These past weeks...
May. 12th, 2026 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arthur_p_dentIt feels like it's been a few weeks... oh wait, it has. Lots of days to be sure, but almost all of that time has revolved around race 2 - so that's what you'll get to read about today.
The week leading up to the race was fairly chill. I cut back on training to conserve my energy, and didn't do too much at the gym either. I did go to run club, but kept it light and easy. All in all it was a good approach to the weekend.
Since the race was out of town, my SO and I made a long weekend mini-vacation out of it. We drove up on the Friday, and I picked up all my race swag before dinner. On Saturday we took the train into Toronto, had lunch at our favourite restaurant, explored the Ripley's aquarium, and went to see the Blue Jays play (Jays won!). And after all that we were still back at the hotel before 9, leaving me lots of time to get a good night's sleep.
Sunday was race day. I was up on time, got ready and ate, and walked to the starting area with plenty of time to warm up. It was a beautiful morning for running, and everything started out decently. I was keeping the pace I wanted to, and enjoying the course. About half way through we came to a section that was mostly downhill, and knowing that I would be turning around and climbing that hill at some point, I decided to let gravity help me make up a little time. That was the beginning of my undoing.
Somewhere in that downhill section I must have landed heavily or awkwardly without realizing it, and on the climb back up the hill I started getting a pain in my shin. I chalked it up to muscle soreness from the climb, and kept going. A little bit further on, the pain was getting worse. I probably should have stopped at a medical tent when I saw one, but no, on I went. Almost 7km to the finish line, limping all the way. But I finished, and happily received my medal.
Now, remember how I said that I should have sought medical attention? Well. After the adrenaline of the race wore off, that's when the pain really kicked in. And I still had another km to walk back to the hotel (roads were still closed, so there was no way to get a ride). I did make it back, and after getting cleaned up and packed we were out the door. We found a really nice little place for lunch, and then headed for home.
Waking up the next morning to the same pain, I called and was able to get in to see my doctor in the afternoon. And so began a two week barrage of tests to see just what was going on. An x-ray, then an MRI, another x-ray, an ultrasound, and finally a bone scan. The last test was the definitive one - I had suffered a stress fracture in my shin bone. My doc called me Sunday night to tell me to head in to the fracture clinic at the hospital first thing in the morning. And now here I sit today in a walking boot for the next six weeks. After that, physiotherapy and rehab, and a very slow return to exercise while the bone continues to heal.
What does this mean for my upcoming races? The July 5K, I'll probably be a volunteer. The September half marathon, I'll switch that one to the 5K (second year in a row - that race may be a jinx for me). And for my October half marathon I'll drop to either the 5K or 10K as well. No long distances for the rest of this year, unfortunately, but healing properly is far more important.
So that's my tale. Now that things are sorted I'm hopeful that I can get back to a mostly normal routine, although I do have to be mindful that I need to take breaks and rest from time to time (as I notice the ache in my leg starting to grow a bit). For sure, I will keep you posted on how things are going. But for now it's time to get back to the office. Have a good week - I'll see you soon. =]
The week leading up to the race was fairly chill. I cut back on training to conserve my energy, and didn't do too much at the gym either. I did go to run club, but kept it light and easy. All in all it was a good approach to the weekend.
Since the race was out of town, my SO and I made a long weekend mini-vacation out of it. We drove up on the Friday, and I picked up all my race swag before dinner. On Saturday we took the train into Toronto, had lunch at our favourite restaurant, explored the Ripley's aquarium, and went to see the Blue Jays play (Jays won!). And after all that we were still back at the hotel before 9, leaving me lots of time to get a good night's sleep.
Sunday was race day. I was up on time, got ready and ate, and walked to the starting area with plenty of time to warm up. It was a beautiful morning for running, and everything started out decently. I was keeping the pace I wanted to, and enjoying the course. About half way through we came to a section that was mostly downhill, and knowing that I would be turning around and climbing that hill at some point, I decided to let gravity help me make up a little time. That was the beginning of my undoing.
Somewhere in that downhill section I must have landed heavily or awkwardly without realizing it, and on the climb back up the hill I started getting a pain in my shin. I chalked it up to muscle soreness from the climb, and kept going. A little bit further on, the pain was getting worse. I probably should have stopped at a medical tent when I saw one, but no, on I went. Almost 7km to the finish line, limping all the way. But I finished, and happily received my medal.
Now, remember how I said that I should have sought medical attention? Well. After the adrenaline of the race wore off, that's when the pain really kicked in. And I still had another km to walk back to the hotel (roads were still closed, so there was no way to get a ride). I did make it back, and after getting cleaned up and packed we were out the door. We found a really nice little place for lunch, and then headed for home.
Waking up the next morning to the same pain, I called and was able to get in to see my doctor in the afternoon. And so began a two week barrage of tests to see just what was going on. An x-ray, then an MRI, another x-ray, an ultrasound, and finally a bone scan. The last test was the definitive one - I had suffered a stress fracture in my shin bone. My doc called me Sunday night to tell me to head in to the fracture clinic at the hospital first thing in the morning. And now here I sit today in a walking boot for the next six weeks. After that, physiotherapy and rehab, and a very slow return to exercise while the bone continues to heal.
What does this mean for my upcoming races? The July 5K, I'll probably be a volunteer. The September half marathon, I'll switch that one to the 5K (second year in a row - that race may be a jinx for me). And for my October half marathon I'll drop to either the 5K or 10K as well. No long distances for the rest of this year, unfortunately, but healing properly is far more important.
So that's my tale. Now that things are sorted I'm hopeful that I can get back to a mostly normal routine, although I do have to be mindful that I need to take breaks and rest from time to time (as I notice the ache in my leg starting to grow a bit). For sure, I will keep you posted on how things are going. But for now it's time to get back to the office. Have a good week - I'll see you soon. =]
no subject
Date: 2026-05-14 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-05-14 06:44 pm (UTC)I won't lie - I am a bit disappointed with how it's going to impact the rest of this year. But I'm also reaolved to take the recovery seriously so that I'm back in form for 2027. =]
no subject
Date: 2026-05-17 07:39 pm (UTC)*hug*