HOW MUCH PAIN CAN ONE TAKE?

A goal, a coach, and 5 month plan...simple right? Not so.
It all started Dec. 2006, why not try to run a 1/2 marathon. You always have to have a goal, it keeps you moving. Biking wasn't quite cutting it, don't get me wrong, I love to bike, but the racing scene, I will leave to Pete.
I told my friend Denise of this goal and wow was she amazing! In her own free time put together a plan and I mean, spreadsheet and all and started me on a log to keep track of my progress.
Started off great with Denise and I running shore drive in Dec, no snow, clear roads and I was on my way to running a 1/2 on May 26th. Comes to find out we started me out a little to hard, calfs cramped like you wouln't believe. Rested up, stretched, and iced and I was back on the road.
January, feeling ok, doing a little treadmill work, found a new running partner, Denise had to go to France for 2 months, but she left me in good hands with Martha.Martha was always willing to run anywhere anytime, and we had great fun. We ran NCMC track. Comes to find out, even with snow on the road and temps cooling off, the road is the place to run. Getting my miles in, but still not very long runs, I have plently of time.
Feb. comes and so does the injuries! Granted, every time I run, some little twing is there, but my coach said, you know when your in pain and you know when you can shake it off. Well, for two months I am shaking it off, but I think I was in pain and after an amazing 4 mile run with Martha, with a sprint finish at the end, I drove home and got out of my car and low and behold, a sharp piercing pain in my left kneecap. So, next day what do you do, you of course run! Shake it off, get through it, it will go away, feel the pain!YEAH!!!
Nope, put me right down, couldn't shake it off, called in the doctor for a script for PT. Comes to find out, I have what every runner gets, my IT band got misplaced and my patella, knee cap, moved to the wrong position-to the side of my knee. So a little hamstring work out with the most amazing PT gal, Shelly from Orthosport,"she also called me in her free time the night before the race with great tips" she got me running again and gave me few extra exercises for the wedding coming up!
So, on track again, March to April-ran a 5 miler on shore drive, in shortsleeves no less, and my foot started going numb on my left side and after the run, couldn't weight bear on my right hip.....what the $^**% is going on? Why can't I exercise without hurting, at least I am not sitting on my bumm watching tevo and eating McyD's.
I am in so much pain every time I run and the whole foot going numb thing, what the hell!
So, back to the doctor's, othodics guy, tells me my foot is blah blah and my ankles can't flex and he is surprised I haven't broken my ankle and if I kept running, that soon would happen. WHAT? Now I am going to break an ankle from exercising... Come on, throw me a bone.
So, what do I do? I drink myself silly and wallow in self pity and eat all sorts of shit that I can't say because Pete is going to read this. I mean, I woke with hangovers and then had to drink the next night because I knew I couldn't run.
I was makiing it worse and I came out of it somehow and to end this long ass post, I e-mailed Bayshore organizers and said my goal is not going to happen and I had to regretably be part of the 10Kers. Man, was that ever humbling.
In the end I ran the 6.2 miles and comes to find out, I was awesome! I ran it in 1:14:39. 12 minute miles, not bad.
But the best part about this post....found out, I really love to bike...
Ride on fellow riders....
Sarah