48 days until TCM: 16 miles (and more) and new shoes

Well, race day is officially less than two months away. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. Training has been going well. I did finally defeat the evil plantar fasciitis, but not before it made a point of moving to my cuboid bone (who knew I had one), and then to my knee before it finally succumbed to a rigorous regimen of naproxen and coldpacks. One of the great things about living (and training) in a well-established running community are the community running stores and their fabulous workshops and deals for people belonging to running clubs. Marathon Sports on 50th and Penn in Minneapolis, for example, has a free sports podiatrist every first and third Tuesday on site to examine foot injuries and give advice. Hence, my icing and naproxen regimen for the pain on my foot. Hooray for neighborhood running stores! Dr. Langer told me to try a shoe insert if the pain didn't go away, but fortunately it has. Hooray!

Two Saturdays ago, I ran a new personal record: 15 miles! However, I got horribly lost, so I'm sure it was closer to 16 or 17 miles. My cartographical war with South Minneapolis continues. That old axiom about Minneapolis being easier to navigate than St. Paul? Complete and utter crap. I have never been so stymied by city geography in my life - this from a woman who has learned the nooks and crannies of St. Paul over the past ten years - trying to maneuver around South Minneapolis lakes.

On the bright side, though, it IS the longest I've ever run, and I felt pretty good - better than I did at the end of my 13 mile run a couple of weeks ago, anyway. This Saturday, our team run took us 16 miles. It was so hot, though, that I started getting dizzy around mile 14, so I just did the last two at home on the basement treadmill. Works for me. I felt something snap in my left knee, so let's hope that doesn't stick around.

I have officially put over 200 miles on my shoes that I just got in May. Team in Training advises us that shoes last about 400 miles, and that would put me square on my marathon date, so I bought another pair to alternate during this last leg of training. Onward!