Here I am, for the second time in about 6 months.  My sacroiliac joint is messed up, and I’m fighting the urge to run.

Okay.  I’m not fighting the urge at all.  I’m trying to pretend that everything is okay, and going out anyway.  That’s the way it was on the treadmill this morning.  I set out to run 7 miles at a 9’13” pace.  When I started tightening up, I started speeding up (to 9’05”, then 8’57”, etc…).  I had to stop at 3.43 miles because of the pain…  Pain in my hip, pain in my piriformis muscle, pain in my right shin, pain in my back (L3?).  Sadly, 9’13” is as hard as 7’55” was 10 months ago.

I’m sitting here wondering if I have a stress fracture in my hip (rather than an SI joint injury).  I’m also sitting here wondering if I have a stress fracture in either of my shins.  I’m probably suffering mainly from 5+ mile ramp ups, which I thought I was in shape for, but I’ve probably been lying to myself.

What does this mean for me?  I’m going to have to eat like a normal human being and not like some ultramarathoner.  I’m going to have to get on the treadmill and walk at an incline or get on the elliptical.  Maybe I need to walk with the family some.  I’m thinking that I need to write off the spring racing season and take 6 weeks off from running.

Running is such an intense, simple exercise.  All my other options are either more complex or less intense.  I did this for less time than needed in September and about went crazy from the time off from running.