5 miles for me yesterday morning.
A nice combination of running and walking did the trick! When I was pregnant with Brooke I didn’t really take walking breaks at this point. This time around, more and more walking is happening in these later weeks which I am more than okay with. I just love getting to be outside and moving each morning.
Brooke and Knox said goodbye to each other for the next 8 days. I’m sure glad they are on the same schedule as one another with what holidays they are with us but it sure makes it hard (on us and them) when they are gone for longer chunks of time.
After Brooke’s school we went to the doctor’s for a check-up.
We ended up waiting for a while but these two kept things interesting.
The doctor checked everything out (1 cm dilated and 50% effaced) and he wasn’t sure if our baby was head down or not so he did a quick ultrasound. LUCKILY, she is in the right position and it was so fun to see her little face because we haven’t had an ultrasound in a while. The doctor said she has some chunky cheeks already on her.
We came home and we were more than ready for lunch. I am guessing we are going to be eating Thanksgiving foods for about 75% of our meals this week. Andrew is happy about that and I am as long as I have 1 cup of fresh cranberry sauce to go along with each plate.
We did our ‘Monday Clean the Whole House’ thing along with school, work etc and then the only thing on the planet that sounded good for dinner was cereal.
After dinner we played a little jenga. I am amazed at her skills with this game.
She finished off her night with part of The Grinch. Andrew and I watched our shows and did a little more Christmas prep:)
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Time for a few Tuesday Tangents!!
*We saw the set-up for Black Friday over at Target yesterday! I have never actually done the early morning Black Friday thing (or really shopped at all on Black Friday… unless online)! But it sure looks like a party:)
*WHO HAS A TURKEY TROT!?! Andrew and I did a half-marathon together last year and had a blast (although, it was one of the coldest experiences of my life)! We will probably just do a little run at his parents’ house this year but maybe I will make us medals or something and we can eat pumpkin pie at the end. I love a good turkey trot.
*Andrew teared up when Brooke showed us her drawing of Harry Potter. He was very proud.
*I really like pie. And eating it in bed at 8:30 at night is pretty great.
*I’m going to miss this, this week:
*Brooke chose some slippers at Target. They even light up. I think I passed on my need for slippers in the house at all times down to her.
*I hope you hugged a runner yesterday for Hug A Runner Day and if you didn’t, you can make up for it today:) PS I GET TO SEE BANGS FRIEND TODAY! I cannot wait.
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Lys asked the other day—> “Do you have any advice on how to get your running confidence back after injury? I had a stress fracture, probably related to changing to a more mid-foot strike. Now I’m so paranoid about how my foot is striking, whether I’m making my hip hurt, whether my old plantar fasciitis is coming back… I’m over analyzing everything!!!”
This is a TOUGH question and so I would love your opinions too to help Lys out in the comments. It’s tough because obviously paying close attention to what your body is telling you after an injury is very important because we want to do what is best for our body… BUT—> worrying/obsessing/overthinking every little thing with our running/form/cadence sure takes the fun out of running!
I get it though Lys, I have been in this position a lot over the years. The above picture was from a time my sis and I were injured at the same time. iPhone cameras have sure come a long way (or maybe I am just better at cleaning my lens;) It’s so hard not to experience phantom pains or think that every little thing we are feeling means we are going to be back in the same boat we were just in—> TIME OFF FROM RUNNING due to injury.
I have a few things that I do to help with my confidence after an injury:
1. If you have a doctor/pt/chiropractor/coach that really knows what is going on with your injury and they are very well trained in working with athletes—> Trust them. Follow what they tell you to do (if they tell you to run slow, or only 2 times a week or to stick to a mile at a time for a while—> listen to them!). Trust them and let that help you to overcome your fears of running again after an injury. My doctor (that I loved!!) that helped me after my stress fractures warned me that I might feel a slight ache in the place where my stress fracture happened. He told me that if I felt pain, that was different—> stop, right away. But that the dull ache was normal and I was still able to run on it. I trusted him. LISTEN to the things they warn you of and ask as many questions as you need to build up some confidence in returning to running.
