I thought I'd do a post that reflected my mood today by picking out 4 big positives in my current fitness endeavours to really underline, to myself, a positive mental attitude. Especially as fitting in my Tuesday and Wednesday runs this week will need a good deal of commitment.
Here we go:
Core workouts/groin injury
All seems under control. There is a twinge from the old injury from time to time but nothing intense and certainly doesn't seem to be getting any worse. I'm doing the core exercises just twice a week but I seem to be getting stronger with them all the same - especially noticeable with exercises like the single leg squat and box lunge.
Diet/Weight
Ticking along nicely. If I take out the Christmas fall and rise in weight I've pretty much maintained for a number of months and have been reducing for the last 2 and a bit weeks. Still on target to hit 11st by early/mid March with a 2lb a week loss and will then switch to maintaining - assuming I don't find signs of restriction impacting training in the meantime, in which case I'll re-assess.
Losing the best part of another stone could and should make runs easier and pace faster. Possibly quite dramatically. It'll be interesting to see.
Marathon Training
I've had some pleasing runs of late and I'm beginning to feel like the training plan mists are clearing and I can start to see the path to my goal more clearly.
What do I mean by that confusing metaphor?
Well, during training, and maybe particularly for the plan I'm following, there's a progression of training types, paces, distances etc and these imperceptibly build upon one another to gradually increase speed and endurance specific to the marathon goal. The trouble is that as I was completing them, especially when I was doing things like short intervals at 1 mile pace, it was very difficult to see how everything would come together. Now, I not only feel in pretty good shape for the stage I'm at but the types of activity I'm doing and have planned for the coming weeks more clearly relate to the end goal.
Legs & injury
The move to concentrate on cadence (and so shorten the stride again) has really helped with my calves. Within days the only worry was the sore point on the left tibia but even that seems to be slowly improving. That might be down to Jess's stretches, 'draining' my legs after the endurance run, using calf guards, getting stronger or a more delayed response to the cadence change. Probably a bit of all of them. Moreover, my legs feel fresh and loose today despite yesterday's run and walking - that's got to mean I'm in good nick for the next level of training.
How about you? Can you pick out four positives in relation to your current health and fitness goals?
6 comments:
Ooh this is a great post! That's especially good news about your calves, as I know what a huge worry that must have been.
Me:
1) I have seen (quantifiable) increases in both strength and CV fitness over the last 4 months
2) Despite only having the nebulous goal of rehabilitating an injury to focus on, I've still managed to stay consistent and committed with training
3) I am finally starting to balance and stabilize myself using my glute mede: not just in the gym, but on a day-to-day basis as well
4) Despite cutting back the volume of training, I haven't put on any (significant) weight
That was a good exercise. It took me a couple of minutes, but a really good reminder. Thanks!
Yay well done you! After my naughty weekend I'm struggling to think of my four! : )
Love a positive post like that!
I'm going to have to think hard about my 4 and come back to you later
Rosex
Great post! I find these things really hard to do though! I'm really happy I got out and ran 7 miles today though as that's the farthest I've run in a few months, since October or November I think!
Great post- and one to come back to if you have a hard day.
Hmm, 4 things? Well, 1- I am feeling stronger on my longer runs compared to the runs of the same lenght I did this time last year. 2- I am having a snack mid morning which is then means I 3- no longer succumb to the biscuits and chocolate in the staffroom at break or lunch. 4- I am staying at a steady weight. :)
Glad the stretches helped a little :)
I must be a wuss and duck out on the four things because I'm too busy being mired in self-pity relating to being stuck on a dreadmill with the frosty mornings, nursing a hamstring tendon tweak and getting annoyed at my lack of motivation due to Feb being a 'dead' race month. I NEED a long run tommorrow!
So I'll just bask vicariously in your positive vibes if I may ;)
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