Friday, February 5, 2016

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 DCMar 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)?







32 comments:

  1. I think it's important to keep an eye on your body and make sure you've got enough time to give your body a break when it's asking for one, so that's awesome that you're taking it easy right now. I'm enjoying yoga and doing more strength training, though I'm still doing plenty of running! The treadmill can be so TOUGH, but it does come in handy!

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    1. The treadmill requires so much mental toughness for me...it's just so boring and robotic. Yes, as we progress in our fitness and become experienced runners, we need to be hyper aware of what's really going on with our bodies and not dismiss every discomfort as "normal."

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  2. I stepped back from running last winter and did a lot of walking. I feel like I lost a lot of MENTAL endurance during that time. It took awhile for me to get my head back in the game. I'm glad I did it, though. It's always nice to step back from things and give our bodies rest.

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    1. I agree...and we usually come back 110% stronger and revitalized ;-)

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  3. I think taking a step back every now and then is important. I just started back into half marathon training, and I think the plan I made for myself is a little too aggressive. I love challenging myself to get faster, and I do want to PR my next race, but I enjoy running more when I just go out and run without the pressure to go fast. I might need to change up my plan.

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    1. Honestly, I have a hard time following a "carved-in-stone" plan. Running/training is a priority, but so are many other non-running related things that usually pop up unexpectedly. I do much better doing my training runs because I want to...not because I feel the "need" to LOL

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  4. Having just injured myself during my recent marathon, I totally get your post and why you are doing what you are doing. As I heal with the help of a physical therapist and a trainer, I plan to be very aware when I feel twinges and whatnot during my runs/training sessions.

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    1. I'm eager to follow you through this recovery period! I have learned to not ignore the "twinges and whatnot," not matter how small or insignificant they may seem. Small twinges usually lead to bigger problems #beentheredonethat

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  5. I think it is good to change things up once in a while. Yoga is always a good addition I think.

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    1. I don't always love yoga, but I do love the benefits of doing it. I'm fascinated by how all the flexing and holding builds such strength over time ;-)

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  6. Oddly enough, I took a couple of extra rest days this week because of a slight temperature.

    And then my last 2 runs felt really good!


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    1. funny how that works, huh! Glad you're feeling better ;-)

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  7. I feel ya on the treadmill seeming like it's forever - I much prefer it to interval work than for longer steady state runs. When I was training for a marathon one winter I did a 12 mile run on a treadmill (and a 14 mile run on a track the next week) - I thought I was going to lose my mind, hahaha.

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    1. OMG....I'm feeling cross-eyed and on the verge of a panic attack just thinking about that! Yikes!!!!

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  8. I'm seriously impressed with your 100 daily push up challenge. That is something I could really use some work on. Thanks for the reminder of challenges like this I need to get back into the habit and find one. Maybe I should make the first on the pushup one.... Thanks Kim!

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    1. Just a disclaimer....I did not do all 100 push-ups in one setting, and I did not do all of them on my toes LOL I modified my form for some of them (hands facing inward, wide arms, chatarunga, etc.) to work different muscles.

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  9. With my arm feeling lots better I'm going to start a few new "challenges" like that too. I need to get some more strength and especially flexibility into my routine. Thanks for throwing out some good ideas!

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    1. woot!! Go for it! I like the challenges because they're intense, but short-term.

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  10. Like you, I often feel the need to be constantly training for something. It's really hard not to get sucked in. I am also doing more hot yoga and it feels good!

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    1. I have never tried hot yoga, but I have heard a lot of good things about it ;-)

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  11. I could have written this post! #greatminds #solesisters I train like you do...always ready to jump into a half marathon at the last minute. Why not?

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    1. ha ha ha....yes, why not? There may be a PR just waiting to happen ;-)

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  12. You are wise to change it up! Typically my winter focus is on strength and then I transition back to running in spring. Honestly I've LOVED not having the pressure of LONG run over these past couple of months. 6 or 8 suit me just fine!

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    1. Six or eight suit me just fine, too. Thank you very much ;-) My endurance seldom suffers (well, not much anyways), and it's always easy to jump right back into a training program when the opportunity presents itself.

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  13. Taking a step back is so smart! You'll come back stronger than ever! I love incorporating yoga with my running.

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    1. Yoga definitely is a great supplement to running. My flexibility is getting better, and my balance is much improved ;-)

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  14. I can no longer run on the treadmill. If I absolutely have to, I do hill repeats on it. Because where I live is FLAT !

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    1. I've spent more time on the 'mill (in the past month) than I have in the past couple years combined. UGH. I just have to remind myself that's it's not "running," but "training." ;-) #mindgames

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  15. Thanks for sharing. I am not a huge fan of the treadmill either... but as a working mom ... and this cold winter weather... I am finding it to be a necessity to keep my sanity :)

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    1. I typically don't use my 'mill as much as I have used it in 2016 LOL I might have used it a total of 3 times last winter....but I'm trying to do things differently and incorporate more "drills" as opposed to "runs" on it. DO what you gotta do, huh!

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  16. Whenever I take a break from running I feel like I mentally rebound back into my training Taking an entire 6 weeks off when it isn't physically necessary isn't probably the best approach, but it is what I needed at the time. I'll have to talk to my coach when I get to that burnout stage and he may just give me a few runs for time with no specific paces. I think I could handle that. I do make use of my treadmill a lot. It makes running off the bike trainer in the winter so much easier.

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  17. I think that is a great plan for your off season!! Adding in the strides are great! I try to do a few sets of them before every run. And yay for more yoga, I could use more of that in my life too. So much to do so little time!

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