Saturday, April 29, 2023

When My Mind Writes a Check that My Body Can't Cash

The title of this post, tho...

Last weekend's trail race really beat me up. I felt pretty bad at the beginning of the week--not so much sore, but more like a total body illness. This wasn't typical post-race discomfort. Was it RA reminding me that it's always lurking, ready to strike when I push myself? Not one to poke the bear, I had to dial it back a bit and let the post-race inflammation dissipate. By mid-week, I knew I was going to have to renig on my commitment to pace my friend on 3 loops of her 50 mile trace race. It was a tough decision--I didn't want to let her down but I also didn't want to risk a full-blown RA flare. Fortunately, she was able to find someone to replace me right away. With rain in the forecast for Saturday, I knew I made the right decision.

By the end of the week, I felt like myself again. The what-ifs started to creep into my thoughts, but no. I made the right decision not to pace her. I should know better not to commit myself to something like that so close to a hard race. Lesson learned.

A couple of people have asked when I'm going to post a race recap. It's written, but I'm waiting for race photos. Like everything with trail races, in due time, I guess! Stay tuned...

Weekly Rundown
Sunday: Yoga with Adriene
Monday: CrossFit
Tuesday: FluidRunning
Wednesday: Trail run 3.2 miles, Yoga with Adriene
Thursday: Strength training, Yoga with Adriene
Friday: run 6 miles
Saturday: more Yoga with Adriene

Running

On Wednesday, I did a Yoga with Adriene stretch sesh to loosen things up before I headed over to the preserve. I intended to run the loop where my friend's upcoming 50 mile trail race would be taking place on Saturday. It was a beautiful spring morning, but this run showed me that my plan to pace her was not going to be an option. I started out ok, but by the second mile, my left hip and lower back started to bother me. My shins were also very tight. I completed the loop, walking, fighting tears because I hate when my body holds me back. 


I don't know if was the new shoes Brooks sent me, but as soon as I hit start on my Garmin for Friday's run, I didn't stop but once to take photos. My legs felt good and I marveled at the even splits as the miles passed. It was one of those runs--the kind of run that makes you want to run forever. It was pretty darned near perfect, my friends. All the training, the pain of last week's race--well, here it was. My reward and a great reminder of why we push ourselves so hard.


CrossFit/Strength

I woke up Monday morning still feeling off from Saturday's race. I debated whether or not to go to CrossFit, but seeing that there were rope climbs in the WOD made it a go. This was the perfect recovery workout for me--it was definitely challenging but not too challenging to make me feel worse. The strength/skill portion was a 12 minute EMOM: 8 downward dogs to a push-up, 8 hanging high knee raises (from the bar), and 1 lap of high knee jogs/1 lap butt kicks. The MetCon was 2 AMRAPS: the first had the rope climbs alternating with 10 handstand push-ups (I did push-ups with my feet on a box). I completed 4 rope climbs and 3 sets of push-ups. The second AMRAP was 8 Devil's Presses (I used 15# dumbbells) alternating with 10 box jump-ups (I used a 20" box). I finished 4 rounds of both. I felt great after this. I'm so glad I went!


 I was feeling much better on Thursday and after I did a nice flexibility sesh with Adriene, I headed over to the gym to work with Sammy Jo. She had me start out doing 8 hamstring curls on the fitness ball and yowza-that first set really woke them up! Fortunately, the next 2 sets were much less painful. I alternated those with 12 'bikers' squats- goblet squats with my heels on a plate. After that, I did 3 sets of  'Copenhagen' planks, holding them for 20 seconds, each leg, and alternating those with 3 step push-ups. I used a band and SJ had me do 4 each from the bottom to halfway up, from right below the bar to chin over the bar, and then from the bottom to the top, which she assisted me with. 


We discovered that all those scap pulls I've been doing to fix my shoulder/scapula have made me much stronger, but only at the bottom of the pull-up. I still need to work on pulling myself all the way up to the bar. I've been feeling stuck--it is really so hard to do a strict pull-up! I recently saw a reel of a woman doing TRX pull-ups and that is something I can do at home to build lat strength, which is really what I need. I do have an over-the-door pull-up bar and I'm going to start using that as well. 

Off the Road...

On Thursday, my sister and I went to the Chicago Botanic Gardens for the spring blooms and lunch. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we were both so glad to be able to be there to enjoy it! While we marveled at the flowers, we couldn't help but notice that the flowers weren't as lush as in previous years. Most likely our cool, wet spring has something to do with it. The Gardens are such a lovely spot and we really had a nice day!


And finally... on Saturday evening, I headed over to the forest preserve to catch my friend Melissa finish her 50 mile trail race. She ran a total of 54.79 miles and her official finish time was 11:57:36. I'm feeling pretty inspired by this and so happy I was able to be there. Her wife ran the last loop with her while I waited with the two women who paced her. I made some new friends today and once again, I am so glad I found trail running at this point in my life!


