For a few weeks I’ve been having a bit of knee pain after I run. Thankfully, it hasn’t really effected me while running (maybe the last few miles), but afterwards is really when I would start to feel it. After longer runs, I’ve been walking around with a similar stride as my Mom….trust me; this is not a good thing. Also problematic, was the fact that I don’t have hours to sit around and ice my knee down. I’ve read that you should probably change sneakers every three hundred miles or so. I haven’t been keeping track, but I’m sure my present sneakers have well over five hundred miles on them. The cynic in me tends to be a little leery about taking the "replace your sneakers" advice since the people telling me I need to buy new sneakers, are the same people selling me the sneakers. Finally, I got off the wallet & took my boy Hal’s advice: "Practice makes perfect. Practice not only running, but everything else related to race day. That includes equipment. Do you know what shoes you'll wear on race day? Buy a new pair now!" Okay Hal. Message received. I hit The Haddonfield Running Company on Monday for a shiny new pair. Guess what…my knees feel remarkable better and my Mary Alice gait is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
The other item I must address is the Phillies taking the NL East Pennant last night and how I’ll be able to watch playoff baseball for the third year in a row. While I’m beyond thrilled at the prospect of watching the Phillies chase another World Series title, I’m a little concerned about how this will affect my training for the marathon. Late night baseball watching with family and friends while beers are never in short supply just happens to be in direct conflict with marathon training. Due to MLB trying to bleed every cent out of their advertising dollar, many of these games will not start until at least 8:30, while it’s not uncommon for the final out to be recorded well after midnight. In reviewing the first round schedule, it looks as I’m catching a break with relatively short runs or rest days following most Phillies games. We’ll see what happens if the Phils make it to the NLDS, but for now I’m please that I’ll be able to enjoy Phillies fall baseball while not interrupting my training too much.
Fifty one days to go….thanks for reading,
Pat
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