Ugh... while I do not think all's fair in love, perhaps it is in running. I ran last Wed. afternoon w/one of my running partners & her co-worker on their lunch break. It was my 1st street run really since my Rock the Parkway Half Marathon adventure a few weeks prior. It was tough on my body & my calf for several weeks, which is why I was doing the trail running. I think I've come to the following conclusions: you get what you get & you don't throw a fit. I can get out of running what I put into it. If I push my body's limits, it will rebel. Allowing a little time to heal is good for the body, although torture on the soul. Lastly, I have a mental block @ 2 miles!
Last Wed. all seemed to be going swimingly until... TWO miles. I had an instantaneous urge to stop. My calf was tightening up on me. Or was it?! I stretched it out for about 10 mins. & walked a bit while my partners made a round about of the lake. After the break I felt ready to go again. Off we went for another half mile. I felt really good & was a bit saddened when we were back to where we started.
Was my calf really tight or was I just expecting that it would be? I've been loyal to my foam roller & have been cross training to strengthen & loosen. Was I just mentally blocked or was this the way it was always going to be?
The Warrior Dash was fun & wore me out & yes, made me sore. That's about right, riiiiiight?! If I push beyond my norm, I'll pay for it later. That seems fair, right? Ugh...
Today's run was to be a 5 miler. Sunny, windy, gorgeous out. I took it easy on this run, felt good & thought about my mental status as well. I turned my Nike Plus voice off, in case my issues WERE indeed mental. Fair's fair, afterall. Irritatingly, indeed I DID need a break @, you guessed it, mile TWO! In my head were all of the following thoughts: Why is this happening? Will I ever get past this? THIS ISN'T FAIR! What is wrong with me? With my body? THIS ISN'T FAIR! I want this to stop...
My body did brave new things on Sat., however, that just wasn't enough for me. I wanted more, so I continued to push it today. Even I know when to say when... Mile 3.71 was enough. My quads were sore from Sat., as were my shoulders & the sunburn was still achey. What could make me think I could do that to my body & still expect that it would play fair on today's run? Ugh... my only conclusion: I'm a woman & that's just how I wanted it to be.
I stopped today when I could do no more. I will rest on Wed. It was only a scheduled 5 miler too. I am volunteering on Sat. @ a run, so we'll see about that day. Perhaps a trail w/the Trail Running Cha-Hu is in order.
My hope is to still be able to run on May 20 for another Half Marathon. To be able to do that though, I do realize, I need to actually RECOVER. If I had taken the time & had the patience to rest today, perhaps I would've been ready for a longer run on Wed.
What I do know is that when I push & push an injury, it takes me 10 times longer to get over it. Perhaps, I realize I should appreciate the limits my body has & be fair to it. Sounds fair, right?
Happy running y'all!
I think you're doing everything you're doing right, Dianna. Stick with that foam roller. Maybe give nutrition a little more consideration. You know my diet. I think it helps me a lot. I know it's not for everyone, but everyone could incorporate some of it's elements into their own diet. Here's a suggestion I made to Michelle the other day: eat a lot of bananas: 2-3/day. That's a good place to start. They are great for endurance athletes.
ReplyDeleteI will agree that diet makes a HUGE difference in performance. I've been going back to the basics a bit here over the last couple of weeks. I won't lie though, I've not been making all of the best decisions where food is concerned. And yes, Tom, I've met you're diet & I don't know that we would get along. LOL! I need my bread, cheese & meat! I did take your advice & stock up on bananas, usually I eat one, today... THREE! Perhaps a comprimise... lean proteins, fruits & veggies, water, water, water... & maybe a little beer. :-) Hey! Baby steps, friend!!! I'm learning & trying. HA! Thanks for always giving me your best advice & tons of support. :)
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