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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Well, That's What You Get

First Rule of Being Me: Always take the day off after a long run, especially an uncharacteristically fast long run.

Second Rule of Being Me: If you ignore Rule No. 1, you are a pain in the ass, and, thusly, will earn a f''real pain in the ass.

Third Rule of Being Me: Never leave the house for a run without your Icebreaker.

Fourth Rule of Being Me: Eggplant gives me gas.

So, there you have it.  I ignored Rule Nos. 1 and 2 on Monday.  And, as expected, I paid for it.  Worry not, the running gods were certainly trying to tell me to obey Rule No. 1, but for some reason I wasn't seeing the signs very well...

Literally, as we stepped outside for our run Monday morning, I reached for my jacket zipper to pull it up to my chin when I noticed that the bottom of the zipper had come unzipped...but the top was zipped.  It was brokey brokey.  But, technically, my jacket was zipped and secured for all intents and purposes.  Naturally, in these instances, one would leave it alone and be well on their way.  But no, I had to futz with it and, ultimately, make it way worse than it originally was.  That's how I roll.

At this point I was peaved.  Now my jacket is fully unzipped with no hope of getting it re-zipped.  It's bonifiably broken.  I don't even know if that's a word, but today it is.  My reaction?  Run fast, too fast.  Luckily it wasn't horribly windy, so having my jacket opened and exposing my chest and neck to the elements wasn't too bad, jacket flapping in the wind as we fly down the street to the path.  Good thing I obeyed Rule No. 3 and wore my trusty Icebreaker to keep me warm :) (Seriously, FYI, I get absolutely nothing for saying anything about IB, I just love the product so much that I want everyone to feel as warm and fuzzy as I do about it.  Literally, warm and fuzzy.  I digress.)  I eventually decided to do something smart and I pulled off my jacket (without breaking stride, mind you) and flipped it around backwards so that my chest was protected and my back was exposed.  I looked ridiculous, but it worked.  Plus, when you're really fired up you don't really care about looks. 

We're maybe a mile and three quarters into our 3 miler when I suddenly feel an ache materialize in my right glute, then my right hammy.  I didn't even give it a second thought.  I stopped right then and there, announcing to Geof that I was going to turn around for home.  He handed me the keys with a woeful look in his eyes, but knowing full well it was best.  With my bottom lip dramatically curled down and my chin on my chest, I walked.  Well first I tried to run across the street, but that hurt, so then I walked.  Eff!!!!  What the heck running gods?!?!  I just know those running gods were up there somewhere looking down upon me, laughing big ol' out-of-shape belly laughs,"Well, that's what you get, rule breaker!"  (Sidenote: why is it that my version of the "running gods" are fairly overweight men in running shoes and white outfits?  Is that weird?  Should I have kept that to myself?  Hmmmmm.)

My hamstring was strung up so tight that it ached on every outstretched step.  As soon as I got home, I stretched, foam rolled, applied arnica ice, took a round of NSAIDs then iced until we left for work.  I kept it wrapped up nicely in an Ace bandage all day long, and kept up with a couple more rounds of NSAIDs.  I made sure to keep a level head about it.  Afterall, it is what I get for breaking my own rules.  That was silly of me.  I needed a rest day and I didn't take it.  So now my body was going to force a rest day on me.  Things felt better throughout the day Monday, and after a full day off on Tuesday (with plenty of dynamic stretching and foam rolling thrown in there) I was back at it this morning.

I'm pretty sure I just tweaked out my hip flexor and glute by busting out 7:45s from the get-go, and that in turn yanked on my adductor which then pulled on the hamstring.  One big chain reaction.  I'm fine though, lesson learned.  Again.  This morning's run was really good.  Running in the slushy snow was akin to running in sand, but it was still running :)  My hammy was a tad sore feeling, but nothing major.  It was nice to be outside, cold air in the lungs, legs moving beneath me, wind on my jacket-covered chest :)

I'll be good from now on.  Honest.  Long run + rest day the day following = happy pot-bellied running gods, and happy me.

Crash, out.

6 comments:

shannon said...

Resting the day after a long and hard run ... I've learned that one the hard way too! :)

shannon said...

Taking a rest day after a long hard run ... I've learned that one the hard way too! :)

Eric B said...

Great read, I realy enjoyed it, I hope your hammy gets better. I will keep that eggplant advice in mind.

Where Chris Runs said...

Your blog first turned me on to Icebreaker, put them on my christmas wish list and the running gods aka santa claus hooked me up. I freakin' love them. 2 weeks in the 20's right after Christmas felt downright comfortable. Now it's warmed up to the 40's and 50's and I'm kinda bummed cuz I don't need 'em anymore. They do make some cool summer gear too tho! Hope the hammy gets better quick.

Paige said...

Glad to hear you're feelin' the IB love, too, Chris! The beauty of merino wool is its versatility...wear it when it's warm AND when it's cold. If you wear the same shirt in the warmer temps, just layer up a little less. I'm betting that a nice thin wind-resistant layer over your IB will be the PERFECT combination. Give it a try!

Anonymous said...

REST is the ugliest four-letter word not only for athletes but for anyone. Not sure why we'd rather stick pins 'n' needles in our eyes. Wish there was a pic of your wearing your jacket backwards... ;)

Happy trails,

Connie :-)

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