Yesterday, I told you I was scrapping my original goals and have adopted a new mindset:
How does one do that? Well, I am not totally sure, but I do have some ideas. Thanks to the book Ready to Run, I have learned there are a lot of things I could be doing to prevent injuries from cropping up. Here's what I have up my sleeve...
This one is going to SUCK. But I have to be honest with you- my body is tired. And on the days I run, my leg aches for the rest of the day. It makes me feel old. I don't feel strong at all right now. My body needs rest. I have been going on walks in the morning, and have continued lifting, but I'm giving myself a break on the high intensity/high impact stuff. I have never taken two weeks off from running except when I had knee surgery, so this will be a true test in self discipline. I will let you know if I cheat...
Before reading Ready to Run, my "warm up" would be walking down my front stoop. My cool down was only stretching and foam rolling. I'm such a dummy. My muscles, my joints, my whole freaking body deserves a better warm up period than simply a few steps. Something as easy a a 5 minute walk, jumping jacks, or jumping rope would be excellent ways to say, "Hey Body, wake up! We're going to work!" Cooling down will be at least another 5 minute walk, followed by mobility work.
Speaking of mobility work, I need to work on it for 10-20 minutes every day. In Ready to Run, there are 12 standards Kelly addresses that every runner should aim to reach. Some of the standards are lifestyle changes. Some are physical. I cannot reach all the physical standards. Luckily Kelly recommends mobility exercises to help get your body to meet those standards. I did buy some equipment to help me do that. Here is a sneak peak!
My weeks are now 7 days. Monday/Thursday is chest, Tuesday/Friday is back. Once my leg is well enough, you better believe a leg day or two will be thrown in there, but not just yet. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do on the weekends...
Once I am running again, I want to slowly transition into wearing zero drop shoes. I am not going the barefoot running/Vibrams 5 Fingers route. I'm looking for something more like Altras. I'm not a minimalist girl. At least, I'm pretty sure I'm not.
Kelly is very adamant about wearing compression socks after a workout as well as using compression to help aid blood flow to those hot spots that are inflamed. (Helllloooooo knee, I am talkin' to you!) My compression socks already came in the mail... and so did one of Kelly's tools to aid in compression- the Voodoo Floss Band. I have a feeling I am going to love/hate it!
My first pair of compression socks!
Am I a real runner now?
My first pair of compression socks!
Am I a real runner now?
And there you have it! I am still going to be posting my weekly workouts so you can see how I am doing incorporating all of this into my training. I'm excited to do something different and think outside the box! But most of all... I'm excited/hopeful about seeing improvements in my knee!
I like your idea of taking 2 weeks off of running and cardio if your body is tired. I recently took 2 weeks off myself due to injury. Once I started again, I slowly worked my way back to my normal base training mileage per week. I also like your choices for a zero drop sneaker(love my Altras) and compression socks. I feel both of those choices will do positive things for you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThank Jeremy! Glad to hear others enjoy the zero drop! It makes me less scared to try them.
DeleteI hope that this works for you! I will be interested to hear what you think of the compression socks. They only time I've ever felt or noticed a big difference after using comp. socks was after I took that stupid long flight after the marathon. My legs were so swollen and the compression socks brought the swelling down pretty quickly. They also felt awesome when my legs were swollen, but unless I'm experiencing swelling I don't wear them. They are kind of a pain in the ass to put on! haha
ReplyDeleteLove those fluffy kitties in the background of your last pic! :)
Thanks Kristina! I feel like I have to do SOMETHING rather than just run through pain. I am glad you said you noticed a difference wearing compression socks when you had swelling. My knee pulsates, so I know there is swelling there! Not looking forward to trying to get them on... hahaha!
DeleteI will definitely keep you posted on the Altras.
ReplyDeleteSKIPPING! I bet that is a great warm up! I can just see you skipping down your driveway. :)
The way I fit workouts in is by getting them done before work. Otherwise, it wouldn't happen. And I wasn't doing crazy amounts of exercise... I'm all about QUALITY vs. QUANTITY. If I lift really hard and focused for 45 min, that's enough! No need to go over an hour.
Totally pumped for you. The break is going to be huge, I took a full week off in December and my lags felt great when I came back. Rest really works, who knew! Oh gosh I need to start warming up and chilling down also, I'm bad at that. I do a couple days of weights, I feel stronger when I'm doing it consistently. Love compression socks, so important for recovery. I'm excited, you have a great plan and I think it's going to pay huge dividends.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pep talk, Richard! I need it!
