Half marathon playlist
For the half marathon I didn’t run.
I’m supposed to be finishing the race as this post goes up, but instead, I’m at home drinking coffee after a nice night of sleep. I’ll never know if I would have crossed the finish line triumphantly, because in my mind, I pictured myself hobbling to a medical tent and not even finishing.
As you guys know, I fell down the stairs in our house almost four weeks ago. It was awful, but it could have been a LOT worse. I was sore -kind of felt like I was in rear-ender car accident- and my hips, legs and knee are still on the mends. As I was falling, I was trying to break the fall with my right heel and in the process threw my hips out and tweaked something in my knee.
I feel fine teaching and doing everything else I used to do, but for now, running doesn’t feel the same. After a few miles, my knee starts to hurt -feels like it’s tight and stuck in a weird way- and I’ve had a rough time finishing long runs ever since the fall. I’m taking some time off running to let it completely heal. I haven’t been to a doc yet, but I also haven’t fully rested it yet, and that’s usually the first step they tell you to do. I’m going to try running again in a couple of weeks (which will be three full weeks with no running), and if it feels the same, I’ll get it checked out. Military medical care is awesome, but there are a lot steps involved to get care from a specialist. Since it hasn’t bothered me for my other activities and everyday life, I figured I’d wait it out for a while longer and go from there.
With any other half marathon, I would have just canceled it, looking forward to the next one, but this race was a little different. I was being sponsored by Women’s Running Series, and that’s a huge reason why I invested so much time into adequate training. I wanted to do really well! I was worried when I told them about my injury -feeling like a failure even though I know it wasn’t my fault- and offered to run another one of their races later in the winter or spring. Of course, they were extremely wonderful and understanding; it was a huge relief to know that they weren’t disappointed.
I’m bummed that I wasn’t able to run this morning, but I’ve gotten to the point where I know my body and its limits. We can impose mental obstacles on ourselves, and pushing through those can be a valuable skill, but at the same time, it’s not worth pushing physical limitations or trying to do too much with an injury. I knew that running the race was a gamble, and one that could dramatically affect my ability to teach. I could feel it in my heart that racing was a bad idea.
The hashtag for Women’s Running Series is #beamazing, and while that can come with the accomplished feeling of crushing a goal, being amazing also means honoring your body and its needs along the way. I’ll miss running for a couple of weeks, and look forward to the next 10-miler I can do without pain. In the meantime, there’s a variety of enjoyable activities I can do while I’m healing.
Here’s the playlist for the race I didn’t run:
I guess I’ll be doing a rocking’ yoga flow to it for now 😉
Good luck to all of you with upcoming half marathons or fitness goals! Push yourself, but listen to your body. It usually tells us what it needs and wants– it’s up to us to pay attention <3
Hope you have a wonderful day.
xo
Gina
This post is part of my partnership with Women’s Running Series, a paid campaign through Fitfluential. Of course, all opinions are my own. I’m very thankful to WRS for the opportunity to work with them this year, even though I wasn’t able to complete the end goal. To those of you who ran this morning, please let me know how it went!
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Take care Gina! Listening to your body was absolutely the right thing to do!
Great playlist — some awesome tunes in there 🙂
I dig a lot of the same songs! Kind of surprised you have Blurred Lines in there though… have you really listened to it/read the lyrics? My husband and I thought it was cute until we really had a hard listen and now it’s an automatic no if it comes on the radio. My husband renamed it the rape anthem.
Glad you honored your body!! Best to listen and not risk further injury. And congrats on the move plans!
the lyrics are horrible, but the tune is catchy. even so, i’m over it. that’s why it has progressively moved down the playlist haha
Heal up soon girl!! It is so good though that you are honoring and listening to your body. It will heal. The body is very resilient!! And I know I keep repeating myself but try glucosamine supplements. They work really well along in the healing process and just for joints well being in general.
Gina, I am so sorry you weren’t able to run, you trained so hard and well, but I commend you for listening to your body, that’s great! It seems like so many bloggers are getting hurt or unable to run their races lately! What’s going on, it’s so sad to see all the training not pan out. But It is good to see so many listening to their bodies and injuries and not making the wrong decision and hurting themselves further.
I hope you heal up soon and are able to get back out their a kill a new 1/2 Marathon goal! XOXO 🙂
Love that playlist!!
I’m sorry you couldn’t do the half. I know how hard it is to put in all the training and time and feel so strong and not be able to go out and complete the goal. I had to pull out of my September half because I was too sick the month leading up to it and the day of. It was not a fun morning sitting at home thinking I should be running but I know it was for the best. I hope you heal quickly and are able to kill it in the future!
I ran this morning! Set a new PR of 1:52:20. Now I’m going to eat a giant cup of fro-yo and spend quality time with my couch
Hey Gina,
I’ve been there! I’ve also had to cancel a race to do what’s best for my body. It’s tough, but I totally agree it’s the right thing. I think so much of running is mental, so when you’ve got it in your mind that you’re going to run a race, it can be hard to bow out. It’s something I’ve struggled with, so reading your post made me feel better that I’m not the only one who’s had to miss a race. I try to remember that running and I are in a long term committed relationship, and it will be there for me when I’m ready to start again!
