Penny

Full recap HERE

Gun time: 1:30:24 for 13.1 miles at 6:54 pace

Garmin time: 1:30:23 for 13.32 miles at 6:47 pace.

Splits: 6:57, 6:37, 6:59, 6:51, 6:52, 7:00, 6:46, 6:53, 6:47, 6:47, 6:36, 6:40, 6:39 and 6:18 for the last 0.32.

Weather was perfect, nutrition was great and I felt good the whole way (ok, except the home stretch which I was running at 5K pace!). I just sucked at running the tangents and they cost me at least a minute or two! Although running the tangents is part of racing, Im secretly claiming this as an unofficial sub130 for myself haha!

But the biggest success of the day was pacing. I was aiming for a comfortable first half, holding pace til mile 10, then pushing it the last three miles, which I did. I have never negative split like that ever. So massive win there. All in all, a great day. I love this race!

ETA: Its just over 1 year since I ran my first half marathon; both race, and the first time I'd ever run that far. Ive come a long way in a year.

I suspected yesterday, but today is confirmed; I pulled/strained something in my hip flexor yesterday. Cant step up with my left leg. Its not really a surprise; my hip flexors have been super tight (even with stretching and rolling, though probably not enough) from sitting at a desk all day. Hopefully wont keep me out of the game too long. It feels like it might be more than a couple of days though :(

Hip flexor a teensey bit better. Still cant walk up stairs with it. Focusing on rolling it out (it is so so tight) and stretching my IT Band, hips, and glutes.

So frustrating, as I barely feel like I even raced on Sunday, in every other respect!

Day 3.

Feeling a lot better; can step up now, though not 100% weight bearing (just don't want to push it). The pain is more like a 3-4.

Discovered the source of the injury I think. While rolling my hip flexors, I rolled a bit further down on my outer quad and IT Band and they were on FIRE. I guess I've neglected them a bit. I dont think its a stretch to say that the tightness in my quad + a bit more tightness and immobility in my hip flexor forced the underlying muscles to work a bit too hard.

If I keep improving like this (and stay on top of stretching and rolling) I feel like I should be good in a couple more days. Not pushing it though... using this as an opportunity to work on my overall flexibility, especially in my quads and hips; they are always terribly tight for me from sitting at a desk all day.

This really is quite the self-indulgent series of diary entries; but I like tracking the progress of injuries as it keeps me feeling like Im on the training "path" and helps me put things in perspective if/when I get laid off again down the line.

Today I woke up with a lot more mobility and less pain in my hip flexor. Pain of raising knee to chest is about a 1, discomfort in hopping on that leg is probably a 2-3. Tomorrow I'll give the elliptical a go, if there is no pain, and I expect to be able to gradually begin running in a few days time. I don't mind if its longer; Im just relieved that this seems to be just a muscle strain rather than a serious tear or something.

40 mins elliptical, no pain. Yeehaw! I definitely cant run yet; will probably be a few more days. But its good to find some cardio I can do in the meantime.

+ arm/upper body weights.