Time was short yesterday as Chelle got a workout in, Cece and I had a basketball practice, then getting the girls out to shop for some much needed new sneakers and do some general food shopping for the week. It was past two when we got home. This was close to the witching hour for me. Anything much past two and I start to talk myself into not working out. So I tried to act as if I was a young teenage buck and just grabbed my shoes and watch and ran out the door before my negative thoughts beat up my remaining motivation. 

Usually, I’m pretty good at the pre- and post- run rehab that helps keeps me loose and largely injury free. It’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way. Better to spend 5-7 minutes before and after than be on the shelf for a week, right? 

So you can guess what happened at this point. As if I needed a reminder that I just crossed one of those tenuous age milestones, three miles into the run my right hamstring slowly started to tighten up like someone was tuning a guitar fret. Not good. I slowed and tried to run it off, see if it was a cramp. Nope. Just seemed to get tighter. I stopped and stretched it. That helped a bit. I continued on, but it slowly crept back. I stopped to stretch it again. I had a decision to make. Turn back or hobble on?

Here is where the recent milestone might have lent me some (much needed) wisdom. I cut the run the short and turned around. In the past, I definitely would have pushed on and logged the miels because that’s what the plan said I needed to do, consequences be damned. Win the battle, lose the war. 

I had to stop and stretch multiple times, but I made it back home without it getting much worse. It’s not pulled, I think it’s just strained. I took some ibuprofen and iced it after the run. 

Today, it’s still sore, especially after sitting, but it didn’t bother me during my morning swim workout. I took another round of ibuprofen and I’m trying to stretch it continually today. I have a business trip Monday through Wednesday, so working out might be tough, but it might force me to rest. 

The forced rest might be a blessing (I’m terrible at taking rest days) too as I deal with a minor cold that came out of the blue. The household has been largely sickness free so far this winter, so I hope this is just a couple day thing and not longer.

So a couple rest days to heal up and get healthy. Who says getting older doesn’t make you train smarter.