Less Than 2 Weeks Until Princess..

Heidi

 

So runDisney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend is less than two weeks out.  I am registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge...a 10k on Sat. and the half on Sun.  I leave Wednesday, the 19th.  I am staying with my best friend, April for almost a week.  We have a lot planned in that week.  One exciting thing...we are going to the Orlando party for Another Mother Runner.  http://anothermotherrunner.com/    I am so excited.  Free stuff!!!  Plus an evening of talking with other runners.  Probably "real" runners.  Not "grumpy" runners like me.  Ha Ha. 

 

Oddly enough what we don't have planned...park days except for after the half which we intend to drink around the "world" in Epcot.  I mean it is a "Grumpy Runner" tradition...drink a beer or two after a race.  I don't know what April and I will do after the 10k.  Drinking after that race is probably not a good choice when you are staring down the barrel of a half marathon.  Oh wait...Ghiradelli's has chocolate milkshakes at Downtown Disney!!!!!!   Problem solved!!!!!!!  There goes the diet...again. 

 

So True!!

 

 

The fact that I won't be visiting the parks on this trip is astounding.  It is my favorite place on earth after all.  But I really won't have time.  Two races, the expo, April is in school and can't drive me. Ha Ha.   I am ok with it.  Really.  If I hadn't just been to Disneyland, I may have had a different opinion.  This will be a great trip with some quality best friend time.  Plus we get to race...twice.

 

Here is the issue...two races sounded totally awesome back when I registered for them...in June.  In fact, I registered for Tink then too.  Three races.  (But FIVE medals.)  Kristen could only do Tink and April could only do Princess.  Perfect...I could get my coast to coast medal and still have a friend there with me, holding my hand at both races.  Sort of...they are both way faster runners than me. 

 

It is all about the bling, after all!!!!

 

 

As you know, training for Tink was not so great.  I was having issues with my left shin and then my knee.  I had to take time off to "heal" my leg and well the weather...awful is an understatement!!!  I ended up having a great race.  I felt awesome.  I was a bit sore after but nothing terrible.  We walked all over Disneyland and I was ok with some Advil in me. 

 

A week went by before I decided to go for an "easy" run.  (Let's be real...there are no such things as easy runs in my world.)  I had less than a month before The Glass Slipper Challenge.  I needed to start doing some back to back runs.  I wasn't worried about another long run.  Clearly I had just accomplished that.  Back to back was another thing.  My body does not like back to back runs.  So I ran 4 miles on the dreadmill (it must have been cold out) on Sunday and then 3 miles on Monday...outside.  My shin and knee DID NOT LIKE these runs.  I felt awful.  I chalked it up to having "just" run the half.  They say for every mile you race it takes a day to recover from it.  Well technically I was on day 8 and 9.  Pheww.  I still had a few days left to not feel good running.  Then I ran on Friday.  I got to four miles before I decided walking the last half mile home would probably be a good decision.  Not only did my shin and knee hurt (something I have grown accustomed to while running) now my right hip hurt.  BAD!!  Like I needed to stop and walk home bad.  Did I tell you it was cold out that day?  Walking home when you are sweaty and it is cold out is not something I would promote.  So you know it hurt. 

 

The weird thing is...once I came home, my hip stopped hurting.  Now my left shin and knee still hurt but not my right hip.  So I gave it 8 days to recover and I ran this past Saturday.  Five miles outside.  Yes it hurt.  But it was bearable for five miles.  I then ran again on the dreadmill on Sunday.  Four miles of intervals.  After that nonsense it was clearly time to call my super awesome chiropractor....Dr. Glogowski...   http://www.activeexton.com/.  He is a miracle worker.  At least he was the last time I had issues. 

 

I saw him today.  I explained to him that he needed to fix me in less than two weeks.  He was totally up for the job. ( I am pretty sure he thinks I am nuts.)   I get to go back and see him on Wednesday and Friday and next Monday.  He threw out terms like...meniscus (not torn thankfully), hip flexors not flexing (there is a surprise), my favorite..."oh yeah your muscle is stuck on your hip bone" or something like that.  I got a little bit queasy on that one.  After a lot of pushing, pulling and stretching (I am so not flexible) he was done.  For today.  I think I may have felt worse than when I walked into his office.  My knee is now bruised and more swollen than before.  Has to be good, right??  He asked silly questions like, "are you running a lot of hills?"  Are there flat roads to run on in Chester County??  My nice flat trails are kind of snow covered these days.  Come to think of it...that is probably why I felt so good running Tink.  It was mostly flat.  Easy Peasy!!!

 

So that's my story.  Less than two weeks until Princess and I can barely run the 10k much less run the half the next day.  Come hell or high water I WILL FINISH THESE RACES!!!!!  I mean my medals are counting on me!!!   HA HA HA.  So as of right now, I am hoping to still run the 10k and walk run the half.  Time and Dr. G. will tell...

 

So true!!

 

(Pics are from Pinterest.)