The race that wasn't

When I registered for the Houston Half and Relay this past summer it was going to be my "A" half.  I knew in my heart that I would be ready to run big at this race.  Then I hurt my hip and that plan went out the window really, really fast.

My hip gets better with time, patience, meds, therapy, and tears.  Yeah, there were some of those.  I can run again and things are going well.  The hip aches after I sit too long especially in the car.  It hurts if I lay on it too much at night.  It hurts after I run long, but my hip has not hurt while running in weeks.  I ice it every night. It is getting stronger!

So, I still planned to run that darn half this morning. I knew it would not be big because I am not in shape to run fast for 13 miles yet.  It will come.  I was even nervous to run this morning.  So nervous that I could barely eat yesterday including forcing myself to eat something for breakfast and lunch.  Eating is not usually a problem for me.  Everything was ready and I knew there was a chance of rain.  What I did not know because I watched a stupid football game instead of the weather was the chance for storms.

I don't like this number anyway...

I woke at 5am and at 5:01 (I swear) I heard thunder.  After checking the radar I felt like the storms would pass in time for the race.  I got ready and headed downtown.  I arrived and finished all my last minute getting ready stuff.  Most importantly I ate my pre-race banana.  Then I learned that the race has been postponed for an hour.  GREAT...

I tried to sleep, but that did not work.  I tried to decide what to do about having nothing else to eat and knowing very much so that I would be hungry at 8am....trouble!  I decided to focus on the "oh well" and just deal with being hungry.  Almost an hour later it was still pouring.  It was not drizzling or misting or lightly raining.  It was pouring rain and it was windy and it was cold.  I was not prepared for that crap at all.

After lots of texting with Drew about my concerns I decided I would run.  My friends had written encouraging things on Facebook (thank you...you are all sweet and wonderful!) and I decided to suck it up and run.  Then I left the parking garage and stood in the windy, cold, raining street and thought this is not happening for me today.

My hip was achy probably from the weather and sitting too much in the car.  I was hungry and I was cold.  I hate running in the rain.  I did that in January for 26.2 miles and ended up with a crappy race and sick.  Knowing this was not going to be "the race" for me...that was never the plan, I decided not to run.  It totally sucked making that choice, but I feel like it was the right decision for me today.  I have been too patient and focused on healing this darn hip to risk slipping, falling, or something else on really wet streets.  I just could not do it today.

So, here I sit still waiting for the rain to pass so I can run 13.1 miles today. I still have to run.  There will be another race and another chance to prove to myself that all is well with my hip.  I just have to be patient and trust that I made the best choice for me today.  There is a bigger picture and I am focused on that....1/19/14!