sore. My doctor is aware of all of this and said it's fine for me to keep running. I'm not injured or running myself toward an injury; this is just how the drug works. But popping ibuprofen three times a day for the next six weeks seems...not smart, and forcing my body to do something that makes it hurt fairly consistently seems similarly unwise.

2. I'm not really where I need to be to run this race for real, which I want to do. I have zero doubt that I could continue training and finish the marathon, but it will hurt and my time probably won't be very good and that doesn't sound like fun.

3. It's free to defer. I thought about dropping down to the half, but they charge a $20 change fee for that and I'm just...meh. Marathon I already paid for and want to do >>> more expensive half marathon that I'm not all that interested in.

4. Frankly, the thought of taking the time to build a rock-solid base and just running in the mornings four times a week because it makes me happy and because I want to do it makes me kind of giddy.

5. There are a couple of really, really great marathon options in my area early next year. The Charleston Marathon is the second weekend in January, and there's a marathon literally eight miles from my front door in March. Maybe I will do both! Maybe I will do neither! But they're both great possibilities, in completely realistic timeframes.

Right now, while my face looks great and my body feels like it's 86, I want to take some time to be in love with running and with spending time on my feet in my town and with seeing the seasons change firsthand outside (as much as the seasons ever change down here). I'm kind of sad because I want to do another marathon, but I'm not that sad because I will do another marathon, and when I do, I will do it correctly, with adequate time and without a training plan slapped together at the last minute. All in all, happy. Good things are in store. A lot of them.

Completely gratuitous cat photo:


I hope you all are well and that none of your running hurts your hips. I almost can't remember what that feels like. One more month!

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