So this week I was dealing with a nagging pain in my right hip. I think it might be from overuse or from bad running form due to fatigue settling in somewhere between miles 4-5. It’s strange though because I get oddly faster the further I go. The beginning of the workout is usually the hardest for me. I warm up as best as I think I can. I do some drills and active stretches before getting on the move. I could possibly add some more work and extend my warm-up though so I think I might try that. Anyways, as soon as I get going, my joints, my muscles, and shins ache. it’s not until after mile one that I start feeling a little more limber and willing to push the pace a bit.

I bring that up to preface that this week was tough in more ways than one. First off, this past weekend I went to Seattle with my sisters and brother-in-law just to go visit the sites and walk around the city, which was beautiful by the way. Because of the trip, I had to move up my training schedule so that way I didn’t have to run during the trip. My already aggravated joints became even more aggravated. Luckily, the massage gun that I got came in handy. My first workout was a 2-mile warm-up, followed by a 3-mile race pace, followed by a 2 mile cool down. That in itself always messes up my shins. (Side note: Now that I think about it, I think I need new running shoes; I’ve been running in the same couple of shoes for the past two years, I think it’s way past time) The run was going well, it was only on mile three during the race pace portion that my body started to overheat. it’s funny because it was then that the strangest thing happened. I older lady maybe in her 40’s 50’s, saw me running and thought I needed something and made a U-turn to check on me. I was at a light when she stopped right next to me resting and asked if I was okay. She explained that she had something recently happen to her and when she saw me, though I was in trouble and needed some help.

Anyways, the next day I rested and massaged my legs to prepare them for the longer harder workouts to come. There was a 7-mile run followed by a 14-mile run. It’s the longest distance I’ve ever run before. These workouts I pushed forward in my week to get them over with but I think that aggravated everything more. I probably should have rested.

The 14-mile run went not as how I expected. halfway through the heat started to catch up with me. At mile 7 the bag that I was running with started chaffing my shoulders, and by mile 10 I ran out of water and had to look for a water fountain somewhere. I also rain on a trail which is not the usual surface that I run on. I usually run on the concrete which is also another reason for my injuries, so I decided to run on a trail. the trail was nice to run on. It was a lot kinder than running on cement. The only thing is that the uneven ground really took a toll on the muscles around my ankles. even to this day that I am writing this, which is three days after that run, I still feel sore.

I think I want to run on trails more often now. While running this week I listened to a book called the way of the runner. It was a book about a man’s adventure as he discovered what it was like to run in Japan. He also wrote about his experience running with the Kenyans and mentioned that one of the major differences between japan’s running culture and Kenya’s was that while the Kenyans were more accustomed to running on trails, the Japanese thought that running on the cement made them tougher. The science behinds this says that the most viable option in running is running trails because the forces on the legs are a lot less than those of running on concrete. It also helps strengthen the muscles around the ankles because of the constantly changing terrain. It takes some time to get used to. running on concrete actually causes the most injuries so be on the lookout for those nice-looking trails.

I’m so glad this week is another de-load week so that I can take care of all the nagging issues I have. I’m also going to try to make some changes in how I lift in the days between running. I’m going to target more of the weaker muscles and try to pinpoint any imbalances I have. Right now, I noticed my left hip is weaker than my right so the hope is that focusing on unilateral work will help in the long run, pun intended! Anyways thanks for reading! till next week! God bless!