Weekly Workouts and Updates 7/18-7/24

Since I’m currently contending with a hip flexor injury, my marathon training has scaled back. I only ran twice this week, both for much shorter and easier runs, and I plan to continue resting my hip for the next week or two until I see a sports medicine specialist and get to physical therapy. I’ll keep sharing my more limited weekly workouts and updates on how I’m healing in my Monday posts.

 

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: 5.2 miles @ 11:21/mile pace

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: Core strength workout

Friday: Long morning walk

Saturday: 5 miles @ 10:52/mile pace

Sunday: Long morning walk

 

As you can see, I’m not off my feet entirely. Although I didn’t run much, I stayed active by walking (to and from work and around the office/NYC is a fair amount during the week, and I went for conscious walk “workouts” twice)  and doing the stretching and strengthening exercises that are important both for training and recovery. I ran Tuesday morning, a slow five miles around the Central Park reservoir that made me realize I really needed to get my hip checked out after trying to do the PT exercises I had from last time I was injured on my own and not seeing much progress. Thereafter, I made an appointment and talked to Laura about how to adjust my training plan. We decided I will only run 2-3 days per week for much more limited mileage, rest more, and do more stretching and specific hip exercises for about 3 weeks. The earliest appointment I could get at the doctor’s office is next Thursday, so I’ll stick to that plan until then.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday’s 5 miles were also on the slow side, and I interspersed them with walking intervals. That kept me feeling mostly pain-free, as did a half hour of hip focused yoga afterwards. I’m trying to strike the right balance between resting and holding back on my hip as much as I can, keeping in mind that I began marathon training early to allow myself time to build mileage slowly, and if I want to make it to the start and finish lines, I do need to make sure I don’t lose fitness. After both Tuesday’s and Saturday’s runs, as well as throughout the rest of the week, I foam rolled on my regular roller and also specifically rolled my hip on a tiny hand roller, and did sets of glute bridges, clamshells, side leg lifts, and couch hip stretches to loosen and strengthen both of my hips.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s never a good time to be injured, and late in the second month of marathon training is pretty inconvenient. But I’m trying to look at it as a blessing in disguise – I will still have three full months to go before race day after my doctor’s evaluation of my hip, and I have a great coach who will help tailor my training plan to work with the time we have on the calendar. It’s also been incredibly hot and humid in New York for the past two weeks and it looks like it’s going to continue to be that way for another week or two, so backing off the long runs at this time will be better for my body overall, not just my hip. No matter how many Nuun tabs you pop or electrolyte pills, and how much water you take in throughout the day, when it’s 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity by 9am it’s not the best time to be in the middle of a 12-miler!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The heat kept things low-key this weekend. Friday evening, we had an early birthday celebration with burgers and a gluten free funfetti cake Brett made with vanilla cake mix and pink and green sprinkles. He also gave my my gift early…a pink Cuisinart ice cream maker! We then escaped the worst of the so-called heat dome by heading to Connecticut, which is typically about 5 degrees cooler than Manhattan and has a LOT more trees and shade. My 25th birthday is coming up tomorrow, so on Sunday evening we went to dinner at Bailey’s Backyard, one of my favorite restaurants in town. Just like last year, except for this time I don’t have to take the bar exam two days later. I’ll be back with more birthday details later in the week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you adjust your workouts when you’re injured while training for a race?

 

What’s your favorite birthday treat?

 

Highlight of your weekend?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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