11.
ONE-ONE.
Double hockey sticks.
5 + 6.
Eleven.

That’s how many days I will not be able to run. During one of the most critical 2 week-periods leading up to the Marine Corp Marathon at the end of this month.

You might remember last week that I candidly shared the untold story about saddle sores. By now, you know I got one as a result of the Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 30. After 3 days off after the race, I went and saw a doctor, got some antibiotics and went for a short 3-mile run. The run was painful and uncomfortable, but I thought I was on my way to recovery. I had 16 miles planned for this past Saturday, but I was in too much pain from the bike-induced boil to run. After no change in 7 days, I finally went to my urgent care facility yesterday to nip this in the bud once and for all (Must.Run.Now! Grrrr). To make a long and graphic story short, the wonderful doctor I saw (who also happened to be a triathlete and understood my sense of urgency) decided to do a small surgical procedure to drain the boil. Yes, it involved me and a scalpel, 21 days before the Marine Corps Marathon.

My reaction: “Great. How soon can I run?”
His response: “Not for at least 5 days.”

After he left the room, I proceeded to tear up and get quite emotional. Five more days of no running after I’d already taken 6 days off due to the pain? Sadness, anger and disappointment took over me. I’ve worked hard since April to reach my race goals. One was realized last Sunday when I completed my first half Ironman, but my really big one is still ahead.

And that’s the lesson for all of us. Life is going to throw us curve balls. We work hard. We make sacrifices. We stay accountable. And yet, challenges often crop up. I wish everything I wrote could be about meeting or exceeding race goals and sharing spectacular training stories, but that just isn’t realistic. And when you really step back and look where this little disappointment falls in the grand scheme of things, it isn’t important. It pales in comparison to many of the heartbreaks, set-backs and tragedies people out there are facing. My saddle sore and I have a lot to be thankful for.

So what does 11 days off mean? I readjust my expectations. If I start running again on Thursday, I’ll still have 2 weeks of running left before the race. First and foremost, I will focus on finishing and having fun. Crossing the finish line at any marathon is a victory in itself. Instead of targeting my 3:48, I’ll focus first on being under 4 hours, next on getting a PR (my current PR is 3:52:37) and finally on my 3:48 DREAM BIG goal (as Dorothy Beal over at Mile Posts so eloquently calls it). And if the big 11 rears its ugly head during the race, then I will take it as it comes – keep adjusting, finish the race.

I told a training friend of mine this plan and she didn’t buy it. Instead, she told me this: “Focus on healing, let the bad thoughts go and believe. Do some visualization of finishing this race at 3:48. What makes you a strong athlete is what you have done up to now. All the hard work is done. You will do this 26.2 with fresh and rested legs and you will beat your time!”

I won’t forget to believe, but I will also be realistic and make adjustments on race day as needed. Only time will tell now. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Stay tuned to see how this one turns out.

How have you dealt with an injury or set-back right before a race? What did you tell yourself to remain confident?