Sometimes our egos just get in the way......

Yup today was one of those days in my 10 plus years of racing that I would like to forget...

Today I was suppose to complete my 6th half marathon....instead I walked off the course at the 12km mark.....and went home...

So a little background....when I planned my race plan for the year I initially had planned to do the Calgary FULL marathon......then I booked the training camp the week previous and it was advised that a run that close after would be a BAD idea...so I thought okay I will VOLUNTEER...also since at the time my husband Brad was training for the half...

Let’s skip ahead to about 2 weeks ago...(1 week before Training camp) Brad has been dealing with a knee injury for about a month now..so he made the decision not to run. Well I could not have neither of us now do it...so I thought "what the heck I will do the half" so I went in and got my bib changed.

So we know I had training camp last weekend...that was about 16 hours of training in 3 days......so a lot of volume!! I knew I had to take it easy this week..plus now that I knew I was doing this half...

So here is where I went WRONG.....I did take Monday and Tuesday easy last week.....BUT then I was teaching a few extra classes..and thought well I am not doing a lot of workouts...so I will do these classes with the gang.....the class on Thursday was a muscle conditioning class..well it was TOUGH...we did high high reps of strength....and well....I felt that Friday....then I had to teach 2 more classes...I took Saturday off...but I was still mighty sore...

So I got up today and popped a few Advil and thought the run will work this out...since I knew I needed to do this as a NICE EASY training run....here is where I went WRONG again...

I get to the start...the gun goes...and I am OFF....feeling good...got a good pace...I told Brad that I plan to take it easy so will not finish until 2:15....so that is a good easy pace for me...

My last half I got my first sub 2 hours...1:59...so of course I know I can do it...

So what do I see as I am running....the 2 hour "pace buunny"....I think I feel good I can run with him...what will that hurt...

Then I realize I am ahead of him....I get cocky AGAIN...think man I could do BETTER then last time!!

Then I hit 8km.....feeling a bit tight in my left knee....I think "I know I need shoes soon it must be that"....9km it gets worse........now I think "Candice you are being DUMB" so I take down my pace.....the 2 hour pace bunny goes by....I say "that is okay this not suppose to be a race"...

I still feel pain....I take it down AGIAN...now the 2:15 pace bunny goes by...

NOW I AM MAD!!

I get to 10km...and the it really hurts...I stop to walk! I NEVER stop to walk...I am now SWEARING!!

I get over to the side of the road and I start to stretch...

Then I start talking to myself......"Option one I can bite the bullet and just run through it and finish this damn race...and most likely not be able to run for who know how long after"...."Or Option 2 I can stop now and hopefully save my knee and be able to continue my training and finish my races that I am going to finish in 5 weeks...and again in 3 months"!!

I pick option 2.....and I start to walk.....I turn off my Garmin...and I walk....I am now a bit teary....I am not sad I am not finishing the race...I know I can do this distance...I am sad that I let this happen.....I got cocky and did not listen to what my body needed......and maybe I really messed this up....

The pain now is gone...I can walk fine.....I spent the rest of the day shopping and that seemed to help :-)

My plan for this week....is to attempt the training that has been given to me....the swim and bike I do not see a problem...if the runs hurt this week I will take them off and asses if I need to get treatment etc...I just pray that it will be okay...and time will only tell...

I do plan to NOT be doing the classes I teach for the next 3 months...I may throw in the occasional exercise....but now with the amount of training I have I need to take recovery as recovery....not as oh ya I can do this 1 hour class......again need to listen......slowly I am getting this...slowly!!!

So here is my tentative plan for the week:

Monday- Swim (drills)/Spin

Tuesday- Run (suppose to be hills...I am going to attempt just a short easy run)

Wednesday- swim 2500m pace

Thursday- Run 60 mins....I hope ;-)

Friday- Ride 100 km (Highwood Pass)

Saturday- REST

Sunday- Ride 90km/run 1 hour (Brick)