Sorry it has been so quiet

Sorry it has been so quiet around here over the past week.  Last week my running was going better, but then Wednesday morning, Thing 1 woke up with a fever, so that derailed my plans until Saturday. 

Saturday I was scheduled to run 16 miles.  I have ran 16 miles one other time, so I wasn't too worried about my run.  I woke up Saturday morning and everything was going great.  Thing 3 woke up early enough so I could feed him and still get out the door not long after 6am so that I would not spend all morning out running. 

My run started ok.  It took me a little bit to get into a good rhythm.  Finally about 4 miles in, I fell into a rhythm, a slow rhythm, but it was a rhythm.  However, around mile 6 my right hamstring started hurting again, like it did last weekend.  But it wasn't too bad, and I knew that at mile 8 I would be taking a break to potty, switch out water bottles and I figured I could stretch then. 

After my pit stop I headed out for my second 8 mile loop, that was different from my first.  I should have just done the same loop twice.  My second loop was spent running in the grass along side a hill.  Dodging way too many cars.  It was not fun.  I had no idea those rodes were as busy as they were.  When I drive down them there are never any cars.  I had a hard time finding my rhythm again.  My left foot started to hurt, probably because my right hamstring was starting to hurt so bad that I was running funny and didn't realize it, but I kept chugging along. 

Around mile 13, I was mentally done.  My hamstring was screaming, my foot was in so much pain it hurt to walk.  I was tired of hills and cars.  At this point my pace went from around 11 minute miles to 13 minute miles.  I was walking/jogging so that I could get home.  At mile 14, I remember thinking to myself that I had only 2 miles left and that I could do it.  Then, I had a terrible sharp pain shoot through my entire left foot.  I knew I needed to stop.  I didn't need to hurt myself.  I still had to get home.  I needed to be able to walk so that I could at least take care of my boys.  So the last mile took me 21 minutes as I walked back to my house.

As I was walking that last mile, I called my husband and asked him to have an ice bath ready.  I hadn't taken an ice bath since college.  But I knew that it would numb the pain my lower body was feeling. 

The rest of Saturday was spent at home playing with the boys.  However, I was having a hard time nursing Thing 3.  He just never seemed to be satisfied.  I think I have finally come to the conclusion that long runs, like 14+ miles just take too much out of my body.  I have always had a hard time producing milk, so adding long runs on top of that just doesn't work for me. 

Thus, I have come to the conclusion that a May 1 marathon may not be in my best interest at the this time.  For one, I have missed 3+ weeks of training thanks to the ridiculous weather and my oldest son being sick.  I don't have a strong enough base to be able to miss that much training and still be able to perform.  Sure I could probably do the marathon, but it would be a super miserable experience.  Secondly, it is more important to me (and financially a better option) to be able to nurse Thing 3 as long as possible.  If every 14+ mile run is going to wreak havoc on his ability to feed, then maybe I need to lay off for a while.  Also, my right knee has not enjoyed my attempted long runs the last two weekends.  Lastly, the May 1 marathon is on a Sunday, which means that after I finished I would have a 3 hour drive home that same day.  My husband would have to fly out Monday morning, which means that I would be alone to care for all three boys.  Going up and down stairs, holding them, and all that fun stuff on a completely exhausted body.  It wouldn't be fair to my boys.  

I know I have flip flopped on this marathon the whole time.  It would be awesome to say that I ran my first marathon 9 months after having my 3rd child.  I know that if I had not had a 3 week disruption in my training schedule, I would still be going after my first marathon. However, due to circumstances that I can't control (and lack of a treadmill), I think that it might be best to hold off on a marathon for now and train for a fall marathon.  At least the summer here in Texas allows you to train for a marathon all summer long!  I just want to go into my first marathon fully prepared, I don't have enough of a base to go into a marathon this under prepared.  

So the reason it has been so long since my last post (besides a sick kid), is because this decision has been weighing heavily on my mind.  I have spent hours trying to figure out what to do.  I hate to quit, but at the same time I don't want to attempt a marathon and it be a completely terrible experience, causing me to never want to do one again. 

So here is where I now stand.  

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!