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Last week I said that summer was coming to an end…this week, based on the forecast, we’re heading back into the 90’s?! It never ends!
It’s the start of a new week and my recovery from plantar fasciitis continues. I have been in physical therapy and doing tons of exercises, hoping that I can get rid of my heel pain for good! Sharing these recaps helps keep me accountable, and it also keeps me motivated to keep blogging! I hope you enjoy following my progress.
I’m linking up with HoHo and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap! I’m also linking up with Marcia, Patty, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run, Debbie, Lora, and Rachel for the Running Coaches Corner and Annmarie and Nicole for Wild Workout Wednesday!
Sharing my recap of @thephilly10K that took place this past weekend! #runchat #run215 Click To Tweet
The last few weeks have been extremely busy but at the end of this week, things really came to a head. I had a lot of planned and unplanned events come up and I have to admit that it got a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, everything got done, things went well, and I tested out the running waters this past week!
One event that was pretty involved was planning a barbecue for my company’s affinity groups including our Technical Association, Green Team, Toastmasters, and Ignited Towards Success. Normally, it’s just an event for the Tech Association but the idea was proposed to include all of the groups. We were able to get fantastic catering from the local BBQ food truck, and we had a pretty decent turnout. We were also requested to bring in donations for school supplies, so I had to make sure I picked up a few things for the kids! It was a pretty stressful month of assisting with the planning, and I’m just glad it all went well!
On Friday I had the day off work but I still had a TON to do. I went for a morning run (and survived), got a mani/pedi, went to physical therapy, helped my sister move a few last items, and then it was time for a dinner party with the neighbors. We had a wonderful time at dinner, featuring delicious fish and shrimp tacos and all the fixings (including Bret’s homemade salsa). It was nice to get to know the neighbors that live on our actual block, everyone was so down-to-earth!
Saturday was another busy day – Bert and I volunteered at a local community farm in West Philadelphia with NSBE (and I had to fill in and take photos and attendance), we had to finally pick up our bibs in Fishtown for the Philly 10K, then I had to drop him off and huff it across town to the burbs for my first wedding dress fitting. Again, it was a whirlwind, but everything got done. Thankfully I can still fit into my dress, and it doesn’t look like alterations will be too involved. Jennifer was there with me and we had a really nice meal afterward. After that, I watched several hours of General Hospital before going to bed!
Just a few of us at the BBQ
So…I didn’t mention this race at all did I? I planned to run the Philly 10K, a race that I signed up for months in advance and certainly didn’t anticipate getting injured along the way! Because of my stubbornness, I did not transfer my bib during the permitted window. I was hoping that 6.2 miles wouldn’t set me back in my PF recovery…
As I mentioned before, Bret and I went to the Bib Pickup Party on Saturday afternoon. It was a fantastic day and would have been great to hang out longer if I wasn’t in a rush. The party took place at Philadelphia Brewing Company, and I hadn’t been to that area in years – so much has changed! They had a lot of swag for sale and $5 beers and ciders. We were able to split a cider before rolling out. I saw a couple of my City Fit Girls friends there, and it was so refreshing. I really enjoy the Philly running scene!
On Sunday morning, I woke up at about 6 am. We wanted to get on the road around 6:30 so that there’d be time to find parking near South Street, where the race would start. I grabbed a random granola bar from one of my Strideboxes and added some Vitalyte powder in water to help with hydration. I knew that it’d be a warm, humid day so I tried to take all the precautions. Fortunately, parking was plentiful and I was able to meet up with the City Fit Girls for the annual photo opp just a little after 7 am! Then after saying a few hellos I tried to find Bret – he was in Corral B and I was supposed to be in D, but I knew that I needed to be farther back so that I didn’t tempt myself to run too fast.
I was able to find Bret and wish him luck – did I mention that I’m helping him as he aims to get to a 1:30 half marathon? He’s been a solid 1:40 for a while but we want to get him more comfortable with running a 7-minute pace. I told him that he could use this 10K as a test of his current fitness. Reminder: I am not a certified running coach LOL, but I know a little bit after all these years…haha!
I ended up starting in Corral E with Rachel and Takia, two of the many CFG’s who were taking part in the race. Their only goals were to finish so I thought I would hang with them on the course. I just knew that if my body needed to walk, that I would walk. I wasn’t going for a PR, I just wanted to finish and be pain-free!
The sun was shining brightly and oops, I forgot to charge my Garmin – so that was dead. Thankfully I did have my Afterhshokz Air and my Marathon Playlist ready to go. I pulled up the Strava app, forgetting that it never works when I want it to, and finally, sometime after 7:30, we were off!
The Philly 10K takes you down South Street and there are a few zigs and zags through South Philly before coming back towards Center City to eventually end back on South Street. I’m not sure if this was the same course as 3 years ago because it did feel a lot different, but I was surprised by how quiet it was along the course. Rachel and Takia were chatting along the way which really helped. They were going at a really nice pace and I was surprised that I was feeling so good. Gradually, I started to fall behind them though…Rachel kept checking on me, but I was getting a little winded! A little after 2 miles they slipped away and I knew I wouldn’t see them again.
