I made the decision to stop running. For now. Since I ran the 71k in December, I have had trouble with my left foot. It gets sore after about 10k of running. It is sore at the top and I thought initially that I just have some extensor tendonitis. I fiddled with my lacing techniques for a month. I kept on running. I ran some great times even.

But there was pain.

I think that I may have a stress fracture in my upper big toe (Metatarsal.) I may go to a doctor to try to confirm it. The problem is that there are not many doctors around here that know much about running. If I tell a doctor that my foot starts hurting after 10k of running then they will probably laugh at me. Most people will not run 10k and if they should one day decide to do it, I can imagine that they will have all kinds of pains in many different places.

But I know myself by now.

So here is plan B. I am planning to keep on running with the new group we just started in our company to take people from zero to five kilometers in 3 months. If you are around Mohali or Chandigarh, come and join us. This involves only a bit of running on a forgiving surface which should not make a difference. I hope. Then I will cycle and play squash with my daughter.

There is now serious doubt if I will run the Daily World full marathon in April. But I think I would rather be able to run for many more years than put myself now permanently out of action by stubbornly continuing to run.

Pray for me.

Keep running…

unless you have any broken bones

Stephan

P.S. There is an update to this story in the comments. It seems I may not have to stop after all. And it is not a stress fracture.

 

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Taken during yesterday’s long run – maybe the last in a while