Training Day...

Bite This: According to a  2009 poll in runnersworld.com, 66% of respondents had suffered an injury of some kind.

It is fascinating to me how I am able to run 8 miles per day, 6 days per week, year after year, without experiencing a serious injury and yet, 2 weeks after signing up for my first half marathon and 6 weeks into my training schedule, it happens. My first real run-inhibiting injury. Well, technically it is not inhibiting me from running, but it's pretty darn close if I continue to do so.
The other weekend I was following the training plan, which I rarely do, and doing one of the long 9 mile endurance runs. It was the best run I have ever had in my life - no exaggeration. The weather was perfect, no wind, the course was relatively flat, my pace was fast and consistent and I never felt tired or really all that out of breath. I felt great...and then I sat in a car for an hour without moving.  Once I got out of the car, I felt a pain sear through my hip and thigh - quite possibly my sartorius or rectus femoris muscle (likely the latter since I feel the pain with knee lifts - thanks to Healthline.com for helping the self-diagnosis). Eventually the agony subsided, so like any other smart person would do, I continued to follow the training schedule which included several 7-8 mile runs. Alas, I have yet to have a good run since that 9 miler.  This annoying ache causes me to grun (gimp run) for the first quarter mile. This is not what worries me. And being able to run or not run the half marathon does not concern me. What worries me is that I overcompensate for this pain leading to improper form and setting myself up for further injury. Which, of course, eventually happened. So, not only does my right hip/thigh hurt, but my left hip is now joining the party. Surprisingly, I am just as speedy when I grun and the longer I run and more I loosen up, the pain eventually subsides.
My theory for why this is happening is that when I used run 8 miles a day, it was usually on a treadmill - a flat, soft surface - or a trail by my house which was also relatively flat and free of much debris. However, training for this half marathon, I have been running when it is still dark outside, which forces me to run on sidewalks near main streets under bright lights, you know, so I don't get mugged and stuff. The sidewalks are flooded with divots, dips, tree limbs, cracks, and the routes are uphill both ways - even in the snow. This has been proven to cause a lot of wear and tear on my joints. The only other time I have really injured myself to the point of not being able to run without limping was in high school after a cross country practice that consisted of running up and down hills. Hmmm...same pain, same leg (s).
My other theory is that when I used to run day after day, year after year I was not 30 years old. Now I am. Interesting...
The latter theory is more likely the culprit for my recent injury, but I refuse to give in that easily. Whatever it is, I am still planning to take a couple of Ibuprofen and try out my 10 mile run in the morning  - because I am that smart. Once that is over, I will properly cross-train and hopefully my pain will dissipate. Plus, I am going on vacation in a couple of weeks which will allow me to fully rest my legs.
Whatever happens, I am running this half marathon - injured or not. The most remarkable thing about the body is that almost always, it eventually heals itself.

Have you experienced an injury that kept you from doing what you love? If so, what was it? How did you heal?

Sound bite: Listen to your body - don't do as I do, just as I say.