I will never run in pain again because...

...pain isn't necessary.  I'm not saying quit, not at all.  And I'm not saying that drugs are the cure-all, but after receiving my very first (and totally almost painless...yes, painLESS) cotisone shot, I will never again run through pain.  Although you shouldn't run through pain anyway, and I certainly don't advise masking the pain only to deal with more problems down the road (which is pretty much what cortisone is doing for me), but I also know what it feels like to prepare for something and be thrown for a curve when you get injured.  Do I not participate?  Do I run through the pain?  Will it get worse?  Maybe it'll be better by then.  Do I really feel pain or am I imagining it?

I have three days until my first half-marathon.  I'm VERY nervous, anxious and excited.  But I'm also in a lot of pain - my right foot is always giving me trouble.  This pain is causing me additional anxiety because I'm sure how it will be during mile 2, mile 6 mile 10, or mile 13.09. Would it get worse?  Would I be a 'DNF' (did not finish, for non-runners).  

I read online certain things that can be done for pre-race injuries, which included typical RICE treatment , foam rollers, massage and some voodoo magic (no, really).  Then I spotted the cortisone shot cure.  I read about it...a lot of people advise against it.  I'm usually one who trudges through pain - I have a pretty high threshold.  But with my nerves the way they are, I know I needed relief, albeit temporarily.

I called my podiatirst and was told his office would be closing at noon today because he was leaving on vacation and wouldn't be back until next week.  GAH!  Then the nurse said he would call me back and thankfully, he was able to take me at 11:45.  

I got into the office and patiently waited for my turn.  Around 12:10, I was called into the examination room and sat on the mechanical chair (not electrical, ha!).  The Dr. came in and we chatted about my pain and my race.  And then I saw The Needle.  The Needle is huge.  It's wayyy bigger than any needle I've ever seen in my life.  And it's also very painful (I have been told).  He wiped my foot with antiseptic and sprayed some topical  numbing agent on my skin.  I turned and gripped the seat...we chatted more.  I felt a little pinch in my skin, but I knew this wasn't The Needle going in.  No, no, no - The Needle is much too big to make that little pinch.  He walked over to get a band-aid.  I'm thinking 'oh man, he's already prepping for the bloody aftermath!'.  He unwraps it and places it on my skin.  

"You're done?" I ask.

"Yep, all set."

PAINLESS.  I almost gave him a hug.  We finished with him giving me some great advice (do your own pace, not your brother's, not the girl in pink and certainly not the guy from Kenya!) and off I was - feeling GREAT.

There's a good lesson here: don't listen to others about what is painful, painless, good, bad, etc.  It's all about YOUR experience of things.  The half-marathon might be awful/long/painful by some people's standards, but it might be incredible by mine.  I need to take a deep breath (woosa) and think about MY experience, not what I've been told.