Barbie Gets a Massage

If you're just tuning in, I've been a runner for about a year. I ran my first marathon in January 2009. Since then, I have been on fire to train for and run the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in San Antonio in November. I was hoping to qualify for Boston 2010, which would be a 3:50:59 time for my age group (I'm 42). I had the discipline, I had the momentum, there was no stopping me. Until something stopped me last week: A stress fracture to the cuboid bone in my right foot. No running for eight weeks. And guess what's in eight weeks? San Antonio.

Scream, cry, wallow in self pity. Read reader's comments and feel mountains better. So encouraging, insightful. So full of confidence in me to make my big comeback. Running and Living said, "You need to make a mental shift here and find a way to get excited about cross training." Marcus Grimm said, "I'd recommend respecting the long run a bit more -- in other words, there's not really a good reason for there to be a "moderate" run the day after a long run." Katie said, "You are so dedicated to running that God knew you would never take a break on your own. So he went to drastic measures."

In light of my running injury, I am re-assessing. Playing Monday morning quarterback, if you will. What could I have done differently to avoid this, or was it unavoidable? The culprits are:

• Shoes: I chose a neutral shoe without much support. Wanted to go minimalist and light. I had been told by the Olympian that neutral was fine as I don't pronate, assinate, fartinate or any other "nates"


• Overdoing it: I had upped my miles and my intensity in the days leading up to the injury


• Overdoing it: I have been training for 13 months straight. I never stopped training for races in the past year. Here are the ones I did:

Full marathon: 1/09
Half marathon: 4/09
10K: 5/09
5K: 7/09
Half marathon: 8/09
Relay (16 miles): 8/09
Half marathon: 9/09

• Predisposition: the injury I have is uncommon, especially for runners. It is typically a dancer or gymnast injury. I was a gymnast for four years in high school. Could that have weakened the cuboid and set me up for this?


• Cross training: When people asked me what I did to keep in shape, I'd proudly say "just running and yoga," like it was some badge of honor. I didn't hardly cross train. Running fives days a week, yoga one day a week

What is to be gleaned or benefited from all of this? I am a former gymnast with neutral shoes who ran a lot of races between January and September, and did yoga.

I truly don't know if any or all of this matters, but I do know that I will be approaching things differently from here on out. First of all I will be sitting on my ass for the next two weeks. Then I will be (hopefully) given the right of way to get myself and my air cast out walking. Then it will be elliptical, swimming, biking. Then sometime in November, I will be given the "go" to run again, and I will go out and run the San Antonio Marathon that day and qualify for Boston. Gotcha, you freaks! Have a learned nothing? Running will start slow and steady. This is where things will change up from my former run-until-you-keel-over training plan.

Running and Living writes on her blog about the Runner's World book, "Run Less, Run Faster." Sounds kind of gimmicky and oxymoronish, like "Crap Less, Eat More Mexican Food," or "Stress Less, Talk to Your Mother-in-Law Everyday."

Nonetheless, it is a very scientific and sensical training plan based on having three "key runs" every week (speed, tempo, long) with cross training on the other days. Thousands of people, especially those who are prone to injury or simply do not have the time to train for endless hours per week, swear by this plan. It has even taken many of these people to their marathon PRs. I know many of you out there are into running 60-70 mile weeks and this has worked for you. It could still work for me, but I'm just messing with different approaches. And you, my insightful intelligent running friends, I want to know what YOU think.

Okay, this has nothing to do with running, but it is some comic relief. Yesterday my daughter, eight years old, told me that her Barbie was getting married later in the day and was getting a massage. I took a look and found that Barbie had quite the set up with a) no shirt on, boobs holding her up, b) Ken on his knees and giving her the choperoo, and c) her face planted into the bed like she just didn't care:

Just think: If I had been running I would have missed this most excellent photo-op.