So yesterday I was coming off of my Marathon Spectator's High and was all OMG I NEED TO RUN! Nevermind the fact that it was late afternoon and 91 sunny, humid degrees outside. From what I could see out my window there looked to be a nice breeze. Ehh, I'll be fine.
I got outside and there was in fact a nice little breeze going. So naturally I thought hey why not turn this into a tempo run! Use those spectator endorphins! And then about 3 minutes into the run, the breeze was gone and I was in full out 91 degree sunshine.
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| lesson learned: iphone weather doesn't lie. |
It was BRUTAL. And of course, being all stubborn, I refused to give up on my attempted tempo pace. I clocked in mile 1 around 10:15 and jusssst about wanted to die. I was slowly melting and had drank 75% of my water already. So I made myself a deal and slowed down, although by then my body was already livid at me for attempting a tempo run in this ridiculous weather.
The second my watch hit mile 2 I stopped and legitimately collapsed in the shade of a tree on the side of the road.
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| help. |
I sat there for a few minutes in the relief of the shade and came to the conclusion that this was one of the stupidest things I've done in a long time. Tempo run in 90+ degree weather? Come on Mollz.
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| fail. |
I walked the rest of the way home, which was the same two miles I ran in reverse. All the while mental noting how I'm going to need to totally readjust my running times for summer running. Yeah yeah, lesson learned. Although, I managed to average 11:30's for my brief 2 mile stint of running. Not so bad, all things considering.
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| dumbest tempo ever. |
And now for my second loss of the week to my stubbornness.
So you all know I've been making more of an effort to cross train and to get some strength training in (let's be honest though... the strength training has yet to happen). Dr. Dan's parting words to me were "I WILL see you back here injured again if you don't commit to strength training." As much as I enjoyed looking at his pretty face while I was there, there wasn't much else I enjoyed about PT. I pranced out of my last visit determined to become a strength training queen.
Andddd that never happened. My knees and hips were feeling good and I was running and biking without any hint of pain.... psh who needs strength training?! (stubborn brat)
My past couple of runs I've noticed my right knee starting to bother me... my "good" knee - what?! Dr. Dan warned me that my good knee would start to overcompensate for my injured knee if I didn't strengthen my legs. And what do you know - he was right.
Tonight's (attempted) run solidified my stubbornness and my stupidity in taking care of my body. After only a few strides my knee started bothering my and by the first mile it was painful... like need to stop dead in my tracks painful.
I stretched and walked and tried not to cry while the girls were doing hill work. After they got a few miles in they ran/walked back with me and kept me from walking into traffic or throwing away my running shoes.
Most of the lessons in my life I've learned the hard way, but boy it still sucks when you realize that your own stubbornness is the reason for some stupid lesson. This lesson being, I am not invincible - I need to make it a priority to strengthen these feeble legs of mine so I'm not sidelined from running. Had I listened to Dr. Dan a month ago I probably wouldn't be in this position right now. And my evening probably wouldn't be spent looking like this:
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| don't judge the jar of nutella in the background. recovery calories? |
SO, here's to my stubbornness finally teaching me the lessons I've needed to learn a while ago. And to finally doing something proactive so that I don't become Dr. Dan's top income grossing patient. Let the strength training (and smarter summer running!) begin!
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