2. If you are so worried/stressed/overanalyzing everything, what’s the harm in taking a few more weeks off and start once you really feel ready to run again. There is no rush to come back and maybe a few more days/weeks will help you to build up your confidence again before trying to run again. Re-injuring yourself does happen so if your gut is telling you to back off for a bit longer, do it.
3. I think (ps I’m not a doctor or anything remotely close to that) for me… that it is normal to feel some randomness in your body after coming back from an injury. You haven’t been running for days/weeks/months now and it is just going to take some time for your body to adjust to running again, it’s normal.
4. Start small. Why not just do less than you think for a bit until your confidence starts building back. Try a run/walk method (hey, I’ll come join you) and in this case… less might be more! You won’t worry as much (because you won’t feel like you are overdoing anything) and it is a smart way to come back after an injury. There is NO rush to come back fast and I find it much easier to trust the process by taking small steps back to running rather than jumping right back into things.
5. Trust yourself. Have your body’s best interest in mind and go from there. The more I run, the more I understand the difference between an injury/re-injuring myself and normal aches that come with running. Trust yourself to be a good judge of when to stop, how to recover and what you should/should not run through! Really pay attention to your thoughts and whether you are feeling phantom pains from worrying too much about it all or if you really need to back off.
6. It just takes time and patience. Like everything hard in life… I swear patience is the lesson I am supposed to learn 5948 times a year. The confidence will come again. You will feel comfortable running again and you will get back to your normal paces/times. Sometimes we just have to wait it out and work for that confidence to build back up again. It’s definitely not going to happen overnight but with some time and investments in your training, it will come back.
This next part doesn’t have a ton to do with the question from Lys but what about building up your running confidence again after having a bad race? I’ve been thinking about this a lot and have had plenty of races where I did not preform how I was hoping and wanted to feel confidence in myself again afterwards!
For this, I think the number one thing to letting go of the fear of trying again is to remember—> WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN!? You don’t finish, you don’t hit your times, you don’t get your goal… who cares!? Your family and the people in your world will still love you and you are even more relatable to the rest of us runners now:) If you have had a bad race, you survived the experience so who cares if it happens again. And from my personal experience, good races have always followed the really awful ones. Don’t let that fear of failing hold you back from doing another race because you’ve survived a bad race before and odds are (according to my brain) that your next one is going to be a great one anyway! You can choose whether to not have confidence and let that race really bring you down OR you have the choice to realize it was just one race and you have all of the potential in the world to have a great race again.
PS if you need some help with injury stuff—> THIS POST should help you out!
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Who loves Black Friday shopping? Going this year? Ever gone in the past?
Have a turkey trot this year? Do you do one yearly or once in a while?
How do you help yourself to gain confidence with your running after an injury or bad race/workout?
How many miles are you logging today?
49 comments
Erinn
Great job on your run! It sure makes it easy that Brooke and Knox are on the same schedule, but I bet you will miss them :(
Black Friday shopping is way too intense for me…I really don’t like crowds and shopping is not my favorite. I went with my mother-in-law one year and it was the most exhausting day ever. We started at 4:30am and literally went alllllll day. Never again!
I’m hoping for an easy 4-5 miles after work today!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thanks Erinn! Started at 4:30 and went all day… wow! That is intense! Have a great day at work and enjoy those miles afterwards!
Natalie
I avoid all forms of shopping on Black Friday. I’d rather spend my time off hanging out with my friends and family in non-crowded settings. Some people don’t mind it, but shopping is already exhausting enough for me!
It’s definitely challenging to build up confidence after an injury or bad race, but like you said, it really takes patience and trust. I think you learn how to listen to your body more, but then it is easier to overanalyze every little ache and pain. I think the most important thing is to remember that running isn’t the most important thing in life, so it’s OK if it takes you time to come back. It’s OK if every race isn’t your best. And it’s OK if you feel like you fail—that’s when you can “dust yourself off and try again.” I’m super nervous about my upcoming race next month since I haven’t raced in almost a year, so I’m trying to remind myself of this because I know I’m nowhere near my fastest right now. But you can do this, Lys!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Love love love what you had to say about building up confidence and trust after an injury or race! I am SO excited for your race next month… you are back! I wish I could be there and cheer you on Natalie!
