Misery is so close, it stands in the corner like a silent unwelcome guest, waiting for just the right moment to envelop me. But I do not let it, instead I cling to a very slim but painful hope.

Race day is just two days away and I am ready. I started training for my first 5k the week before Christmas (about 16 weeks ago). I’ve logged more than 60 miles running in preparation for this race, I ran in snow, in rain and yes even dark of night to build up my strength and endurance to RUN this race.

Race day is just two days away.

I recruited friends and co-workers to run with me, paid my fees and trained some more. I ran through an injury to my calf, ran at home, ran on business trips, and ran through the Vegas desert. I was ready to RUN this race.

Race day is just two days away.

Last Saturday, I had a great 3.5 mile run in a local park. And on Monday I was doing 1/4 Mile speed work … things were humming.

Then on Monday night, I started to feel a familiar tightening around my ankle … Gout. No problem, I said, I have medicine for that. Couple of pills and it will be gone in no time. But it wasn’t. By Tuesday it had locked it’s painful grip around my ankle and reduced my walking to peg-leg pace. I keep taking my medicine and supplements and it gets no better.

I limped through Wednesday and Thursday drinking more water than should be consumable. But no improvement. Finally, go to the doc’s today and he acutely reconfirms, “You have gout!” and prescribes a new medicine. Probably too late for this race.

Race day is two days away and I probably won’t be able to be there. All the work, all the miles but no payoff.

My painful hope is that it will loosen it’s searing grip enough for me to walk on Race day, because I am a mere foot away from the goal line.

I also take solace in the fact that there are 5k races almost every weekend in Raleigh and I will find one three or four weeks from now and will crush it!

I am not discouraged, the finish line has simply been moved and I will work through this challenge as well, after all if it were easy everyone would do it.  Ironically, the only shoe the doesn’t cause my left foot to scream in pain are the shoes I’ve used only to train for this race.

C25K Exercise