This was a super hard decision, I've invested years of my life trying to become a great runner for distances of 50+ miles. The problem is I'm a big guy with a great base muscle structure that weighs a lot. The running I've done lately has been brutal and has literally cause me to have wobbly legs during the last 1/2 mile of each run. I'm not gentle on myself and I workout to leave it all on the trail, but this causes me to be miserable at night and most of the next day until I run again.
I haven't run for 4 days and I feel amazing. I know the body needs a break, but I'm actually getting some rest at night and haven't taken any ibuprofen in a week. I'm going to the gym tonight and doing weight workouts, trying to develop a stronger core and tone up everything. I was on pace for a record mileage month, 240 miles, and made the realization that I just can't do it any longer. I really felt like I was killing myself slowly. I didn't have joint pain or sore knees/ankles, but my muscles were so sore it hurt to walk.
Now I can focus on a lot of other things, and run a few times a week for 45 minutes to an hour.
Like making bread!
I really feel comfortable and happy with my decision to transition, it took a few agonizing days of self doubt and hate but I'm good now. I will also have several hours each day to do whatever that I didn't have before. Perhaps I'll try the distance running again next year.
congrats on making a decision that you feel good about! as an ex-competitive gymnast i'd like to offer you some advice for building up your core - pilates and yoga. you don't seem like the kind of guy who would feel funny in a pilates and/or yoga class and either would work well with your weight work and running. jambaloney had been a serious mountain biker when i met him and had been doing all kinds of bike racing for years - plus he was really fit and really built. however, once i started to teach him basic pilates/yoga moves he started crying like a girl and realized that there were key, core muscle groups that he had never utilized. also, although he can bike 9 million miles - he didn't know proper breathing techniques. learning proper breathing techniques will do wonders for your running. please don't think that i don't think that you know how to run and breathe - but if you haven't been trained in proper breathing techniques it can really make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteand just for the record - hockey players, football players, marathon runners, marathon bikers, etc. have in the last 15-20yrs learned that pilates/yoga is a great way to extend your training.
the bread looks great buddy! your friend,
kymber
I might try some yoga, but will see how the gym goes for a month before I add something else. I got my butt kicked, hard, on night one.
DeleteIt's amazing how weak my core really is, and that's sad but at least I knew it already. I wish that everyone could experience an hour of solid core work like I did, holy crap.
Max - core work IS freakin hard. and repetitive! a lot of people don't know that when you competitively train for gymnastics, you spend very little of your workout time doing routines on the beam or bars (for example), and a lot of time doing situps, pushups, inverted pushups, etc. - that's because you need the strong core for every routine.
Deleteanyway - if you want to try and kill yourself, try an inverted pushup! that's where you do a handstand and then pump your pushups off in that position - talk about hard!!!
i really recommend that when you feel comfortable in your routine to try some yoga or pilates - i like yoga for certain things, and pilates for other things. but both are good ways of building and maintaining your core.
good luck buddy! and keep us updated. your friend,
kymber
I can't do a handstand without a wall, so my pushup would be more like a face smash. :)
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