Maureen
I always do a Turkey Trot! It’s a tradition in my family and apparently it’s my boyfriend’s worst nightmare (non-runner problems lol). Except he has to do them since he wants to be in the fam so him and I are doing one together on Thursday morning. I am SO SO excited!! I can’t wait to run with him, even if we just go slow and have fun. Today I have 4 easy recovery miles which will be lovely on my legs after speed yesterday.
I went Black Friday shopping once and it was okay. I will probably online shop this year so that I can get all of my big purchases out of the way! My goal is to finish shopping by Cyber Monday and then I’ll just pick up a few small things for my boyfriend (he got his big present in September ha) and make a few homemade gifts for his family.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh that makes me so happy that your boyfriend is joining you for the turkey trot on Thursday… I hope he loves it:) Great job Maureen on your speed work yesterday!
Rhiannon
Black Friday shopping was a wonderful thing when I was buying things for my house and I didn’t have much money left over from buying the house… but I am doing pretty much all my shopping this year online, and I am totally okay with that. I plan on sleeping in on Friday morning!
The last time I really struggled with running again after an injury was after I gave myself whiplash and jammed my neck when I fell during running. I was super scared to run because of how bad that hurt. I actually started out by doing a walk-jog routine and would go during a time of day when someone could go with me (even if they just kept walking and stayed behind me, I felt better that someone was there). I also listened to every thing my PT and chiro told me, and just forced myself to trust what they were saying. I was very much aware of every part of my body, but I just had to push past that. I found that listening to podcasts and/or audiobooks is better at distracting my brain than music. Especially if you can find a motivational one!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I bet Black Friday shopping is AWESOME for house stuff… I didn’t even think about that! Enjoy the sleeping in and online shopping instead this year:)
Okay, I would be way scared after that too… ouch! I can’t imagine! Love your tips Rhiannon, they are perfect!
I hope you have a beautiful day!
Rosie
My hometown does a large ‘turkey trot’ every year called the Run to Feed the Hungry (benefits a local food bank). I have run it just a handful of times but it really depends on whether I am hosting dinner later that day. For this year, I have 18 guests arriving so my run will be a solo one a couple of hours earlier that morning. Insofar as your readers question, I had the same doubts and lack of confidence after coming back from a femural stress fracture and questioned and agonized over every ache and twitch in the injured area. My only advice is to take the return SLOW and don’t do more than what your body can handle. Your mind will be antsy to get back to your pre-injury routine but let your body get there at its pace.
4 miles later this afternoon and so proud of you for keeping up the running this late in the pregnancy game. You are awesome.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Rosie! Oh wow… 18 guests on Thursday?!? You are a busy woman this week! Those early morning miles before all the craziness starts will be so nice for you! Couldn’t agree more with you about what you said about starting slow… YES! I hope your four miles later day are great and enjoy your day!
Diana
Great running topics today! I’ve had my share of injuries, so I definitely get the fear of re-injuring yourself when coming back. I still get nervous any time I feel weirdness in the various spots I’ve injured over the years. I agree with all of your suggestions and would also suggest incorporating strength training and cross training. For my injuries, I couldn’t run but was still able to do other exercises like weights and spinning. I found those to be a good confidence booster during the injury and also when getting back into running. First, it helped me hold back from doing ALL the running because I still had other workouts that I could enjoy on the non-running days. Plus, I knew I was strengthening my body in other ways which would help me become a better runner and prevent more injuries down the road. Also, never understate the power of a rest day! As you said, always better to give your body a little extra rest rather than pushing it.
