That brat!

Little Swirly Dictionary of the Brat : an injury/niggle which unables you to do what you love most: RUN
Description of the Brat: Every time, running is attempted, pain is felt first in the left front hipflexor ( or groin), which then moves to the left side of the knee, down the calf, up the lower back and then back to the hipflexor.
After 1 hour of this pain mixture, running becomes a strange limping (or penguin walk) witnessed by others that can last up to 3 days.

After the Trail of Herts mad run, I knew I had done something to myself that non runner friends said it was because I carried on and didn't stop (you nutter) but any ultra runner would have just said " it's part of the deal, well done for finishing, just need a bit recovery time now!"
It's now been 2 weeks since the race, and that recovery, well is not following "THE PLAN". That left leg is definitely a brat! Running was out of the question last weekend after I had to give up after a few uphills and a painful limping back to the car.

Last weekend disastrous hill repeat

So, all week I wondered if it was really my injury pulling my leg, or if it was my brain not wanting to revive what happened during the race and put physical blocks at every running attempts. Especially since I could walk or cycle (go figure!). Therefore I had masterminded a new plan for this weekend (wahahah), I thought I could use a different "mind strategy" ignore the blocks, keep pushing with a "no pain, no gain" concept and see what happens? I bet this sound familiar to you?
Results:

This weekend disastrous hill repeat

You've guessed right. I'm right now sitting in the car, waiting for Mick to finish “our” long run on the North Downs way.  I hate to admit but I've been defeated by the brat after less than an hour run and a slow limping walk back to the car, ... I ignored the blocks ( 5 mins down the run) and what I gained 50 mins down the run was... more pain so that no pain, no gain concept is utterly rubbish! Some will think “ nah! it's a niggle, you should have push it harder! or "don't worry, you'll be fine in no time, you just need some time”....but with all the niggles I got since I have started running, I had made myself a promise to keep running no matter how bad it felt, as I never wanted to be called a "pussy" for not starting or finishing a race or being a drag to Mick especially during our training runs. Many stories of how one had withstand pain to start and/or finish an endurance event are out there; many comments of others wishing to have that same pain threshold or asking how to train the mind to ignore the pain are omnipresent on social networks. And so,I always thrived to be that one who ignores the pain and just carries on. So is it a niggle? hell no!  As I listened to Stephanie Howe's interview after UROC about her decision to run the race on an injured foot and nursing it to be able to finish the race, I'm thinking I could just do the same, right? I don't want to just give up to that brat, so, any mind tricks? body tricks you would like to share? what would you do with the greensand marathon next weekend, and the Endurance Trail 2 weeks later?