This Would Happen

Tonight's run was supposed to be 6 miles. Two of those were to be easy, three at tempo and one more easy. I set off after work along the river. I took it fairly easy, but at 1.5 miles I started to feel a tightness in my right hamstring (the side that hasn't been giving me issues). I stretched for a minute or two and continued on.

By mile 2, the tightness had turned to such awful pain I couldn't run any further. A little defeated and frustrated, I began the walk back to my car hoping the pain would dissipate. Over the next two miles I tried to run probably five times. I could barely run a few steps so walk, I did.

It wasn't the workout I expected or wanted with less than two weeks until the Portland Marathon. But I kept my spirits up. I tried to repeat "it's just something small that needs some stretching, ice and rest. It is not a tear."

So, I'll call the physical therapist tomorrow and see what the body tells me. And do some more stretching and icing. But still, it can't make you feel like "why does this have to happen now, after all this training and successful physical therapy?"

And with that, I'm reminding myself that this is only a small thing. It will be fine in a few days. Just as long as we get the kinks out now, eh, body?!

The manfriend and I are currently watching the story of Terry Fox who had bone cancer and therefore, one of his legs amputated. As a young man, he then chose to run across Canada (essentially a marathon a day) to raise awareness and money for cancer.

Fox made it over 3,000 miles before he stopped because cancer was found in his lungs. He passed away at age 22. And today, approx $500 million has been raised in his name. If that's not an inspirational story, I don't know what is!