All of this is to say that I've been bitten by the racing bug and I'm working hard to embrace the run when I finally can. At this point I have maybe 3 weeks until I can run on land, so I'm continuing to bike and elliptical to get my aerobic capacity back up. I've really enjoyed the strength I've developed from lifting multiple times a week, and will likely continue that through the summer. But the most exciting development of my slow comeback is the presence of an underwater treadmill. I stepped on it today and started with a slow walk. The resistance from the water is a strange feeling, even though I haven't run on land for more than two months. After some stretches, I finally got to jog. I felt on top of the world and ready to take on anything...until I was told that I was jogging at 3.5 mph. It was humbling but nonetheless so exciting to finally take some real steps. I'm only aqua jogging once a week and I already can't wait to go back. I'm fixing all of my imbalances and strengthening my legs in way that I possibly may never have before, so I can only imagine how it will feel to finally set foot on land. Now I have goals and visualizations and motivation, and you know that come August I will be racing that 5-miler just like I imagined.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Street Dreaming
Last week, a friend told me about a local road race that his family put on every August. I drifted off, imaging rounding the corner of this race wearing spandex and a singlet and being soaked with sweat from working hard and the warm summer sun. And in that moment, I was ready to race again. Since then, I haven't been able to take racing off my mind. When I drove into Boston to visit my boyfriend, I saw so many runners out for their Sunday morning long run along Comm Ave. I slowed to catch the collegiate logos on hats and jackets and wished I could have just jumped out of the car to join them. Later, the football coach at my school approached me about learning how to run. How could I say no? On our first day in which I evaluated his speed and fitness, he told me that his goal was to run a 6 minute mile by June 1st. Though he's coming from a place of very little fitness and I've been working out since January albeit without running, I said I'd join him. I'm thinking of challenging him to a race.
All of this is to say that I've been bitten by the racing bug and I'm working hard to embrace the run when I finally can. At this point I have maybe 3 weeks until I can run on land, so I'm continuing to bike and elliptical to get my aerobic capacity back up. I've really enjoyed the strength I've developed from lifting multiple times a week, and will likely continue that through the summer. But the most exciting development of my slow comeback is the presence of an underwater treadmill. I stepped on it today and started with a slow walk. The resistance from the water is a strange feeling, even though I haven't run on land for more than two months. After some stretches, I finally got to jog. I felt on top of the world and ready to take on anything...until I was told that I was jogging at 3.5 mph. It was humbling but nonetheless so exciting to finally take some real steps. I'm only aqua jogging once a week and I already can't wait to go back. I'm fixing all of my imbalances and strengthening my legs in way that I possibly may never have before, so I can only imagine how it will feel to finally set foot on land. Now I have goals and visualizations and motivation, and you know that come August I will be racing that 5-miler just like I imagined.
All of this is to say that I've been bitten by the racing bug and I'm working hard to embrace the run when I finally can. At this point I have maybe 3 weeks until I can run on land, so I'm continuing to bike and elliptical to get my aerobic capacity back up. I've really enjoyed the strength I've developed from lifting multiple times a week, and will likely continue that through the summer. But the most exciting development of my slow comeback is the presence of an underwater treadmill. I stepped on it today and started with a slow walk. The resistance from the water is a strange feeling, even though I haven't run on land for more than two months. After some stretches, I finally got to jog. I felt on top of the world and ready to take on anything...until I was told that I was jogging at 3.5 mph. It was humbling but nonetheless so exciting to finally take some real steps. I'm only aqua jogging once a week and I already can't wait to go back. I'm fixing all of my imbalances and strengthening my legs in way that I possibly may never have before, so I can only imagine how it will feel to finally set foot on land. Now I have goals and visualizations and motivation, and you know that come August I will be racing that 5-miler just like I imagined.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Getting Faster without Running: part 3
Last week I finally got the good news: I could walk on two feet. No crutches, no walking boot, no seat in the shower anymore. I'm still walking slowly and carefully, but what a feeling to wear two of the same shoes! Just a few days into my two-footed ambles, I am nowhere near being able to run again. I start physical therapy tomorrow and am going to work as hard as I can to get back to running sooner than later. The doctor told me that people with breaks like mine (distal fibula fracture, if you're wondering) usually don't run for 4 months. 4 months!! I still have 2 and half months to go before I run if that's the timetable I'm following, and at that point I'll still be far from any good racing shape. But one can hope.
In this vein, I'm calling my comeback "cast to 5k." No offense to those who have earned their stripes by following the Couch to 5k program, (and I've looked at it for some of my xc girls; it's prettttty basic) but my plan is only related by tongue-and-cheek alliteration. Despite my inability to run, I've already made strides (pun definitely intended) to run a great 5k at some point this spring. So this brings me back to...my critical nonessentials, part 3.
