Runfessions – November Edition

It’s that time again. Time to bare our souls and runfess all our running-related sins. Take a deep breath and dive right in.

No, I mean that literally. As in, I’m going to be diving right into the swimming pool more often. My first runfession is this: I have to face it; my hip is not getting better. I don’t think it’s going to get better until I give it a rest, so I am swearing off running for two weeks to see how that goes.

I can still swim, do yoga, workout on the elliptical, and take Body Pump and yoga classes without my hip hurting, but sitting has become very painful due to my stubborn refusal to give running a rest. Even sitting in the car for a short trip is getting to be a problem so running will have to wait. For now. I am not too happy about it, but I believe it is necessary.

I began my two-week running sabbatical today with a short workout on the elliptical, followed by an hour of Body Pump. Our teacher, Theresa, put us through a killer tricep workout. My arms were shaking by the end of the track and sweat was dripping off my elbows. Whew! No underarm jiggles for me!

I runfess, I want to break the rules. Ok, I want to break one rule. And it’s a rule that was made up by me. When I first began running marathons, I promised myself that I would never run the same marathon twice and so far, I have kept that promise. There are a lot of great marathons out there, and I love new experiences, but I also loved the Marine Corps Marathon I did last month.

I would like to do the race again – uninjured this time so the rule may be broken. Right now I am waffling back and forth about whether to do the race in 2019. The lottery doesn’t open until March so I will wait to see how my hip feels by then to make up my mind. I will also have to see whether I can talk my hubby into running it with me, but that’s a problem for another day.

 

CJ’s Resolution Challenge 2018

 

I must runfess, around this time of year, I usually get a little “itchy“. The fall races are over and winter races, if there are any, haven’t started yet. This is the time of year I usually begin planning my spring race schedule.

Except for this year. I have a hard time signing up for spring races when the status of my hip injury is in limbo. I have exactly three races on my schedule between now and…forever.

The first race is one I couldn’t miss. It is a really fun race for a cause I believe in – autism awareness. CJ’s Resolution Challenge is held in a state park in the middle of Pennsylvania the first Saturday after New Years. It is a three-hour race. Runners complete a 1.5-mile loop as many times as possible in three hours.

Last year, the course was snow-covered, so I ran in my Yaktrax. The course is half trail and half gravel park road. The temperature at the start of the 2018 version of the race was zero degrees Fahrenheit!

The second race I have on my calendar is Phunt, my hands-down favorite trail race. I do the 25k version (there is also a 50k version, which is two loops of the 25k course). I love everything about Phunt. I love the course, the aid stations, the emails from the race director, the price, and the vibe. Oh, and the cool buff you get for a race premium.

Other runners must love the race, too. The 2019 race sold out last January, about a week after the 2018 race. I actually signed up for the 2019 race before I ran the 2018 one. I didn’t want to take a chance on missing out.

The third race I am signed up for is my favorite road race, Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k in Richmond, VA. This extremely well-organized 10k, which I have run many, many times with 30,000 of my closest friends, usually marks the true beginning of spring for me. The run is like a moving party, a spectacle and a parade all in one flat, fast race.

The first time my hubby and I ran the race, we left our home in Pennsylvania in an ice storm and sat outside on the deck for dinner in Richmond after a four-hour drive. Spring comes earlier just slightly south of where we live, and by late March, when the race is usually held, I am ready for it. This year, the race is in mid-April so I will have to wait a little bit longer for spring to arrive.

Thank you for reading my runfessions. A heavy weight is lifted off my shoulders and my repair can begin. Join me next month when I will again ask for forgiveness for all of my running-related transgressions.

I am linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 5, and Marcia’s Healthy Slice for our monthly Runfessions.