Boston is Longer

Today I went to yoga for the first time in a month. My hip did not fall off onto the floor, even when I did Warrior 3 pose (requiring all weight on one leg). This is not me. I am not a baby. Except for the diaper part:

It might truly be possible that I can run by the first of the year. We will see. I still have some pain and major tightness in the hip area, so I know I am continuing to heal. An MRI at the end of the month should give the final word.

This week my doc said that I need to view Boston as a long training run, not a race. We agreed that even if I cannot return to running until mid to late January, I can probably still pull out 26.2 miles in April given my fitness base. We also talked a lot about possible training errors and what I could focus on next time:

• Running my long runs slower. My long runs should be 8:59-9:59 (McMillan Calculator). Mine were usually well under 8:50.
• Watching heart rate, doing most long runs and easy runs in zone 2 (60%-70% of max heart rate). I do my long runs at way too high a heart rate.
• Not upping speed and distance in the same week. I really tried to do this, but in hindsight I failed.
• I did not put in big miles while training. I topped out at 50 miles per week. However, I ignored my body a lot. My left piriformis and hamstring hurt the entire training cycle. I am pretty sure this messed with my form and contributed to the left hip fracture. I was tired for most of my runs and even dreaded some of them because I always ended up pushing too hard and wearing myself down.

Live and learn. These strategies aren’t for everyone, but I think they could help me stay healthy. I am determined to not find myself in this place again. I know completely being void of injuries might not be possible, but there are some things I can do to decrease the risk and frequency of injury. I still plan on having biomechanical testing (gait analysis) and may be a good candidate for orthotics.

The posse at the pool asked how I injured myself. I told them running. After they sang the praises of working out in the pool and how good it is for your body, I let them know I was hoping to run another marathon in April. And not in the pool. “Tsk, tsk,” they said. “Which one?” they asked. I told them Boston. Then one lady responded, “Oh…I hear that is a long one.”

Yes, because not all marathons are the same distance.

I leave you with this insightful piece of news from the paper this morning.

At first I thought “Oh poor guy. Trying to break up a dog fight and getting bitten.” Then I read the part about putting his hand in the mouth and you don’t want to know what I thought.

Staying out of the dog’s mouth,

SUAR