Ten Take 2

Ice, stretch, roll, squat, lunge, repeat...

That's what my week last week looked like. I was worried that I over did it with my left hamstring during the previous week's 6 miler because it bothered me all week.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. My running group was meeting up again for the first time in weeks and the temperatures out side were perfect. I technically wasn't even supposed to be here this weekend and wasn't planning a long run because I wanted to give my hamstring some rest while on our cruise. So....what to do?

Well, after going back and forth in my head, I decided that I would KT Tape my hamstring properly (for the first time) and go out to meet my running group. If I only made a few miles before stopping (because I'm trying not to overdo it), then so be it. There were no preconceived notions about distance or time in my head - I just wanted to get out and enjoy the fresh, cool air and our first cool front of the season!

The sunrise was just beginning as I reached town.

Also, we couldn't have asked for better weather! When I first started running, I was really cold and wondered if I should have worn a long sleeved top. It didn't take long for me to warm up, though.

This route was also one of my favorites - it led us down River Road where we truly had a chance to experience the gorgeous sunrise!

During Harvey, this area was impassible for a while due to high water and the signs still remain...

At this point, I was about 2 miles into my run and my hamstring felt AMAZING! I seriously couldn't believe it as I didn't think I'd even make it this far while running.

So, I kept on. The entire route around the river is almost 8 miles out and back which was perfect for me that morning!

At this point, both IT Bands were starting to bother me which is incredibly random. I think my socks were too thick and my shoe laces were tied too tight. It's incredibly random, but it happens sometimes. I decided that since I know how to deal with IT Band pain, I would continue to push on to finish at 10 miles. I said I wouldn't run a 2 digit run again until it was cooler outside and somewhere along the river, I decided that today was that day!

The last two miles turned into a run walk due to my IT bands which didn't make me very happy but that's ok!

In the end, I was still happy with the mileage for the day and incredibly amazed that my hamstring held up just fine. So, from here on out I'm going to ice, roll, stretch, and KT Tape my hamstring along with my physical therapy work and see what happens!

 Did you run this weekend? How was your run? Have the temps cooled down in your area?