Mayday! Mayday!

Well, of course it's not smooth sailing over here but I am not surprised.

After a great 8-miler last weekend, I gave my body 3 days off to rest and recover (which is essential) and on the fourth day, tried to go out and complete an easy 3.5-4 miles. I got to mile 2.75 and stopped dead in my tracks from an all-too-familiar feeling in my left calf muscle. I walked home which turned out to be at least half a mile, put the ice on and started to panic. The pain usually strengthens within 24 hours and I knew immediately I would be out for 7 days. That was Thursday. Today is Sunday. There are 14 days left until the half. You do the math.

Anyone who knows me knows I have spent the last 2 days panicking and then my next course of action was to make a plan.

Here's the plan: Nothing until Thursday. This stinks but I have to stay off it, even if that means not getting any training in. Thursday, depending on how it feels, I will attempt a run and determine once I get going how far it's going to last. If all goes great, hooray. If it doesn't, I will have 10 additional days before the half to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Reality is really setting in. Many people have expressed concern in me even attempting the half but I have to try. I just have to. If a 250 lb., 55 year old man with knee problems on The Biggest Loser can finish a marathon (even though it took him 18 hours), then I can do this. All my timing expectations have gone out the window. I'm no longer hoping to come in under 4 hours. Now I'm just hoping to come in at all and it may take a really, really long time.

So that's the plan. I used to hate the phrase, "It is what it is," but I'm kind of living that right now. I can't do much about recovering faster. I can't do anything about the time I have left. I am heating, icing, light stretching, massaging, keeping it wrapped, and staying off of it and that's all I can do.

Please pray for my healing and pray hard. I really need to do this.