TRAINING:
Ok, so the plan is that on Monday, there is a 3-item rotation throughout my whole training program. Last week was a tempo run, this week was a 40-minute swim and next week is a 40-minute bike/swim.
I haven't had a good swim in quite some time, it's always weird getting back into the pool...relearning breath control, movement under the water and even just monitoring heart rate. My usual process is kickboard kicks with fins, kickboard kick without fins, backstroke, frog jumps, sprints and side swim with foam dumbbells ( I have no idea what those are really called). I go through that rotation until the 40 minutes is done.
What this allows me to do is challenge my hips, calves, glutes and core without the hard impact of a treadmill or the road. However, it doesn't mean it's any easier than a tempo run or a bike ride...WATER as a resistance may be worse than the other two. WHY? Because you CAN'T feel your body working as hard as it actually is! The soreness I felt on Tuesday was far worse than after any short run/bike I've done. I love low impact training on off days as it's just as effective, if not more, but doesn't create the havoc on my body before run days.
SIDE NOTE: Does anyone get ferociously HUNGRY after a swim? I was FAMISHED!
Tuesday...since I was training clients outside, I decided to do a leg Tabata workout on this cement block...it's actually one of my favorite things to do! It also works well as a marketing tactic! I gave out 4 business cards in 2 hours! Anyhow, for those that don't know what a Tabata workout is, it's comprised of 8 exercises with a 20 second on/10 second off tempo, for 8 rounds...which totals about 32 mins. My legs were shot...which may have led to an issue I will talk about later in this blog. I ended the workout with 300 ab reps, also on the cement block...believe me, the core engagement needed to do ab reps on a block is more than I expected!!
Mid-week 3 miler on Wednesday...I ran with a friend of mine, Brian Ferber, who is training for his first triathlon! I have known him almost 6 years now and it's always been on the pretense of food/beverage.
Recently, he had gone through some health issues that resulted in him adopting a healthier lifestyle, which lead him to losing weight and taking on the Chicago Triathlon challenge! (CLICK here to check out the charity that Brian is racing for, every dollar counts! https://renewchicago.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=1180)
I reached out to him to help him out with the run part of the race and so the stage was set! I let Brian pace the run, so I could see where he was in his running training. I loved his energy on the run and really enjoyed running with him! I can't wait to pace him next week and see the improvements. Oh, yeah so since this is also my blog and my race as well, I got my 3 miles in and helped someone out in the process, can't get much better than that :)
Ok, so the issue I mentioned above, that I would address later? Here it is...I woke up Thursday morning with my right calf in throbbing pain. I felt something weird during my run yesterday and it never quite felt normal since then. My massage therapist and chiropractor worked on it as well, and honestly, I just felt awful. I am not sure if my leg workout on Tuesday started something as I was on uneven ground and probably had to engage my muscles more than usual. Coupled with the run less than 12 hours later, it may have just been too much. The roads here in Chicago are tough enough to run on with construction, uneven sidewalks, potholes and just random garbage and rocks that we all are constantly trying to sidestep. I have no idea what happened. I spent Thursday foam rolling, trigger point balling, icing, hot soaking my leg...hoping for some relief soon. I finally felt somewhat better late at night, but not 100% and felt that uncomfortable tug on my Achilles tendon...which is the WORST feeling in the world. I slathered on some ROCK SAUCE and ARNICA GEL and prayed for a miracle.
Friday morning, I woke up and felt at least 50% better, but still worried like no other. I was able to get into the gym and workout with dumbbells using both my upper and lower body. Lunges, squats and calf raises felt okay, not perfect, but at least I was
able to handle the pain. I continued to ice/heat, stretch and roll my legs. I was given some advice to check in on my shoes and go get a foot analysis at Fleet Feet and see if I need some inserts or new shoes all together...so that was the plan, along with the fact that my 6 miler wasn't going to happen this weekend.
Saturday, I did get my foot analysis done...and indeed, my feet have changed, and I walked out with a new shoe...Brooks Ghost 11. I have never been a Brooks girl, but these things felt so good and I learned that I needed to switch from a stability shoe to a neutral shoe...let's see.....
Sunday, I made the decision to take my shoes for a test run outside in the elements in the pouring rain. I did 2 miles and the leg felt great, my feet felt safe and the run felt so good! I was worried about if the pain could come later, but I felt nothing since then....so crossing fingers and toes, I am past the worst and have resolved my issue.
NUTRITION:
This week, my nutrition didn't change much from last week. I did amp up the protein with more lentils and meat, but also not depleting my carb intake by eating a legume flour pasta with a good balance of carbs and protein. I am loving these new pastas out there that have 15-20g of protein per serving, made from lentil and chick pea flour, but still have the carbohydrate levels I need. The problem I had this week was that because I didn't run as much, I felt a little heavy from not having expended any of that energy storage. I have planned more veggies and meat for early next week and switching to a more carb loading diet towards the end of the week for my 8-mile run next Sunday. I just feel the need to take some of this water weight down and reset for a minute.
My "Marathon Healing' tea is ready to go as a result of what was going on with my legs...it's made of Dragon Well Green Tea (a natural diuretic), fresh turmeric root (a natural anti-inflammatory), fresh ginger (a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, stomach aid) and a touch of local honey (a natural sweetener and because it's local, it's also helps with seasonal allergies!). I'll post the recipe next week!
OVERALL:
Well.....week 2 wasn't what I had hoped for. It started out amazing and ended in a bag of mixed emotions. I mean, who the heck gets hurts 2nd week of training?!! Especially someone that is constantly working on her muscles and creating balance between low impact and high impact. I felt so defeated wondering if I missed something or didn't read the signs my body was giving me. I was so hard on myself towards the end of the week as I sat there in pain wondering if I was going to have to quit. I just didn't expect to be at this emotional state already.
Even though I had a hard week and it ended up on a high note, I learned a lot more about myself. Yes, I had a moment of defeat, but I didn't wallow there. I found multiple solution options and tried them out until something clicked...or at least found a combination of things that worked. As a trainer, there is this added pressure that I am not to show weakness and that I don't get injured and that I am invincible...well, newsflash, that is a whole boatload of BS. I am human, my muscles are made up of the same components as my clients' and training for a marathon isn't foolproof.
I had some great support from a fellow runner friend of mine, Heidi, and she let me lean on her and helped me find that resolution and also prevention for the coming weeks. She's been through many races and her experience is beyond what I may ever have. Being a leader isn't about not showing weakness, it's how you get out of that and become stronger...asking for help when you need it, making adjustments and just owning that we aren't perfect...as Jack, my massage therapist told me. So yeah, I was a baby for a day....but I grew up into a stronger woman within 24 hours.
So, I am excited now for Week 3 and can't wait to face what's next!
For those of you that are new to RB FIT and my blog, I am running the Chicago Marathon 2018 for the same charity as in previous years, The Chicago Diabetes Project - Cellmates on the Run Foundation! Click on the link below for more information, race updates and donations! Every dollar counts, help us find a cure!
https://www.crowdrise.com/team-cellmates-on-the-run-bank-of-america-chicago-marathon/fundraiser/monicasehgal
See you guys next week!
~Giz
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