While my hip feels somewhat better, I am not back in racing form. I’ve been working out, but not getting very far very fast. This past week, I went on three runs. A 2.5-mile run that I finished with some walking, a 3.5-mile run where I got 2.7 miles before packing it in and a 3.2-mile run where I made it only 1.5 miles. Race distance on Sunday is 3.5 miles.
With my hip screwed up, I hadn’t been running for almost a month. And it’s going to take me longer than two weeks to get back in racing form I’m realizing now. Add to that it’s been 100 degrees here, which kind of limits training, for me at least. My run yesterday, the 1.5-mile run, was cut short mostly because of the heat– 85 degrees at 8:00 am. I know hard-core runners don’t let the heat stop them, but just getting back to it, yesterday was really tough.
I made a decision yesterday after that run that was really tough for me. When I commit to something, I like to see it through. But in this case, I’m going to forfeit my race on Sunday. I’m not ready and I don’t want to end up hurting myself again.
Could I finish? Maybe. It’s not crazy-long. Or I could just do the swim and the bike, but that’s not me. I’ve been stressing about this race for weeks now because of my hip and because I was looking forward to it. I’d been training as much as I could, lots of swimming, lots of power hill walking, but limited running and very little biking. When I think about not doing this race, I feel less stressed out, which is a relief.
So I’m throwing in the towel for now. I’m going to continue training and I’ll look for another race in the fall. I want to ease back in so I can rebuild my stamina the right way and prevent any more injuries.
I will most likely go to this race anyway to cheer on my triathlete brother who was kind enough to lend me a wetsuit (even though the air is brutally hot, the water is still on the cold side in New York). Who knows? Maybe I’ll still change my mind (one of the perks of being a girl), but for now, I’m looking forward to getting back to my shorter runs as soon as this miserable weather breaks and building up my fitness levels again the right way.
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Hey,
you’re disappointed yes, but you know this is not like baseball where you just count the W’s. It DOES matter how you get to the end and being fit means not taking dumb chances with your body. The process is the important thing with the end goal in sight of course. Be proud of all the effort….feel better
I admire this post so much. I am struggling with my running also due to a knee injury. I crashed my bike about 6 weeks ago, flipping over my bike and landing on my left knee on the concrete. I thought it would go away in time but I am still having trouble with it and when I bend it hard my knee burns. My doctor friend tells me that burning is usually a sign of nerve damage so I resolved finally to go to the doctor and set up that appointment to get it checked out. My first full marathon is in about 94 days. I am struggling even now and trying to deal with the thought of training for this marathon when I am not at 100%. It is hard enough even without an injury! When I think of throwing in the towel I feel like everyone will see me as a failure. Yet when I read your post, I was thinking “Wow, she is smart to know when to stop” – so I need to get my mind in that area just as you have. Thank you for sharing this.
I think it is a good bet to throw in the towel. If you push it, you might not race all year. Get the hip better. And take it from me…you know, the girl who didn’t take her own advice, pushed it and then didn’t run for 10 weeks!
I think you’ve made a smart decision by not racing on Sunday.
It’s hot here too and I can’t run in it either. I try to go early in the morning before it gets too hot. I’m not a hot weather runner and it’s hard for me. For that reason I look forward to September when Autumn is waiting around the corner
Take it easy on your hip. Don’t overdo it.
Thank you all for all of your support. You’ve helped me feel better about my decision. I will be looking for my next race soon.