How was your week? I think I ask this a lot, but are you good at listening to your body? Do you get frustrated when your body doesn't want to cooperate with what you want to do? What was your favorite workout of the week? Mine had to be Thursday's run!

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown. 



34 comments :

  1. Glad you are listening to your body! Congrats to your friend on her 50. What a bummer the flowers were underwhelming at the BG. It's another weird, wet, cold spring. Blah.

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    1. I'm so tired of this weather! I don't even care if we zip right to summer at this point. 43 degrees today? Ick.

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  2. well, I definitely am a little frustrated with my body these days. Sounds like you made the smart decision to listen to yours and that is never a bad idea. Aways better to take the extra rest day. Looking forward to your recap

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    1. I figured you'd get me. Here's to hoping some back-to-normalcy for both of us!

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  3. You are still able to run (and achieve everything else you do, you rock star!) because you are wise enough to find balance and pace yourself, so to speak. May you continue for many years to come.

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    1. Thank you so much! I do listen to my body but yeah, I don't always want to. But I also don't want to be sidelined. So there's that...

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  4. Yeah, I had a weird week. My run on Thursday reminds me a little of your Wednesday run. I went two miles and then was like "okay, time to stop!" Sounds like you rallied later in the week- you had some good strength sessions. Are those side planks with the bench "Copenhagen" planks? They look intense.
    Congratulations to your friend!!! What an incredible accomplishment, and I'm glad you were able to be part of the experience even if you weren't able to pace her.

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    1. Yes, those are Copenhagen planks. I had a few people on IG tell me I should try them with the TRX to make them harder, lol

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  5. No, I'm awful at listening to my body. Good for you for trying!

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  6. My last comment was cut off. I was going to add how impressed I am with that crossfire workout! I've never heard of those planks by they sound legit. Nicely done!

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  7. I think we've all had that frustration when our bodies aren't in sync with our brains. It's a tough and frustrating situation, but it's always best to let the body win.

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  8. Sounds like you made the right call though I know how frustrating it is when our bodies don't cooperate. Congrats to your friend 50+ miles is amazing!

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    1. I am feeling so inspired by her accomplishment! And she crushed it!

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  9. This is the best title for a post ever!!

    I am awful at listening to my body! My minds thinks I'm 40 when my body is actually turning 70!! My mind says run run and my body says walk walk. I'm trying to compromise.

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    1. I just told someone that my mind is 40 but my body is 60--and therein lies the problem!

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  10. Congrats to your friend and how lovely you were still able to be there to support her, but I'm sure you made the right choice dialing back a little to prevent the flare-up. Glad you're feeling better and had that amazingly perfect run!

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    1. I was hoping to ride that wave into my long run today, but my body fought me once again. I did do my 8 miles as planned, but I wanted more. I didn't push it, tho.

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  11. I wish I could do a strict pull-up! I even struggle with getting my chin close to the bar, never mind over it, ha! But I that's something I would like to work. As well as those blasted double-unders.
    I am the Queen of ignoring anything my body is trying to tell me. Hence the achilles saga... but I'm learning, and people like you are teaching me well!

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    1. Double unders are just not going to happen for me--my brain cannot compute that!

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  12. I'm sorry to hear about your body struggles this week! Good decision to let yourself rest and recover. Your trail run later in the week looks amazing! And you did some nice work there in the gym as usual. I've seen that plank variation somewhere else and I'm very interested in it since it's something I can do with an injured foot, I just need to find a substitute for the bench!
    My experience with running has been too much about being forced to listen to my body, as you know from my blog posts. It's possible I've even listened to it too much because I haven't learned what I can ignore and what I shouldn't. But I've always found it inspiring seeing you do all this hard work with your body, with RA.

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    1. I'm grateful my body lets me do all this as well, altho RA does remind me when I've pushed too hard. I just never know what is going to trigger it.

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  13. I'm so sorry your race kind of set you back a bit. I have to listen to my body because it's usually screaming at me to stop! I don't know how you do it, I don't even have RA, but sometimes the foot pain is off the charts. I definitely think you did the right thing by not pacing your friend and you were there for her in the end which I'm certain meant the world to her!

    looking forward to reading the race recap when it's up!

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  14. So sorry to hear that you didn't feel your best this week :( Your trip to the Chicago Botanical Gardens looks like like so much fun. Those flowers are absolutely beautiful.

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  15. Those gardens are gorgeous! I'm sorry you had a flare and things didn't work out as you wanted. I'm awful about listening to my body, but I'm trying to be better. It's so hard to admit defeat, even if temporary.

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    1. I'm still feeling a bit worn down from that race! But some time off definitely helped.

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  16. That's too bad you weren't able to pace your friend, but I'm sure she was super happy to see you supporting her at the end! What Brooks shoes were you running in that you liked so much?

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    1. Those were the Traces that Brooks sent me. They have a medical pattern on them. Idk if it was the shoes or that they were new!

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  17. Good call on not pacing. I'm looking forward to your race recap.

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    1. Yeah, still not feeling 100%. I'll post the review on Tuesday.

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