I've gotta come up with a name for this new goal... maybe "Get It Back" or something.
Anyways, so last week went well. No real aches or soreness and I didn't feel any pressure to run more than I felt comfortable with. Of course I already wrote about the first part of the week.
Friday I headed to the gym for Back
Then got home and took the dogs for a 5.3 mile run... Jetta of course drove me crazy.
Saturday morning I got up and headed to the gym for Biceps, Triceps and Chest. I also got on the Hip Adduction and Abduction machine too, while my mileage is low I am going to use these two machines and the leg press at least 2-3 times a week.
Then I changed at the gym and headed out the door for an easy run.
I got in 15.5 miles that week and 5 hours and 49 minutes at the gym, and I feel pretty damn good about it. I can already tell that my body is adapting to it and the soreness is nearly unnoticeable.
On Sunday I didn't run or go to gym, but the husband and I tore up the carpet and carpet mats in our living room and dining area and pulled the staples AND the tack strips which took like 4.5 hours to do, and boy did it feel like a workout.... which is why I didn't go anywhere this morning lol.
In order to focus and reach my goal, I am printing out pics of what I had attained back in 2015 when I was at my peak. I'll stick these to the wall in my office, in the bedroom, and in my kitchen to constantly remind me of my goal so that I don't fall off track and eat something I shouldn't.
Here are the pics and where I want to be by Fall if not sooner.
The Harmonie Trail Marathon is not going to happen this year, the half still might, but at this time I am not sure. For the last 2-3 weeks I have been seriously debating and arguing with myself about it all, I was determined to do the marathon even if my longest run hadn't reached 16 miles by the time the taper started, I know I could do it but at what cost?
Two to 3 weeks of no running at all just to recover from a grueling distance? I don't want that, I want what I was able to do last year and it's time to admit that isn't going to happen. I've come to the realization that I must start over and rebuild my base, back to where 13.1 miles and even 16 miles came easy for me and that is going to take some time. Having a big race glaring at me just 8-9 weeks away wouldn't be helping me but causing me to constantly try and get out there and put out the mileage even through pain and injury. I am not going to do that, no freaking way.
So with that decision having been made, I am starting over and that includes going back to the gym and getting back into my weight lifting.
Chapter 1 - Week 1 of this new plan.
My goal is to get stronger again, to get back where I was in 2015 when half marathons back to back came relatively easy and when two trail marathons just barely 2 months apart came without a cost.
Last Friday I went back to my gym to sign back up, and I knew deep inside that I was making the best decision.
Saturday morning I headed to the gym.... I think at like 3 AM.... and I focused on my back. I told myself to expect to be weaker than I was when I quit going.
Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs - 60x8 / 55x12 / 60x8 / 55x12 / 60x8
Underhand Grip Cable Row: 5 sets of 60 lbs for 8 or 10 reps (I can't remember)
Bent Over Dumbbell Row: 30x12 / 35x8 / 30x12 / 35x8 / 35x8
Torso Rotation: 50x12 / 70x8 / 50x12 / 70x8 / 70x8
Cable Rows: 60x12 / 65x6 / 60x12 / 65x6 / 60x12
Narrow Grip Lat Pull Downs: 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8
Surprisingly it didn't feel to awful but I am definitely not where I was 18 months ago in some areas. After that, I got home and then took the dogs out on the roads to run 3.3 miles.
Sunday I rested and I was definitely feeling the workout in my back.
Monday morning I headed to the gym to focus on my Biceps, Triceps and Chest. This one was a little tougher, and humbling.
Standing Barbell Curls: 40x12 / 45x8 / 40x12 / 45x8 / 45x8
Standing Triceps Cable Pull Downs: 40x12 / 50x8 / 40x12 / 45x8 / 40x12
Loaded Plate Chest Press: 90x8 / 80x8 / 70x12 / 80x8 / 80x8
Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks: 15x12 / 20x8 / 15x12 / 17.5x8 / 17.5x8
Dumbbell Curls: 20x10 / 22.5x8 / 20x10 / 22.5x8 / 22.5x8
Torso Rotation: 55x12 / 70x8 / 55x12 / 70x8 / 70x8
Fly Delts: 50x12 / 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 60x8
Later that day I took Dorian to the riverfront to run 3.1 miles, it was like 74 degrees and sunny.... I was not enjoying that part but no pain so that was nice.... Pushing a stroller after a morning Biceps, Triceps and Chest workout..... really hard.
This morning I headed to the gym and focused on Shoulders and Delts
Cable Face Pulls: 40x12 / 50x12 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 60x8
Plate Loaded Overhead Press: 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs: 5 sets of 20 lbs for 12 reps each
Upright Barbell Rows: 30x8 / 25x12 / 30x8 / 25x12 / 30x8
Rear Delt: 40x10 / 50x6 / 40x10 / 50x6 / 40x10
Front Plate Raises: 5 sets of 12 reps, 25 lb plate
From there I headed to the river front and ran 4 miles, then for the first time I ran up a pretty big flight of steps twice. I'll have to get a pic of it during daylight but this is what I took at the top.
Yeah it's been tough, my body is fighting me every step of the way and I'm losing hope on being able to do the Harmonie Half, today it is 8 weeks away and the longest run I've gotten was the Bound the Mound 13.1... and I've been suffering since.
The week following the race I only managed 17 miles, the side of my right glute or Gluteus Maximus part.... I don't know just where but following it is a soreness in my left Piriformis thing and kind of into my hamstring or quadricep.... It is seriously driving me crazy.
This morning I woke up and my neck and shoulders were so sore when it finally hit me, my pillow is as flat as a pancake... and I don't normally keep a pillow when it reaches that stage but this thing has been flat for a couple months.... so I bought a new pillow today and hopefully I'll notice a different in a couple of days.
Last week I ran nothing.... I just didn't want to push it and end up sidelined again for 3 weeks or more. Yesterday morning I ran 3.6 miles and the first mile was fine but by mile 2 I started feeling sore in my Gluteus Maximus part but not horribly. It really felt like I need to stretch it or foam roll it, it was sore for a couple hours after but went away. I didn't run today and hopefully I can run 3-4 miles tomorrow on the trails with the dogs.
Thanks to that stupid storm on the East coast, we're dealing with normal winter weather.... I was hoping winter was over dang it!
