A tentative 8 miler

Over the past few days I've been doing some fairly extensive stretching/icing of my foot to try and alleviate  whatever is going on.  I don't know if this has taken off in NZ but on a daily basis (and depending on what you subscribe to) a bunch of "discount" offers land in my inbox.  A few weeks back I got one for a spa......basically offering an $80 treatment for $39 - pretty good!  So took it up and ended up doing THE most intense massage session I've ever had!!!!! OMG it was totally amazing in that it really got to some of the heart of the pain points I have as a result of running so much, it also made me increasingly optimistic that I don't have a stress fracture.  Massage done and 4 days of no running I tentatively headed out for my 8 miler.  What a relief.  By no means 100% it seems the stretching/massage has had a significant impact.  Running has become such a huge part of my world I can't explain the sense of relief I felt to be out there and having more confidence that this injury may not be the end of the Milan Marathon after all.  Still have my appointment with the podiatrist tomorrow - see what insights he may have.......in the space of 4 weeks I've shifted my world to having a GP, acupuncturist (yes, I still think prevention is better than cure and I am a total believer that this really helps my circulation and to deal with niggly things before they become big things), masseuse (not the one from Saturday but a little closer to home) and podiatrist.  I'm also toying with the idea of getting a nutritionist to help me with the 50 miler prep.  What a strange and unexpected world I have created for myself.......