I took a week off running last week because my left hip has been bothering me for about two weeks. Something has been tight and pulls when I stretch it. When I was running when my left foot hit and pushed off the ground it pinched a little. It was never super painful, but very much there and I didn’t like it. So since I’m not an idiot and since I have friends who talk me into being smart (thanks AMY) I gave it a rest.
I had built my miles up and held steady around 40 miles a week for a few weeks and was headed into 45 miles with a 17 mile long run last week. After a tempo run on Wednesday, I decided to take a week off. The tempo run was good. My pace was on point (around 6:52 average for 5 miles) and I felt strong, but as the run went on I felt that pull a lot and when I was cooling down it really started to bother me, so I decided to give it a rest.
I’ve replaced four runs with swims and enjoyed some down time. Had a busy day on Saturday and Sunday last week and it was nice to just not feel tied down to a workout.
I have been quickly reminded how good for the body swimming is. I think I was doing some of my strongest runs when I was swimming 3 days a week for the 70.3 in 2013.
I’m a little torn about training right now. I was hoping to pick my miles up and peak out around 75 for Monumental, but I’m not going to be married to this idea. I’m going to do what my body tells me I can handle. If I get up there, great, if I don’t, I still think I am capable of a great cycle. If I have to swim more and run a little less then I originally anticipated, fine. Running will not make my arms and my core near as strong as swimming will. And swimming gives me confidence. It gives me confidence that I can do things I didn’t think I could. Because I was always that runner who said “I’m not a swimmer.”
A little note on swimming- it’s just like running in the sense that when you get started on your first couple laps, of course you feel like it’s really hard. You have to warm up. My conclusion is that runners who say that can’t swim are just like swimmers who say that can’t run. A runner knows it takes the first 1-3 miles to warm up, which is why a lot of people don’t make it past the first there miles. Keep going. Warm up. Warm up slow and then get your run on. Take that with you in the pool too. Stop being scared of the pool you crazy (and injured) runners!
I came back this past week with three runs and two swims. I have been very diligent about icing a few times a day and stretching way more than my norm. I should add a little more in there, but I’m working on it. I won’t do any speed until this Saturday when I run the Firecracker 6. I think I’ll go out around 6:45 pace in the race and try to close in hard the second half.
I’m not worried I lost any fitness.
Oh, also- we celebrated Marshall’s third birthday this weekend!Â
Think I’ll try to hit around 35 miles this week. We’ll see what happens. I’m starting it off today with no running at all as I’m at a conference in Chicago and have no time to run unless I choose to forgo booze at the cocktail hour and run later. Definitely not happening.