it's the little things

Pre injury run to work.

Sometimes in life you just need to press the reset button. That's what I've learned each time I've had an injury. I look back at those times when my body was healthy and the only thing stopping me from pushing my limits was my pain tolerance. It is frustrating when you have the desire and your body just isn't cooperating. So, as I stated in the last post, there is always something to learn from each injury. Although I have incorporated some injury preventative measures into my daily routine i.e. eccentric calf raises, core work, weight training, there are definitely some weak areas I need to strengthen like my feet. I feel like I have weird feet, but who knows. That seems to be a weak spot. So, I have started doing some good stretching and strengthening moves. Here is a good video if you are interested.https://youtu.be/kStuJAu0a20  I'm not sure I have plantar fasciitis but that is what I am calling it for now.

Bike training made easier when watching the Olympic marathon trials.

Part of my rehab routine. Ignore the ugly foot.

It took me 1 hour and 45 mins to pool run 1.25 miles!

I usually do weights/core work twice a week.

I read a couple of interesting articles this past week. The first by Ed Eyestone in the Winter 2016 edition of BYU Magazine. In the article, "Run Like a Horse", Ed gives the experience of one of his track athletes, Kyle Perry, who had a goal to break the four minute mile. Kyle's personal record stood at 4:05 He felt like he was stuck and was not making any progress. He said, "I don't think there is one single thing I can do to cut off five seconds, but I do think there are 10 things I can do that can each cut off half a second and together will total five seconds and get me under four minutes." Here was his list:

For the next three months I will:

1. Do my morning runs

2. Stretch after every workout

3. Do core five times a week

4. Get to bed before 11 p.m.

5. Lift weights twice a week

6. Do sprint drills twice a week

The last four changes were dietary in nature:

7. Eat breakfast every day

8. No more ice cream

9. Nor more Diet Coke

10. No more candy

Kyle set a date to break the four minute mile at an indoor meet. Over the next 3 months he stuck to his goals and was able to break four minutes by running 3:59.16. "Contrary to popular opinion, he found that sweating the small stuff was necessary to accomplish big things and get him to a whole new level."

Ed goes on to say that his time working with Kyle Perry reinforces a scripture: "Wherefore, be nor weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great" (D&C 64:33)

( Incidentally, one of Ed's other athletes, Jared Ward, just qualified for the Rio Olympic marathon!)

So, what are the little things you can add to your life that will help you reach your goals whether running or otherwise? 

The second article I read was "The Economics of Injury Recovery" by Joe Uhan. I'm a literal and visual learner so this article made a lot of sense or cents (pun intended) to me. It's a lengthy article, but to sum it up he talks about balance, as in balancing our revenue and expenses in the healing process. He will use an economic analogy by assigning dollar values to various stresses on the body and fitness. It is very interesting. For instance, Here is just one part of his analogy: 

Part 1: Too much, too soon
The most-common reason runners have a pain relapse is a failure to conservatively resume running. They fail to grasp the true cost of running, versus their current tissue tolerance–or present revenue level. Simply, they try to put a normal load on abnormal (still sensitive, still weakened) tissue.

Pre-injury revenue: +$2,500
Current revenue: +$800
‘Normal run’ (one hour, easy) expenses: -$1,000
Net loss: -$200

There is so much more and it is so informative. So, I suggest if you are interested in more, it is such an interesting and helpful article. http://www.irunfar.com/2016/02/the-economics-of-injury-recovery.html

If you have any little things you have incorporated into your life/routine, I would love to hear them. P.S. It doesn't have to be about running.