I will name one thing each Wednesday, that I tried, did, or do, to improve my health. Healing is as much a process as preparing for my first half-marathon. If you read my first post, you will notice that I still take lots of medications for my asthma, and my ultimate goal is to eliminate (or reduce as much as possible) the number of presciption meds I must take.
One of the first things I did was:
**Eliminate dairy products (when I am doing really well, I allow myself a few treats, but even then, I always go easy on the dairy)
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So today is a day off from running. I started a new weight training program a few weeks ago, and I may have tried to push it a little too much. I have been going to the gym for over two years now, so I'm not as new to weight training, but I had been focusing on endurance. Lower weights and more repetitions. But, now that I am running for longer stretches we decided to switch to strength training. Higher weights and less repetitions. I had never done leg curls and I think that's what did it. After a few times with the new program I started to feel pain in the upper left thigh area (groin and back) and it seemed to fluctuate. I hadn't made the link immediately, but when I went to the gym last Sunday, I realized that the pain was back and that's when it clicked. Luckily, it doesn't hurt when I run or walk, and it doesn't affect my gait, so I'll just go easy, but I won't stop completely.
So today is a day off from running. I started a new weight training program a few weeks ago, and I may have tried to push it a little too much. I have been going to the gym for over two years now, so I'm not as new to weight training, but I had been focusing on endurance. Lower weights and more repetitions. But, now that I am running for longer stretches we decided to switch to strength training. Higher weights and less repetitions. I had never done leg curls and I think that's what did it. After a few times with the new program I started to feel pain in the upper left thigh area (groin and back) and it seemed to fluctuate. I hadn't made the link immediately, but when I went to the gym last Sunday, I realized that the pain was back and that's when it clicked. Luckily, it doesn't hurt when I run or walk, and it doesn't affect my gait, so I'll just go easy, but I won't stop completely.
Another reason I chose today as a rest day is that I worked both this morning and this evening. Rushed home at 7pm, ate a light dinner and then back out the door to my yoga class.
I love yoga, especially since I found the perfect teacher, she's amazing. Today was a new class called Stretch Yoga, which is perfect for me and was good for my "injured" thigh.
Regardless of the pain, scheduling is a bit complicated for me during this transition from being a non-runner to a "gulp" runner! I haven't started working with a running group yet, so I'm never really sure when I should take breaks, do my muscle training, my short runs, my long(ish) runs and I haven't started hills yet. I start my half-marathon clinic on February 11th, so I should have a better idea by then. Until then, I read as much as I can on the subject. According to the Complete Book of Women's Running...
"You don't get faster or fitter on the days that you push yourself. Improvement comes during your rest after the days when you run hard. On off days, your body can repair muscle damage, fortify your immune system, and prepare for the next onslaught." (page 36)
Okay, granted it's not like 12K in the last 5 days is much of an "onslaught", especially considering the mileage put in by most of the women who's blogs I've been stalking, but I'm coming along!
Thanks to those of you who've sent me words of encouragement, it's MUCH appreciated.
Cheers!
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