Week 19 has been a bit exhausting and painful. I think it is because I really haven't been taking care of myself as well as I should. Because the weather has been so cool, I haven't been stretching as much as a should before and after each run. I really haven't felt the need. Well that has resulted in a tight left hip flexor. I tried some intense yoga, but that really hasn't helped. I just need to do some more stretching and icing.
Another battle I am fighting is food. I really haven't been eating much lately, which is bad for someone running more than 30 miles a week. I find myself struggling to eat three meals a day. I am just not hungry. Then on top of that, I am never hungry after my training runs. It baffles me that I can run for three hours or more and not feel the need to eat the rest of the day. On a positive note, I am hydrated. I bought some replacement bottles to make up for the one that was run over by a car last week. So my hydration belt is now fully loaded again.
Other than the hip flexor and food issues, it has been a successful week. I completed all of my training runs, which included my farthest run to date - 18 miles. I can't say the 18 miler was pretty. My hip flexor started acting up around mile 10. So my walking breaks during those last 8 miles were a little longer than usually. I can't be disappointed though. I completed all the miles in a respectable time and am still walking. Those are all good things.
Next week, I get to take it easy a bit. My long run is only 13 miles. Of course, it is also a half marathon race. Knowing me, I will probably push myself so that I can beat my last half marathon time. Hopefully my hip flexor will calm down and I can run the race pain free.
