It’s been a long road back to relative health, which means it’s been an equally long time between posts.
I deeply hate the ‘poor me – things aren’t going well’ kind of posts, so I simply don’t do them. As a result, that meant a long time away from working on the fitness journal. But I’m back at it, so that’s a good thing!
When I last wrote (back in March), I was running and biking, trying to build back a semblance of a fitness base. The goal was to simply be able to run and complete a Labor Day half marathon.
That went well – runs were up to 10 miles. Then came yard work day. On a Sunday in late July, I was moving something heavy, when I slipped on some wet grass. The weight shifted and, just like that, I could barely stand up straight for days. For weeks, bending over and straightening up was a very slow process.
It cleared up, but once it did, I noticed my hamstrings were VERY tight.
Long story short, long runs stopped, and my fitness level for the run was a far cry from what I’d have wanted it to be. But I got through it, marking the first ‘successful’ half marathon in a few years.
I took a couple of months off after that. During that time, I went in for physical therapy, and made a sometimes-determined effort to keep those hammies loose. We took a family vacation to Italy, where working out was an afterthought (Who am I kidding? although we did TONS of walking).
The good news is that since the New Year, everything seems to be coming together. So much so that I’m looking forward to getting back on the road instead of dreading it. I’ve completed 4-mile runs at a 9-minute clip.
So far, all my runs have been on the treadmill. But I’ve been able to mix up the speed of the runs. That’s what’s most encouraging to me.
I can’t wait to see what this season brings! Just have to stay focused on stretching and strengthening. Getting old sucks, and that makes mitigation key!
The Runnin' Major 