The weather was SUPER HUMID and I tried to tough it out…if you know me, you know how much I hate the heat and humidity, but I was too grateful to be out there to really complain. They did have a few hydrants open on the course and the first one I saw, I walked through lol. I briefly walked at all the water stops, but it wasn’t until after the 5K mark that I had my first real walking break. It wasn’t very long, but I kept my arms pumping and was relieved that things were going so well! I could tell from the mile markers that the first couple miles were about 10 minutes pace. No wonder I was tired!
Eventually, I settled into a slower, much more tolerable pace. Occasionally I’d see familiar faces but there weren’t as many people watching opportunities as I would have hoped. I was actually pretty bored on the course, though grateful for all of the shade. Once I got to mile 4, I was pretty much ready to be done lol. Between miles 4 and 5 there was a huge cheering section and it helped get me motivated! After the last water stop, I had a really nice walk break before picking up the pace and finishing the last mile and a half as strong as possible! Why is the last mile always the longest? I guess there was that extra 0.2!
My friend Amanda was at the Mile 6 marker and I gave her a high five and tried to pick up the pace to get to the finish. I was able to see Bret as I made my way in. I was SO relieved to cross that line! Then once I finished and looked up my time, I realized the Strava did not sync AT.ALL. So…my final time was 1:07:44 but I have no idea about my splits! Can you tell I’m a little rusty?
At the end of the race they offered cold towels, water, and bananas. Bret helped take care of me as I changed into my OOFOS flip flops. I completely forgot to bring another change of clothes…I was soaked and gross! I got a bracelet for my free beer and we waited in the long line all for a coffee-flavored beer…YUCK. Fortunately, they did have plenty of Shake Shake custard, so this year I was able to get some, plus Bret’s serving! Then we decided to get some brunch in South Philly before going home, showering, and having the greatest 2-hour nap ever!
This recap ended up a lot longer than I anticipated, haha! The Philly 10K is great because of all the people involved, but the course itself leaves much to be desired. The volunteers were fantastic and the party atmosphere was great, but it’ll be a few years before I sign up for this one again. I’m just so glad that I was able to run it and have no foot issues! I ended up with over 22,000 steps that day and thankfully my feet didn’t rebel! But my quads and hamstrings are killing me!
Monday 8/20: Rode the spin bike at the gym at work for about 20 minutes, nothing too strenuous. I went to PT after work and talked to Kim about the pain I’ve been experiencing with the night splints. She recommended wearing them looser and she woudl look into putting something under my heel to help with the discomfort. I did a 5-minute warmup on the exercise bike then did calf stretches, single leg balance on the Bosu (10-second hold, 10 times), clam shells, foot stretches with the elastic band, and foot rolling with the golf ball.
Tuesday 8/21: I slept with both of my heavy night splints, though much looser, and while it felt a little better I still woke up multiple times through the night. Because of the upcoming race, I decided to test things out on the treadmill! I ended up doing about 1.85 miles of walking and running, ranging between 12 and 15-minute pace. I wore my orange Superfeet insoles in my Mizunos and my feet felt really good! Then I had physical therapy in the evening, doing much of the same exercises as Monday, but adding in my least favorite – single leg bridges.
Wednesday 8/22: Didn’t do much, I was so exhausted! Just a few heel drops on the steps. I did sleep with the night splints.
Thursday 8/23: Another light day – I had a busy day at work and the BBQ was in the evening. I didn’t get home until 7:30 or so. Wore the night splints.
Friday 8/24: My first outdoor run since June 8! I had the day off and I had to take advantage of the cool temps and low humidity. I did a 10 minute walking warmup and then gradually got into running mode, around an 11-12 minute pace. I did have a few walk breaks from fatigue, not from foot pain. I ended up out there for 45 minutes and covering 3.4 miles! It was amazing! The foam roller was pretty intense though, lol! Then I had PT with a different therapist, Patrick. He did some work on my feet that had them feeling amazing – the heel pain was gone! Of course, I have no idea how he did it. I finished up the day with some single leg work on the Bosu ball.
Saturday 8/25: Just some calf stretching on the steps – I adjusted my feet so that they were halfway on the step based on Patrick’s recommendation.
Sunday 8/26: Did lots of rolling after the 10K but my quads and IT band were killing me! I think my roller was a little too much after such a long break!
Could I possibly be turning the corner on my PT recovery journey? I can’t say for sure, and I don’t want to get my hopes up, but between the positive physical therapy work on Friday and the pain-free running/walking over this past week, I’m starting to get optimistic that things are getting better! Now, I am not a complete fool, so I will not be ramping up my mileage anytime soon! I plan to stay committed to my physical therapy and “trust the process”. My feet still hurt in the morning, with or without the night splints, so I’m not sure how to sort that out…but I’m really happy with how the past week progressed and I’m giving Week 3 an A!
How was your week of working out? How does your body feel when you start running after a long break?
