After three weeks off (Dec. 1-Dec. 22) and one week of easy running, I upped the mileage these last two weeks and things seem to be going smoothly with my hamstring. I was able to follow the plan that I had outlined for myself a few weeks ago. Most of the runs have been on the treadmill due to the icy, freezing weather we have had. But I did manage to get in three runs outside last week: 4, 4 and my 7 mile run, and a 2.5 mile snowshoe run with was gloriously difficult.

Pacing: My pace has been hovering around my typical "easy pace," which is anywhere from 9-8:20/min per mile. For some reason it is much easier to maintain the faster end of that pace outside, running on the treadmill feels like so much more of an effort. Does anyone else feel this way? At the end of this past Friday's four miler I pushed the pace down into the 7's just to see how it felt. For about the last mile I was in the 7's and saw high 6's for about a 1/4 of a mile on a nice flat stretch. That was surprising. I like being surprised when I look down at my Garmin. Since my PT told me to avoid speed work for a while I was anxious to test it out and see how a faster pace felt on my hamstring. It felt good. Normal. No issues. At the faster pace I was very conscious of my form, trying to keep my transverse abs engaged and my feet driving "down" into the ground and extending out behind me vs. over striding/reaching with the leg and pulling my body forward with my hamstring. I think that consciousness translated to better form and perhaps took unnecessary pressure off the hamstring.

Hills: On Friday and Saturday there were a few hills on my run. This was another thing the PT mentioned avoiding to decrease the amount of strain on the hamstring. My run on Friday takes me up the hill from my house which is about 200-300ft in elevation climb=a decent sized hill. I was again conscious of my form and stride. I tried to increase my stride frequency, lean back a bit (leaning back on hills actually improves your form and the driving power in your legs vs. leaning forward), and raise my knees. I must have looked like a reindeer with my red flashing lights and my prancing stride. Seriously, I felt ridiculous. But my hamstring didn't feel like it was working unnecessarily, which I think was happening before due to bad form and a weakened hips.

Fitness: I find it hard to gauge my fitness on treadmill runs. I think mentally I dislike running on the treadmill so much that it doesn't allow me to really run well. And I have no plans of "working" on that. I don't like it. I'd rather be on the road. So I really wasn't sure what my fitness level was after taking three weeks off from running and then gradually easing back into running with two miles at a time. In some ways it feels like last year when I was returning to running after giving birth: I feel slow and out of breath. I'm am much further ahead of where I was last year, but paces that felt easy this summer and fall feel hard now.I've also noticed that roads I thought were flat, no longer look flat to me. I've felt the difficulty of even the smallest incline on my outside runs. I'm not gonna lie, that's kind of frustrating. But my desire isn't to "get back to where I was," it's to be better than I was. And I think this time off will prove to be an asset in the long run. On my run yesterday there were moments where it felt challenged, where I really wanted to slow the pace and just go easy. But in those moments I told myself, This is where you gain fitness. This is where it happens, in the tough moments when you want to quit or slow down. And so I try to lean into the challenge and that uncomfortable feeling, knowing that is what will get me where I want to be.

Cross-Training/PT: I've been faithfully cross-training three days a week, which now includes a Barre class on Friday's (which I find just as challenging as any long run or intense track workout). And I manage to squeeze in my PT exercises in the evening after the kids go to bed. It will be a challenge to maintain this routine as I begin to add in more running, but I know from experience that if I don't then I won't be running at all.

Looking Ahead: I haven't signed up for any races yet. I have a list. But I want to give training a few more weeks before I make any commitments. I want to see if that tightness in my hamstring comes back with increase intensity/mileage. For now it seems that cross training and PT are keeping it at bay. But I am itching for that goal, something to be training for.

How is your training going? Have any spring races you're signed up for? How do you cope with boredom on the treadmill?

-Sarah

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