Achilles Tendinitis Better (thanks COVID-19)

Over the last 3+ months, I have suffered from Achilles tendinitis (self-diagnosed).The marathon build-up pushed my body a bit too much. Long runs and speed work took its toll on my left Achilles. I have done icing, rolling, stretching, and topical CBD oil (plus CBD gummies!). Not sure if any treatment helped, but it never got too bad. But it was always there. Raising it's ugly head during long runs and faster workouts. Not anymore!

Thanks to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), my marathons have been canceled and my training has gone into maintenance mode. Nothing too long. Nothing too intense. Just run every single day. Nice and easy. And my Achilles is feeling much better after just 7-10 days of this new routine. Thanks COVID-19! Always a silver lining. I'll eventually ramp up my training again, but probably very slowly. My next race, if not postponed or canceled, is the August Howl at the Moon 8-Hour ultra. No need for intense speed there! Just easy running. For a long time. Perfect.

My Other April Marathon is Cancelled

After the Illinois Marathon postponed their race to "sometime later in the year," I still had the Spring Chance to BQ.2 marathon on April 18 in Geneva, IL. Not anymore. It has been cancelled. We can transfer our registration to their fall marathon or next year's April event. I'll likely try the 2021 event. Right now, I am registered for two fall half-marathon races, plus the rescheduled Illinois race. Nothing in spring or summer. Wonder when races will resume. May? June? July? August? The one race I'd really like to run is the Howl at the Moon 8-hour event in mid-August. Until then, I'm cool with no races. It allows me to "just run" and be healthy. Probably better for my training to focus on running and not racing. Less pressure. More fun. Running tends to boost your immune system, so it's good for fighting colds, flu, and COVID-19. Of course, extreme training and racing can temporarily suppress your immune system. I'm practicing mostly easy aerobic running. No stress.

When there is no racing, enjoy your running. Appreciate your health.

April 2020 Illinois Marathon Cancelled (Postponed)

The Illinois Marathon officially postponed the April 25th race to the "second half of the year" due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions on events at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. This comes as a relief since I was not ready for this race. But, I still have the Last Chance BQ.2 race on April 18 in Geneva, IL. It's a small event (~300 runners), but since it is a Chicago suburb, there could easily be restrictions on gatherings of 250+ people announced before race day. Again, I would be happy if this race was postponed to fall. I'll be ready for a fast marathon in September or October. But, I already have at two half-marathons in Indianapolis this fall (Oct and Nov). Yikes! We shall see. No worries for now. Keep training. Keep progressing, Stay healthy.

With all of these races and other athletic events being cancelled, I cannot imagine the Boston Marathon, or London Marathon, going forward as planned. Better safe than sorry.

51 Days to the Marathon and BQ Attempt

I have 51 days until my BQ attempt at the Spring Chance to BQ.2 race in Geneva, IL on April 18. It's not looking good right now. I'm not trained for the distance. My longest run has been 16 miles. Total weekly mileage has settled around 25-30 miles. I hate Illinois winters! Much easier training in spring and summer for a fall marathon. With a good 7 weeks to go, I still have time for those long runs to do their magic. And my speed is there. I just need that stamina over the full distance. Can I maintain an 8:08 pace for 26.2 miles? Not today, but maybe in 51 days. Maybe. Hope springs eternal. Let's do this!

The hotel is booked, time off from work has been arranged, and I already have THE SHOES (Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next%). Now, I only need to train. Yeah, train. Almost forgot. Looks like this weekend will be a long run. Hopefully the snow will be melted. If things do not go well on April 18, the same race organizers have a repeat event on September 12. That would be the last chance to BQ for Boston 2021.