My mileage goal this week was
30. I ended up with
30.17 miles after completing my
12-mile long run for the week today. I felt pretty good during my run although there was some boredom issues on the treadmill. At the end my left piriformis got a bit cranky but I did my little incline trick and it eased up. I ran at a negative -
3.0 incline for about
30 seconds, changed it to +
5.0 for about
30 seconds, and then back to where I was. This seems to help shake up the muscle a bit and lets me continue on with less tightness and crankiness. My overall pace was
8'10". I feel this was a good run to end my recovery week but am slightly bugged that my muscles are achy and I am not totally refreshed and renewed. Thing is, just because I am running less doesn't necessarily mean my body is doing less or that I am resting more. The life of a mom.....
But there are some things I should be doing that I am slipping on a bit....and I need to stop that and do what I know works. First, this little post-run stretch at the treadmill. It feels so good on my hammies and I honestly feel them easing out and stretching nice and long. It only takes about
30 seconds for each leg and come on, it is pure silliness on my part to skip this just because I am in a hurry.
And this is an essential stretch for me that I
should do need to do daily. If you look closely at the picture below you will be able to see how my range of motion increases with each repetition of the stretch and this shows my tighter side. In all reality, this only takes me a few minutes and if I can't do it post-run I need to get into gear and ensure I do it later in the day. Although, it is best post-run when my muscles are nice and warm.
But one thing I am pretty good at doing when my legs are achy is putting on some compression wear and I am loving the
Zensah athletic compression socks. I was so blessed with the opportunity to
review this product and didn't realize how much I was going to fall in love with the socks. I have even been wearing them for my long runs. And Mr. Compression Sock Fairy, feel free to leave
6 more pairs under my pillow so I have a pair for each day of the week! Yep, I do try to do laundry just one day a week, which is hard with me running daily.
And let's not forget about compression shorts, I do turn to sleeping in them when my glutes are a huge pain in the butt! It helps....along with Epsom salt and creams!
What do you do to eliminate minimize your aches and keep running strong?
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful my darling daughter running into the Kids' Club with pure enthusiasm but wonder why she cries and misses me so much at school.
Daily Affirmation: I am courageous.
Dang. I wish the compression sock fairy would visit me! I got my 2XU socks on now. I did spend some time after my race today laying down with my feet elevated. I felt so much better after just doing that.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of my foam roller and I use the Stick" after runs.... They help me big time! :))
ReplyDeleteThat hip stretch that you show is a really good one. I have a regular stretching routine, which I try to remember even when things are going well (hard!). I don't run, I figure skate. I see you have a goal to run every day, so one of my main tips for minimizing aches and pains and keeping them from becoming overuse injuries wouldn't apply well to your routine. I take one rest day every week. Every skater I've known takes at least one rest day. I also try to vary my routine by reserving some days for footwork only without any high-impact activities (no jumping).
ReplyDelete