bumps in the road

it's been a few days since i blogged, maybe because i was trying not to beat myself up, or maybe just cause i was lazy all weekend.

i left off last week on thursday with a sore leg and a day off from running. thursday evening, i rested and did some stretches at home. grey's anatomy was really good btw. friday, i took a complete rest day in prep for a 20 miler on saturday. it was hard to tell how my leg felt until i started running. my plan was to run 8 miles with vicki and her man, bill. then meet kily to run 12 to finish out my 20. it was a perfect plan, but everything else was much less than perfect. first of all, it was muggy and warm still. second, i felt the tightness in my leg upon the first step of running. it wasn't halting stiffness so i kept on going, and we were having a great run. near the end, however, i got that feeling we runners dread the most. dead legs. i honestly feel my dead legs were a result of the pain and stiffness in my right leg. my gait was off, and i know i was compensating big time. kily showed up, we headed out, and i was no better. not even 2 miles into it, i decided to scratch 20 and stop at 12. running became impossible. pain developed in more areas of my leg, and i wasn't willing to risk anything.

kily was great. he talked me through the guilt, frustration, feelings of failure, etc. i'm 8 1/2 weeks out so i made myself understand that i have time. i already have one good 18 miler under my belt. so i left with positive feelings about everything. however, it was difficult to walk the rest of the day. i took it easy, napped, watched football, and ate as light as i could. sunday, i rest some more, stretched, and tested it out on a 4 mile run. i took it SLOW and EASY and then came home for more stretching. it was a bit tender on the run, but seemed to loosen and feel better.

so here i am in week 7. i plan to attempt the 20 miler again on saturday so the days leading up to it will be important. monday, i taught two spin classes where i felt some tightness during certain aspects of the class, mostly tempo work. today i will run. my fingers are crossed, and i am prepared to stretch, stretch, and stretch some more after the run. tomorrow should be a tempo run, but that is currently tbd. let's hope the week continues on as it should. the good news is, we FINALLY have a taste of fall, and i'm encouraged by that. i know that will help my legs to feel lighter and give them a bounce that only cool temps can give!
this pic is from my drive home yesterday morning from teaching. the sunrise was as pure as it could be. no clouds, bright sun, and the promise of good things to come!

run for your life!