Injured

I've only been injured a few times since I've been running marathons and above in 2005.

I remember my 2 most painful were when I got stress fractures. The first I got after my 2nd Portland Marathon and it was because I ran too fast, I think. I was out for a good 6 weeks. The 2nd stress fracture was when I was trying to train for my first 50K and I had begun to do those back to back long runs. That was the most painful. I remember I would try to go for a walk and my leg would hurt so bad that I wanted to scream or hold on to something.

Other than that, minimal injuries.

I pulled my left hamstring about 2 years ago, trying to train for a 50K. That was a stupid decision to train for the race, a last minute decision. I don't much remember what happened after I pulled it. I know I rested and I really can't remember what I ended up doing.

Well I've gone and done it again.

I am currently training for the McDonald Forest 50K, scheduled for May 14th. I've moved to a small coastal town. The town is next to the Redwood Forest. The town also has a lot of dogs that are allowed to run lose. I've been nervous about running with my dog around town as he got attacked one day, so I've been taking him to the forest which has been scary because of the threat of cougars and bears, but it has been good for me because it is a trail and the trail has some really good hills. I wanted to run with him, it was comforting.

I really believe that I overdid it. I ran a hard 16 miles this past Friday. It was on the trail and then it went up a side trail and then I realized my daughter was at home sick and waiting for me. My husband had picked her up from school sick. I didn't know the school had called me because I didn't have a cell phone signal. So I sped it up to get back to her. Tough run.

The next day I was scheduled to run in an actual 9.3 mi race, haven't been in a 9 mi race since the Shamrock run in Portland, OR in 2005. Well yes of course I ran faster than I should have, I was strong on the hills and was going to make a good entrance. That is until I pulled my hamstring at mi 8 and it was too painful to run, so I walked back and at least 10 people ran ahead of me.

Today, I tried to go out with my dog. In a matter of 2:43 min or .15 mi, I injured it again. I had walked most of that .15,maybe slowly jogged for 30 seconds. And I mean it, it was slow, my dog was still walking.
So now I am faced with a bummer attitude, what am I going to do, besides rest. Do I need to give up the McDonald Forest 50K?

I get very emotionally attached to all my races and when I have to give them up, it's painful, it hurts.

Having moved away from my home in Oregon to California 2 months ago, I've been very emotional, running has been everything to me. I jokingly listed it as the top 3 reasons for living. You know 1.God, 2. Kids, 3. running, 4. Fringe and Law and order SVU?

I am a housewife, I don't have a career, wish I did, have been going through these huge emotional rides about moving away from the only home I've ever known, away from my family and friends.

But I can run and I believe it is a gift from above. Running really is everything.

I know I'll be able to run again.

Life is full of challenges, ups and down and I think it really is how we look at things that determines are happiness.

This is just a temporary set back and perhaps God is trying to show me something, trying to teach me something. I do wish he would find another way.