Today we jogged to the gym (two miles), worked out in the circuit for 30, and then jogged back home. It was a total of about 65-70 minutes and a four mile round trip run. Nathan and I agreed that running, lifting and running was a good variation of activities. After about 20-30 minutes of something, you start to get bored, and that was about the time when we were switching gears. Before we knew it, we were home and relaxing soon enough...eating to refuel ourselves up. Bread has been my best friend, specifically the fresh french bread from the nearby grocery store. Nathan brought some home today, and I could tell he had gone out of his way (past Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer) to get the good stuff. And boy, is there nothing like munching down on some carbs after a work out. Forget ice cream and sweets. I'm a carb-loader, and I finally found a way that I can eat all I want--run it off!
Nathan, on the other hand, has turned into a monkey. He ate a banana at breakfast, lunch and after our run. That's three bananas in one day! Bread and bananas have about the same amount of calories (and bananas are no doubt better for you than bread), but who would pick a banana over fresh french bread? At least that means I don't have to share!
Yesterday: Rest day #2
My knee was still bothering me. Plus, we had some things to do around the house.
Nathan inspired me to do some research on runner's knee and we found this site:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--13841-0,00.html
What a great article! I took notes on some running tips (like take shorter strides and land on bent knees). I tried to ignore the part that said you should stop running when you feel pain--oops!
The best part about this read was the exercises it gives to help strengthen your legs in order to avoid knee pain. Basically, our left knees are hurting because we are right footed, so our right legs can handle the pressure and impact of running while our left knees cannot. In order to run without knee pain, you need to have strongly developed quads, hips and glutes. These are muscles that can be developed by biking, uphill walking/running, and various strength training exercises (like lateral side steps, squats and hip flexors). Our doctor also has recommended strengthening our quads and hamstrings by using the leg extension and curl machines. Other exercises like the elliptical machine and swimming can be a good low-impact work out for those in between days. Generally, you should not run everyday--nor would you want to. Healing/rest days are the most important days in a running schedule.
That being said, we are going to try to implement all of these strategies over the next few weeks (while we continue our running plan). Only 58 days until the big race day!
Day 63: Rest day (more like could barely move the day after a 7.5 mile run day). I was a sorry sight.
Quote of the day: "Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete" -Willie Shoemaker
No comments:
Post a Comment