Love your playlist, too!
-Rebecca
I ran this morning and loved it! I’m ready to sign up for my next half marathon 🙂
Good job for listening to your body, it’s smart to let it heal 😉
Such a bummer about the race but great that you are taking care of your body first! Still an awesome playlist either way 🙂
I absolutely love what you said: “being amazing also means honoring your body and its needs along the way” … you’re certainly doing what’s best for your body and I admire that *so* much more than if you had gone ahead with the race despite the injury.
good job on listening to your body, it’ll pay off in the long run (dorky pun) 😉
I’ve had to back out of a half because of the flu last year and it was tough. I cried a lot over it because it would have been my first real race, I put in so much time & effort into training, and race fees are expensive!
Have you gone to the doctor? Your typical fall down the stairs shouldn’t be hurting after a week or two, let alone a month. I would seriously consider it, they may give you a rx for physical therapy or if you’re lucky some insurances cover massage or chiropractic care! Feel better!
the only time i’m in pain is when i run. everything else is fine, so i’m just going to give it more time to heal before going through the medical runaround.
It might be a good idea to just get the ball rolling. If they refer you to specialty care, it can take a while to get an appointment. So maybe you’d get an appt for a month from now. When that times comes, you can always cancel it if you are feeling better. That way if for some reason it isn’t better, you don’t have to wait forever to get it checked out. Just a thought!
Gina, I couldn’t agree more with these ladies! So sorry to hear of your physical troubles. I fell on my last day of school in June & severely strained my ITB band in my left leg. Want to know what I was doing? Cleaning…I was retrieving a stack of my hubs MBA books from a shelf in our office closet, the books started to slip, I twisted to counterbalance & tweaked my leg. The next day it didn’t hurt until I was sitting in a car for a road trip. I did a month of PT & my leg completely healed. It does take time to get in so I agree, see your doc get a referral, make an appt. you can always cancel.
you all are convincing me. the pilot is glad because he’s been trying to get me to see a doc since it happened. it’s extra annoying that base won’t allow kids at the clinic, otherwise i think i would have gone. i have to find childcare for olivia to see a doctor, which is silly because i’d usually just bring her with me
You should go see a physical therapist for your knee – don’t wait too long, it’s better to get some treatment right away and it will get better faster!
I’m sorry you couldn’t do your half! I am injured right now and it is really really hard. I hope you have another chance in your future!
I love reading your blog because in life moments that could either be a disaster, you turn it into a not so big deal and remain a class act. And I basically eat the same things you do, so it’s fun to see all the things you come up with 😉
Love that you always have your chin up! Hope you’re getting in good nourishing moments 🙂
I am so thankful for this post! This will be me next Saturday (I’m signed up for the Santa Barbara Marathon but won’t be able because of anemia) and it is really encouraging to hear and be reaffirmed about the importance of listening to our bodies! Thank you!
Oh no!! So many hugs to you 🙁 As a runner, I know how heartbreaking it is to miss a race because you’re not 100% Hope you heal quickly and are back out there soon. Thanks much for the playlist and take care!
Gina you’re amazing & so so smart for listening to your body & knowing your limits! Once you recover & get to run another half it’ll be that much more rewarding! Thanks for being such an inspiration!
I’m pretty sure we all knew this was going to happen when you announced that you were planning on running the half.
i did two halves this time last year. you knew i was going to fall down the stairs?
Yeah and remember your recaps from them? You called the one a “shit show” and the other your “practice run” for the real thing. Sure, you finished them, but you never post your time. Then you go on and on about how this one you’re actually training for, and how it is your (and these are your words) “triumphant return to running.” It figures that 4 weeks after you fall down the stairs, you can’t run….but conveniently you can do everything else. I’m calling bullshit on it. The reality is that anyone who actually runs knows that bad runs happen all the time. We own it, own our times, and move on because it’s inevitable we will PR because we keep training. You are a complete flake when it comes to running. Stop accepting running sponsorships. Stick to zumba and dancing. And why didn’t you go and walk it like HTP when she was sponsored? Or at least cheer on the other runners if you were injured? I bet WRS would have appreciated that.
i’ve run quite a few races. sometimes i post my time, sometimes i don’t. i enjoy doing a little bit of everything, running included. does this mean i’m particularly awesome at it? no, but i like to run as part of my routine and enjoy the accomplishment of finishing a race.
i asked WRS if they wanted me to walk and they said not to worry about it. (and honestly, walking 13 miles sounds like the most miserable thing ever. phoenix is also two hours away, so the race was not here in tucson. otherwise, livi and i would have gone to cheer but i was not going to make her sit in a car for two hours each way to do so)
comments like yours make me want to keep running. you don’t have to be a die-hard runner to enjoy it every so often. and when you have a unique situation or become injured like i’ve experienced, it’s not worth running through the pain to prove anything. i knew when i decided not to run that i was going to get some flack for it, but i’m ok with that. i’d rather get a little flack from people who care too much about my running than sacrifice my teaching ability.
