I began my training for the Austin Marathon with two twenty milers to Twin Lakes this week.  One last Sunday and another today – Saturday.  Not a bad start considering my hamstring pull.  I still don’t know how I ran twenty miles a day after pulling my hamstring.  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to run at all.

I set the day after the Colder Bolder as my first day of marathon training and despite my sore leg, figured I’d just run slow.  I started out hamstrung but my leg loosened up after a couple of miles and I ran a fairly normal 9 minute mile pace out to Twin Lakes.  This is the ten mile turn-around point.  I tripped running up the steps to the lake trail, on the last step, with my weak leg.  Then I had to stop a few times around mile 16 to stretch it out.  My pace then slowed to over 10 minute miles, but I was able to continue running.  My leg was super sore after that and I took Monday and Tuesday off.  Got in six miles Wednesday and joined Keith and Steve Thursday for the Shoes & Brews social run.  We’re pictured here tasting the Skoop samples.  I got in another slow ten miles yesterday and then, amazingly, I woke up today with my leg feeling much better.  So I ran another twenty miles.

I feel a bit silly now that I scheduled a visit to see a chiropractor, but that’s been long overdue.  I discovered Aetna, my insurance provider, won’t cover massages provided for by a massage therapist.  Aetna will cover massages performed by Physical Therapists and Chiropractors though.  There is a Chiropractor in my neighborhood that everyone speaks highly of, so I will see him next Friday.  I have enough issues for him to review other than my hamstring.  My hip is out of whack, probably has been for decades.  As a result, my right leg is shorter than my left.  I suspect this leads to most of my running injuries.  Time to find out.  I’m just happy this muscle pull isn’t severe and that I’ll be able to run through it.

I have an odd albeit short history with Chiropractic medicine.  I haven’t been a fan.  I know it has its place though and I’m going to give it a shot.  It’s not really possible to train for marathons without getting in some decent miles.  I need to stay healthy over the next two months.  Giving my body a tune up next Friday is probably a good idea.  Poor Steve, pictured in the middle of the above photo, is scheduled for surgery Thursday to correct his running injuries.  I won’t describe the procedure because talking about that stuff gives me chills.  But the whole neighborhood will be thinking of him.