my hips dont lie...

Yesterday I ran my first 12 in a while.

It was at a nice and easy pace, keeping it under 9:00/mile.

I did my run at the park around 3pm..and no Im not crazy. It was actually beautifully cool with a breeze strong enough to blow my 10 lb. hair around. I had originally decided to run at Tempe Town Lake for a structured 12 miles, but time and laziness got a hold of me and I decided to just run at the park, with security and safety leaving me stress and shank free.

Now, I have run long at the park before, one long loop around the park equals 1.5 miles. So I was going to have to run the park 8 times. 8 sometimes repetitive, boring, times, but hey, safety and security was the tradeoff so I had no complaints.

My run began nice and easy, feeling no pain and excited to do the damn thang.!@!

I had to slow my ass down and be conscious of my pace. I knew I wanted to run 12 miles in at least 1:50. This time I chose to run in under 9 minute miles to give me a chance to see if the desired 2 hour time for 13.1 was in my grasp.

The run was actually going pretty fast, as long runs usually do, and I lost track of time...except when my hip went bad.

At about mile 4.5, I felt a pulling in my left hip. I guess I had been feeling it for a bit, but it was at that point where I actually wondered if I would be able to finish the run. It freaking hurt! I ran through it...pushing on because I really wanted to get my 12 miles in, without any necessary stopping. I know, hip pain constitutes a necessary stop, but I was in the zone!

I have been feeling this pain in my hip for the last couple of runs, usually I just try to stretch it out. It lasts usually until my next run, where it begins all over again. It sometimes caused me to limp a little in the beginning of the day, but wore off as the day went on.

But yesterday, like a dumbass, I pushed through and after a while, the pain lessened and I was able to finish my run.

Weird huh? I think in my mind I was pushing the pain away until it was a slight blimp on my body map. I carried on with a relatively average pace around 8:40.

Mile 11.5 had me stopping for some gulped down gatorade stashed in my ride, but I decided to forgo the GU, I just didnt see the point with only 1.5 miles left to go. I know that I should have actuall GU'ed it up at mile 8 or so, but I was truly in the zone and I didn't want to stop and mess up my flow.

Mile 1.5, after the stopage, was truly a formidable force.

I could actually feel the gatorade sloshing, my legs wobble (due to lack of fuel - yea I know), and my sweat leave tracks down my salt stained face.

1.5 had me running it in hard..even with dried out contacts caused by the gusty winds.

I finished it in with a time of 1:44:15. 5 minutes 45 seconds under my hoped for time!

Today, however, it is hard to walk. I still feel this pain in my left hip, I believe I pulled something and yesterday, I overexerted my poor pulled hip.

I decided, with a long sigh, that I would not do my planned 5 mile run today.

I hope this does not sideline me.

I won't let it. After my usual rest/kickbox class Monday, I will be running again on Tuesday.

Hopefully my hip will be ok.

I guess my promise to listen to my body didn't apply yesterday.

Sigh..

Mileage:

Mon: Rest
Tues: 5.81 in 48:20. 8:19 min./miles. (6 AM)
4.27 in 35:01. 8:11 min/miles. (7:30 PM)
Weds: 5.02 in 40:47. 8:07 min/miles.
Thurs: Rest
Fri: 7.34 in 1:00:41. 8:16 min/miles.
Sat: 12.01 in 1:44:15. 8:40 min/miles.

Total Mileage: 34.45