Let's start with training week #3 - how did I do??
Week #3 went great! Because of other commitments, I ended up not sticking to this order, but thats okay. I ran 6.00 miles on that Friday from work to home. It was pouring rain and it was a tough run, but I did it. Not only that, but on Sunday, I did my 4 mile run and I ran the entire time. I was very proud of myself and was so pumped that I actually ran 4 whole miles - thats such awesome progress and I felt great after the run. It definitely helped that it was about 20 degrees cooler than it had been in the past 2 months, but it doesn't matter because I was still able to do it!
Also, the 3 mile run I did on a treadmill and it went pretty terribly. I don't know what it is, but I hate the treadmill. I can only run for like 10 minutes and then I feel like I'm dying of boredom/exhaustion. Even though I'm going slower than I do when I'm running outside, it still feels harder. Does anyone else ever feel this way??
So with the overall high from week 3, I was pumped to start week 4. My legs were sore from running 10 miles between Friday and Sunday, but I was actually excited last Monday to go for another run and see if I could do the whole thing again.
Here was the plan for week 4:
Not bad, only adding an extra mile to the 1st run, but otherwise, basically the same as week 4.
Here is what happened on week 4:
Whaaaaaa??? Such a confusing week! What happened?!?
I think I sprained my ankle. You know how I said my legs were sore after running on Friday and Sunday? Well my ankle was very uncomfortable, but I assumed it was because of running so much. On Monday, when I went for my 5 mile run, about 0.76 miles in, my ankle was in a lot of pain and I decided to stop running. The only reason its 1.3 miles is because I had to walk back to my apartment. I tried running a couple more times hoping that it was just very tired, but every time I took a step, I could feel my ankle/foot hurting.
On Tuesday, I had to go see a client in the evening and then on Wednesday we had our tasting for our wedding, so I had to take those days off anyway. I rested my ankle and figured that it was still probably muscle soreness/tiredness. Or maybe I needed new shoes...
On Thursday, I laced up, got back to running and went for 3 miles. It continued to be uncomfortable, but I pushed through the run. See, the thing is, I don't trust myself when I'm sick or injured. I'm never sure if I'm genuinely injured/sick (unless its obvious like I have a fever), and so I tend to just believe it's all in my head/I need to push through it. There is no visible swelling, so there is no proof that I'm injured, other than discomfort. And I'm a baby, so I'm uncomfortable when I run anyway.
I decided on Friday morning to buy an ankle brace to see if that helped relieve some pressure so I could run on Friday afternoon. I put it on and it instantly felt much better. Not perfect, but much much better. I decided not to run on Friday and take a couple more days off.
When I got home and took off the brace, there was some bruising by my ankle, which wasn't noticeable before. I don't know if the compression increased blood flow and made bruising more apparent, but based on the improvement with the brace and the bruising, I'm pretty sure it's an ankle sprain.
So what does that mean for my half marathon training?
No more running for at least a week. I am going to go on a bike for an hour as often as I can - at least 3 times a week, because I don't want to lose the cardio base I've built up. It really sucks going on a stationary bike for an hour. It's just very boring, even while watching TV, listening to music or reading on my phone. After this week, I'll see how my ankle feels and do a short test run. If it feels good, I'll try a longer run, and then just pick up where I should be. I might have to tweak my schedule or add an extra run when I can to keep adding the mileage, but I'll worry about that once I'm back to running. Who knows, it could be a week, it could be a month, so there is no sense planning a schedule when I don't know what will happen.
 |
| Icing my ankle |
How have you handled injuries/setbacks? Do you prefer running outside or on the treadmill?
No trauma? That's kinda weird. The few times I've sprained my ankle without any remarkable trauma coincided with potential over-training. My "responsible" rule of thumb for ankle sprains is to wait to resume training until 1 week from the point when you can walk without a limp. Seeing bruising is bad, but if it's not a grapefruit you're not in terrible shape. Ankle sprains suck. I got one this year about a month before a race. I proceeded to run on it anyway and I regretted it. Eventually I needed to stop running for > a month to let everything heal. I'm an idiot, so please don't be like me. And don't be discouraged if you need to take time off. You're still doing awesome and as long as you're patient and dedicated, I really think you can still pull off your half-marathon. Also, treadmills suck pretty hard. Hope your ankle feels better soon!
ReplyDeleteWhatever kind of sports you are doing, it is crucial to provide your body with nutritional support. Especially after hard trainings. I've read thousands times that we don't get enough nutrients from our everyday meals. That is why, supplementation is necessary. You just have to find a high quality product. I've searched through internet, studied articles and reviews, and finally found the product for myself - Military Grade supplements. My basic criteria was natural compounds. Then, I liked the reviews, which were mostly positive, highlighting the visible effect of the product. So, I've tried them myself. Started with 1 bottle of their new post-workout product - Second Wind - and was surprised greatly! Almost no fatigue after my workouts, no muscle soreness and lots of energy throughout a day! This product is definitely worth trying.
ReplyDelete