Groin strain

I dont have iron clad days for specific types of runs however on a tuesday or wednesday I will endeavor to rise early. I alternate each week from 2 * 4km or 3 by 3km repeat intervals or a longer tempo run of an hour at 4.00 -4.10 pace(2 laps of bay). Tue or Wed is quality specific. I always attempt with good legs and a fogless head. So if tuesday doesnt work I make sure that wednesday does. I like alternating because I find doing the same runs on the same days each week makes you stale. Comparing efforts from the previous week for quality efforts I find (for me) plays too many games between the ears. Fresh is best and is conducive for for incrimental improvements, not massive jagged spikes both ways.

This has worked well until yesterday morning. This week was my tempo run. I was up at 4.50am, a 10 minute stretch, etc and in the car by 5.10am. By 5.20am I was on the road from Montage, clockwise aroud the bay.

It is generally pretty lonely at that time of the day, however I invariably see an old Italian man with his little dog and we will have a quick chat about how cold or pleasant it is. He is a nice bloke and he was there this morning. To stave off boredom at that time I have taken to running with headphones. I throw on a ministry of sound cd for a bit of uptempo beat(no mp3 player for this dinosoar!) and generally I am pretty much straight into it.

I saw Aunty, Professor and someone else around the 2km mark of the bay challenge and gave a wave. But a little further down the road I put on a little surge and felt a slight twinge in my right groin muscle. I didnt think too much and settled back the surge and into tempo pace pretty quickly.

I always try to surge up the little rises. Going onto the Iron Cove Bridge I did just that and this time I really felt it. So a hobbled last 2.5 kms and a couple of days at least with no running.

The upshot of this is means that no more racing and the good work of the last 6 months will soon dissapear. I had set my sights on having a red hot go at the Bay to Bay on sunday as my last hurrah, however those plans have now vanished.

A lot of emotions were going through my head on that hobble back to the car. I felt very dissapointed my run was ending but very thankful for the good fortune I was afforded with my running for the first half of this year. I also think the big guy was telling me that it was time for my focus to shift to more pressing duties closer to home. So they will.

Why an injury so suddenly? Same old story for runners- too much too soon. Tough Bobbin Head star @ 4.40 clip (including all stops), a 'recovery' lap around the bay in 28 minutes the following day and a 40 minute hill tempo run on the tuesday.

The last 6 months have been the most enjoyable of my running life. I look forward to many more going forward.