So.....I am totally not ready for this half marathon on Sunday. I haven't run a single step in 15 days because I've been trying to nurse my IT Band, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
My entire winter training season has been hell this year. First it was shin splints/stress fractures in both legs, then I was laid out with a massive cold/sinus infection for almost 3 weeks, then my knee was bothering me, my thyroid disease has destroyed my energy level and is causing weight gain and major fatigue, and finally the IT Band injury reared its ugly head about a month ago. I'm really glad I made the decision to downgrade my race from the full marathon to the half marathon--there is absolutely no way I could have finished the full.
I'm still going to do the race on Sunday and hope for the best. The PR I was aiming for is probably not going to be possible, but I'm just gonna have to get over it. There will be plenty of other opportunities to reach those goals in the future.
Once this race is over, I'm really going to focus on just getting myself healthy again. The main factor that needs to be addressed is my thyroid disease because that is what causes most of my problems (weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, depression, hair loss, dry skin, etc etc). I'm going for a blood test this week to see where my levels are at for the first time since going on the new medication three months ago. I'm really interested to see the results and decide if I should stay on it or go back to the synthetic stuff.
As I am working on getting all of that under control, I'm also going to incorporate some strength training and pilates into my workout routine. I know I should have started strength training a long time ago to help prevent running injuries, but I didn't...and now I'm paying the price. Lesson learned!
It's amazing how much time, work and effort actually goes into being a runner if you do it correctly. It's more than just running--there's cross training, strength training, stretching, foam rolling, icing, finding the right running shoes and other gear, keeping your motivation, and then of course the actual running! And it is all totally worth it. Running has taught me to push myself in ways I never would have imagined before I started three years ago. I love it!
Stay tuned for a race recap after the weekend. Until then, happy running :)
~Fluffy Girl~
You can do it! It seems you have had several road blocks along the way. Make your goal for this race to finish...and get as many good race pics as possible of course :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I certainly have had a tough training season! I'm not going to worry about my time at all--I'm just going to enjoy the beautiful oceanfront scenery and have fun. As long as I finish, that's what I set out to do. Thanks for the encouragement! And check back next week for those awesome race pics you mentioned :)
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