It will be a week tomorrow since my last run. A visit to the doctor a few weeks ago determined that it wasn't my bone that was the problem in my left leg, but the muscle. Either the soleus or gastrocnemius, he couldn't be certain. He advised I massage and ice it and take it easy. Well, to a type-A runner, that means push it hard and deal with the consequences later. So I took to the mountains for a very hilly 10 miles, followed by an 18 miler a couple days later. And I suffered the consequences.

I wasn't even able to put weight on it until yesterday. It feels like a sharp stabbing pain every time I take a step, and for a moment I feared I had compartment syndrome. This week I've finally accepted defeat and stuck to some low-impact Crossfit routines. I've also been focusing more on my strength training. Since I came home from the Atacama last year I think I've put on at least 3 pounds of muscle. My biggest gains have been in my core and back. I'll alternate a lifting routine that a bodybuilder might use (low reps, high weight) with one that's more typical of a runner (low weight, high reps). I started deadlifting at least once a week, pushing max weight at least once a month, and the  muscles in my back have grown considerably. I've also built up my abdominals, which unfortunately causes them to stick out. I say unforunately because it's not something that a woman wants to have happen, but I will say that given all the lifting my form stays strong even in the late stages of a race. With all the pack weight and the hills in a 4Deserts event, a strong core will be essential.

So, that's all I have to report for now. No running, lots of lifting. I have a 50K coming up in 2 short weeks that I think I might have to bow out of. It would pain me to have to do that, given that it's my favorite race here in the States (I'm speaking of the North Face Endurance Challenge in Washington, DC), but I think I'd better rest up for the Gobi. Given that I haven't been able to build up my endurance to where I want it to be, I think that my Gobi experience will be mostly walking. Certainly frustrating, but the inability to be competitive is small matters compared to all of the other things a 4Deserts event has to offer.

I'm joining the Gobi March blogosphere a little later than I would have liked. Between finishing up graduate school and training there's been time for little else.

Training has been so-so. I blame it partly on the long difficult winter we've had in the northeastern US, though my health has been the bigger culprit. Ever since returning from the Atacama last year I've spent more time injured than healthy. In July I partially tore my LCL in my left leg, and I've had problems with shin splints, an inflamed IT band and hip pain. The wear and tear on my hips and back from the year I spent in Iraq place limits on what I can do training-wise, so at this point I feel less than prepared for the Gobi.

I was scheduled to complete a marathon this February, but some hip problems led me to settle for the half marathon instead. At present I'm nursing a pretty bad shin splint (fingers crossed it's not a minor stress fracture) so I've been sticking to flat, soft trails, which is frustrating given that I love hill running. I have a 50K scheduled for the first weekend in June in Washington, DC, and I'm hoping that race will give me a better idea of where I stand.  

Physical unpreparedness aside, I'm extremely excited to be running in my second 4Deserts race. Last year's Atacama Crossing was an absolutely amazing experience. The scenery was out of this world and I met some really wonderful people, a few of whom will be returning to the Gobi this year, so it will be great to see them again. 

Having made many mistakes in the Atacama, I'm going into this year's race with a different strategy. First of these is buying a larger size shoe. Last year I only bought a half size larger, and while this cut down significantly on the number of blisters I had, by the 3rd day my feet had outswelled my shoes, prompting me to cut holes in them so my toes weren't squished inside the footbed. Very, very painful to say the least. I also made many fueling mistakes. Even though I ended up walking most of the time, my use of bars and energy gels which were laden with sugar gave me GI upset. This year I'm using all Hammer Nutrition products, which I'm confident will fuel me better than the brands I used last year. Lastly, I went into last year's race with hip problems, something that I can't really avoid, as my left hip sits higher than my right. I limped into camp on the 3rd day with an incredibly inflamed IT band, something which probably could have been avoided with a little preventative stretching (thank you to Melissa, who dug her elbow into it for awhile and made it good as new!). This year I'm taking along The Stick so I can deal with sore areas before they progress into something worse. And if you're headed to the Gobi with me, feel free to borrow it! It'll be well worth the extra weight to have that massage action after each day. 

I'll update in a few weeks, when hopefully I will have settled on a charity. Feel free to drop me a line if you're headed to the Gobi this year!