This week has been pretty crazy for me, with a lot of highs and an equal (or maybe slightly greater) amount of lows, both of which make me want to do one thing: run.
But, we’ve been over this more than a time of two in the past, and we all know that thanks to my bone density that rivals that of an 88 year old, I just can’t go for a hard run every time I get a little stressed or get an email with the best news of the month.
On top of this, if I’m being honest with myself, and I’m really trying to do that these days, my recovery from injury has been a little…overeager. My foot will give an inch and I’ll take a mile (or 15.5). It’s been really tough for me to resist the urge to be slightly more aggressive toward my injury recovery than is doctor recommended. In addition to the urges I experience after all stressful or wonderful days, Every nice day (of which there’s been no shortage) and every time a running partner is emailing me, gchatting me, or texting me for a run (again, equal amounts of the no-shortage thing) I am tempted to lace up my shoes and head out for a run. So basically, multiple times daily, I am tempted to run. Let’s just say I’m always jonesing for a run.
And once I’m outside, it’s game on. If I’ve had one of the terribly stressful days that have been plaguing my life lately, all I want to do is leave that stress all over the pavement. And if I’ve had an amazing, pop the bubbly, good stuff is happening kind of day, my legs want to join the party and get their celebration on for miles and miles around DC.
Either way, I end up with slightly lengthy runs, at a slightly excited pace. I’m not out breaking any speed or distance records, going as fast as I would for tempo or track work, or busting out double running workouts every day, but my running is very excited.
Excited to be back.
Excited to be racing again.
All excited. All the time.
And that excitement has been manifesting itself in pretty much every single one of my training runs.
After Sunday’s race left me with a blister that bled through its bandage on one foot, and a nearly dead toenail that’s clinging for its last moments of life on the other, I took it at as my body’s cue to back off a little.
Yes, I feel like a wimp that a little scrape is slowing me down. Yup, I’m finally owning it: big fat wimp right here, but a little time off from impact never does a disservice to my pathetically injury prone body. It’s kind of like when you get sick during taper. You panic a little (or a lot, if you’re me at certain stages of my life) but in the end, extra rest never hurts you. In fact, based on my very rich experience in falling ill immediately before a race, it usually helps you.
So in the spirit of backing off, I’ve been hitting the pool to get my runs in to kick off this week. (Notice I used the phrase “kick off” instead of simply saying “this week”? The backing off thing will likely end today or tomorrow. I mean, 68 in DC and running partners one email away? A girl can only resist so much temptation.)
First, I got up close and personal with some chlorine on Monday evening to try and mimic a shake out run, pool style.
Thanks to the day being filled with some extra lovely stress, my effort ended up being not-so-much shake out, and much more akin to a tempo style workout. But hey, better in the pool than out on the road, right?
And yesterday morning, I headed back to my dungeon of a pool to do some 800 intervals.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I do “track work” in the pool. Trust me friends, it’s super complex and super innovative. And it’s your lucky day, I’m about to spill my secrets.
“800s”: Pool Style
Things you will need:
1) Your 800 goal pace for the track (for me, it’s 3:12)
2) A stop watch(that’s the super archaic timing device that preceded the garmin), can substitute pool clock for stop watch.
Workout:
Warm up for 10-15 minutes with regular old pool running
Pick up the pace to all out (or something resembling an 800 effort, I just go as hard as I can) at intervals equal to target 800 time.
Rest for 1-1:30 minutes between each one.
Repeat 4-8 times
Told you, super specific.You’re welcome for that genius workout, that I in no way, shape, or form came up with on my own.
And now that I’ve taken a few days off from the impact of running, I’ll feel that much better and smarter about my next run. How exciting.
Tell me: are you good at backing off when you need to? Or are you as tempted as I am to run your body into the ground with some very excited workouts?
I would consider this to be another step toward your “smart healing” of this injury. It will ALL be worth it come epic goal chasing.
I can tell when my body feels overworked and I do my best to back off. I am often tempted to not stop and keep going, but I try to think about how not fun being injured would be.
I do OKAY with the backing off when I am supposed to. I will be very tempted to run but know my body needs the break so I usually take it. My super-smart moves seem to be not increasing mileage as slowly as I should. 10% increase in mileage a week, so 50% is close to that right? Right???? Or, I’ll be like, oh a 6 mile run today, hmmm, but that route looks much more fun, it’s only a couple extra miles, that’s not much,….no one is going to notice. Oops. So, basically, I start to ramp up for my actual training plan and get all excited and then the “oops” start. :)
Hi Emily. Thank you for spilling your top secret on pool running. Pool workout is a very useful tool for my back-pain body. Sorry to sound stupid, but I need to ask: “regular old pool running” means just like running on land, we run in the water.. right?
Half of my pool is deep, so will turn around quite a fair bit in the pool..
Thanks
Lately, I’ve been just heading out for a run whenever I can, sometimes twice. I really shouldn’t because I don’t have that strong of a base, but stress makes me want to run.
Love your blog – could you recommend your foot doc? I am dealing with some foot pains and had a rather frustrating experience today with a dr. so would love to see someone who knows about running!
Yes! I’ve seen Firestone in DC. I loved him. Huge runner, gets it, works with you. Can’t say enough good things. Email me if you have more questions!
