It also helped to put me in an even worse mood. Last Sunday I was on the treadmill for an hour with the first four miles alternating at a walk/jog/run, and then the final mile+ walked at full incline. I haven't run since then because...well...the shin didn't respond well.
So this Sunday, when I watched the clock slowly tick until it hit start time of 1:00, I just got more and more annoyed. I wanted to run. Even more, I wanted to race.
I tried burning off some steam by doing an hour and a half on the elliptical and a half hour+ in the pool - and while it was a good workout - it did not relieve any stress. I did not receive any endorphin high. I was still bummed. Totally. Bummed.
But this feeling has been par for the course over the past 6+ weeks. A series of lows and lowers. With the occasional feeling of 'meh'. Which is defined as the level below 'bah!'. Even though this Sunday was one of the more frustrating days, being on the elliptical for that long gave my a good chance to let my mind wander...Discipline and focus. That's where it wandered to.
I wanted to run the Amherst 10-miler badly, but that's not the goal race. I've been focused on trying to get healthy for Boston and Big Sur, and a 10 mile race at this point would have been a stupid risk. And so as I stood on the elliptical I thought to myself, 'I need to remain disciplined and focused.' After the elliptical I was wiped, but I did 3 sets of calf raises and a couple of sets of the Myrtl routine. I would have liked to head home, but...well - discipline and focus. Get to the pool.
Stretch. Foam roll. Eat right - extra calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin. Time on the bike. Time in the pool. Time on the elliptical. Core work. Hip strengthening. Resistance band work for the foot and ankle. Sports massage. Icing. Ultrasound. Sleep.
All of that has to be done on a consistent basis. It's not fun. I would rather be running, but that's where my mind wandered. Discipline and focus.
It reminds of of a quote that I've posted a few times now, and seems a fitting summary:
"One of the first lessons running teaches us about success in athletics and in life is that there is no one else. No one else can do your workouts for you. You alone must do the drills, repeat the core exercises, stretch, and lift the weights. You cannot hire someone else to do your cross-training when you are battling injury, or pay someone to run a race and get you a new PR. You are truly your own hero in running. It is up to you to have the responsibility and self-discipline to get the job done." - Adam Goucher, Running the Edge
I wanted to run the Amherst 10-miler badly, but that's not the goal race. I've been focused on trying to get healthy for Boston and Big Sur, and a 10 mile race at this point would have been a stupid risk. And so as I stood on the elliptical I thought to myself, 'I need to remain disciplined and focused.' After the elliptical I was wiped, but I did 3 sets of calf raises and a couple of sets of the Myrtl routine. I would have liked to head home, but...well - discipline and focus. Get to the pool.
Stretch. Foam roll. Eat right - extra calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin. Time on the bike. Time in the pool. Time on the elliptical. Core work. Hip strengthening. Resistance band work for the foot and ankle. Sports massage. Icing. Ultrasound. Sleep.
All of that has to be done on a consistent basis. It's not fun. I would rather be running, but that's where my mind wandered. Discipline and focus.
It reminds of of a quote that I've posted a few times now, and seems a fitting summary:
"One of the first lessons running teaches us about success in athletics and in life is that there is no one else. No one else can do your workouts for you. You alone must do the drills, repeat the core exercises, stretch, and lift the weights. You cannot hire someone else to do your cross-training when you are battling injury, or pay someone to run a race and get you a new PR. You are truly your own hero in running. It is up to you to have the responsibility and self-discipline to get the job done." - Adam Goucher, Running the Edge
No comments:
Post a Comment