Staying fit: Five Things I'm Doing Differently

How seriously do  you take your fitness? Silly question, huh.

It's a question that I have wrestled with this winter. I have worked hard to get to where I am. I can suit-up and knock out 5-6 miles in my running shoes without much effort. The half marathon/20K has been my favorite distance ever since I first ran Dam to Dam (that story is HERE), and in recent years I have run several of them (like 26). I also have conquered the full marathon, and was pleasantly surprised running 26.2 miles was not that much harder than 13.1 miles, although it did take longer to train for doing so.

Having achieved  these fitness goals, I felt the "need" to be constantly in training for the next event. It's not a bad thing to have year-round events, but I was not letting my body have enough rest or recovery in between. I had some nagging injuries (Piriformis Syndrome and Plantar Fasciitis, to name a couple), neither of which had me bed-ridden, but I certainly had some on-going discomfort at times.

I finally had a revelation a few months ago. As much as I loved the adrenaline from running and the satisfaction in surpassing new (and bigger) goals, I realized this running gig would not be lasting forever if I didn't take better care of myself. And, most importantly, I realized that my level of fitness would NOT suffer from getting serious about taking an off-season. After all, professional athletes do it, right?

There are a few things I'm doing differently this winter, and I think all of them are key to my lack of aches and major pains. Here are the five big things I'm doing differently:

1. I am staying humble and taking it easy. In other words, I have no pressure to "get a long run done"  each and every weekend, no matter what, come Hell or high water. Whew! Although a part of me misses that routine, I am enjoying the flexibility of not having that long run dictating my weekend. Don't worry, I'm still running 3-4 times a week (like usual), and I am doing a "moderate" long run on the weekends. I'm staying consistent without wearing myself down in the process.  And, rest assured, this off-season will not be lasting much longer. I have a slew of mid-distance races coming up, and my spring season will probably have a few half marathons thrown in (I just haven't registered for any of them yet).

2. Although it is my least favorite form of fitness, I have been using my treadmill. I have gone as far as five miles on it (which feels like the equivalent of a marathon, in terms of mental toughness), and I have also done as little as one mile at a time. My favorite thing on the 'mill, though, is interval training. I have said it before, the 'mill is not a "running" device for me, it is more of a "training" apparatus. I have long legs (and big strides), and my body does not like the constant repetition....I do much better outside, on constantly changing terrain and fresh air. But the 'mill is there when I can't get outside.

3. I am doing a lot more yoga in recent months. I have not been going to a class, but have been doing a lot of it on my own. What I love about yoga is that the more you do it, the more challenging it becomes. Even as your body becomes more flexible, the poses don't necessarily get easier because you can hold them deeper and longer. I still don't have the deep breathing down, but I'm OK with that. Always growing, always evolving, never stagnant.

4. I'm doing strides! Such a simple, last-hurrah effort as I'm finishing my (outdoor) runs, but they feel so good! My body just kind of does them without my brain telling it to do so. Do you know what strides are? Basically, a stride is a quick little burst of energy, kind of a sprint...but for a short distance. I usually do them for the final 1-2 blocks as I'm approaching my house. I don't do them as an all-out sprint, though. I have long legs (and I'm not very fast), but I just let loose and take "big strides" as I speed up for that final trek to my driveway. I have noticed that most of my runs have been at a decent pace, and without much extra effort. I doubt I'll be knocking major time off my races, but the strides have been progressively improving my overall performance.

5. I'm doing a lot more daily challenges. I did extra planking in November, 100 daily push-ups in December, and extra squats/lunges in January. My February challenge is a combination of all the above...50 squats/50 push-ups/side-planking (90 seconds of elbow-planking, each side) every day. Even on my "rest days," I still have these little daily obligations to keep me moving and grooving.

Let me disclose that I am not a running coach (and I don't play one on TV). These are just some strategies that are working for ME; they are helping me stay injury-free as I eagerly prep for a great spring!

I am linking-up with the gals from the DC Trifecta for their weekly Friday Five....please head over and check out Eat Pray Run DC ,  Mar on the Run , and   You Signed up for What?!  as well as all the other blogs being featured.

Have you ever had to step back (by choice or otherwise) to give your body a rest? Did you notice that it helped (your body was recharged) or did it hurt (you lost some fitness/endurance)?