After my last post I decided that it would be best to take more time to rest and let my leg heal. Something was clearly wrong on that 5 mile run two Saturdays ago, and I have already learned the hard way to listen to my body, so I stopped. I am so glad that I did. It is hard to describe the peace that I felt during the first week of non running because it is odd to me that peace is what I felt. Normally I would be antsy from the lack of my favorite form of exercise and constantly frustrated at the site of other runners out enjoying a beautiful day. This time was different though, and I truly believe it is because that is what I was supposed to do. Not to say that I have been a bum the past two weeks, a whole new way of exercising has been introduced and I am really enjoying it.
I did not like it at first, the feeling of exhaustion in single bursts from straining against a weight instead of the constant effort required in aerobic activity. It is a strange sensation to break a sweat without breathing very hard, and took some getting used to. The Ab Ripper X session in particular keeps me happy with a grueling 15 minutes of nothing but pushing to the limit 3 days a week following each of the weight heavy workouts. It definitely fulfills my need for cardio and an even level of effort. I am embarrassed to admit how difficult I found the first Legs and Back day, as I had expected that to be my strongest area. I was sore for 3 days afterwards, so much so that I had trouble sitting and standing at work! Fortunately after the second week through each of the workouts my body is adjusting and I am not nearly as sore. The concept of a different workout pushing unique muscle groups each day is fantastic and really keeps it interesting. I can feel strength returning to my legs and body and am very excited to see how this affects my overall fitness and speed once I am back to running full time.
Speaking of running, the Steamtown Marathon on October 9th was something I had really looked forward to for a while, but it is just too soon for me to ramp up my mileage and speed the way I would like to. Fortunately the race allows runners to waive their entry for one year if needed. This was great news, because many marathons will not provide any sort of refund or entry waiver.
The Richmond Marathon on November 12th is my new fall marathon and I began my first week of training this week. Knowing that my stress fracture was caused by increasing mileage too quickly in the winter, I will be very careful to slowly add mileage and monitor my body carefully this time around.
My first run back was this past Saturday along the Potomac River in Virginia with my good friend Nikki and her boyfriend Kyle. It was wonderful to run with friends and enjoy being outside along the water on a gorgeous summer morning. Nik and Kyle ran with me for 1.5 miles then I did another 1.5 mile loop on my own. The heat was definitely tough as we slept in past 8:30 before heading out to run, but it didn't matter, I was loving life the whole way. This felt right. Immediately I could tell that I made the right decision to rest for the past two weeks. My lungs were pleasantly in better shape than I had anticipated, which I attribute to working out every day with P90X, and my legs felt great. In addition to running over the weekend I swam 1/2 mile every day and wake skated (like wake boarding but it's just a board, there are no boots to strap on). The last day there I set out for another 3 miles and again it felt perfect to be outside running. After a full weekend of fun it was hard to believe how easy running felt, but just like Saturday the 2 loops came and went and I was done.
The next few weeks will be very telling as to whether or not I can race Richmond the way I want to, or train to simply complete the distance. I hope that I keep up the P90X as I increase my mileage, it seems like such a great concept. Only time will tell!
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