At this point I have not been able to run regularly for around 2 months. In mid April I decided to try to run 3 miles at our local group run, because my leg had been feeling fine with everything else I had been doing, which excluded only running. I ran 3 miles. But it was quite painful the entire time.

Next up was Hills Creek Challenge on May 3rd. I had hoped to do at least some amount of running. But that was not in the cards. My leg was still a little sore. I could very gingerly trot a little at times, particularly on downhills. But I enjoyed hiking 18 miles with my wife.

Next up was Sehgahunda Trail Relay on May 17th. The plan was to not run until that event and just hope for the best. I have completed this event multiple times including every permutation of participation one can do. My introduction was part of a 4 person relay team. Eventually I ran the solo full marathon distance. I have also completed it as part of a 2 person and 3 person relay team.

During almost all of these times I have participated in this event my wife has been there to cheer me and my friends on. This year was to be the first time we ran this event together. But fate had other plans for us. My wife was knocked out due to medical issues. I was teetering on the brink due to my ongoing IT band issues.

We were really looking forward to this event together. We were on a team with two great friends, so it was to be a 4 person relay team. Fortunately we were able to find someone to fill my wife’s place on the team so we could still participate.

Originally my wife was set to go last and finish out the relay for us. She is new to running this event and despite having completed a half marathon not a regular runner. She wasn’t entirely sure how things would go for her. The last leg of the relay is the shortest distance, around 4 miles, and the least technically challenging segment. So my wife was set to run that leg.

When she had to drop out and I was still only hopping to be able to run, but very possibly having to hike, I decided I would take the last leg and our fill in would take what would have been my spot if all had gone according to plan. This gave us the best shot of everything going well. I could hopefully run/hobble/limp for 4 miles or hike and it would at least not take too long to get done.

Despite my anxiety related to my ability to run, I still enjoyed being out there with my friends on my team. And it is always great to see all the other runners and friends who are participating in this event in some way. Tracking the progress of all the runners from checkpoint to checkpoint and hanging out is always a good time.

The challenge to a relay is there is a lot of standing around doing not much. So if you have not run yet you want to stay fresh limber and ready to go. I tried to stay hydrated and fueled throughout the day. It ended up being a warm one. Tried to stretch regularly and stay limber in any way that I thought might help. But as the day went on it was hard to think about that.

When it was finally time that we were at the checkpoint where I would meet our runner and then I would head out onto the trail for my leg of the relay I was more than a little anxious. I just wanted this to go well. I wanted to be able to run.

We waited patiently at the checkpoint for our teammate to arrive. Every time a runner came into view I half jokingly said, “I hope that’s not him” because I was nervous about how this attempt at running was going to go. I desperately wanted to get out there and try, but only if there would be a good outcome, of which there is never a guarantee, especially in sport.

When our teammate arrived, he was drenched in sweat. Boy it was getting hot. I hate running in the heat. This made me even less excited about stepping out onto the trail.

If you have ever been to this event you know it is famous for its mud, particularly at the checkpoints. I think this was a blessing in disguise for me. It made sure I took it slow. Extra slow and cautious. Walking when needed rather than risk slipping and sliding and aggravating the injury unnecessarily.

Once I got down out of the mud and onto the more stable regularly maintained trails I found I could actually run a little bit. I was relieved. It wasn’t pain free and it certainly wasn’t fast, but I was moving at a pace faster than a walk. This was all I could have hopped for.

As I went along the tightness began to ease. But I was still getting hot and thinking about the heat was taking my attention from where I wanted it to be. Focused on every stride making sure my form was as good as could be and taking the pressure off my IT band whenever possible.

Then right when I arrived at the aid station it began to rain. I love running in the rain. Especially on an otherwise hot day. This helped relax me. It Thundered and the rain poured down upon my head.

I ran. I ran in the rain. I happily ran down the trail in the rain. For the first time. It wasn’t pain free. But it wasn’t excruciating. It was more on the level of having a sore muscle rather than an actual injury that might require me to stop. I even caught and passed a fellow runner on their leg of the relay.

I met up with my teammates just before the finish line and we trotted down the path towards the finish line together. And just as we closed in on the finish line one teammate looked back to see that another relay team was just about to catch us. Se we needed to run hard to the finish line to stay ahead. I was not sure I could actually do that given my injury circumstances. But I was able to pick up the pace enough that we could stay ahead of the other relay team. And we finished together and claimed out finishers medals.

I am so happy to be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel that is this injury journey. I ran again 3 days later at our local group run. I still had a little pain in my IT band. More than I would have liked but not as bad as my last attempt to run during a group run. So it is going to be baby steps. More slow and steady progress. Probably not running regularly for a little while, but maybe once a week at our weekly group runs.

I usually take some type of camera with me into this event, but this time I wanted to focus solely on my running. No camera in hand. Not a normal occurrence for me. So there are no photos of this event from me other than our pre and post race selfies. All the photos in this post are from my prior experiences at this event.

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