Offtopic/fun » November and was ruled out fo

Unless youre bionic, there will always be a chance youll get injured while training for a marathon. Ive been pretty lucky in my running career -- the two main injuries Ive suffered have been a shin splint and, most recently, a tweaked hamstring.The hardest part of an injury is accepting that you might need to take time off. The second-hardest part is figuring out when and how to make a comeback without re-injuring yourself. In my experience, the key to surmounting these two challenges is your attitude.Heres what happened. In March, I was supposed to run the Virginia Beach Marathon. But six weeks before the race, I injured my hamstring during a routine six-mile run on a Friday morning. I was on a route I ran regularly, but the night before it had rained, and some of the wetness turned to ice. While going up a hill, my leg slipped out from under me. I didnt fall -- but something didnt feel right.It wasnt until that Sunday, when I had to stop a run at eight miles, that I realized something was wrong. Before I knew it, I was going to physical therapy and needed to stop running. I was devastated. I had been six weeks away from a marathon that I thought would give me an excellent chance to qualify for Boston. Id been training for 12 good weeks, feeling myself getting stronger and faster, just to have it end.I had to switch to running the Virginia Beach half-marathon, officially ending my chances of getting to Boston in that race. Im not going to sugar-coat it: I cried. For the remainder of that training cycle, I started doing all of my cardio between the stationary bike and elliptical to get to the half-marathon.This time, about six months after that injury, Im pushing the hamstring as far as it can go without going overboard in order to become faster to qualify for Boston. This isnt necessarily a recommended way to train, but Im seeking help from a professional physical therapist who knows how badly I want to reach my goal. I recently asked him what it would take to fully repair my left hamstring.His answer? I would have to take a season off (after the NYC marathon, of course). For runners, being told that we have to take that long of a break is one of the worst things we can hear.But after getting that news, I did some quality soul searching during my training runs. I realized that I want my running career to continue well past this marathon. One day, I want to run the World Marathon Majors (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York) and run a marathon in every U.S. state. Two years ago, I wouldve just fought through the pain. But today, I realize how much I want running to be a life-long sport.Im no longer angry about my hamstring injury, and instead Im doing everything in my power to keep the hamstring safe, while also improving my speed, strength and cardio for NYC. Step No. 1, acceptance: complete.Now for step No. 2, coming back. The most important part of this training cycle, besides getting faster, is to not re-injure my hamstring and to really listen to how my body is feeling. There are runs when I want to push through the point where I could potentially damage the tweak in the hamstring, but I know its better to quit while Im ahead instead of causing more harm.As a friend once pointed out to me, some running is better than no running. That perfectly describes my first month of training for NYC. I cut a day of running out of the plan and replaced it with cross-training on the elliptical. I also adjusted my daily mileage and matched different paces for different types of runs to synchronize with my current fitness level. Im hoping these tweaks will make sure I can toe the line on Nov. 6 in the best possible shape. And Ive made sure to consult with my physical therapist at every turn to make sure Im not overdoing it or causing too much stress to my hamstring.Running injuries can be extremely pesky, but with proper care and a full understanding of how your body works, you can come back better than ever.If you find yourself struggling with an injury, take time to assess your long-term goals. That will put the injury in a better perspective. Runners tend carry a stubborn stereotype, but we also know that our body is the key to our success and it needs tender, loving care.Training notebook:Longest run: 10 milesHardest run: Six-mile tempo runHighest weekly mileage: 34 miles (two weeks in a row)Biggest accomplishment: The first month of training is complete!Megan Flood is a seven-time marathoner and half marathoner. She is on a quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon and hopes New York 2016 is her ticket to Boston. You can follow her progress every other week here on espnW.com and on Twitter @meganflood11. Campy Russell Jersey . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Wholesale Cavaliers Jerseys .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. https://www.cheapcavaliers.com/1382q-larry-nance-jr-jersey-cavaliers.html . The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. Chris Mills Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Kyrie Irving Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Liverpool and Leeds United have provided some ding-dong matches down the years, but the rivalry has been somewhat diluted since the Yorkshire club were relegated from the Premier League.The two teams square up in the EFL Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, having met just once, in the same competition, since Leeds dropped out of the top flight in 2004.The Reds have won an impressiive 57 of the 116 meetings between Liverpool and Leeds since they first went toe-to-toe in 1924, and havent lost against the men in white since 2001 -- but what was your favourite moment? 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