I woke up this morning determined to run into work. It is forecast to rain for the rest of the week, so I thought I’d get a run in before the weather changed. I left the house at 7.00am (in hindsight, too late) and was convinced that the quad stiffness from my Sunday run would sort itself out after a gentle 2km warm up. My legs had felt a little better when I got up this morning, and I didn’t want to get to the end of the week and run out of days for runs. So, optimistically, I headed out. I had previously mapped a round-about-way to work (which is only 4km from home) that gave me a 12.5km run; today I decided to cut that down given the effort of my hills run and the state of my quads! I was figuring on about 6-7km, once I got past the initial stiffness.
I couldn’t have been more wrong! Looking back on how bad my legs still feel this afternoon, I am surprised I even got them moving this morning. Even stepping up and down curbs was excruciating; but I soldiered on. I reasoned that if I could just get to a particular part of the run (about 3km) that if my legs didn’t feel any better; I’d walk the rest of the way to work. Well, I got 10 minutes down the road (probably 1.5km!) and that was it. I barely felt the pain in my quads, as my ITBs were screaming at me to stop. The ITB is a big band of muscle that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to your knee, it is strong and powerful…and mine were screaming profanities at me!! I hadn’t even realised they were sore, I thought it was just my quads and my glutes…but now I didn’t feel them at all. With every step it seemed like the ITB would tear and flick up and poke my eye out like a giant rubber band.
Even the motion of stopping running and dropping back to a walk hurt, I don’t know how I even started running. I am determined, but I’m not stupid and I knew it was senseless to keep going, especially if I want to try to run by the end of the week. The Sunday run was so enjoyable and certainly wasn’t beyond my ability at the time. I knew it was my first true hit out of hill running, but it shouldn’t have done this to me! When my thighs stopped screaming, I realised I’d forgotten my iPod and the squeaking of my shoes annoyed me all the way to work. Now I was being lovingly taunted at work – John Wayne, Oompa Loompa, and one suffering from something else that affects the nether region!! It was all said with kindness; and a chuckle as I limped away. I might have to resort to a swim tomorrow if my legs are still going to hurt.
The only problem this morning, was that my run took me the long way remember, and by the time I’d realised I had to walk it in I was already committed to a longer route to work. I’d left home at 7, and with my hobbling the long way, I limped into work at 8.40am!!! It was the quickest shower I’d ever had, and I was at my desk before my appointed 9am start time! Hopefully next time I run to work it will go a lot more smoothly!
No comments:
Post a Comment