I actually have never done a Turkey Trot! I usually go for an easy run on my own on Thanksgiving, but have never done an actual race. I usually end up having my fall goal race the weekend before Thanksgiving, so the timing isn’t great, but I’d love to do one for fun one of these years! A half marathon on Thanksgiving sounds perfect though! What better way to refuel than with Thanksgiving dinner??
The Hungry Runner Girl
100% yes—> you are so right Diana about the importance of strength training/cross training building your confidence again after an injury! Love it! Thank you so much for sharing! Hahah I agree, A huge Thanksgiving meal was perfect to refuel with:). Have an awesome day!
Erica
It sounds weird but the best thing that helped me after the injury was the first nag in that area. Like Janae said, it was one my dr. and PT said would be there, andI could run through it. When I felt it though, I immediately stopped and obsessed, thinking “oh no oh no oh no” ” I really did it now” ” Not again” But after I saw that it all played out how they said it would…….I could adjust my thinking to “yep, there it is like they said, no big deal.”
The Hungry Runner Girl
Love it! Yep… I totally agree with you Erica! I hope you have a beautiful day girl and did you get anymore snow?!?
Garou
Amazing pictures as always! I love the feeling that comes out of your posts.
I ‘ve never managed to feel confident after an injury… :(
PS. Last week I run the real (I could find another word but you know what I mean) marathon, from Marathon village to Athens. Oh it was the best experience ever
The Hungry Runner Girl
WOW!!! That is incredible Garou! I bet that was incredible. HUGE congrats to you and I am now adding this to my bucket list. Thank you for your comment, means a lot to me!
Andrea
Love the picture of Harry Potter!! She nailed it!
Nina
I have weakness in my hips and it’s caused various injuries and issues over the years. I have seen PTs, doctors, chiropractors, and acupuncturist and done all the recommended exercises. I find they are pretty good with the advice on how to get back to running. It may help to hire a coach to analyze your form so you know if your form is good. If not they can help correct imbalances before they escalate. (I’m going to see a functional movement specialist to see what I need to do to keep my hips strong and correct my running form).
I may be doing our local turkey trot this year. One of my husband’s piano students is also running it, at 10 she is the local female champ. (Of ALL age groups, the kid is a phenom).
Crowds bug me so I tend to not shop on Black Friday or I choose places that are less likely to be crowded. Online works best. :)
Nicole @ Bento Momentos
That looks like a nice hearty slice of eat-in-bed pie :) That’s an awesome picture of Harry Potter!! And glad to hear that baby is sitting in the right position. It makes it so much easier!!
Rachel
Janae, YOU HAVE TO GO TO HARRY POTTER WORLD! Especially if your man loves it that much. If you do go, I think you’ll want at least two days there. If you are a huge fan than one day simply isn’t enough for Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Tickets are $165 per person for a hopper pass in order to ride the Hogwarts Express (YIKES right?) and unfortunately even my 3-year old’s ticket was $160. Maybe just the two of you could go? We made sure to get some kiddie rides in for my daughter at the Dr. Seuss section of Universal, but it seemed like a waste of money to pay for a ticket for her. That being said, the money we spent for the two of us to hit up Harry Potter World? TOTALLY WORTH IT. I was overwhelmed with how detail-oriented and amazing it is. I love the books and we re-watched all the movies the month before we left just to really soak in the details of the park. Do it!! :)
Also the other message I sent you that you never received was just wondering if you could a guest post on my Health and Fitness FB page?! I teach fitness classes at West Jordan and South Jordan Vasa and run a low key fitness group online and we’d love to hear from you. It would be fun to post something about you with how you find a balance between your nutrition, running, and lifestyle in general. You just look soooo good but you still eat normal people food, you know what I mean? :) Let me know! And Happy Tuesday cute girl.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Yes, we seriously do need to go asap! That sounds like a blast!! Andrew would be in heaven:) I have to go check my messages… was it on email or Facebook? Off to go find it! Enjoy your day!
Nathaly @NathyCure
Hey Janae:) LOVED your kitchen counter transformation. It looks exactly the same as the one me and my fiancé have at our soon to be house.
