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.