UPDATE ON MY BUTT

I'll be getting the red/black one for Christmas!

I am feeling a little more positive about my butt strain (or whatever you want to call it). I ran with my running group last night, 6 miles at an 8:30/mile pace and it didn't hurt at all. It was more of a dull ache, but that was the way it felt all day. Our course at run group is pretty flat so I definitely think it is bothered by ups/downs. The minor up I did have to do to get back to the store after six miles went okay, but that was only like 10 strides or so. I could tell if it was extended my backside would have probably acted up.

Other runners at the group didn't seem too concerned with my injury. Apparently it is common and something they have dealt with. You just try not to tweak it or do activities that flare it up (hills) and eventually it heals up. I should ice it but need to buy an ice pack or something. The Portland Marathon course is pretty flat, spare a sizable hill at mile 16 and then a decent downhill around mile 22. So hopefully it'll heal up some by then and the course won't aggravate it.

With any injury though, the more exhausted your muscles become, even just those surrounding it, the more likely it is going to act up. So I am worried that even if the marathon was completely flat, around mile 16 or so that it would act up. Oh well, we'll see. Hopefully all will be well. Yesterday's run was encouraging, along with the runs in Miami where I didn't feel a darn thing.

This weekend I have a 5k. Really terrible timing, but it is the Corvallis Fall Festival run, which was my first ever race. So it is kind of a tradition to do it every year now. This will only be my third time, but it is where all this running madness started. Last year I set my 5K PR there, but this year that won't happen. I was maybe going to try to go for a PR and get a speed workout in, but with this butt injury that would be stupid. So I'll likely just run it sorta fast and shoot for 7:45/mi or so. We'll see.

In other news, my parents have agreed to buy me the Garmin Forerunner 220 for Christmas. It is their new model watch coming out in late October. Thanks to a link on RunsForCookies they were able to preorder and get a discount. I was having a hard time buying myself a watch since my phone does basically the same thing, but I am so excited to finally get a watch. Only three months away! If I were a kid, that'd be forever, but I know Christmas will be here before I know it.