A Different Kind of Long Run
Despite my injury, I still have my eyes set on running the Philadelphia Half Marathon, which is less than two weeks away. I haven’t done a long run since the one that triggered the injury, and I’ve been worried about not getting in enough mileage to be prepared.
On Thursday during my PT session, we talked about how I’ve been missing my long runs and I asked her if there was anything I could do. Since the onset of the injury, I’ve been able to comfortably run 4 or 4.5 miles, so she suggested I run 4, do 4 on the elliptical, and then get back to running for the last 2-3 and see how it felt.
So yesterday, I did just that!
Since the weather has been a lot cooler lately, I didn’t even set an alarm and just let myself wake up naturally. I had an English muffin with mashed banana for a pre-run breakfast:
Got myself geared up:
And out I went! I ended up wearing running crops, a running tank and sports bra, and then a running jacket over it. This way, I could do the first part of the run outside, take the jacket off when I got to the gym, and then put it back on for my walk home from the gym, and it worked out quite well.
Breaking up the run into 3 segments also worked really well because each of them felt manageable. The weather was a little chilly but perfect for running, and the first 4 miles outside went smoothly, except that I pressed reset mid-run on my running app…
+
= 4.01 in 34:43, or an 8:39 pace.
I ended the 4 miles right by my gym, and it actually was great because I got a drink and used the bathroom before hopping on the elliptical for the next segment.
I used this elliptical:
Which I’d never used before, but this sign got me:
The 4 miles on the elliptical were uneventful…
And EXTREMELY fast. Too bad I can’t run at an 5:39 pace in real life…
After the elliptical portion, I got another drink of water and took an Espresso GU.
I’d never tried that flavor before, and it was pretty good, but Vanilla Bean still has my heart.
After refueling, I hopped on the treadmill for the last part of this run to knock out 3 miles.
I started at 6.0 mph, and upped it by .1 every couple minutes, ending on 6.8 mph.
In the end, I finished the 3.0 miles in 28:15, or a 9:25 average pace.
And then, at long last, I was done and super sweaty!
I stretched a ton and foam rolled out my legs and IT band, and then called it a day.
After I was done, I kind of felt like I had cheated. Since 4 of the miles were on the elliptical and those miles went SO MUCH quicker, and were so much easier on my body, I just felt like I hadn’t actually done the mileage. But the truth is, I was doing the opposite of cheating – I was doing what’s good for my body right now. It took a little bit of a self pep talk (in my head, don’t worry), but I was able to walk out of the gym feeling proud.
As I should have been! I got 11 miles under my belt, no matter the method, plus 1 hour, 25 minutes, and 36 seconds of cardio, which is the farthest and longest I’ve gone in a LONG time. Here’s to hoping I feel this great in 2 weeks!
lisa fine
November 5, 2012 at 8:54 am (197 days ago)That totally works. If you’re getting a running kind of motion, and getting your heart rate up, then it counts.
I’ve also read that water running is just as good as running outside, but causes very little stress on the body.
Daphne @ Daphne Alive
November 5, 2012 at 9:56 am (197 days ago)Good job!
It’s rough when you have an injury and sometimes the time it takes to recover is frustrating.
Kris
November 5, 2012 at 10:01 am (197 days ago)Try increasing the resistance on the elliptical – you’ll work a lot harder and run a lot slower. I have a knee injury and cannot run on concrete, so to keep things interesting I increase the resistance every half mile.
Jennifer
November 5, 2012 at 10:31 am (197 days ago)Congrats! That’s excellent! Sounds like you’ve found a good way to do your runs but do it safely. Excited for you to run the Philly Half!
Kim @ Living, Laughing & Losing
November 5, 2012 at 10:58 am (197 days ago)Congrats and good luck in your race!
Bailey @ Onederland or Bust!
November 5, 2012 at 12:48 pm (197 days ago)Hopefully you can run the marathon in a few weeks! Fingers crossed
Life's a Bowl
November 5, 2012 at 2:50 pm (197 days ago)Congrats on the success! I’m not a trained anything so I can’t say that it’s fact, but I’ve heard that mixing running + other forms of “running” cardio has proven to be effective! I hope it’s true for you
Carrie @ Season It Already!
November 7, 2012 at 10:03 am (195 days ago)Never thought about adding the elliptical to finish off a run with less impact. But sounds like a no brainer!
Lauren
November 8, 2012 at 6:51 am (195 days ago)Beth
November 8, 2012 at 9:01 am (194 days ago)Hi Lauren! You’re not being naggy! I was in San Fran two weeks ago, and then last week WW was closed due to Sandy, but i did weigh in Tuesday, just haven’t gotten around to making a vlog. Regular ones will resume next week – I enjoyed making them, too!
Nikki
November 14, 2012 at 10:37 pm (188 days ago)Good to hear! I have been checking back lots to see how you are doing. I need some inspiration!
I look forward to next week’s vlog.
Jen (a low carb gal)
November 9, 2012 at 9:37 am (193 days ago)Good luck with the marathon. I hope you will be feeling better. Love the mashed banana and English muffin breakfast!
Beth
November 9, 2012 at 2:05 pm (193 days ago)Thanks Jen!! It’s a great pre-run “meal” because it has so many carbs but isn’t heavy!
Roz@weightingfor50
November 13, 2012 at 1:40 pm (189 days ago)I love the line ‘doing what is good for my body right now”. You are wise Beth, we could ALL learn much from you. Fingers crossed that you are able to run the marathon! Have a great day.