Thursday September 25, 2008

Well, unfortunately it’s come to this.

I’ve been knocking it around for the past few weeks and I’ve finally decided to pull out of this year’s marathon.

This has been the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a long time.

The neuroma has become too much for me to handle and I’m going to seek medical help.

I’ve made an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon to figure out the best way to tackle this thing.  And whether it’s an orthotic, or surgery, I will do whatever it takes to make it better. 

Realizing I won’t be able to participate in this year’s event kills me. All the hard work that everyone has put into making it possible for me to be part of this, I feel as if I’m just throwing it out the window.

But please understand it has never been in my character to leave something I’ve started, unfinished.

I’ve been running with this neuroma since 2000 and in 2003, during my training for my first NYC Marathon I began to get concerned and saw a podiatrist. I was so far into my training, that surgery, nor orthotics was an option, so I ran through it. In 2007 during my training I was in quite a bit of pain so I thought I would try a cortisone shot. I will NEVER do that again and I highly recommend any one who is considering a cortisone shot for a fix to reconsider. It’s painful and makes the injected area so tender that it was difficult to even walk on it the day after.

I have to listen to my body and stop trying to run through the pain and I refuse to train to finish with a slower time than last year.

Isn’t the whole idea behind training to get better?

So my plan is to see the surgeon on Tuesday the 30th, find out what his diagnosis is and get on track to getting better so I can run the marathon in 2009 and do the best I’ve ever done.

I may be down but I’m not out.

I will continue to blog throughout this period and hopefully, be able to help out in the up coming races but it’s time. I’m tired of running in pain.

Thank you everyone for your countless hours of work and all the heart felt support. I will miss the excitement, the anticipation, the boroughs, and the bridges but mostly the friends and faces that make me want to be a better runner and ultimately a better person.

Say “Hello” to the park for me,

Deano