What I learned from a 16 year old girl

I went out Monday for 4 miles in my Vibrams.  I've been running in them once a week, low mileage, to help strengthen my ankles and knees and the supporting muscles therein.  I've had no problems in them at all, but I've been adding time in them gradually.  Monday was different.  I was only a mile and half into the run (a 4 miler) when I started feeling a hotspot on the ball of my right foot.  I knew what was coming so I headed back, but by the time I got home I still had developed a half-dollar sized blister.  I was really fretting about it because it hurt to just walk in my dress shoes at work all day.  How was I going to keep training with this thing on my foot?  I was thinking about the 16 miles I have coming up this weekend and the thought of 16 miles on blistered foot doesn't sound like any fun at all.

Then I was watching the Olympics this week.  I don't remember her name, but one of our gymnasts has a broken toe.  She is still competing, and has it all taped up.  When the reporters asked her about it, she said "It's only a toe."  I've broken a toe before.  I could not have done what she's been doing with a broken toe, but I figured that she's been training long enough that she can tune out the pain.

So I thought about that in relation to this blister.  Yes, it hurt.  Yes, it's in an inconvenient spot on my foot.  But I have been running more these last two months than I have in my life.  Last week was my biggest mileage week ever at 29, and will be eclipsed by a 32 mile week this week.  Surely my body can handle a little blister.

I shifted my 8 mile run from Tuesday to Wednesday to give the blister some time to settle down.  By Tuesday morning the fluid had gone from it.  It no longer hurt when I walked.  Tuesday night I had all but forgotten about it.  I ran my 8 miles Wednesday and it didn't bother me in the least.  4 more miles at race pace Thursday, no problems.  Today the skin covering the blister has dried out more and is not sensitive at all, and I am actually looking forward to my 16 miles tomorrow.

Lessons?  Pain is temporary and your body is capable of recovering from things quickly.  Don't make too much of little things.  Trust that your training has your body ready for what you need it to do, and most importantly, it's ok to adjust 'the plan' to accommodate the unexpected.  And next time I run in the vibrams I am bringing my travel size body glide.