I went into this thinking I would set a workout agenda at the beginning of each month, where the weekly schedule would remain static for the duration of the month. At the end of each month, I anticipated evaluating where I was with things, then set the weekly workout plan. Rinse and repeat until September. It hasn’t worked like that as it has become necessary to wratchet up intensity and duration of various workouts on a shorter time frame. Conversely, I have also found I might have to pull back a bit from time to time when something is feeling a bit tweaked.
That said, the biggest change in the past month was introducing a larger focus on yoga. As an older athlete, I can’t deny the value of flexibility, mobility, and strength. To support that, I’ve been hitting a weekly Hot Yoga session at a friend’s studio. I did have some yoga and stretching planned for January, which I executed on, but I have decided to get a bit more serious about things. I’ve also been dabbling in some hot pilates too.
The biggest mistake I made this month was not knowing when to stop and not listening to my body. I ran a 95% pace on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then I thought it would be a good idea to try to run 10 miles in Zone 2 the next morning, not more than 12 hours later. I felt well that morning, but about an hour before the run, my left knee felt… a certain way. And when I get a feeling like that in my hips or knees, there is no working through it. Only rest helps. So I hopped on the treadmill anyway, despite knowing full-well what I was doing was the wrong thing.
Things didn’t feel well for the first mile — but hey, the first mile is a lie, right? Then mile two felt well. So I doubled down and kept going. By mile five, I finally came to my senses. Long story short, I more or less did nothing but stretching and walking for the next week following this. I did a solid 5-mile hike this past weekend, and it seems all is well. Monday placed me back on the treadmill, and I put in 5 miles in Zone 2. And tomorrow morning means 48 hours have passed, so I will see how 8 miles feels in Zone 2/Zone 3. The winter weather is finally giving us a break so I am taking the opportunity to run outside tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes. I am feeling a little pressed right now because I have a half-marathon planned in 26 days. It isn’t so much about having to run that distance. The problem is going a little too hard in pursuit of a PR and… you guessed it… injuring myself.
I should probably note that I have, what I believe, are some bio-mechanical imperfections that I am trying to fix. Tight hamstrings, weak core, etc. I’m pretty sure the issues can, in certain situations where I go too hard, lead to knee and hip problems. This is why there is the focus on yoga. On January 4th, which is when I mark the beginning of training for this endeavor, my thought was that my limiting factor would be my hips and knees due to lack of flexibility/strength/mobility in my lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Two months in, and my thinking hasn’t changed.
Without further ado, this where I am starting March.
Monday
Run 3.5 – 5.5 miles @ 5% incline on a treadmill (Zone 3 & 4)
Tuesday
Stretching/Yoga
Wednesday
30 min 95% effort on a treadmill (Zone 4 & 5)
Thursday
60 minutes on the Peloton (Zone 1 & 2)
Stretching/Yoga
Friday
Run 10 miles (Zone 2 & 3)
Saturday
Hot Yoga or Hot Pilates or Weights
Sunday
Hot Yoga or Hot Pilates or Weights
