Ginny~So sorry to read about the groin pull.  Great advice from skypilot, Stephanie and Andy about rest.  You should lose very little, if any endurance taking this week for rest.  Some of the best runs I've had have been after a week of rest.  You may want to ask over at "the Med Tent" thread to read what they advise.  Like Andy, I keep a couple of bags of frozen peas in the freezer for spot relief for soreness.  The bags mold nicely to areas that are difficult to hold a cold pack.  I seal them in another zip lock bag and mark it, so I don't accidentally pull them out for dinner.  They develop a bad case of freezer burn!  Take care, and keep us updated.

Ginny - it is so unfortunate that you have this groin injury being so near your first HM.  Please do heed the advice of rest, ice, and taping from fellow runners.  I know your frustration, the time spent on training, the effort and commitment you put over the past several months, then this happens.  If you decide to run on Saturday's race, be extra careful.  There will be other races in the future, so please do not over exert yourself so as not to exacerbate or even aggravate the groin pull.

Run safe and run fierce.

Update:  I decided to skip the race today.  Woke up at 5:30, got dressed, ate breakfast and headed down the street with our dog.  He was feeling frisky so we stepped up the pace to a light jog.  Immediately the pain I felt on Tuesday was back, in full.  Three days of rest, ice, hot baths, etc. just wasn't enough.  I think it's better for me to DNS than to start the race and have to turn around after two or three miles, and though I really hoped that wouldn't happen, wishing wasn't going to make it so.

I have another race scheduled in six weeks.  Hopefully this will heal in the next week or so so I can get back to training and try again.

First off... Ginny - sorry to hear that you were unable to run today.  Take is easy and run in the next one.  I really hope you can get better soon!  If you are worried about losing some endurance - do things that will allow you to keep active and not aggrevate it.  Swimming, elliptical, light weights, etc - or take a class.  Just an idea.

As for me, today was a blast.  I showed up at the Chambersburg 1/2 marathon and helped with the registration.  In talking with one of the guys (he could not run due to rolling his ankle in Disney in January), he mentioned he was heading to the first turn for the start of the race to control traffic.  I offered to go with him since I had nothing scheduled.  While walking to the point, he mentioned that he wanted to head out to the 1st water stop just over the 2 mile mark. 

  After the runners passed us, we set out at a jog ( `10 min mile) and started passing runners.  It was fun talking with people as we run with no expectation on the race since, realistically, we were volunteers.  We avoided the photo spots making sure they knew we were not running in the race.  I remember passing 2 ladies and hearing them comment on my "running gear" - jeans, old pair of running shoes and a regular jacket with a ball cap.  We had to turn around and let them know we were volunteers!

  After a few min. break, we turned around and went back to our post - getting there about 10 min before the leaders arrived.  I ended up waiting until one of the last guys we talked to on the way out was coming back and I ran back with him to the finish.  I did not realize it, but he thanked me for helping him finish the race.  He was getting to the point of having to walk the rest of the way when I joined him.  He ran the final section and finished strong. 

  Over all , we had a good time and  I now realize that  there are a lot of stupid drivers out there.  I cannot believe how many idiots there were driving - trying to "beat" the runner , flipping us the bird for hold them up, getting pi**ed over us yelling at them to slow down (they came close to hitting someone), etc. 

  I only ran 4 miles today, but I feel like I ran the entire 13.1

Ginny - So many folks here have given such great advice, I echo everything that's been said. It has to be way better to DNS than to DNF and you will run better once you recover. Britta, I am thinking of your frustrations also. Rather than seeing an ortho, I'd skip and go to a sports clinic or PT. You are likely to end up in PT and the sooner you start the better.

Eric, I loved, loved loved your volunteer story. Wish you'd been here today to run in with me; I got lost! Of course, it wouldn't be my race if it wasn't messed up somehow. BTW Andy, I resemble that crazy remark but honestly am only running three weeks in a row because I spaced and forgot the big race next week. Good news! I've accepted walking as an ok way to get through parts of a race. Tired of beating myself up about it and once again made much better time walking the uphills. This course was a bear for the 10k and easy for the 5k. It was flat the first 1.5 and the 5k was out and back. The 10 folks however went through a constant uphill climb - 40 min 4 me - on a circular route with about a half mile of really steep downhill and no water from m.1.5 to m.5. I was prepared w fuel and Endurolyte thx to folks on the 50 and over thread who have recently been focusing on this. I had a bottle w Endurolyte last night, started early with a half bottle and coffee and carried the other half.  I meant to have a gel before the race but forgot and only had the one I planned to eat while running but had a GU Chomp and Luna mini beforehand. Only my left calf and knee hurt now but they hurt yesterday. I didn't stop to ice - went straight for the reward Pedicure. Thinking I had a lot of extra muscle pain because I wasn't hydrating or fueling at all.

So I really wanted to beat my Thanksgiving Day time this race since I was injured for that one. At 5, my time was 1:09 and I thought I had it. At 6, time was 1:23 and calculated I cold mosey the last 0.2 and still beat it (nerd brain). I forgot something major still hadn't gone wrong and well this is ME we're talking about. So, I won't be beating my time. The course ran long, almost 6.6m dammit and then I couldn't find the finish line.  They made it so you had to run through the heart of the block party to get to the finish and there was no gate, just the mats with poles on each side. And they didn't keep the course clear. Almost everyone ran the 5k so there were very few on the long course to begin with and I was likely one of the last to finish.  Regardless, the end of the course had at least fifty people milling about with no marking. The folks ahead of me sprinted and got swallowed up too early for me to see where they went so I ran to the start but that was the total opposite side of the site.  Even when I knew where to look I couldn't see the end. Now it seems funny but after all that work I was annoyed. And, no swag. Food was mostly gone and lines were too long. I have got to start running faster!!!!!!!

Strong runs to all you who will be out this week and patience to you who are nursing injury or illness. You will be back!  Stronger.  Thanks to everyone for your support!!!

Mary Kay, You're resiliency and determination is awesome!  You set a gauntlet of races before you the last month! You have met each one with wisdom from lessons learned and courage to face the challenges ahead.  You are very inspiring to me! 

Good to read that your fueling has helped with recovery on the day after.  I agree with you about the information in Kathy's FM race report.  I have learned so much about fueling options from her and Webpro.  I'm still perfecting what I need during my training runs, and need to look for a fuel belt to hold everything.  I won't have my SAG(husband on bike) during the race like I do on training runs!   Hey, the reward pedicure sounds better than a stale bagel or green banana! Enjoy a couple of quality rest days, and all the best on next week's 15k!

After suggestions from my son/coach, I have decided to run the 5k instead of the 10k next week.  This week's training is a step down week(4 miles/M, TU, W & TR), and we determined the 5k distance w/ a .5 mile warm up and .5 mile cooldown was the better choice.  After my HM in May, I would like to train for a June 23 10k to better my time in that distance.  We'll see if I want to do anything after the HM, though!

Have a great week!

Eric - the race I was supposed to run was Chambersburg.  We would have met perhaps, if I'd been there.  Sounds like you had fun.  I actually thought about going and helping out, but I was too upset.  Maybe we'll both run it next year.

Renmaus - are you still going to the doctor or do you think your hip has improved enough that it might not be necessary now?