Ramping Up the Conditioning
Since I was late to the game in terms of signing up for EatBlogRun, I felt like I needed to pump my training into overdrive. I was in the process of trying to work out five to six days a week; EatBlogRun pretty much guaranteed I met that goal (awesome perk, btw).
When it comes to sports and working out, I consider myself a runner. It’s not something I’ve ever really loved (or hell, even enjoyed until very recently), it’s just something I’ve always been able to do. In high school I loved soccer. And sucked at it. Horribly. Cross country? Loathed. But routinely scored in the top five of my team. Go figure.
I haven’t been in race shape since, and more to the point, haven’t kept running as a daily part of my life. Especially during my travels. I’ve had bouts of fitness here and there where I’d run a few times a week, but always to be “healthy” and “in shape” and never racking up mileage or gunning for speed.
All this to say, I hadn’t run like it mattered in years. And when you start running again, it’s hard. Huffing and puffing, lumbering like a water buffalo, with only one thought going through my brain: WHENISTHISGOINGTOBEOVER?!
There were concerns voiced about doing too much too soon and injuring myself and training wisely, not foolishly. My knees would be a little stiff or sore after runs, which hadn’t happened since my race days. I wanted to keep pushing myself and improving, but I didn’t want to hurt myself.
So I did something I’ve never done before: spinning.
Have you taken a spinning class? Holy Hannah that stuff is hard. We’re talking dripping with sweat, soaking through everything you’re wearing, hating your life, flat out DYING on a bicycle. I mean, I’ve heard spinning is hard stuff. But spinning is HARD STUFF.
I have absolutely no idea if spinning will help with my runs or The Relay, but it was a high-intensity workout that was easy on my knees (and hard on everything else). I figured not running for a day would give my joints a breather, but I’d still get in a full load of conditioning. And then on Thursday I doubled up and did spinning in the morning and ran in the afternoon — and then promptly died. It was so hard I was practically dragging myself across the pavement. Which is probably how I’ll feel come leg #3 this weekend. Oof.
No idea if I’ll stick with spinning post-relay; at the moment I’m leaning toward not. Today was my third (and final) spinning class in preparation, and it was marginally easier than my first two. Which is always encouraging.
In any event, I’m pleased I squeaked in some solid conditioning. I’m sure it’s all mental, but it feels good feeling better prepared for the big race.
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- EatBlogRun: Check It « Fox and Bunny and Woodpecker Stew - [...] 27, 2010 in exercise, running | Tags: conditioning, eatblogrun, spinning My first post is up at …
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Every little bit of fitness helps – no doubt you will rock it!
Um, yeah. Spinning is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I used it for cross training while training for my first half and like you, it left me DEAD for the run the next day so I stopped.
Then, in training for another half I just got so dang sick of that elliptical so I spun again, haha. It got a lot better and now that my muscles are used to it I can use it all the time as cross training and not feel it.
Yeah I did some light running this morning and felt all sorts of heavy-legged and creaky. Toward the end it was better and may go for another short run tonight.
Was glad it felt a wee bit better yesterday; it’s encouraging and also good to know that if I kept at it I’d adjust before too long. So may keep it in the back pocket for random cross training, like you say. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up being a spinning junkie.
For now, though, I hope it served its purpose.
HI! I am so happy to have found your girls’ blog! I’ll be doing my second relay in June and they are soooooo much fun and so addicting!! Can’t wait to hear all about this race….it sounds GORGEOUS!