The streak has ended!

The streak has ended? You may be wondering 'what streak' I am talking about! I had seen a Facebook link on the Runner's World #36DaysofAwesome challenge. This is where you run at a minimum of one mile a day from Thanksgiving, November 27, 2014 to New Year's Day, January 1, 2015. I had run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving when I saw the 'challenge' on my friend Kim's Facebook page and decided I would give it a try. 

Things were going well! I ran the next two days with my dog, Riley, and she was thrilled! Then on day 4, Sunday November 30, I did a 4 mile trail run in my new trail shoes. Which, by the way, are fantastic! The trail shoes, Saucony Progrid Xodus 3.0, really made a difference. 

My AUsome new trail shoes!

I could run over chunky and regular gravel and not feel it on my feet! Amazing! But seeing as I am new to running on the single track trails, I kind of twisted my right ankle. Twice! Did not think much of it at the time and it did not keep me from continuing on that run! 

Monday, December 1 I did the Potomac River Running fun run at the Fairfax store and even took Riley with me! The streak continued on! Then last Thursday (December 4) I ran 3 miles in my neighborhood. The first 2 miles went OK, but by the third mile I thought I was getting a shin splint! Had completely forgotten about the ankle twisting/rolling incident... I've been icing it, taking ibuprofen, massaging it, and using Biofreeze. Then on Sunday I had a race, the Blue and Gray 5K. Team Rabbit blogged about it as Carol was running the half for like the fifth year in a row! Anyway, the run went great, and I hit my goals: negative split and descending miles. At the finish they announced that there were folks from a local chiropractic / PT office and they could give quick assessments or massage. I decided to get my ankle looked at. The doctor, Dr. Pallotti, checked out my ankle and all seemed to be OK and I was doing the right things for it. Except for maybe running on it. I mean my ankle is not even swollen, nor has it been! 

Well, yesterday was day 12 - and I ran one very easy mile on my treadmill. For a total of 25.78 miles since Thanksgiving. This morning my ankle is just plain sore. And it has been. I decided that continuing this fun run challenge was not worth the continued soreness, or possibly even longer term damage. Besides, the goals I have for 2015 are much more important! I have a new 10k training program starting on January 6 and I want to be healthy and strong for that! I need to follow my blog sign-off advice! 

So I will rest it through Saturday and try to run an easy 5k on Sunday. Then rest it some more. I have planned to do the the back-to-back New Year's Challenge again (Fairfax 4 Miler on December 31 and the Resolution 10K on January 1), but can always bag the second race if I need to. I have not signed up for that yet anyway!

Happy and Healthy Training!