When I'm riding solo on the spin bike, I know how to rock it the frick out. Some jumps, sprints, hills, hovers, and more jumps, sprints, hills, and hovers.
What I love most about being a P.E. teacher ----------> I walk out of the gym looking like I should be walking in for a training session. Yes, post-shower, with makeup on, and ready to go to work as seen below.
Some delicious lunch that was perfect for the kind of chilly day we were having here in the Chi. Amy's organic (low sodium) creamy tomato soup, paired with some broc.
Bestie Tommie Jo sent this to me yesterday. She always seems to know when I need something like this.:)
Let's talk about limitations real quick.
95% of my runs are pretty much carefree, even if they're speedwork or long runs. I'm not worried about why something's achy, or not feeling confident about the mileage. Don't get me wrong: I've had my moments of "Oh my gooses, 18 miles is kinda far..."; that's seriously included in the remaining 5%
Saturday's long run was a question mark. Harry and I are running the PNC Milwaukee Half Marathon this Sunday, and I am severely under-trained to race it. I figured it'll be a long run with some water tables along the way.:) So with that, I figured I'd run 10-12 miles Saturday, just to get one last aerobic run leading up to the event done. It was humid out. Like 100% humidity. And warm -- about 68*F -- which isn't WARM really if you're just out walking around, but with that humidity level and running, it totally got WARM. I was sweating a lot within the first mile, which is usually a sign that I'll need water more frequently than normal.
Miles 1-6 were sooooooooooo blah, but I realized around mile 4 that I wasn't about to attempt 12 miles. Why? Because there was no sense in: A.) running any longer for a half marathon distance event (you'll notice that I call them "events" when I'm not trained to "race") the following weekend; and B.) staying in those conditions could risk injury. I was tired. My legs were spent at mile 5. I mean, wow. Humidity is the worst. It makes me feel like I'm nothing as a runner. It also jacks up my hair. So there...it's decided: Humidity is my kryptonite.
Anyway
I made the mistake of skipping water fountains. This probably could've helped a bit, though I won't sit here and say that I was completely broken down by the time I got home. I was smart enough to take a GU with me (which isn't like me for a 10 miler) and ate it around mile 6 ----> That and not going any further than what was necessary were probably the reasons why I didn't feel like 100% poo when I got home.
Also? I wanted to stop and play with this.
An enormous downpour happened around mile 6. I ran into a nearby park district building and asked an angel of a man if he had a plastic bag for my iPhone. He gave me this bag, smiled, and wished me luck getting home. The rain was coming down so hard that I had to look down for a long time.
I got home just fine (albeit I felt like a BAMF from running in so much hard rain), and didn't feel completely destroyed. It has taken me a long time to learn what my limitations are, and just how much more will make or break me. I'm super happy that I've come this far in recognizing limitations and expectations, even if I was a mile or two off.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side note:
I got bangs. And my Halloween costume. All in the same evening.
Do you know when to shut it down or what your fitness limitations are?
Do you like to spin/lift/run alone, or do you really prefer classes or a crowd?
SCARY MOVIE -- NAME ONE YOU'VE WATCHED/ARE GOING TO WATCH.
I definitely think I have grown to learn my limitations, takes a lot of work though. Also, I would have wanted to play with that tire too and you look SUPER cute with your hair cut and Halloween outfit! :)
ReplyDeleteI tend to stop when something doesn't feel right. Usually. The times where I don't tend to be where I end up making it worse for myself and prolonging my recovery time, so I like to think I've gotten better with it.
ReplyDeleteYay for tires! (I love tire flips! :] )
Excellent topic...knowing your limitations and respecting them. I know SO many people who insist on pushing themselves beyond what they're capable of doing. Pushing oneself is good, that's how we progress, etc. BUT sometimes, we need to know when to NOT push and listen to our bodies. Nothing is worth injury. Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDelete