Hip, hip hooray

I ran for the first time today in four months.

Four long months.

And I feel remarkably good.

After weeks of physio and massage therapy, I finally worked up the courage to run. Look, I'll admit, I've been a little gun-shy about doing so.

Four months ago, I came home from a race with a pain in my hip. 'Give it a week,' I figured. 'I'll be fine in no time.'

But weeks passed with me limping to and fro and living in pain. Just when I thought things were getting better, the pain would come back with a vengeance.

I started to wonder if I'd ever walk properly again, let alone run. My inactivity led to some weight gain and feelings of overall grossness. So when I headed out today, I tried to keep my mind from drifting to thoughts of 'Oh no, what was that twinge?' when I ran.

Or worse yet, the realization that I wasn't ready. But I was. I took it slow, walking for five minutes and running for one. In the end, I only ran five minutes, total, but I came home feeling reinvigorated and inspired. And most importantly, pain free.

I plan to try the same routine on Tuesday and Thursday and build up my time moving at a good clip while trimming down the time spent doing a slow stroll.

My next running clinic starts in three weeks. My goal for the humane society is back within reach. And I plan to sprint across the finish line.

All in good time, of course.

Help the LCHS get $100,000

The Lincoln County Humane Society is barking up a potential money tree. It's in the running for a $100,000-grant in the Pepsi Refresh project.

Be sure to vote often.

I drove by the shelter last week and it's amazing the progress that's being made on the new spay/neuter clinic. From the outside, it looks like it's pretty much done. Not sure of the status of the inside but fingers crossed the good work will soon begin.

Hip, hip ... boo

I feel like a bit of a fraud.

Got a t-shirt in the mail today, one emblazoned with 'I'm training for the Buffalo Marathon.' It was one of the perks of registering back in January for what was to be an epic race for me. My first half-marathon.

But that was back in January, back when I wasn't a gimp. When my hip wasn't causing me pain and I wasn't limping.

And so, today's t-shirt arrival was a reminder of how my plans have been derailed — for the time being, at least — and how much longer the pain I felt after my Run for the Cats in February has lingered than I anticipated.

No, I'm no longer training for the Buffalo half-marathon. I'm not even training for any run right now, starting instead a regimen of physio and massage therapy — I feel old — to get my hip up to snuff once  more and get me running again. My goodness, have I missed it. The stationary bike at the gym that I've been relying on to keep me in shape somewhat hasn't really cut it. The endorphin rush isn't the same. Neither is the satisfaction.

The sports injury specialist I saw last week said I should be back to my old self, after nearly eight weeks of my B-Boy walk, in two to three weeks. Fingers crossed. I still have $300 to raise and four races to run to meet my commitment to the Lincoln  County Humane Society.

Still, my plans for my first half-marathon in May have been thwarted. But I'm hopeful I'll be in a race by the end of the month and running my 21.5 kilometres by summer. Fingers crossed.

Now, to find a dark corner in the back of my closet for that t-shirt...

Standing on the sidelines, bum hip to keep me company

I have to admit, it was tough to stand on the sidelines Saturday and watch Steve take off down Louisiana Avenue in Buffalo with about 4,000 people in the Shamrock Run while I stayed put. And it wasn't just because of the wind gusts nearly causing lift-off as I struggled to hang on to the mammoth golf umbrella Steve provided me to stay dry.

I was so looking forward to this event, to running in a race with that many people. Wow! Though the Old First Ward Shamrock Run wasn't in the nicest part of town, there was such a good a vibe to event. But instead, I had to join the few brave spectators standing in the rain and gale force winds and wait for Steve to cross the finish line without me. It was agony, weather aside.

I so wanted to run. Never is the urge to run as great as when I'm injured. And I am still injured. I can feel that I'm on the mend but it will be a few weeks yet before I start pounding the pavement again.

To make up for missing this run, I will run two races in April. In the meantime, I'm renewing the gym membership and starting swimming and cycling to keep up (or build up) my endurance in a low-impact way.

