CIM 2019 Training Update - September
I’ve been using the Hal Higdon Advanced 2 training program and it’s week 7 out of 18 for CIM. It had been going really well until this week when my right foot, ankle and hip started to feel really inflamed and sore. I have decided to take a few days rest. I am really disappointed because I was really looking forward to my training runs this weekend. I had an 8 mile pace run and a 16 miler - the highest mileage run this training so far.
I know it’s the right thing to do to let the inflammation go down instead of try to run through it. I got myself into trouble back in 2012 when I tried run through this type of issue. Having this pop up has brought to my attention how I’m not taking good care of my body during training. I started to think about why this is happening so I can fix it and prevent it in the future. Here’s what I came up with for contributing to my issues…
Running too fast
I tried to do my best to really be smart about building up my base mileage. I know that my body does not handle marathon training well if I don’t have a good base mileage built up. I feel that I did a good job building up the base mileage and being smart about not running a marathon earlier when I really wanted to. The problem is more that I was getting a little excited about some of the training runs and pushing the pace when I should have been running easier. Hal Higdon recommends running 60-90 seconds slower for the easier paced runs and I was actually running some pace miles within some of those runs. Sometimes it was because I wanted to make sure I beat the shower rush at the gym and sometimes it was because I was just feeling good and wanted to test myself. I should know better than this and am going to remind myself to KEEP MY EASY RUNS EASY!
Maintenance
When I was at my peak running in the past, I was really strict with getting my foam rolling and stretching in. This is something I have been neglecting to do and it’s even more important since I’m older and let’s face it…I don’t recover as fast. I have been getting my runs done, jumping into the shower and getting on with my day. It’s time to bring back the daily routine of foam rolling, using my Foot Rubz and the lacrosse ball. I also used to incorporate some yoga poses like fire log, pigeon and other hip focused stretches.
Strength and Cross Training
Another practice I used to incorporate when I was at my peak marathon performance was strength and cross training. I would go to one spin class a week and regularly did core work. I have been mostly focused on running and the fact that I’ve been neglecting my stability muscles has become very apparent. Running is my passion and I much rather prefer do that than the strengthening or cross training but I have to suck it up and get these other important aspects of training incorporated.
Nutrition and Hydration
A lot of people think that just because I’m a runner that I eat really healthy. That’s not the case. I have to work just as hard as you to eat healthy as any other person. I love fried food, candy, ice cream and sweet treats of all kinds. I’ve been traveling a lot for work and leisure and that means a lot of exploring through food. My body feels and operates better when it is fueled with healthy food and I’m starting to feel the effects of the indulging. I know that there are ways to make healthy food taste good so I need to get back to my food prep and finding new, exciting recipes to try. I also know that it’s not just about the quality of the food that you eat, but the timing based around when and what type of workout I am doing.
I would really like to get back to my pre-injury PR sometime and this will require me to be “all in” for my training. I can’t just be “half in” and expect to see the results that I want to see. Like anything in life, it won’t come easy, so I’m ready! I am a little discouraged with how my hip and foot feels but also realize it is still early in training. I also realize that this might not be the marathon to aim for that PR if I can’t fully heal in time. I’d much rather finish the marathon injury-free than get a PR and be put out of running for a few years like before.
Anyone else ever have some setbacks in training? What do you think caused them? How did you handle them and recover?