2012 bled into January 2013 with the Napa Valley Marathon on the horizon for March. Ran into some abdominal issues, spent months at doctors having tests done to be told
Also dealt with Peroneal tendonitis, yet had logged tons of miles, so wasn't surprised and took a couple weeks off.
PR'd a half marathon with abdominal issues and was training hard for my 1st Ultra, a 50K. My coach had set up my training plan to not only get long runs in but also speed work as I wanted to break 3:20 at Honolulu in December. Dreams don't die for this girl!
My clumsiness, and apparently very high arches, left me not running for 2 l-o-n-g months after rolling my ankle at Peacock while on a 20 mile training run. Missed my Ultra and Honolulu, yet was looking at "The Big Picture" (previous post) and running strong at Boston was my ultimate goal. Spent weeks in
Started out slowly (literally) in December and by January felt comfortable adding longer runs with some speed. Other than feeling like a turtle and the occasional sharp pain in my foot and tummy, I had time on my side and was confident I could make a full recovery. Enter Stage Right: Abdominal pain coupled with back pain.
WTH?!?!
Had some bouts with abdominal twinges again but nothing to make me stop running. Yet while pacing my dear friend at her ultra in January, I started having severe pain, which I attributed to eating too much of her mom's most amazing garbanzo bean salad. After 3 weeks of ignoring it...because that is the way it will go away....as well as taking a WHOLE 4 DAYS OFF from running, I saw my doctor after work earlier this week.
Bottom line: Need surgery to feel better. The kind where they open you up and cannot run in foreeeeeeeever. After visiting radiology my diagnosis is my organs are stuck together...the ones you don't need when you're 29+++, so can be taken out. I'm certain that's not the medical term. Add a tumor (benign) and no wonder my tummy is unhappy.
Thankfully I have an understanding doctor who runs and "gets Boston". It's my choice to have surgery now, or wait until after the marathon. I've decided to wait. My pain being more intense when I sit, verses running, contributed to my decision. I have dreamed, sweated, and had too-many-to-count 4am wake ups to get to Boston.
Yet, I may suck. I don't know if I'll be able to do the workouts my coach has given me to hit my sub 3:20 goal. But I'm going to try my best. That's all I can do. My best.
It may not be the race I dreamed of. But it's Boston. And I got there!
Wow. I don't know where to begin. I have you in my prayers Malia. I only started following you after I started following RunEmz. On IG, I'm dasilentassassin. I was hooked after I read your story and was stoked you're from Hawaii. I was born and raised on the north shore (haleiwa), and moved to AZ in 89. I ran track in high school (Damien - honolulu) and only found my long distance running passion 2 years ago. Now I'm doing a half marathon a month and my first marathon in 2 weeks (Phx Full). Training is hard, but I'm hoping if everything goes well, and it doesn't turn into something I JUST cross off my bucket list, I'm going home to run the Honolulu 12/14. God Willing.
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of how you handle things. I am just touched by how your love for running and your dedication in getting to Boston is trumping in some cases, the constant pain. I'm glad you stopped down to get it looked at. Again, I will continue to follow you and have you in my prayers. You are really an awesome person and I'm blessed to have "met" you. I hope at some point I'll get to shake your hand in person. But for now, shaka sistah, and malama pono.
Country to AZ...what a transition! You'll do awesome at Phx after running a 1/2 a month!!! When did you graduate from Damien?
DeleteMahalo for the prayers and kind words. Running is not only my passion, but my escape from life where I can think, pray, and appreciate what my body is capable of.
I pray you get to come home and run Honolulu!!!
Aloooooooooha!
Such hard news to get. I'm no stranger to that! I wish you all the best with your training and Boston and surgery and recovery. My guess is that it will all go well and you'll be back to training so much faster than you're imagining :) And at least the prognosis has you running post-surgery. To be so lucky...
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