Keep running all you want, but you absolutely should stop accepting sponsorships for it. That’s the problem. You made money off of this little situation. And because of that, you should have stuck with your original plans for Livi (I doubt she was planning on driving with you to the half marathon when you were going to run it, but now she all of a sudden either had to go with you or you couldn’t go?? Bullshit.) and supported those who were running. This is my issue with you- you’re full of excuses when it comes to running. Don’t run half marathons- none of your readers are asking you to. No one is saying “I’m not going to read your blog if you don’t sign up for half marathons.” Your title isn’t “Runner Girl” or anything like that. But you attempt to drum up all of this fake excitement for what you’re doing…championing it as your “triumphant return” to running and you don’t even do it. I’m sure a running “break up” post is just around the corner and we’re all going to hear about how you’re respecting your body, etc. Own what you do, own your decisions, own your successes and your failures. Stop trying to sugar coat this with #beamazing about respecting your body. Own that you totally bailed on this. And for the record….when have you ever posted a time on a half marathon? Or anything over a 10k?
Sounds like Jen is running on jealousy!!
For real! Why would anyone waste their energy reading a blog just waaaaiting for the right time to gripe?
Jen, take a look inside. What are you hoping to accomplish by your criticism? // Be kind and find a hobby that brings light into the world.
Hey Gina!
This was exactly what I needed to read today! Thursday was the last day I could drop out of my half marathon for next weekend (and get a refund) and I had to do it. My knee has been bothering me too on long runs and I had not been able to run more than 1 or 2 miles for the past few weeks without the knee acting up! I was so disappointed because it was supposed to be my first ever half-marathon – or even race! Even though I know this was the best decision for my body, it’s still been much harder than I thought! I have the same image of myself hobbling to the finish line or maybe not finishing at all. I signed up to accomplish something with my body and get healthier and those are the same reasons I had to drop out.
Thank you for sharing your story! What an encouragement.
(P.s. my knee only hurts when running now too! I can teach Turbokick but not run? I’m thinking I may need new running shoes?)
As someone who has had four knee surgeries between both knees, I respectfully suggest you get yourself to a sports medicine doctor ASAP, seriously. Sorry to be bossy and provide unsolicited advice it’s just…I can’t with knee issues….gah.
Hope your knee heals soon! Listening to your body is the best thing to do, and you’re right to postpone the half marathon. You’ll get the next one! It will be all the more glorious after the set back! In the mean time, the playlist works for a boogie in the kitchen (not that I tried that… No, not at all…. :D)
I’m running a full marathon in 2 weeks, I’m so nervous, and restraining myself from panic training and over doing it. I just have to trust I’ve done enough and focus on nutrition at this point. Any tips on last minute marathon fuelling?
you have to listen to your body and do what’s best for you! 🙂
I am so sorry you were not able to run but I think you did the right thing for your body in choosing to allow it to heal. Also, it’s so great that Women’s Running Series was so understanding about your injury. I know it must have been a tough call knowing that you were doing it as part of their campaign. I hope you feel better soon!
I wish I had your forethought – I did a half marathon earlier this fall without adequate training and ended up straining my peroneal tendon and couldn’t do ANYTHING for about 4 weeks. I am only now getting back into the swing of things, and will never do that again!
Wishing you luck on a speedy and full recovery. Knee injuries are just such a pain. I love the playlists you post. So helpful when I’m looking for new music to run to. Also, not to beat a dead horse but you really should probably get checked out by the doctor. Even if it’s just for a magical stretch he might give you to pop something back into place.
The Killers!
I’m just getting into running (just did my first 5K) and a running playlist is exactly what I need to stay motivated! 🙂 Hope you have a speedy recovery with you knee!
thank you!! hope you enjoy the playlist 🙂
congrats on your first 5k!
So, I know this is an older post, but after reading Jen’s comments above, I felt like I had to chime in….
I am not much of a runner, but I try and am hoping to run my first half marathon this year. One of the things that has attracted me to running at all is the community that CAN go along with it — some of my best support is from “non-runner” runners, which I would tend to believe is part of why a company would offer you sponsorship, Gina! You inspire others to take part! Maybe you aren’t the fastest runner in the world (maybe you are..I don’t know!) but I completely support you running for sponsorship and otherwise because you inspire others to join in!
Additionally, to me, it would be much more upsetting to look up to you as a fitness professional and see you push through an injury when your body was telling you to take it easy. If I were following or working with a trainer who would do that to themselves, then how could I trust them not to push me beyond my own physical limitations?
I applaud you for 1) your continued positivity, both here on the blog and in life and 2) your ability to know and stand up for what is right for you. You have truly been an inspiration in my fitness journey.
I was just reading through some of your injury posts to get my spirits up. I’m supposed to run my first ever 5K in about 3 weeks and just a few days ago during my run, the inside of my ankle started hurting really badly. I have a doctor’s appointment Friday, so I’m really hoping for good news because getting to the point of being able to do a 5K is huge for me and will be a major disappointment if I have to cancel.
sending healing wishes to you!