I'm not sure if it was a post race slump, my hip injury, my body being overly exhausted from month's of long training, a new work schedule, the summer heat, or (most likely) a combination of all of those things. I have hit a serious rut since Racine. I have not been on my bike or in the pool in 3 weeks. I am a little afraid of my bike right now because of how tender my knee felt on it, especially given that I have running goals remaining this year.
But who can worry about running goals when my hip is in excruciating pain? It is beyond awful. I desperately want to get it looked at. It is now visibly swollen and you can feel the tendon or ligament or whatever it is puffy and moving around, which is completely the opposite of the other side. Unfortunately for me, we are in an insurance pickle right now, and I have to wait until September to get it looked at. We have terrible coverage to get us through until new, great coverage starts, and any visits or testing that I would do now would be out of pocket. So, I'm carrying on. And icing. And eating ibuprofen like candy. Believe me, I'd rather have candy.
I bruised 2 toenails on long runs. One is pretty black and gross. Awesome. Wearing the same shoes I've been wearing since January, without any problems.
I started a new work schedule that involves several over night shifts. While I feel fairly mentally adjusted to it after a few weeks, it is clear that my body just can't give what it normally would. My legs feel heavy and tired and I haven't been able to push the pace at all. Frustrating. I am trying to do what I can do while avoiding injury to a tired body.
The other problem with working overnights is that it has thrown off my eating schedule somewhat and so I feel less hydrated or incorrectly hydrated? I'm not sure. But I've been doing a lot of cramping on longer runs. It's all very odd. The more humid weather is not helping, and I've been forced to head out a little later in the day because of my schedule. For example, I did not start my run yesterday until 3:00 in the afternoon. It was 86 degrees and muggy.
I have a mental block because of all of this, and have missed my last 2 weeks of long distances, managing only 12 miles on both days (instead of the 16 and 17 I was supposed to do). I keep telling myself I have plenty of time still until Columbus, and I do. But I also don't. If a few things can come together, and I can get in a solid run that feels comfortable I know the mental block will go away. It's also a bit daunting because I haven't run over 15 miles in 3 years! I'm excited to push beyond that distance again.
Maybe a pair of new shoes is the cure? Nothing gets me motivated like new gear!
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