I never do the Black Friday shopping thing. However, this year I might look online for a second wedding dress. We’re having two wedding ceremonies so that’s the reason why I need a second dress.
Today I logged 3 miles. My way to gain confidence after a bad race or injury is by starting little by little and trying not to be rough on myself. Loved your thoughts on this.
I’ve never done a turkey trot but I would LOVEEEEE to do it. My problem is that I travel during thanksgiving so that kind of complicate things a little bit.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Jenny | Running On Life
No to Black Friday but I do check out cyber Monday deals.
Lys- start small. Slow pace and low distance and work your way up according to what your body needs/wants to do. If you start to have injury pain the call it good for the day. Ice, stretch and try again the next day. Your body will tell you what it needs!
Elizabeth
First of all, I love Brooke and Knox’s PJs!! Brooke’s light up slippers are FABULOUS!!
I didn’t comment yesterday, but your kitchen looks GREAT!! I really like the floor and countertops you chose.
Thank you for posting the confidence tips. I sure needed a reminder! I’ve had some annoying hip and leg pain that finally seems to be getting better *insert prayer hands emoji* I’m going back to track tonight to tackle a tough workout.
No Black Friday shopping for me. It’s crazy out there! I’m staying home and resting :)
This is the first year in a long time, that I won’t be racing on Thanksgiving. I’m going for an early trail run with my running club.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you so much Elizabeth for your comment! I am REALLY HOPING that your hip/leg pain disappear asap! Keep me updated on that! Oh an early trail run sounds fabulous!
Marie
Our school district does a Turkey Trot each year at school, before break, and parents can come so we did that last Thurs. :) No Black Friday shopping unless it’s online. I don’t like shopping as it is and my husband and I did it one year and said never again. :) I’m sorry the kids will be gone this week but hope you have a great day, Janae! I’m grateful for your cheerful blog!
The Hungry Runner Girl
That is SO cool that your school district does that… maybe I should get that going for our school district. I love it! Thank you so much Marie, that means a lot! Enjoy your day!
Marissa @ Run Riss Run
I’m right smack dab in the middle of an injury with a marathon only 1 1/2 wks away. I’m calling the foot & ankle doctor today, but I definitely get it! I think the biggest thing is listening to your body.
We do a pie run each year and the leftover pies/desserts are donated to the homeless shelter. It’s so much fun and there are hundreds of people who show up!
I’ve only been Black Friday shopping twice and it was to go with other people. It was fun, but I love my sleep ;)
Today will be heating and rest and maybe setting up Christmas ? Oh, and taking the kids to see Justice League!
The Hungry Runner Girl
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT the doctor says Marissa! Thinking about you! Oh I love the pie run that you guys do, what an awesome idea! Enjoy your day of getting Christmas up and the movies!
Katie
I am not usually a Black Friday shopper but I am debating watching the sales for a new FitBit as I really miss mine!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I wonder if there are some awesome cyber monday deals!?!? I hope you get a great deal on a new FitBit! Enjoy your day Katie!
Eleanor
So this has nothing to do with this post…except kinda pie! But…have you ever had a coconut cream pie Larabar? They are my absolute faveeee and as I was eating one this morning I thought of you because I know you love pies! If you haven’t, then try one. I mean, it’s got nothin’ on the real pie, but for a healthy snack…I’ll take it!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I haven’t tried that one… looks like I need to asap! Thanks Eleanor! I hope you have a great day!
Dawn
Black Friday shopping is really not for me, unless it’s online! The crowds, long lines, and general stress is too much for me! My one friend LOVES it though, she’s even going shopping on Thursday morning before coming over for the thanksgiving meal! Now THAT’S dedication!
Ali
Somehow I forgot to comment yesterday that your kitchen looks amazing! What a difference and I love your practical approach to paying for it which is so refreshing in the days of credit cards and no budgets.
