Option #1
Posted By Jon on October 5, 2005
When I used to scuba dive, safety was the number 1 concern (that and having the most gear). 
We had a saying “Plan your dive, dive your plan”, meaning to plan how you will do the dive including what to do in emergencies (search that phrase in Google and you’ll see what I mean). At depth, things can change and beyond 100′ your logic can get foggy and you can make bad decisions (I had trouble finding north on a compass on one dive to 125′). So, if you have a plan and stick to it, you won’t need to make as many decisions at depth where your mind is clouded by nitrogen. Make sense?
Well, the first thing in planning is to assess how you feel and how the conditions look. Current much stronger than you thought? Feel seasick or ill otherwise? 
You first option in the plan is: Call the dive. Option #1, don’t dive. When people get into trouble diving, about half the time its because they did not choose option #1. The other half is when they don’t dive their plan.
Tonight, I failed to exercise option #1: Don’t run.
I went to see Karen for my bi-weekly pain treatment. She worked my hips again, and my hangstrings, and then more of my left calf. She said I needed to be stretching 4 times a day to really bring my muscles (esp. the calves) up out of the super tight funk they are in. We talked about how much pain I had been in since Monday. Did I mention that?
Monday came and my shin, heel, leg, felt like they had been slammed by a truck. I ran on Tuesday and I think it was a mistake because those 5 miles really hurt alot, but nothing like tonight.
I was scheduled for 8 miles, but I cut it back to just 3 to just work my leg a bit after my ART, planning to do the 8 tomorrow instead of the 4. Well, those three miles were awful. My heel was great but my shin still hurt. I had this awful shooting pain that went from the inside of my knee, diagonally across my shin to the outside ankle bone. Its the same as that sharp pain you get all through your leg when you hit your knee hard on a cabinet. My leg felt so weak, like my knee was going to buckle any minute.
I made it for the full three but I was in real pain afterwards. I did tons of direct icing on my shin, calf and heel. I stretched good after the run, and then again when I got back home. Right now it hurts when I step on that foot, when I lean forward and put the weight on the forefoot. It hurts all throughout the leg. I knew I was really sore and that my leg was really weak and not doing well. I think running was a very bad plan tonight, and I needed rest more, and now I feel like I made it alot worse.
For ChiRunning, you want to have relaxed lower legs, but those muscles do need to help stabilize, you just don’t want to use them for the power to move forward. I kept thinking about April Anne reminding me in New Haven to have “floppy calves” or a phrase similar to that. Its to remind you to relax your lower legs.
So, why do my calves hurt if I am not using them? Simple, something somewhere else is weak and so the leg needs alot of stability to account for that. And if that weakness is actually on the right side, then the left side will take up some of the slack to adjust, putting extra force on the left, causing it to become exahausted sooner, making more weakness in the power muscles, putting more emphasis on the now unstable left leg and the stabilizing calves…and you see how this avalanches into the calf muscles just becoming overloaded? This all assumes that my form is good, which it really is not these days.
I think I need to exercise option #1 tomorrow. As much as I need to run, I think I am far beyond my limit now and something is going to definately break, if it hasn’t done that already. It sounds like such a big cop-out but I can barely walk at the moment and I don’t see how this is going to get better without rest. So I’m resting.
And I only ate 3 gummy fish from the stress. Haven’t even touched the chocolate. I am a rock.
By the way, that’s me standing on the back deck of that boat in the storm (red drysuit, holding my hat) on Lake Michigan. We cut our dive short when we saw the storm approaching. The guy with the crazy gear is Tony Moffatone who did some very outrageous experimental diving work. He died on that dive.
That’s a chilling tribute. And you’re a smart guy, Jon. You know what you need to do.
And frankly, your not eating the chocolate worries me the most.
:)
That was a moving story about Tony Maffatone, thanks for sharing it with us. I think Option #1 needs to rule at this point, along with the stretching. Take care of yourself man!
oh wow. yeah, that’s not normal. rest. keep us posted. and nice tribute. i had no idea the entry was going to end like that.
Oh Jon. I am sorry. You know I understand. I was reading about this runner who actually didn’t run for three weeks before the marathon and did fine. All the rest actually helped him run. Take care of yourself, as you’ve been telling me. Your story hit home.