I tried jogging on the spot today, feeling a bit cocky now that the limp is subsiding, but my leg nearly gave out. So I still need a time out.

But please, keep the donations coming. It's a sure way to keep my spirits and motivation elevated.

Blown away in Buffalo

Steve getting ready at the start line.

Running for the Cats — and Dogs — took a detour this weekend after Tiffany enlisted me, her loyal husband, to run for her in the five-mile (eight-kilometre) Shamrook Run in Buffalo because she is still recovering from an injury. The run supports a community centre in the Queen City's Old First Ward ... so not only were we helping the felines, but we were also aiding a much-needed centre in a city that Tiffany and I both love. The run was typical Buffalo — windy, rainy (thankfully no snow) and a tonne of community spirit. Decked out in a Buffalo Bills touque, I managed to complete the run — thanks to the tailwinds and in spite of the headwinds — in just over 45 minutes. Not bad for a guy who hasn't run much in the past four months. And the best part (aside for helping to raise money for Tiffany's effort) was the giant corned beef sandwich I ate afterward at the community centre. Even my wife, the vegetarian, could appreciated that it was a good-looking sandwich.

Hip to be square

So my last race has left me in quite the state.

I'm nursing a groin pull and hip bursitis. I've been limping for two weeks, feeling like a 34 year old trapped in 100-year-old's body.

Fun times.

In all seriousness, this has thrown off my half-marathon training and my clinic through the Running Room may have to be deferred. I'm still going to try the Buffalo half in May but my bigger concern is my run next weekend. I signed up for the eight-kilometre Shamrock Run in Buffalo and I'm not yet 100 per cent.

I had a dream last night that I was able to run it and I'm trying to focus on doing just that. But that may not happen. Since I can find no other races greater than five kilometres (and that is a distance I can actually run) happening this month, I may end up running two races in April to make up for it.

Keep your fingers crossed that next Saturday I'll be running like the wind, or at least a nice gentle breeze.

Four more races and nearly 50 kilometres to go

Ready to go at the St. Catharines Roadrunners Valentine's Day 5km Run

I sometimes worry I sound defeatist on this blog. Or, at the very least, hapless when it comes to running or staying injury free.

So today was my last five-kilometre race in my Running for the Cats (and dogs) series. I feel unfazed by that distance. I should. I'm training for a half-marathon for goodness' sake. I ran today's race, head first into a wind that felt like a wall and made me feel like Bob Seger (Still running against the wind — c'mon sing it with me — or like a rock at times, too). My time was 31:28 and I came in 56th out of 78 runners. Not stellar by far. But there's not much I can do about that now.

Speaking of now, my biggest gripe at this moment is the pain in my hip. I don't know what I did but it hurts. I've been hopping, hobbling, limping and, at times, crawling around since crossing the finish line. Am I getting old? Am I not meant to run? What the heck did I do? Why don't the running gods smile upon me?

I felt a twinge a few weeks ago when going for a jog in my neighbourhood. I covered 6.5 kilometres and felt great, save for the slight tension in my right hip. I chalked it up to having run without my grippers on my shoes, leaving me to tense up when running along unshovelled stretches of sidewalk.

Though there were patches where those grippers would have come in handy today, I didn't feel tense at all. I had good footing throughout and pounded that pavement through Port Dalhousie as though it was a summer's day.

But alas, here I am, coated in Voltaren, hopped up on advil and still in pain.

I felt like I was going to hurl, to be honest. I tried sprinting into the wind
in the final stretch. 

On that note, I did collect another $15 at the race thanks to my friend Wayne taking on the role of head fundraiser today. I think I need to hire him and Mollie on full time.

Meanwhile, I'm resting up my achey joint and looking forward to heading out Tuesday with my running clinic.

Next up, the Shamrock Run in Buffalo on March 5. Wish me and my old joints luck.