Training Update: 5 1/2 months postpartum5.5
I think many of you thought I'd sworn off running completely after my "I wish I never ran during pregnancy" post form a few weeks back. I did take eight days off due to a weird toe 'injury' that seemed to result from general weakness in my hips and pelvic floor. But eight days seemed enough to let that heal and allowed me time to refocus on strengthening my core and pelvic floor (which I had started to neglect as I upped my mileage). My right toe and foot are feeling back up to par and I've been slowly increasing the intensity of my runs. I've also been doing a little bit of core work and pelvic floor PT each day. Sometimes I get in the mindset that I have to be in my "workout" clothes to do a workout, but I've been trying to incorporate plank poses, kegels, bridge pose and similar exercises into my day even when I'm wearing my "normal clothes" (which frankly is not that often...most of the time I'm un-showered and in running clothes). It's making a difference: my core feels stronger (and looks more toned! Bonus!). Honestly, I could care less how my abs look I just want to be strong enough to train. Oh how my mindset has changed! Here is what my running workouts have looked like over the past two weeks. [This is honestly a bit of a formating nightmare, since I copied and pasted from DailyMile. If you're interested, great. If not, don't bother reading just skip down to my explanation on how I am approaching training now, upcoming races and a little update on the Jack-Attack:)]
March 2nd: 3.7 mi @ 8:18
Toe felt good for the first 1.5 miles then started to feel a little "twingey." Felt tightness building in my right leg at about 2 mile mark, in hamstring and hip. Tried to focus on form, keeping hips stable, core engaged. Toe never went past the twinge feeling and did not hurt afterwards. Kept the pace comfortable for the terrain: slower on the hills but rolling on the flats and down hill. Never felt like I was "pushing" the pace, felt easy. Focused more on form, less on pace. Lots of stretching and foam rolling afterwards. Mile 1: 9:08 Mile 2: 8:19 Mile 3: 8:08 .7: 7:25
March 4th: 2mi @9:22 pace
Treadmill miles. Felt loose and easy. Toe and foot feeling good.
March 5th: 4mi with 20 min tempo pace
One mile warmup. Twenty minutes at 8min/mi pace and then one mile cool down. Not too much tightness in right side after finishing.
March 8th: 4mi with 20 min steady state
1mi warm up at 8:57; 20 min steady state from 8:27 drop to 8:13 then 1/2mi cool down at 9:40. Felt good. Toe isn't an issue anymore. Feels good. Right side felt lose and good. No building tightness.
March 11th: 5.54mi with 25 min @tempo pace
Felt really good. Smooth, no tightness in the right side or trouble with my right toe. Was really pleased that 7:40 felt comfortably hard for a tempo pace. Did 25 min of tempo rather than mile amount.
1mi w/u @8:23; 25 min tempo=2.98mi; average pace 7:42; 1.47 mi c/d
Mile Splits: Mile1: 8:23; Mile2: 7:42; Mile3: 7:39; Mile4 (.98): 7:47; Mile5: 9:41; .47: 8:34
March 13th: 4.82 with 4x800
Nailed the workout! So pleased that I abandoned my treadmill run this AM. I knew I could run this workout and run it well and I did! 1mi w/u 9:40 4x800 w/ 1/4mi recovery jog in between: 3:30; 3:27; 3:28; 3:27; then a 1.34 mi c/d
March 16th: 8.53 @9:15
Nice hilly long run. Felt good, a little tired on the hills. Need to do more hill repeats. Mile splits were all over the place due to hills. I'm OK with that. That is what the long run is for.
Cross Training: On the days I am not running I'm doing Pilates, Yoga, core work and PT exercises. Everything I described in this post.
Training approach: Less is more. At least that is what I'm trying right now. I have decided to run three days a week and cross train two days a week. My run days are a tempo run, speed work and a long run. My current training paces are based of a 23:33 time trial 5K I did on treadmill back on February 10th. I plugged that time in to McMillan and have based my tempo and speed work off the times that were generated. My long runs are going to be easy and hilly. I like planning hilly long runs because it adds a bit of difficulty at a relaxed pace.
Upcoming Race: I have a 5K in three weeks!! I don't currently have a time goal. I am treating this 5K as another time trial to see where my fitness level is. My hope is that it is faster than 23:33.
Jack-Attack: Now that all the running updating is done...a little update on the little Jack-Man. Oh how I love him! For those of you who are new to my blog, Jack is my five month old son. He was born with a giant melanocytic nevus on his back and we are currently one surgery and two tissue expanders into the process of removal. He had his first surgery on February 8th and recoverd remarkably well. We are now in the process of "filling" his tissue expanders at home. It is a bit stressful for my husband and I, but we have gotten the hang of it and Jack seems completely unphased by the whole thing. He is just as smiley, giggly and drooley as ever.
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Whenever we fill the expanders I marvel at the human body's ability to adapt and heal. The expanders expand, the tissue grows. It's crazy. And he is still smiling. Even more crazy. I am so thankful that he is such an easy-going baby. He really is a champion in every way. Little champ. We love him. I'm not sure when his second and final surgery will be. We are about 60mL into 200-220mL that will eventually fill the expanders. We have a ways to go. My guess is that his surgery will be mid to late May. We have received remarkable care from the doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth. It's a long drive (four hours round trip) but so worth it. They have been great!
Well...this has probably been one of the most disjointed blog posts ever, but that is kind of where my brain is right now. Enjoy.
Have you ever tried running less? What were the results?
--Sarah
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