Injury...?

Training has been going well, until this week. The weather had been cooperating, my body was cooperating...all good. Then last Friday came along. Friday I decided to do some of my first real speed work. I felt good after and even into the night. The next morning I woke up early for run club and had a moderate run of about 9 miles planned.

The weather was nice so we headed to a trail along the Platte River. Out we went..my soleus was a little tight when we started but I figured it would warm up. At about mile 3 I realized it might not warm up, but the turnaround on our run was too close to stop. I figured it would still warm up, besides three miles isn't that long to warm up on a cool day. I got to the turn around at about mile 4.2. Uh oh, is all I can say. I knew I had to run back to the place where we met so I decided running on the dirt would probably be the best answer. I headed off the cement onto the dirt. OOOPS! Definitely not the right answer...aparently you need a lot more control on dirt. I started getting a bit worried but made it back to the car.

I stretched and got in the car and headed home. At home I showered, ate and used some arnica on my muscle. I decided to take a short nap and upon waking I couldn't walk. At the time I couldn't tell if it was my achilles or my muscle. So, I went to the pool for a swim and the hot tub, which seemed to help a bit. Then I went in for a massage, where they could feel the huge knot in my soleus. I left there a with a little less of a hobble.

The problem is what do you do when you have trained this long and you are not sure you can run??? I decided to bike on Sunday. I headed outside for part of my long ride. I knew that I would not make my whole long ride outside since I had started so late in the day (no I wasn't sleeping I was doing lessons all morning). I lasted about 1 hr and 40min. The wind was ridiculous. I headed back inside to finish my 4hr ride.

Monday...

Again, what do you do?? I could walk at this point but I knew running was not on tops of the list. I headed into the gym for a weight workout and elliptical. Then back home for a 2 hr ride inside, because the weather was beginning to turn.

Tuesday...

I can walk, but can I run?? I decided I would run to the gym. This way I would get in part of my moderate run for the week. Before I left my heart rate was high just thinking about running. I made Pedro leave about 10min after me to make sure that I was doing well and didn't need a ride.

Mile 3 I was feeling good.
Mile 4 I started thinking, it's windy and about 45 degrees, but not too bad.
Mile 5 I realized I was almost to the gym and since I felt good I needed to AT LEAST do my scheduled moderate run of 1hr 35min, so I kept going past my turn for the gym.
Mile 6-10 still going good and within my heart rate range. I realized I was then getting close to the gym again.
Mile 11 at the gym. I started thinking the weather is "suppose" to turn so I should just do my long run.
I headed into the gym to tell Pedro I didn't need a ride home I would run.
Back out.
Mile 12-17.8 doing great..I arrive at home. But wait it is 17.8 miles...keep running up the street to finish the 18 miles.

No pain.

Then I went swimming later in the night.
Followed by an easy run and swim on Weds.

I am happy my first "injury" of the season didn't last too long!