Staying positive....

I had an ART 'epiphany' this morning. After no running for 5 days, my shins still weren't feeling better last night, so I called and got a last minute appointment this morning. My doc knew right away why I was there-


"You did speed work last week, didn't you?"

NAILED! Damn...

I have been thinking that was the culprit of the flare up as well. We talked (well, he talked, I grimaced) as he worked out my shins and calves about the benefits of the long, slow run and tempo vs. speedwork.

He is a firm believer that with someone who is injury prone (a la moi), speed work just isn't worth it. The results it may produce are often overshadowed by the harm it inevitably causes, whether it be in 2-5 days of recovery time or aggravating injuries.

After how great I had been feeling, and how bad my legs feel this week, I am leaning towards agreeing with him...

I need to make a hard and fast decision about NO MORE speedwork SOON, as I REALLY want to be able to train for and complete my first marathon at the end of this year. Tempo runs can feel just (if not more) rewarding as a good speed session if done correctly.

It is just so hard b/c my hip feels GREAT, as in, I don't 'feel' it at all. My head is so ready to be back to 100%, and I feel like I am doing my best to take care of my body more post-injury.


Its OK, 2 steps forward, 1 step back still gets you in the right direction.