t-6

In six short days I will be running my first Half Marathon.

Wow.

I have put in (most of) my miles. I feel (mostly) good. Let me explain.

Remember my knee issue the last time I was training for a half? That was my left knee. And it actually feels good. This time around my right knee is joining the party.

Good times.

Not.

I felt it a bit on my 9 mile run last weekend. I was really good to it all week. I cut back on some of my more intense cross training (my FAVORITE class has a lot of jumping). I iced it a lot.

On my mid-week runs it felt okay. I could feel it, but it didn’t stop me from running.

Today I had my 10 miler scheduled. If you are local you know that it has been raining. A LOT.

The race course actually had to be changed. The current finish is completely flooded (Discovery Park is under water due to overflow of the American River). The email from the race director also indicated that there is standing water on the course that is unavoidable. The weather report is rain for every.single.day. this week. So starts the mental shift.

Rain and wind today meant me deciding that I’ve put in my miles, I can cross the finish line. So whatever I got done today…I was fine with. I set out without rain and only a little wind. I figured I’d go as far as I felt comfortable and head home.

I was feeling good. Really good. I was listening to a book on tape (Sammy Hagar’s new autobiography…if you are a fan, or kind of a fan, or knew vaguely of him during his Van Halen days and like music…you’ll love this book. Fair warning…lots of bad language and rock and roll content…but you’d expect that from Sammy, right?) and just going with it. Before I knew it, I was at my 5 mile turn around. But my knee was also talking.

So I started to walk/run…and then walk more. Finally at mile 8.5 I saw my hubby and kids in the gym parking lot and I hitched a ride home. I did not need to push it further. I don’t even know what my time really was since my Garmin was dying and I plugged it in when I got home. I need to check it out of curiosity.

Here’s the thing. My knee hurts. I’ll baby it and ice it this week. But come Sunday…I’m popping a motrin and I’m running it. I WILL cross that finish line. And it will be a PR…because it will be my first Half Marathon ever.

I’ve thought about this injury and I know I need to work more on core, hip and glute strength if I want to keep running this distance. My body does great until about my 8 mile long run, 15 miles a week level. Then it starts to break down. I’m okay with that. I’m not ever going to be an elite runner. But I do enjoy it…so I’ll keep working at it.

The week after the Half I have my “Runner-versary” race. It’s a 5k so I’ll get through that too. Then I’ll take my body’s lead and take some time off, work with my right knee this time…and then I’ll evaluate what’s next.

It’s all good.

So think of me next Sunday. I’ll be PR-ing…in the rain and whatever that day brings. And I’ll be smiling while I do it. I can promise you that!

Kristen