Nice race. Always great to run your fastest time. While injured even more gratifying because you know when you get healed again you can beat this time as well. Sorry to see that you are dealing with piriformis pain. I had that back in the fall of 2006 and it kept me from racing (well) for nearly a year. However, the year after I ran PRs at every distance. Keep up the hard work and congrats on the PB!

What is a piri? Is it a lady-part like your ovaries? I'm too lazy to look it up. Anyway, jolly well done. I definitely cannot run a half in an hour and 25 minutes, but I can watch about 3 television shows.

I sure hope it is not a lady-part or I'm in trouble.

From Wikipedia, The piriformis (from Latin piriformis = "pear shaped") is a muscle in the gluteal region of the lower limb.

It originates from the anterior (front) part of the sacrum, the part of the spine in the gluteal region, and from the superior margin of the greater sciatic notch (as well as the sacroiliac joint capsule and the sacrotuberous ligament). It exits the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen to insert on the greater trochanter of the femur. Its tendon often joins with the tendons of the superior gemellus, inferior gemellus, and obturator internus muscles prior to insertion.

When it gets inflamed it rubs on the sciatic nerve and causes pain from your butt down. Sometimes leading to numbness in your leg down to your feet... I went on steroids for 10days and that removed the swelling and then just had to be patient getting back into training.

Great job on the race, way to hang tough..

Adam,

You're turning Sam's blog into school!

Thanks everyone.

Adam great description yes it was sore especially uphill.

Tyler S Thankyou,

and Monte your so funny I'm a giggling girlie now!

Well done Sam! Hopefully you can get over the injury problem, but good to get a PB when your not 100%.

Sorry I couldn't be there - left a comment on your blog somewhere...

Well done, way to get a PR even when running injured. Nice mental toughness to marshall through the race coming off a tough day before. Your training paid off...just imagine if you had hit the race fully healthy!

Great job!

Oh thank you Jt, I know I was actually pretty disappointed at the end, abit too upset really, but once I talked it through with Paul (husband) I had to accept the fact I was not 100% I always expect more from myself I really do... I can be abit of toughy to myself sometimes.

The only thing is I hardly ever seem to get it right for race day, thats what really riles me, and its not always overtraining, just being stupid... :-)

Chris, I found the message sorry I didnt get it, probably the best decision, I sort of wished I didnt do the race, but its catch 22, if I had have waited 3 weeks for another half marathon, and recovered my hip for it, I would definatley have lost fitness from not being able to train as hard, and then probably do a similar time, if I could have found a decent half maybe for nxt weekend I would have done that. I am glad I ran it, I am now happy with my time and placing.

Looking at my splits I was up for a 1.24, or even sub 1.24 before the last 4 miles, with those ups! god they really got my hip the ups did.

Wow, you did awesome! Ice bath's are the bomb, i take one every week for 20 minutes. I guess you could say that i am just a little crazy :). Have a good night.

Hey, sorry it took so long to comment. You are one fast sheila (that's Australian for girl.) I'm laughing like a school girl too about Mike's comment. I was thinking the same thing. You did great anyway. I don't know if I'll ever get that fast. But I do know what it's like when you've been training so hard and you get injured right before the big race you've been looking forward to. At least you were able to do it. Now get better and stay a happy bunny!

No worries Burt, I know what a sheila is! hahahahaha crackin me up again :)

Been to physio today ouch bloo** OUCH, oh my I am now more sore than I was this morning, she said go get your ice bath now, and I will be sore for the week, lovely! just posted my splits!

Good splits. Nice new profile pic. Is that you in the pink behind Paula Radcliffe's ponytail? LOL!

Hiya Burt, yes behind Paula's Ponytail.

Yeah, think I might have done a few too many real fast miles their, and with the piri it was inevitable I would slow down!

:-)

Hey, where are you...pht, pht, is this thing on?

How's the piri?

Hey Jt, MOnte & Burt. and Chris ta for email!

I am just get by folks...

Piri, easing off not too bad at all, and its not the motorbike I am so made up about that, as I've been on it quite alot last wk and this week, and the piri is getting better, so its deffo not the motorbike.

Physio thinks its the half mile reps off road, as doing fast stuff off road is really hard on the little muscles... LOL cant say its all that small if its anything to do with the rear end hahahahaaaa

I will update the blog soon, when I feel upto it

thanks all x

I learned of the importance of the glut muscle in the Salt Lake Marathon 2005. Due to a pinched nerve in the lower back my right glut kept getting more and more deactivated as I went. And that was a very interesting experience. I kept slowing down with every mile. So my pace gradually deteriorated from 5:40s in the early miles to 6:40s at the end. And felt like I was losing a whole lot on uphills as well.

Yes Im glad someone else had this, its not nice, but Im recovered now and in marathon training for Berlin sept 20th..