Post Blues Cruise and Pre Masochist

Well, my running post Blues Cruise has been anything but spectacular. Coming off the race I was feeling great. I was able to play soccer the next day, run a bit, and walk normally. This was the first time I was capable of doing this on the day following a race since I got into ultramarathons 2 years ago.  I was so excited I think I tried to run again way to soon. By the 6th day after Blues Cruise I had done 7 miles on a bike, 6 miles on an eliptical, and 25 miles of trail running. Initially I didn't have any problems. My plantars had been bothering me pre-race so that hadn't gone away yet. I tried to ice and massage it but it wouldn't go away. I tried to rest it for 4 days and then did an 18 mile trail run on monday and that night I couldn't even walk without serious pain in my hips. Uh oh.

I had felt this pain before and thought that given a bit of rest it would go away but it didn't. I thought it might just be come weird muscle soreness but that seem too odd. I looked up some info online and yup there is was again. IT band inflammation can cause pain in the outside of hip joint area. This has been a major blow to my moral. I had planned on trying to get 3 60 mile weeks in of training for Mountain Masochist but it looks like I'm only going to get 90 miles total over the 5 weeks in between the 2 races.

I've had IT band pain before. This however is the first time that it's given me pain in my hip that won't go away. I've been foam-rolling, icing, and stretching 24/7. Tomorrow though I need to get in 20+ miles just to get my confidence back that I can actually run this thing.

It's interesting how an injury effects my mental state. I was riding so high after my last race and once the plantars and IT Band started to bug me I've had an incredible lack of motivation. What surprises me is how the lack of motivation to run overlaps into other areas. I've found it so hard to do school work, and stuff around the house. For those who don't run this might sound a bit odd but being injured really messes with you psyche. I know it will go away eventually but it's such a letdown for this to be happening just 2 weeks before the race I've been planning my whole year around. I've never run 50 miles before and this race had over 9,000 feet of elevation gain. I think I can finish. I don't think it will be pretty or easy.