We don’t have turkey trots where we visit for Thanksgiving. We’re both from really small towns and my father-in-law doesn’t even like me to run in their town ever because he says “no one runs here so no one is used to looking out for runners.” It is kind of strange. Maybe we’ll have a mini turkey trot and run a few laps around their house.
Tuesday’s are rest days for me so no miles today.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you so much Ali! We are so excited about it:) HAHA yes… do the mini turkey trot, sounds like a blast:) Enjoy the rest of your day Ali!
Kathy McElhaney
I never do Black Friday shopping. We’ll be riding our bikes this year! I love REI’s #OptOutside campaign – they don’t open their stores on Black Friday but encourage everyone to get outside with friends and family.
No Turkey Trot this year – I did one a few years ago with a bunch of Les’ family, including his 83 year old dad!
5.67 miles on the trail today. It was really windy so it felt a lot longer!
The Hungry Runner Girl
His 83 year old dad is amazing!!! Great job on the trails today and I think running in the wind actually doubles your mileage technically. I LOVE their campaign… seriously so cool! Enjoy your ride Kathy:)
Corey
I went Black Friday shopping *once* and never will again (except online). I was up early with my (at the time) 9-mo-old, so I hauled her inside in her carrier, made a beeline for a discount DVD player, and jumped into the closest line. After 2.5 hours, we paid, declined the extended warranty (foreshadowing), and went home feeling proud. The gift was a hit! My daughter and her cousin loved watching The Lion King on Christmas night. Then we couldn’t get the disc out…and the 30-day warranty had expired. Done and done.
A 10-K Turkey Chase was my very first race, eons ago, but it’s not a tradition for me. Maybe I’ll run around my neighborhood Thursday morning, though!
Meanwhile, I’m going to hope your little one decides to be my BIRTHDAY BUDDY on 11/30–doesn’t that sound like a nice date? Glad all is looking great :)
Anna
I am doing a 5k Turkey Trot this year! I did it last year for the first time, and now want to make it an annual tradition :)
I don’t love Black Friday shopping… I’ve done the madness with family when the kids were younger, but it’s just too much, and it’s too crazy!
So exciting your new baby girl is going to have chubby cheeks! :)
Susie
I used to have to work Black Friday — when I worked retail. IT. WAS. AWFUL. There were two women who went to blows over fleece. That’s rediculous. After serving my time as the check out line girl, I vowed to never shop Black Friday — I do Cyber Monday instead.
No turkey trot — but I’ll be hitting the gym for a killer Crossfit Wod Saturday!
Wendy
Where are your high top sneakers from? I’ve been looking for something like that!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hey Wendy!!! They are Frau and I’m obsessed with them! I got them two years ago but they have a similar one here:
http://shop.frau.it/en/Products/FW/Woman/Boots-and-low-boots/suede-beatles-visone-1028.html
Have an amazing day!
Kristine
We had a turkey trot in October. We have only started having Black Friday sales in Canada – might look at a few things online but in general I avoid the crowds haha. I did 3 miles on the treadmill here as the weather is rainy and wet. After injury I always take it slow…I remind myself that it will take time and I try to take a long term perspective. Hopefully I am still running at 80! Hope you and your family have a great thanksgiving!
Lys
Thank you soooo much for posting in answer to my question Janae! Honestly, it’s so nice to think you were thinking of me, and thank you to everyone who has posted their thoughts too :) I think I haven’t helped myself as my podiatrist told me to run at tempo and I’ve taken that quite seriously, so running hasn’t been too much fun after being off for eight weeks! But now he’s says I can run at whatever speed is comfortable while I build up to a little more distance. I hope that will help to stress a little less, and as some of you have said, take things a bit more slowly! Plus i sort of signed up for another marathon to replace the one I couldn’t do because of my injury, so now I have that sitting on the horizon being stressful!
