Back on the road

After five long months of no running, I'm finally back at it. I've been doing 3-mile walk/runs. I'm up to about 16 minutes of running time. My left foot feels fine. No pain. My whole left side is noticeably weaker than my right, though. I'm also having the same issue with my right hamstring/hip that I had three-quarters of the way through my first marathon training cycle. My PT showed me some good stretches that target the issue, for lack of a better word(s). At this point, my only goal is to get stronger.

I hope that the last bump in this long road will be the removal of the implant in my left foot. My doctor wants to remove it within the next three months. The typical removal time is between 6 and 9 months post-op. I'm just over 5 months post-op. In terms of the ligament's strength, it's about 70%; running will help improve its strength. By the 6-month mark, it should be about 100%, allowing for the removal of the implant. For those of you who don't know (or don't remember), the implant's purpose is to protect the ligament repair. Thus, it's temporary. The removal of the implant will require 3 weeks of inactivity (no running or cycling, etc.) to allow for healing.

I've expressed to my doctor my desire to continue running marathons, and he's assured me that I can do so. His goal is to help me get to where I want to be. I'm trying to come to terms with my running limitations (even though my belief is that we're only limited by a lack of willpower). I know that I'm best suited for middle-distance running, but I'd rather it be long-distance running. I recently read: SOMETIMES OUR FAVORITE DISTANCES AREN'T THE BEST. I'm more obsessed with distance than speed, but I have a love both. There must be a balance.

I'm anxious to see where the next few months take me.