A Stern Talkin' To

I went to see a sports physiotherapist today about my hip flexors. She listened while I recounted my 2009 race season. I was mostly injury free last year, except in the fall, when my right hip flexor tore. I took a lot of time off when that happened, although I did run a marathon at the end of November. Things seemed OK after the marathon, though, and I rested well before ramping up my training in January again. That's when the issues re-surfaced. As I said in my last post, I tried to work my way through the injuries and keep up with the training and the 100 day challenge until it became clear that that wasn't working.

Well, apparently waking up and smelling the coffee was far too mild a response to my injury situation. She told me that, while she admires my perseverance, I have to stop everything right now or I am heading down a pathway toward total annihilation. She actually used the word "annihilation." She said she wanted to put the fear of god into me so I would stop what I'm doing and let this heal. I almost cried right then and there. It's really my entire hip joints that are inflamed - I just feel it where my hip flexors are. I am overwhelmed by what I've done to myself. I have been so set on my goals that I ignored the signs that things were changing - even as far back as last fall.

There is absolutely no way I will be able to do Great White North. She told me not even to think about it. There is to be nothing else in my mind except recovery. Only when I'm better may I permit myself to think about training and racing again. It's the right thing, I know it, but I am really sad.

Hopefully, I will see good progress in my recovery and the season won't all be shot. But here I go thinking about racing again. I am supposed to be lying on the couch.