Thursday after work we had a soccer game but I hadn't ran much all week so I decided to hit the gym for a 4 miler. It was still nice out...breezy, sun was still up and there wasn't a great deal of humidity. Perfect condition for a run considering the weather we had just the day before.
I had Mr. G (my Garmin, named by my Sweet Annabelle) ready to go, iPod was playing my favorite running tunes and I was sporting my half marathon outfit. The best part was that my attitude was great. I knew I was going to have a fantastic run.
.17 miles in and something in my left leg burned. Bad.
I looked down at Mr. G to see that I was at a sub 10 min/mile so I slowed a bit but kept going. The pain worsened as I went up the hill before me, but going down and onto the flat trail it wasn't as bad.
I decided at that point to go as far as I could and would stop IF the pain got worse but as long as it wasn't worse I would run to 2 miles before heading back.
I dodged lots of mud puddles and duck poop along the trail but every time I looked down at Mr. G to see where I was I saw a sub 10 min/mile pace and just could not bring myself to stop or even slow down despite the nagging pain in my left hamstring.
I kept going. At mile 2 I was just over 20 minutes. I stopped, sent a text to my hubby that I was injured (I knew I was at that point) but told him I was going to keep going even though he offered to come get me. What was I going to do? Sit there for 20 minutes and wait for him to hold my hand as I waddled out? NO, I was going to make it back. I stopped Mr. G for about a minute to walk out a little ways and tried to stretch but when I attempted to put my leg out in front of me to stretch the burning sensation was worse! I cried. But I knew I had to make it back to my car.
I turned around, hit start on Mr. G and made my legs go. I screamed in pain as I came over the first tiny little hill. Why is it the hills hurt so bad even as small as they were? About a half mile later I looked back down at Mr. G to see that I was running at 9:18. Really!?! I said to myself and tried to slow down but something about slowing my pace seemed to be harder on my leg. So since my lungs were good with the sub 10 min pace I just kept going.
I looked down at Mr. G to see where I was 5k in just over 30 minutes. I couldn't believe my eyes or Mr. G because I knew the pain was too bad to produce the numbers. But I was wrong. Mr. G was right.
I finished 4 miles, with a pulled (and bad) hamstring in 39:28. I probably would've been jealous of myself if I hadn't been in so much pain. Does that even make sense?! Lol
The good news of the run is that I had such a great run.
But...
Because I kept going when I should have just turned around and called it a day I have now spent the last 2 days resting (unplanned) and icing my poor hamstring. I had to cancel a 6 mile run I had planned today with my running buddy (Terri) and this bummed me so much because I haven't ran with her in such a long time AND I dropped my hubby off to head for his run. Depression.
The moral of the story (which I have learned the hard way) is to stop, turn around, go back at the first sign of such injuries. It could be SO much worse and I am glad it isn't.
And another funny-
I was telling my hubby last night as we drove by the trail the point where I felt the pull happen. He looked at me and asked why on earth I kept going 4 miles when it had just happened. I told him I was just proud for being so tough. I figured he would be proud to have a tough wife, but apparently I was only being ignorant and igorance and toughness are TWO different things.
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