DeleteGood luck! The 2 weeks with no running/cardio sounds brutal now, but I think your body will thank you for it. It's kind of ridiculous how rest-phobic we runners get, but the fact is that many of us actually perform our best on MORE rest, not less!
ReplyDeleteI am a big proponent of rest, it really works for me. I never work out more than 5 days a week, even during marathon training. I'm sure most of my run blogger friends would cringe at the fact that I'm currently only running 3 times/20 miles a week, but my body seems very grateful for the extra rest and I think it's a small price to pay if my time in my next race isn't as good :-)
I look forward to your new adventures!
I am the same way! I WAS running 5 out of every 9 days. The other 4 days I was lifting upper body. My legs do so well with a lot of rest! :) Hopefully this EXTENDED rest period helps at least even out some of my pain so I know what I am dealing with and can start from a clean slate, you know?
DeleteSeems like a good plan! I really hope it helps!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I hope so too! I don't know what else to do. It's either this or give up and just lay on the couch and get fat.
DeleteOkay so many things I need to be doing but am not doing. I have completely stopped wearing my compression socks. :S I haven't put on a pair since October!!! I can't wait to follow along and hear your feedback. I totally get that 'always tired body" feeling....unfortunately. Thanks for sharing your strategies!
ReplyDeleteI will definitely give details if anything is working or not. I don't know if it will. I am hopeful but it is also hard for me to believe I could ever run pain free! It has been my new normal for so long...
DeleteI hope you love your compression socks. I'm obsessed with mine.
ReplyDeleteNo cardio will be really hard, but just remember it's for the best for YOU! I'm glad this will give you a chance to rest. It sounds like you really need and deserve it!
Thank Ali! It is hard... but I already went almost a week! I can't give up now, or the whole week would be for naught. :)
DeleteI saved my lifting for tomorrow so I can take my time at the gym and really feel the burn. I nee some endorphins!!!
Yes, please keep informed on the Altras!!! I just discovered these myself while doing research for dealing with this stupid plantar fasciitis. I have not run since December 12 but still experiencing discomfort. Going to a new chiro Tuesday who does ART. I am hoping this gives me relief. I hate my stationary bike but been using it for my cardio. At least right now I am concentrating on heavier lifting for the rest of my body. Are you giving this book a positive recommendation thus far or is the jury still out?
ReplyDeleteI hope your new chiro helps you!
DeleteDef a positive rec. Even if you don't try to do EVERYTHING he tells you to do, you can still learn a TON.
That sounds like a great plan! Good for you for taking two weeks off of high impact training! We will hold you to it and hopefully you will come back feeling great!
ReplyDeleteDid you see that article this week about compression gear? It was basically asking if compression gear can actually help you or not, and one researcher decided not since it didn't show results in using less oxygen and being more bio mechanically efficient. LOL. I think they missed the point! I know so many people who LOVE compression and swear by it! And that is what the article said - if you think it works for you, use it. Sorry, sidebar. I was just thinking about that since I just read it. Here is the link ;) http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2015/01/14/can-compression-clothing-enhance-your-workout/?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0&referrer=
Thank you for the support! I am now on Day 7 of only walking for cardio. Feel like a fat cow but I am doing it!!! :)
DeleteThank you for sharing the article. I am def a skeptic about compression socks but the book says wear them after a workout so I am going to do it! We will see if it helps. I got a discounted pair off amazon for $24- wahoo!
The big compression I am doing is the VooDoo floss band. Just google it. You pretty much wrap up your hot spot (in my case, my knee) reallllly tight. So tight that your foot goes numb after 2 minutes. During that 2 minutes, you take the joint through the full range of motion (deep squats for my knee). I am supposed to do that 5 times a day to aid in blood flow to heal the area. I am sure I am not explaining it in depth but he swears by it. It is uncomfortable to do BUT i will freaking try anything because I have nothing else to try!
Aww, I bet you aren't a fat cow! Just a normal cow! LOL :P
DeleteI have worn them before too, if my lower legs were sore, and on flights! I think they have helped me!
Oh wow! That is super interesting! I am excited to hear how it helps! Fingers crossed!!!! :D