Sara Wittmeyer’s Blog

I’m really finished with my training, and I’m about to go nuts.  I’ve been warned over and over again to obey the taper and to resist the urge to squeeze in just one more long run. It is a daily struggle not to go for a long run.  I recently did an interview for KBIA and a marathoner told me something that makes so much sense now… he said, when you start training it’s awful and you dread it, and you don’t want to run. Then at the end when you’re forced to taper all you want to do is run.  So true!  I remember when I first started, I looked at the end of the week and my long run was eight miles. I resented Hal Higdon! I thought to myself, if I felt like doing eight I would, otherwise maybe I’d do five or six. In the end Hal always wins, and I’m proud to report Hal is winning now in my battle to resist long runs.

I did my last 20 miler (actually 21 miles) two weeks ago, and it was awesome! I felt so good.  At mile 18 I ate about three energy chews and that really helped me float through the rest of my miles.  At the end, I was in a complete state of euphoria;  it made me realize I have no idea what crossing the finish line in Miami is going to be like!

Saturday I did my last double digit run – 13 miles. I forgot to apply my chafing powder, and yikes – I am still paying for it. I recommend Body Glide if you are looking for a good product.  I prefer the stick kind to the cream.  The problem is with all the chafing products I’ve tried, they only work for a couple hours.  After that, you need to reapply if possible.

Today is a cross training day.  I’ll likely try the pool for a bit because I’m very nervous about hurting, stressing, or pulling anything this late in the game. Only eight more (baby) runs until the big day!

Suffering through an injury, even if it’s not severe enough to sideline you can be extremely frustrating because you know its preventing you from running at your full potential. My latest thing is blisters. My big toes have blisters on the sides that rub against my shoes. My other toes have blisters on the tips and in between.

I’ve tried Vaseline, blister patches, band-aids, double socks, new shoes, larger shoes, and finally, I think I’ve realized the problem. A couple weeks ago, the blisters were causing me so much grief that I went to the shoe store in town and asked for advice. The folks at Tryathletics are very knowledgeable and seemed to think a larger shoe would fix my problem.

I did a 12 mile run that day and the blisters were worse than ever. The run however, gave a me a lot of time to think about the problem and what could be causing it. All of the sudden it was obvious – I’ve been wearing gym shoes with inserts and a carbon plate since breaking my foot. All of this extra stuff in my shoe is not allowing enough room for my foot. It’s tight in every area except in the front basket. This is allowing my toes to move around creating friction and blisters.

The thing is, I think it’s ultimately just something I’m going to deal with… at least until the marathon is over. After the marathon, I plan to visit my doctor and discuss options – including removing the pin.

In the meantime, I‘m going to soak my feet, do a couple home surgeries, and pray I don‘t lose anymore toenails. I have a feeling one of my goals this summer will be how to hide my unsightly feet from critical eyes and those with weak stomachs.