Even if it's not as flat and toned as you'd like it to be, you should always trust your gut. Last week, when faced with a tempo run totaling 7 miles, my gut told me, "That might be a bit much. Maybe cut it to 5." I didn't listen. In fact, I stuck with the 7 miles on my training plan AND pushed a jogging stroller at the windy oceanfront. If I were my gut, I would have punished me with raging diarrhea or projectile vomiting. But I'm not my gut. It seems my gut is far more evil. My gut went for the jugular, or in my case, the IT band.
I felt fine - correction: my knee felt fine - during and right after that run, but it made its discourse known the following day. Luckily, I had Thursday and Friday off from running and could rest and rehab before my Saturday long run of a whopping 6 miles. By Saturday morning, I physically felt fine. Mentally, not so much. The fear had returned. I was so scared my knee was going to hurt during this run, and I hated feeling that way. I tossed my time goal aside and just ran what I felt like running. I paid no attention to my watch, but I could feel myself speeding up and backing off a few times during those 6 miles. And it never hurt. Oh thank heaven! I might make this a regular thing...wear a watch for my Saturday runs but never look at it until I get home.
Saturday's task: 6 miles @8:11
Saturday's result: 6.1 miles @8:01
We spent the rest of Saturday enjoying a gorgeous summer-like day at the oceanfront, riding bikes at playing on the playgrounds on the beach.
80 degrees and sunny means a boardwalk full of beach cruisers
Just like the view I had riding my bike when I was growing up...NOT!!!
Why should the kids be the only ones enjoying the playground's amenities? When it comes to handstands, I abide by a strict use it or lose it policy.
Over the course of the weekend, I made sure to give my hip and knee the attention they were craving. I stretched, I foam rolled, I massaged. I went into Monday's intervals feeling pretty good, but still having that bit of fear lurking just beneath the surface.
Monday's task: 10 x 400m @1:41
Monday's outcome: 1:32, 1:29, 1:30, 1:30, 1:32, 1:31, 1:34, 1:32
In case you're counting, that was 8 x 400m instead of 10. My knee was starting to whisper to me on the seventh one, so I quit while I was ahead after the eighth. Didn't want that whisper to turn into a scream, and I still had almost a mile and a half left to get home. I was really excited about the consistency of those 400s, and the fact that I was well under my target pace for all of them was icing on the cake. No need to push through two more sprints to satisfy my need to check a box.
Even though I trusted my gut on Monday and cut my workout a little short, I still paid for it on Tuesday. My knee ached with everyday activities, and my mind was starting to go back to that dark place that being injured takes you. My confidence was being crushed, and I knew I had to dial it back a little with my training program. Not exactly what I hoped to be doing right now, but very necessary. I had planned to run again on Wednesday, but my knee was still talking to me and I decided against it. Once again, I stretched, foam rolled, massaged, and ran through my rehab exercises a few times...firing up those glutes and quads always gives me relief, and yesterday was no different. I went to bed last night feeling hopeful I could get in some miles today.
I woke up pain free today and didn't feel so much as a twinge of pain all morning, so I threw Jude in the stroller and headed out for a run after Camryn went to school. I knew the stroller would slow me down, which is exactly what I needed to do today. I was nervous starting out, but the uneasiness subsided with each passing mile with no pain. What was supposed to be a tempo run turned into a slow progression, but I finished happy and gained a little confidence that Saturday's run will be ok too.
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Just in case the ol' ITB needed a reminder that running makes us happy.
Jude gave me a big clap with his man hands and a "YAAAAAAAAY!" when we got home. My sentiments exactly.
Today's task: 1 mile easy, 4 miles @7:56, 1 mile easy
Today's outcome: 9:19, 8:59, 8:34, 8:26
So it wasn't the sub-8 average I was supposed to run today (heck, it was barely a sub-9!), but it was 4 happy miles that didn't hurt. I'd rather be slow than sitting!!!
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