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Perseverance
By Doug Mayfield
January 2012 Newsletter
Image by Doug Mayfield
On a whim, I started running with the Arlington Striders in the summer or 2009 because the treadmills at the gym were all being used and I wanted to run. My longest run to that point had been a 5K. My first run with the Striders had me grouped with some guys… little did I know they were doing 6 miles of hills! Needless to say, I had to walk some of it and was cooked by the end of the run…did I mention this was also in late June! Well, that little running bug that everyone else possessed jumped on me and I went back for more on the next group run. Again, I had to walk a bit but kept showing up.
Everyone at the group runs were friendly and encouraging with no pressure to be anything other than what I was. I soon noticed people talking about running a half marathon or the full. I started laughing in my head. I thought they were ‘weird’. Who would want to do that… after all, it was all I could do to finish a 6 mile easy run. After a couple of more runs, I was able to run 6 miles without stopping and by November I was up to doing 16 miles for my long run. I wasn’t on a plan and was unaware that I didn’t have a base to support that long of a run and ended up with a really bad IT band injury. This put me out for a few months, but after rehab I was able to start running again.
This time, I approached Coach Troy for a plan… yep a marathon plan for White Rock! I was now one of those ‘weird’ ones! Everything was going great until August 2010 when I was on a long run and suddenly had to stop because of intense toe pain. Yep, a stress fracture….out again….White Rock in question. The first foot doctor I saw didn’t know what he was doing. He said I could start running again after about a month of staying off the foot.
So, I slowly started running (with pain, but was told that was normal) and was even able to run the Arlington Turkey Trot. As soon as I crossed the finish line, though, I could barely walk. I knew White Rock was out of the question. So, I decided not to run in December to see if that helped. After December, the toe was still hurting. I talked with Coach Troy and Jill Norman (who would later push me to get through our long runs!) who both had recently been to Dr. Crane at her Foot and Ankle Associates of North Texas practice in Grapevine (yes, that is a plug for her!). Both gave their recommendation, so I scheduled an appointment. Dr. Crane confirmed the first doctor was a waste of time. She quickly diagnosed the problem and put me on a recovery plan. After a couple of months of basically no running, I was cleared to resume with a run/walk plan.
March was approaching and I wanted to shoot for the 2011 White Rock Marathon in December. I talked with Coach Troy again. Based on the input from Dr. Crane and a conservative training plan from Coach Troy to reduce stress and impact, I was moving forward again. My goal… get to the starting line healthy and complete my first marathon. The training progressed well and was easier to tackle being able to run with the Striders. Coach Troy was always there to answer questions and give advice along the way. Even though training was going well, I kept waiting for that pesky running whammy to hit again.
Thankfully, I was able to make it to the start in one piece and finish within my target time! Can’t say I thoroughly enjoyed the cold and wet running conditions on that day. It was definitely another part of the marathon journey that won’t be forgotten! I plan on running another marathon with a goal of qualifying for Boston; but we’ll see what the future holds.
Through the two injuries, I learned to persevere and to listen to my body. I realized through the injuries how much I enjoyed running when I couldn’t do it. I also saw that setting a goal, working the plan and seeing the results are pretty neat. To my benefit, self-confidence was an unexpected byproduct, especially after hitting workout after workout during the summer! Being able to do that with fellow runners that help encourage and motivate is an experience you can’t have unless you do it! So, no matter where you are with running or walking, make it out to the Arlington Striders group runs and start enjoying the experience!