Take it easy! You’ve been going full steam ahead for awhile now, so some serious rest days are not going to hurt you– you’ll still be able to run the marathon if you rest, but not if you push it. Remember, it’s about finishing, not breaking records– maybe those come with the second and third marathons!
Oh, Jon…sorry you’re in so much pain. Please, please take care of yourself :-) And I’m impressed with your self-control; I would have been elbow-deep in a giant bag of Reese’s Pieces.
And it was a very moving story.
Option #1 is definitely the right choice at this point. It sounds like the pain is excruciating and more rest is needed. It is never a “cop-out” to take care of yourself. Do what is necessary. I’m sure that all of Tony’s friends and family still wish he had exhibited more self-care on that day.
You’re as ready as your going to get for Detroit at this point – resting your leg and letting it get better is far more important than getting the miles in. You’ll be OK if you take a few days off – I promise! (And, if you’re not? You can blame me.)
You really have to do anything BUT run right now – get away from all of it because it’s just stressing you out. You are as ready as you can be, and it’s GOING to be enough. Being stressed is likely to make you sick or something, so just go and do something fun – the run is the run – you know how to run and you will be JUST fine ;) I promise!
Sorry to hear you are in so much pain. And only 3 gummy fish and no chocolate! Wow, I am impressed. Diving is something I have always wanted to do, but have never gotten around to it.
hi jon. i’ve never written a comment before, but i’ve been reading your blog and really enjoy it. i am about 8 weeks into a new running program (i ran in college, stopped for a couple years, and now i’m trying to start up again). i’ve been having a little bit of trouble with my knees, shins and quads, also. somehow my body doesn’t seem to be able to recover like it did when i was 18. i’m only 26, but there really is a difference even at this age. the one thing i’ve found that really makes a difference is stretching, like karen said. i thought that i just wasn’t stretching enough after my run, but even when i lengthened that time, it didn’t seem to help enough. i’ve just recently started stretching in the morning and at night (in addition to after my run), and for the first time since i started running again, i don’t have any pain in my quads. judging from your blogs, you know a lot more than i do about treating your injuries, but just thought i’d share what has helped me. sorry for the novel…thanks for sharing on your blog; it keeps me inspired!
What the heck kind of air tank is that?
I’m with Susan, sometimes a rest can be better than the actual run. Don’t worry I ate chocolate and gummys last night to make up for your shortage. Ask nice and I might run your miles for you…. :-)
Take the time off, it’s NOT going to hurt your marathon at this point just help it. Guilt over taking time off isn’t an option either!
I know how you feel. The day before my last long run before the taper I came down with a little E-coli condition. Needless to say I couldn’t run for a few days. After the break I was still able to run. My point, your hard work has already been put into your training, trust in it. Do not worry aout “junk miles” or running to put some miles into the log book. Rest, you did your 20 miler, your good to go.
I’ve been option 1′ing a whole lot over the last couple of months. And my ankle is much better for it.
Having been where you are about a week ago, I will chime in that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I have always wanted to scuba dive…now I am re-thinking.
I understand how hard it is to rest up, despite the pain. Hope you are feeling up to speed soon.
Wow, what a post. I’m not sure what you do for a living but you have a ton of knowledge regarding sports medicine. If you’re ever thinking about a second career…. I know since I’ve started running I’ve seriously thought about canning the bean counting and becoming a trainer or a park ranger (except the ranger outfits really suck).
Tony sounds like he was a pretty neat guy. Take care of yourself. Rooting for you.
As far as I’m concerned, you are still in the game! Rest up, and do all that other stuff that you’re so good at – stretching, icing, and eating chocolate!
Last March, I tore all the muscles in my groin. I did it chasing a 12 year old student who was running to lunch. Oops, I should have stopped to stretch. I tried to pretend I wasn’t injured. Then I admitted I was and reseted for a whole week.
Then, I went to the Dr. who suggested crutches since I could no longer walk. He was truly a man filled with compassion and relayed a story of a quarterback who was drafted and then dropped do to a groin injury. He promised 6 months of pain. he was right. I started running after 7 weeks and still haven’t gotten my speed back even though my mileage is up to marathon training.
The Docter’s bottom line, “At least you weren’t hit by a bus.”