What a mess of a run!

Let me start this entry by saying that I think the whole idea of the poker run is great and was loads of fun (or at least would have been, had I had any type of good cards at all!). The day started alright. I meet up with some other beginner 1/2 marathoners at 7:30 to get our 2 miles in before the beginning of the poker run. I started the day with an attitude of trying to keep a pace between 12:15 and 12:30 so I could get all 7 miles in without much hardship. The first two miles went smooth as we did an out and back to the pedestrian bridge. Then it was time for the poker run, masses of people headed out to Riverside, I laid back a bit as I have a lot of anxiety of being in large crowds. The 3 mile of my run today seemed to be going alright. Then I hit around the 3 1/2 mile marker and wound up with excruciating pain in my right hip. At first I thought maybe it was just a hip cramp, but when I hit mile 4 I knew it was something more serious. The pain got so bad that I just wanted to quit and cry. I decided that I had to be okay with walking and getting my miles in. At the turn around, Deon handed me yet another unhelpful card to my poker hand, but had nothing but words of encouragement. So instead of heading up and over the 21st bridge and cutting the run short I decided that 7 miles would be what my Garmin indicated at the end of the day. I had several very nice and thoughtful runners check on me on the way back, by mile 5.5 even walking was becoming a struggle, but I forged ahead. I did make it back to Veteran's park, with all 7 cards, which had to be one of the worst hands out there (K, 9, 7, 5,4,3,2). I am now letting good ol' Advil help alleviate the inflammation and laying low for the rest of the day, hoping that whatever it is that is hurt, heals. I thank everyone who checked up on and with me, I love the thoughtfulness and caring of the Runners World group.