Taking A Short Break

Hi runners! Have anyone missed me, yet? I know it’s only been a few days, but I’ve already built up enough running drama to last me for the next several weeks. I’ve been trying to avoid posting and discussing the situation as if by discussing it, I’m legitimizing the whole thing which I’m not yet willing to do, but since I’ve already missed a run and might miss more because of it, I guess it’s about time I faced the music…

A couple of days ago, fresh from having just completed my highest mileage week ever, I was out at the park, planning to attack the ten miler (with seven at tempo pace) I had scheduled for that day. I could tell that something was a little off even as I warmed up with an easy loop around the reservoir (1.5 mile). Although mentally I was feeling good, physically, I was missing the spring in my step that I’ve grown used to at the beginning of my speedwork sessions. I couldn’t really understand why but went ahead with my run anyway, figuring it’d come back to me eventually. Well, it never really did. Goal tempo pace for the seven miles was only 6:30, but I started out super hard, with the first mile at 6:08, thinking I’d “jump start” the system. It didn’t work. I slowed down a bit to a more comfortable and tempo-like pace of 6:25, 6:29 for the next two miles to see whether I could settle down. Nope. I then tried to speed it up again and ran 6:23, 6:22 and 6:27 for the next three miles. But still there was no response from my legs. Although I was keeping a good pace that was well below my goal, I was getting quite frustrated with how much effort I was exerting just to keep my times there. Eventually, on the last mile, I gave up, got frustrated and tried to outrun myself. Although there was no obvious need to, I attacked the last hill hard, ending the tempo run with an 6:11 final mile.

It was during this last half mile dead sprint that I first felt it, a slight pull in the back of the right leg. I didn’t think much of it at first. I ran 2 miles for recovery and promptly forgot about the whole incident. The next day however, from the first steps of an 8 mile slow recovery run, I could feel a shooting pain from my right butt down to my right knee. Although I ran slowly, maintained form and tried not to care as best I could, the tightness became more noticeable and painful as the miles built up. It was especially hard going up and down hills as the elevation changes elicited more and more pain from the right leg. I was still able to finish the run albeit with a slightly altered form and a pace that was not natural, but I knew even before I finished that I’ll be on hiatus for a while.

So late last night, after RICE’ing and still feeling pain, I surrendered myself to the inevitable and added my name to the injury list with the diagnosis of a strained right hamstring a status of day-to-day, and a prognosis that I categorized as “cautiously optimistic (3-5 days)”.

There are no happy words to describe how I’m feeling right now, so I’ll spare you all the ranting. I hope to be back on the road again soon.