Black ice and an already tweaky knee quickly turned a 10 mile run in to 3 miles yesterday morning. I was lucky to not fall but the slide aggravated an already cranky left ITB/knee. I was only a mile and a half into my run when it happened and this little voice in my head said don’t push it…go home. Usually I’m fairly stubborn and would have kept going, but this time I think I made the right call.
I have been quietly agonizing for the last couple of days over the question of whether or not to run the New Bedford Half next Sunday. That same little voice I heard out on the road today is the same voice that has been getting increasingly louder over the past two weeks questioning whether running New Bedford is a good idea. Despite it not being a goal race, the truth is I am not where I’d like to be going into a race – and slogging through a race just for the sake of saying I finished it sounds really unappealing! Nor do I think it makes sense to push this knee/ITB and jeopardize the rest of my spring races and beyond.
I had this race on my calendar for two reasons – as a check in to see where I am in my training and because it’s suppose to be a fun, well-run race. Well I think I have my answer to where I am right now and as I said, the fun will quickly be negated if I’m out there slogging along.
So after an email exchange with Coach Bennett I’ve decided I will not be toeing the line next weekend. Still hard for me to type that, but I know it’s the right choice.
Have you ever gone through with a race when you know you shouldn’t have?
it is hard—-but it is SO SO SO SMART.
xo
I know those decisions are had to make, but all things considered, it sounds like you made the right one. Sometimes our guts know better than our hearts.
I’m sorry Michelle. I know that was a tough decision to make. But it was a smart one that you won’t regret.
I haven’t raced to the point where I’ve aggravated injuries, But I have pulled back/walked in races when injuries flared so I had to switch my mindset to ‘fun run’, which isn’t easy to do sometimes.
Definitely sounds like the right decision. It is so hard to say no! But you don’t want to deal with more issues later… good for you for playing it smart!
Ah, tough decision. I ran a race when I shouldn’t once, and dealt with an injury the entire summer. I learned my lesson!
I broke my foot once and didn’t go to the doctor. That was a mistake. Go to the doctor and get your knee fixed! (If he can, it’s not always possible)