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.

Two young philanthropists

Sarah and Mollie raising money for the Lincoln County Humane Society.

I could use a lesson or two in marketing.

Put me on a reporting job, and I'm not shy at all. Put me on the job of trying to sell something I'm involved with and I tend to be a bit shy. I'm not a limelight seeker. I'm quite comfortable skulking below the radar, frankly.

But if I ever decide to learn a few tricks about promoting something, I'm not going to bother with any marketing courses or reading the latest how-to guide. Nope. I'm taking my cues from Mollie Crago-Ruffett and her friend Sarah (whose last name I don't know). These 10-year-old gals have no problem getting the word out about something AND getting people to respond positively.

Case in point: today at Niagara Seedy Saturday, these two set out a mason jar adorned with cutouts of cats, dogs and bunnies, a hand-printed sign that read "Donations for the Humane Society," packaged what appeared to be at least 100 tiny bags of seeds and then managed to ask every person that cast a gaze their way if they wanted to donate and get some seeds in return.

Very few people said no. Had it been me left with that task, I'd have waited until someone approached, then very meekly started into this long preamble about the humane society and what it's doing, what I'm doing and finish with an 'Oh and if you'd like to, you can donate and get some seeds.'

Clearly, I'm lost at this marketing and sales stuff and I need to learn to just cut to the chase.

Mollie and Sarah's efforts today brought in $186.65 for the LCHS and the spay/neuter clinic — it was actually really sweet listening to Mollie talk about the clinic and hear her enunciation of the 't' in neuter.

So thank you, you two, for all your efforts and your lesson in marketing 101: kids make great sales folk.