Damn.
Two weeks ago, I heard the words that any runner fears the most: stress fracture. I could spend several paragraphs explaining the disappointment, anger, and frustration I’ve been dealing with since I got the news, but that wouldn’t change anything. The fact is that I will not be running the Boston Marathon this year because my body has let me down. I will only say that I did everything physically possible to make it to April, and I am not disappointed in myself for lack of commitment or effort.
I’ve run 360 miles since I began training for the marathon in October. My longest run went for a distance of 15.5 miles and took me about 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete. While I didn’t realize the severity of my injury at the time, I was basically running on a broken ankle. The pain was bad, but I was so focused on the running that I thought I could make it to April. Unfortunately, to continue running would jeopardize my long-term health and likely necessitate surgery. Despite the incredible emotional and physical investment I’ve made in this endeavor, I need to maintain some perspective. As my Dad said, there’s always next year.
More importantly, I’ve raised almost $5,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I feel like this is an immense accomplishment for a cause that I care deeply about. Unfortunately, that is only halfway to my goal of $10,000. I made a commitment to the DFMC and I’m not about to stop with two months left. My story has dramatically changed, but the cause I’m supporting has remained the same. Instead of running, I’ll be volunteering to help the amazing folks at Dana-Farber who form the backbone of the team. I can’t be out there running with my teammates, but I can continue to support them from the sidelines.
I don’t really know how to ask people to sponsor me for a race I won’t be running, so I need to figure that out now. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks for all the support you’ve given me during these past four months. Every little note on this blog, facebook, email, etc. has meant a great deal.
