I have a new plan...CROSS-TRAINING. Of course I've always known about it but tried to stay away from it because for some odd reason I thought it would make me seem less motivated or eager to get through my training, but if it means a healthy body, I'm all for it. Soooo, for the sake of my shins I'll be substituting running for cross-training 2 days out of my "running 4 times a week" training period. One day concentrating on hills/intensity/resistance and the other concentrating on speed. Plus, I'll be getting back into lifting 3x's a week so that's a plus.
I've really started to like running and wish I could be out there all 4 days, but to be honest this cross-training is a HUGE relief! I've never been a runner...EVER...so i'm not quite sure my body is up for the challenge of keeping up with running 4 days a week, especially with the pounding my body's taken over the years from being a gymnast. I know running is 90% mental (as well as the other sports i've done in the past), but I'm really not up for potentially having to keep resting all because my shins are shot. Don't get me wrong...I'm psyched for the long runs on Saturday mornings (10 miler this weekend), but I'm just not up for risking my legs on the shorter runs.
I have a confession to make. It's something I've been working on but still haven't seemed to tackle completely. I've been very caught up on running this marathon just so I can lose weight and tone up (shame on me). I keep having to tell myself that this marathon isn't about that. It's about challenging yourself and doing something that you thought you'd never do, and I think this is why my body is in the shape its in. During my runs, especially the shorter ones, all I do is push myself to finish as fast as I can. Obviously this hasn't been working out for me, so why am I continuing to run so intensely? I need a new approach. From now on, at least until race time, I will no longer put myself up against the clock, but instead, enjoy my runs and run them at a pace where I can actually recover on my off days. Time is of no importance. It's about running comfortably and finishing my mileage for that day PAIN FREE!
One last thing...I officially registered for my first half marathon. Oct 19th!
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2 comments:
I total agree wiht this: It's about running comfortably and finishing my mileage for that day PAIN FREE!
Enjoy it while you are out there!
I have definitely found I run better when I tell myself to stop worrying about the time and just enjoy what I am doing. And I also cross-train 2 days a week, run the other three. I find I am feeling better about running now, and also I like the fact that I am not constantly pounding my muscles into the pavement every day.
Good luck to you! that's awesome about the half-marathon!
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