In Medias Res

I can promise you one thing right now: exposition will come. My journey as a runner is well under way, but I start this blog by posting about my current struggle: what can only be an overuse injury. I started minimalist/barefoot running last year, and developed a bit of an overzealous nature thanks to some phenomenal reads (I'll do some book reviews in the near future). My desire to evolve into an ultra runner took a big hit a few months ago when I started to develop pain in my right foot/inner ankle, which I discovered, after some research, was likely an aggravation of the posterior tibialis tendon. I also learned that continued running on this weakened tendon and the muscles it attaches to could lead to a stress fracture. All this in combination with a freak accident (that leg fell through a water-meter cover that broke when I stepped on it during a run) forced me to shut it down. I didn't run at all for four weeks. It even hurt to walk. Now, the overuse injury was manageable. I was still putting out nearly 50 miles a week with long runs approaching 15 miles, but the ankle and foot would swell a little and feel tender to the touch. I followed those runs with arnica and ibuprofen, but I needed to stop to prevent further complications. After four weeks, it no longer hurt when I walked, and x-rays for a stress fracture had come back negative. In that four weeks I had been diligently rehabbing, exercising my foot and ankle with specific strengthening movements in order to prepare for my future running. I decided to start running, slowly. The tendon is still tender and hurts at times, especially when I try to stretch it, but I feel like my running has been relatively pain free. I am a far cry from where I was in terms of mileage, but hopefully I can build back up in time to make my goal race for the year, my first ultra distance, a 40-miler in September. For now, baby steps. I am going to try a 5k at the end of this month as long as my progress goes well. Some days I wonder whether that will happen. Well, stick around, if you like, to see whether I succeed in this journey. Hopefully, I will produce more exciting posts.