Loved your kitchen post yesterday! Black Friday has started to take off in the UK too but I’m trying to steer clear apart from or two things we’ve decided we actually need…
Melissa
Thanks so much for talking about injuries and confidence today. I am in the middle of an injury (metatarsalgia) and am thinking about getting back to running but every time I plan a run I am absolutely terrified I am going to screw something up or set my recovery back and so I don’t go. It’s been a bad cycle for the past couple of weeks. When I don’t run I get a little depressed and so everything seems a little harder…I’m glad I am not alone!
April
My daughter and I are walking the 2 mile trot near our house Thursday. Next year I plan to run it with her, it has been a hard running year for me. I think she’ll love it though.
I am excited for the pies and coziness of the holiday. I hope you guys have a lovely holiday! So excited for you on the upcoming arrival! :)
Aimee from Run Eat Drink Podcast @runeatdrinkpod
I am excited for mashed potatoes and potato salad. I think we will just run at home in the morning before our dinner. At the beginning of November, I was running Wine and Dine half at Walt Disney World. My knee, recovering from a torn meniscus, did not cooperate. I got picked up at Mile 10. The very next weekend I was supposed to run the Super Heroes Half in California. I thought about not going. Then I talked to my running coach (Jeff Galloway) and he said, “You just gotta get those positive mantras going.” And I worked hard leading up to the race to do that. All through the race I kept them in my head. Although I was slow, that was what helped me come back and finish that Super Heroes Half and coming back from adversity makes it all that much sweeter. Happy Thanksgiving!
snowecho
Lys asked the other day—> “Do you have any advice on how to get your running confidence back after injury? I had a stress fracture, probably related to changing to a more mid-foot strike. Now I’m so paranoid about how my foot is striking, whether I’m making my hip hurt, whether my old plantar fasciitis is coming back… I’m over analyzing everything!!!”
This is a TOUGH question and so I would love your opinions too to help Lys out in the comments. It’s tough because obviously paying close attention to what your body is telling you after an injury is very important because we want to do what is best for our body… BUT—> worrying/obsessing/overthinking every little thing with our running/form/cadence sure takes the fun out of running!
Response for Lys:
Lys i don’t know if this helps you, but during easy runs, i don’t zone out – i don’t listen to music – i don’t do anything but just try to be present. and think about every single stride. it’s not so much stressful as it is a little mind numbing. in fact it can be really mind numbing. if you run with a friend maybe have them video your stride/form for a bit. since i’m not putting an effort into maintaining pace, as i know my easy run pace pretty well by now, it’s easy to think about how the body is feeling and what the body is doing. i think about my hips, my arms, and my foot strike (before during and after), and my stride. if i work strides into my run i try to smile. i try to notice what feels good and what feels tight or needs work. and i just stop mid run or end of run and work on it. i don’t really have time – so it’s really hard to commit to doing that. but putting your body ahead of the training and ahead of just everything else will yield more injury-free running in the future which is the long term goal.
however, it sounds like you made an adjustment to your form that is being totally rejected by your body. i think that happens. general form recommendations don’t work for everyone. what feels natural will be your best running form. you can always make tweaks from common recommendations – but yikes. i hope your body gives you a warning next time! i agree with Janae in that trusting yourself is key. you make the call. if you feel good, run. if you don’t, don’t. rest is frustrating, so cross training is sometimes do-able altho yes not the same as running unfortunately. best of luck.
Who loves Black Friday shopping? Going this year? Ever gone in the past?
i like it but i dislike the crowds. i will probably go and i will probably get some things online (winter running gear)…
Have a turkey trot this year? Do you do one yearly or once in a while?
no there’s not one close by where we will be – but we’ll be running (both hubs and i)
How do you help yourself to gain confidence with your running after an injury or bad race/workout?
repeat some mantras. during my race last saturday i heard a few people repeat mantras to themselves. talking themselves into finishing. it was kind of great b/c it gave that feeling that we’re all in this giant struggle to master the distance together.
How many miles are you logging today?
zero :( b/c injury i want to avoid and b/c laziness in not waking up at 5:30 when my alarm went off. i will be traveling later so won’t be able to go after work either. i have been looking forlornly at the runners on the esplanade here. sigh.