Gosh, the last week has been the biggest struggle training, I had one of the worst runs I think I have ever had. Last Friday and Saturday I drank about half of my typical water intake, and our dinner choices had little nutritional value. On Saturday, I had a morning meeting with a client and had multiple cups of coffee with very little food, and when I got home, I decided I needed to go for my run. To say I was not prepared for this run would be an understatement. I decided I wanted to change my route a bit, and I started out with the first mile being decent, but I began to struggle through the second mile. Not only was mile two mostly uphill, but I also began to feel my hunger pains. I got about two and a half miles in and my calves were cramping so bad I could barely move, so it was time to take a rest and stretch. I came to a set of stairs on my path and stretched out my calves for a few minutes and decided I could push through. Well, the cherry on top was that the remainder of the run was all uphill, turns out that the first decent mile was only that way because it was downhill. The second mile was where I felt the lack of care that I had shown my body leading up to the run. By the time I got to the third mile I was changing the route just to get home, I was walking and breathing hard and just trying to push myself to keep moving because the last thing I wanted to do was call someone to come and get me. I made it home and just wanted to sit down and drink as much water as I could. I drank about one glass of water and started to get up to stretch when I was hit with a foot cramp that was so miserable, I couldn’t walk. I eventually got my foot and legs stretched out and downed another glass of water before getting ready for the rest of the day. The problem was that I was now experiencing back pain, leg pain, and exhaustion.
My next run was not going to be for another two days, so I was grateful because not only was I tight from this run, but I also had a fear in my mind that the next one might be just as hard. I took the next two days off from working out, and I focused on active stretching and made sure I was hydrating properly. My next run was Tuesday and let me tell you it presented a different challenge. I could not get through the first mile without struggling, but I got my three miles in with more walking than I would have liked. When I got back, I realized that the challenge of this run was purely a mental block. I have made the choice to take a few more rest days where I really focus on eating better, drinking enough water, and getting in good resistance training workouts. I am planning on getting a good run-in on Saturday after doing this preparation to get back on track. I want to go into this run knowing I have fueled my body properly so that I can relax, enjoy, and make it through the three miles without physical or mental blocks.
I feel like the process of getting back into running has been more difficult than I anticipated. I am learning a lot about myself and my body while finding new ways to push myself and keep moving forward even when I feel like I can’t. With the amount of struggle that I have had this last week, I am going to stick with the same workout plan I previously had so that I can build up from where I currently am and build the confidence to push my limits higher!
Day 1: Run 3 miles
Strength training
Superset 1: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: RDLs: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Shoulder press: 10 reps
Superset 2: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: Squats: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Bicep curls: 10 reps
Superset 3: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: Calf raises: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Single arm row: 10 reps for each arm
Superset 4: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: Lunges: 10 reps for each leg
- Exercise 2: Lateral lifts: 10 reps
Core:
- Russian twists: 20 reps
- Flutter kicks: 20 reps
- Sit ups: 30 reps
Be sure to stretch
Day 2: Active rest day
Today will be a light active recovery day. Take a yoga class, go for a hike, bowling, group sport, long- brisk walk or you can do one of the following flows from YouTube:
- Restorative Yoga
- Beginner yoga flow for strength and flexibility
- Flexibility and stretches for recovery
Day 3: Run 3 miles
Conditioning
Superset 1: Do 3 sets
- Exercise 1: Jump squats: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Bench press: 10 reps
Superset 2: Do 3 sets
- Exercise 1: Lunges: 10 reps for each leg
- Exercise 2: Weighted shoulder shrugs: 20 reps
Superset 3: do 3 sets
- Exercise 1: Hamstring curls on ball: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Hamer triceps extension: 20 reps
Core: Do 2 sets
- Bicycles: 20 reps
- Back Extensions: 20 reps
- Toe Touches: 20 reps
Be sure to stretch
Day 4: Active rest day
Today will be a light active recovery day. Take a yoga class, go for a hike, bowling, group sport, long- brisk walk or you can do one of the following flows from YouTube:
- Restorative Yoga
- Beginner yoga flow for strength and flexibility
- Flexibility and stretches for recovery
Day 5: Long day Run 3.5 miles
Strength training – TRX
Superset 1: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: Squat to row: 20 reps
- Exercise 2: Chess Press: 20 reps
Superset 2: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: Face out triceps: 10 reps
- Exercise 2: Squat to bicep curl: 10 reps
Superset 3: Do 4 sets
- Exercise 1: Ropes: 30 sec
Core: Do 2 sets
- Bridge: 10 reps
- Donkey kicks: 10 reps each leg
- Leg lifts: 10 reps
Be sure to stretch
Day 6: Active Recovery
Today will be a light active recovery day. Take a yoga class, go for a hike, bowling, group sport, long- brisk walk or you can do one of the following flows from YouTube:
- Restorative Yoga
- Beginner yoga flow for strength and flexibility
- Flexibility and stretches for recovery
Day 7: Rest
One of the most crucial things you can do to achieve your goals is to be consistent. Today, all you have to do is rest. Walk around, stretch, ride your bike, do something that makes you feel good and will prepare you for next week.