pre-race prep

My second set of xrays for the potential stress fracture in my left shin were clear. YAY! But, I still have swelling. BOO! In order to completely rule out a stress fracture, the sports med doc sent me for an MRI on Tuesday. I expect clearance to run (that is, no stress fracture found) at my final follow up this afternoon.

This is a rather weird, unfamiliar place to be. I know I haven't run (or really worked out in any significant way) in over two and a half weeks and in that time I completely overhauled my diet. Not my typical pre-race behavior because until this week I didn't think there would be a race. Now I have been forced into all the taper time prep – including the mental stuff – in just four days!

I'm reading all the race reports I can find and browsing through course photos to get amped up. I'm not even nervous yet… that's a bit troubling. Maybe I'll feel better when the anxiety kicks in, hmmmm….

I also had to rewrite my race nutrition strategy. I ate a little off plan yesterday; I had some grains and processed food. I thought I was going to fall asleep during the meeting that followed that little snack. I'm not usually tired like that. So now my tried and true foods might not be the best choice but my rewritten food plan is untested in running. What to do?

Well, as I am a scientist at heart, I'm going to err on the side of meaningful experimentation of course! I've replaced my go to race foods with Paleo equivalents and left a few off plan but "cleaner" choice treats in there. In place of GU, I'll be taking in bananas (tested and OK) and sweet potatoes (not yet tested…). In place of energy bars, I will substitute Larabars. Cashew butter will take the place of peanut butter, fruit juice sweetened organic gummy snacks instead of gummy bears, and anything-other-than-potato veggie chips will replace the Lays. I found some really good cane sugar sweetened ginger ale instead of the Canada Dry I had at my last 50 km when my stomach started to complain. And I'm going to run with coconut water in my handheld bottle for the first time (Camelbak still filled with water for main hydration).

What's the worst that could happen? My choices are risk running with foods that I have been eating in quantity for two weeks but are untested during exertion or risk running with foods that I used to rely on quite a bit but will likely be more difficult to digest now. I'm not even sure my leg is going to hold up, because if it's not a stress fracture then no one really knows what is wrong with it!

I've been able to handle new foods just fine on the run and I'm hoping Saturday will not be the first time my strong stomach fails me.