Um...Ok.

So, I have been patiently and religiously following the training workouts that I have been receiving ever since I signed up for the "My First Marathon Training Program" via the Venice Marathon. I read the introductory letter and believed that I understood it and accepted what they had to say. However, being a religious reader of Runner's World Magazine (for at least 4 years now) and building most of my philosophy on running and training by what they have been teaching me, I find it a bit hard to fully accept these new means of training for a marathon, especially since I have not run one before. Let me explain. A while back, I'm sure those of you who have been reading this blog will remember the frog like shoes, I purchased my very own Vibram Sprints. I was extremely excited to start wearing them and running in them and getting weird looks from innocent civilians and I guess I jumped into the whole running with them too quickly. Once my feet started to hurt I stopped running with the Vibrams but continued running, of course, my feet didn't hurt in my running shoes. Then my foot started to hurt all the time. I automatically went to see the sports medicine doctor in Jerusalem since I don't have the time or the peace of mind for an injury that will take long time to heal and I was envisioning the worst case scenario, stress fracture. Thank god I went to the doctor and he told me that I was ok to run the marathon and that there is nothing to worry about, I just don't have perfect feet like Zola Budd and I shouldn't be running barefoot. He gave me a little pod to put on my insole and told me to cross train for a week and then get back to my training. Phew, thats over, but my foot still hurts...And I am a little skeptical about the diagnosis but I am trying to accept that he was right and its not a big deal. In the meantime, I contacted the trainer from the Marathon and told her about the minor setback and proceeded to ask her about long runs. She told me not to worry about the week lost in training since my cross training has been pretty close to the runs that were scheduled and its just a week. The part about the long runs, which have been embedded in my mind as essential to being ready for a long distance race like the marathon, she wrote:
"My method does not use the long-slow running method. What we've been working on doing is building up your body so that your muscles are stronger and more elastic. In the following weeks we're adding intervals and a little longer distance, but the furthest you will run is on the 10th of October where I'll give you a two and a half hour workout. That said, in the ten years we've done this program, everybody that toed the line made it to the finish. With great times even."
I am usually not this skeptical but as a true Koenigson and true to being my Father's daughter, I go with my gut and my gut is telling me that something about this whole story is a little off. Maybe its just my nerves talking and telling me that I am crazy for contemplating a full marathon. Truth be told, I have improved my speed, I ran a kilometer in 5:12 minutes (11.5km/h!) at the end of a hard workout last week, even with my foot hurting. I am trying to keep an open mind and trust those who are leading me, hopefully, to the finish line.
I ran yesterday for the first time in a week, its slow going, still a little sore in the foot but much better. Some more acupuncture in the palm of my hand and I am hoping that my foot will be all cured. (No, that was not a joke, and yes, it hurts like a bitch.)

In the spirit of the new year, חג שמח ושנה טובה!

Peace.