While I have the love of swimming and biking too in the same way I <3 the run, and now I'm getting back to the love of lifting heavy things, but I still get overexcited because the more training I can cram in the better I'll get, right? Even if I'm a puddle of goo on the 7th day and dragging arse the next week? /sigh.
REST IS WHEN I GET STRONGER. REST IS WHEN I GET STRONGER. I need to tattoo this on my forehead.
So yeah, I feel ya. :)
I’m a lot older than you (if I had been an unwed teen mom, I could have been your mother ;-)) and I learned last year while training for my first two half marathons that rest days were as important, if not MORE important, that training days. I don’t know if that’s particular to ME or if that applies to all busy moms in their forties, but when I forget that now I definitely pay for it later. Due to my schedule now, my I’m running more days, but fewer miles on those days, whereas a year ago I ran more miles on fewer days (and my first half will probably always be my PR, at 1:47). I’m running the same number of weekly miles now, but I don’t feel nearly as ready for my next half (next month) as I did last year. All that to say, it took a long time to realize that if I took 24 hours off I wasn’t going to turn into a wheezing, gasping sloth in that time.
I’ve gotten much better about taking time off when needed. Last spring I ignored a knee/IT band issue and it got so severe that i ended up having to take the entire summer off + physical therapy. I couldn’t run more than 2 miles. I had to have people pick me up from runs a few times bc I could not hobble home. Since then i’ve learned to just take time off rather than injuring myself. a week off is better than 3 months off.
clearly i get excited. hence the current injury and very specific list of approved workouts. blah. we should all just be healthy all the time. i was until this injury so i guess i’m officially paying my dues. can i give back my membership?
I am horrible at backing off. When I actually do back off, it’s usually 2 days or so and then I go back and hurt myself and then get mad because “I rested!!!!”
I am doing really good lately with not doing the exercises that I’m not supposed to do at CrossFit. No jumping, no squatting, no super heavy weights. I only just attemped a burpee today (and I still hate them just as much).
Take care of yourself. Listen to your doctor and stay in running shape. The long term outcome makes the short term bearable.
I’d give myself a B for backing off ability. I definitely don’t like to skip workouts no matter how I’m feeling (sick, exhausted, etc) but I also know the importance of a taper and usually stick to my plan to do so. Although my tapers aren’t as relaxing as others might be…
I’m in a boot for 6-8 weeks….I ran the 26.2 with Donna on the 12th with a stress fracture that I thought was just that nagging sore ankle I kept ignoring. The next day at the Ortho, I found out it was not a stress fracture anymore but a full on break. I hate my boot….really hate my boot, not too fond of my crutches either. I almost cried on my closet floor this morning when I spotted one of my running shoes. So, I’m running in the pool right along with you. Awesome. If I didn’t think my husband would tackle me and send me to the psych ward, I would lace up right now and head out. So back off? Are you kidding….tie me down. It’s killing me, but I want to come back strong, so that means I have to be smart now and do what I’m told (ridiculous), and not come back too fast when I’m able. When I’m out of the boot, I can’t imagine how hard it is going to be to hold back when everything in me says…GO! Take it easy….you’re doing amazing. You’re relay time was awesome!
I can’t wait for those “excited because I can finally run again” days! For now, I’m just ready to get the green light to cycle and pool run! Please share more pool running tips/workouts, I love the idea of doing some Yassos 800/ in the water! Also, I’m actually going to be in your offices Friday for all those fun meetings first thing in the am.
Always hard to back off. I’m so injury prone I have to get my husband to hide my running shoes if I had to back off. Good for you for listening to your body. Heal soon!
I have a question for you about pool workouts– when you say you do 800s, do you really do 32 laps (or 16 if it is a 50 m pool) or are pool running distances shortened? From what I remember of cross country camp (yes, I was the nerd who went) it was kind of harder than regular running (aka took longer) so I’m just wondering if the regular distances are the same in the pool. THANKS!!
No! I mean nothing about distance. I say 800s because I try and match the length of time I spend doing 800s on the track. So instead of using a distance in the water, I’ll use my watch to time 3 minutes and 20 seconds of hard pool running.
Backing off is ridiculously hard to do! I try to really listen to my voice of reason when I’m considering doing more than I know I should. Remembering my ultimate goal usually helps me. Especially this training cycle – I’m going for my first BQ time and I don’t want to do anything to screw it up. This is my peak week and my mileage is higher than it has ever been in all my life. I ran 8 miles early this morning and then later today the weather was so insanely awesome all I wanted to do was get out there and RUN more. But I fought the urge because I have 22 to tackle on Saturday and I want to feel super strong for it. I don’t know – maybe it would have been totally fine to do a double today – but it wouldn’t be worth it if I pushed myself over the limit ad got injured this week. Sometimes rest/easing up takes more mental strength and courage than the toughest runs do!
It is hard but so wonderful to back off! I tried to climb a pretty crazy hill (2000 foot ascent) a few weeks ago when my body felt pretty beaten down and I just couldn’t do it. This past Saturday, after a nice, fairly easy week, I felt great on the climb and it served as a reminder that we need to rest after pushing hard. I’m also older and don’t consider myself very athletic, so the rest days are very important to me these days!