Get to the starting line healthy...

...that is the piece of advice I have gotten from two of my friends who have run marathons before. Make sure you are recovered and healthy when you hit the starting line on race day, because if you aren't nothing else matters.

That is the issue I have been dealing with for the past 6 weeks. I have been having a problem with my hip. Doctors call it snap hip. It is common in runners, triathletes and dancers. The crappy part is that there is really nothing you can do it about it. You just manage it. You stretch, take ibuprofen, and ice it. Sometimes you even have to give it some rest. Which to this point I haven't.

I went out for my last long run the other day. A 20 miler. I needed to get the miles in as I am three weeks out from race day. The run started well, and I was feeling good. Then it happened around mile 7. My hip tightened up pretty good. I kept running trying to push through it, when around mile 10 I finally had a decision to make. Either push through it, but risk being laid up for a few weeks afterwards, or trust the training plan I have followed to this point, cut the run short, and listen to the advice that I had gotten and make sure I make it to race day healthy.

So that is where I am at. I decided to take a break from running over the holiday weekend, hoping for the hip issue to calm down a little. In fact this week I might supplement some of my running with some biking just to keep the pounding of the joints to a minimum.

Another thing I realized is that since I have started racing almost two years ago, I have never had what you would call an off-season. My first winter break from Tri season was filled with two half marathons, leading into a race season with races almost every month, that started and ended with a half ironman. Then this winter break I have been training for a marathon. At some point this next year I am going to have to schedule some time where I take a break and let my body recover.

Especially if I plan on making it to the starting line of Ironman Texas healthy.

One step closer...

This week I was able to take one step closer to the anticipated Odie Ironman debut. I am officially registered to be a volunteer at Ironman Texas 2012.

For those of you that do not know, Ironman races fill up fast. Really fast and early. Registration for the races open one year in advance of race day and can sell out within hours. Case in point, Ironman Australia registration opened this week for the race being held one year from now. The race sold out in record time...a whopping 1 hour and 9 minutes for the event to filled to capacity.

Now one may say, just register for another race. Well its not always that easy. There are only 8 Ironman races a year in North America. And only another 7 internationally. So its not like there are an abundance of opportunities.

There is a way however to make sure you are able to get registered for your chance to hear Mike Reilly yell those four words as you cross the finish line "...you are an Ironman!". You register to be a volunteer at a race. They allow volunteers to sign up for the following years race first before registration is open to the general public. So in a way its kind of like being back in grade school when you tried to cut the line. But here they actually encourage it!

So that brings me to this week. You all know my goal of completing Ironman Texas 2013. Well this week volunteer registration opened up and I made sure to reserve my spot as a volunteer. As trivial as it may sound it was actually exciting to get registered as a volunteer. Knowing I am officially one step closer to hearing those four words....

45 days....

...thats what I have till the Houston Marathon.

Am I excited.....nope.

Am I nervous....nope.

I am pretty much at a point where it is what it is at this point. I have said before, I have never had a burning desire to run a marathon. It has never been a "bucket list" item of mine. If it wasn't for the Ironman I probably would have gone my whole life without doing one.

Now I am sure as the days gets a little closer I will start to get anxious, maybe even a little nervous. But at this point, its pretty anti-climatic for me.

Training is going ok. I know I have 6 weeks, and probably need to get 3 more long runs in of 15 miles or more. Last week I ended up putting in 27 miles total between all my runs, and next week, I am shooting to put in 30 or more. And some point in the next 6 weeks will come the dreaded 20 mile training run. But at this point, everything is what it is.

Maybe to get pumped up I need to figure out a costume to wear on race day....