Since I got off crutches a month ago, I've been in the gym about three times a week lifting. To keep it safe, I've been focusing on arms and core and I can definitely feel and see differences already. I started bench pressing with just the bar, keeping the weight low with many reps. In college we lifted 3x10 (3 sets of 10 reps each) with a focus on low weight and strength endurance, and I still ascribe to that. This doesn't mean, though, that I'm not increasing my weight as I go. As I'm getting stronger and more fit, I've been slowly adding weight to the bar or picking up a heavier dumbbell. Last week I benched 55 pounds--that's 5's on each side of the bar! I'm pretty happy with myself for that. I've also been working triceps, pecs, deltoids, back and all parts of my core. Deb had us doing "7 minute abs" weekly at Colby and I still do those with great results, but I am careful not to neglect the more important but less noticeable other core muscles. Many people don't realize that your core includes your back and your hips and I would argue that having a 6-pack means almost nothing for core strength. In my repertoire of strong core exercises are fire hydrants, superman lifts and rotating planks. I've forsaken my beach body for a warm winter hibernation layer this past month, but I'm still worker towards being stronger every day.
Today I biked for 20 whole minutes with no resistance. It was harder than I expected but I'm not embarrassed about that. Slowly and steadily I will recover and return, and hopefully win that race in the end!
 |
| A milestone: two of the same shoes! |
Since I got off crutches a month ago, I've been in the gym about three times a week lifting. To keep it safe, I've been focusing on arms and core and I can definitely feel and see differences already. I started bench pressing with just the bar, keeping the weight low with many reps. In college we lifted 3x10 (3 sets of 10 reps each) with a focus on low weight and strength endurance, and I still ascribe to that. This doesn't mean, though, that I'm not increasing my weight as I go. As I'm getting stronger and more fit, I've been slowly adding weight to the bar or picking up a heavier dumbbell. Last week I benched 55 pounds--that's 5's on each side of the bar! I'm pretty happy with myself for that. I've also been working triceps, pecs, deltoids, back and all parts of my core. Deb had us doing "7 minute abs" weekly at Colby and I still do those with great results, but I am careful not to neglect the more important but less noticeable other core muscles. Many people don't realize that your core includes your back and your hips and I would argue that having a 6-pack means almost nothing for core strength. In my repertoire of strong core exercises are fire hydrants, superman lifts and rotating planks. I've forsaken my beach body for a warm winter hibernation layer this past month, but I'm still worker towards being stronger every day.
Today I biked for 20 whole minutes with no resistance. It was harder than I expected but I'm not embarrassed about that. Slowly and steadily I will recover and return, and hopefully win that race in the end!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Ever-Elusive Trifecta
Note: I actually wrote this post back in mid-January, but was distracted by visits from friends (yay Sarah and Colleen!), friends leaving (Abbott come back!), and interview preparations (yuck, business casual).
For some reason the phrase “ever-elusive” always make me think of one of my favorite Family Guy scenes: National Geographic special on Firetrucks. (Link below in case anyone has my same sense of humor)
But back to me (blogging makes me feel self-absorbed sometimes), the trifecta is a silly little thing that I use to define the major components of my life: running, research, relationships. I'm usually a solid 2 for 3 (you don't want to see me at 1/3). Yeah, yeah, I'm a perfectionist, you caught me. It’s funny because I used to get so frustrated chasing the trifecta but it seemed nearly impossible that the three could co-exist. I ran my best cross country and track times when I was an emotional wreck. I accomplished some incredible things in the lab while I was nursing/ignoring/healing a stress fracture and subsequently falling from the top to the bottom quarter of the cross-country team as a senior.
Which brings me to now: at this crossroads of injury-free training, a month of interviewing for PhD neuroscience programs, and family and friends rooting for me. Based on my trifecta theory, I start wondering where will it crack? My bet is on the running (it usually is). In this case it’s not a matter of being out-of-shape or injured, it’s my geographical disadvantage. What’s a girl gotta do to get into a race around here?!
I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to get on the track for nearly a month and a half now for a post-collegiate racing debut in the mile. Unfortunately, the running community down here in Balto is just so much sparser and there are practically no opportunities to race something shorter than a half. I tried to race at a U of Maryland Invitational but they “didn’t have space” for me. I call BS because I know an alum who was let in to race the men’s mile, but whatever. On the plus side, I feel like I’ve got the speed back in my legs and plan on trucking along until I can race (hopefully) in an outdoor meet in March/April.
OK – enough of my complaining. Having a lack of race opportunities is hardly cause for whining (and would be majorly insensitive of me given that my poor comrade is healing a broken leg right now). It’s just that my racing blood’s a boilin’ and I want nothing more than to get cranking on the oval. My consolation prize… it seems as though I bestowed upon Baltimore the gift of New England winter weather. Payback? I like to think so. 
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