Workout Recap 3/17 - 3/23

Not much to see here...

I felt rotten all week.  Not sick, just tired, totally unmotivated, and worn out.  

Monday - CXWORX and 5 treadmill miles.  This run started the week long fiasco with my foot.  I got through the run and got off to discover my lovely ball of foot pain.

Tuesday - REST.

Wednesday - CXWORX and Body Pump with some cardio on the elliptical afterwards.  I hadn't been to a full Body Pump class in a couple of weeks, and I could definitely feel it the next day.

Thursday - 6 super crappy, awful miles.  Man, I can't even describe how rough this was.  It was the first day of Spring, and GORGEOUS outside, but I had the worst run I've had in a really long time.  I stopped after 5 miles and called for a ride.  I got home and changed shoes and did one more slow mile around the neighborhood.

Friday - REST.  Trip to the foot doc.  (A OK to keep running)

Saturday - 11 miles.  I used my new arch supports for the first time, and it was rough.  My feet hurt, and my hips and calves got really tight.  It was also incredibly cold and windy, and I think I was close to having frostbite on my hands, even with two pairs of gloves.  Another rough one...

Sunday - 11 miles of SWEET REDEMPTION!!! FINALLY!  I finally felt like ME again!  I ditched the arch supports... and just ran.  No pain in my feet or hips or anywhere.  I had some pace again, and just felt GOOD!  

This week taught me a lot.  I need to take the good with the BAD, and mentally fight through.  I truly believe over half my battle this week was mental.  I was tired and run down, and let the pains and the bad runs get the best of me.  On to a new and better week!

Workout Recap 12/16 - 12/22

Hello, I'm a slacker.  On just about everything.  Posts, Christmas shopping, T25....
Only good news on the homefront is my calf is almost 100%.  It still has it's moments.  Good thing for KT Tape and Pro Compression.

Monday - 6 miles.  CXWORX (30 minutes)

Tuesday - OUTSIDE!!! It was about 25-26 degrees when I went out, felt pretty good!  I wore a base layer of a Nike Pro long-sleeved shirt, a tech fit t-shirt, and then my Under Armour coat.  Bottoms were regular socks, Pro Compression socks, and Under Armour tights.  I wore a hat and gloves of course.

Wednesday - CXWORX (30 minutes) Body Pump (60 minutes) Arc Trainer (10 minutes)  This was my first full length Body Pump class in a while and I was feeling the burn! 

Thursday - 5 miles.  Easy, nothing too exciting.

Friday - CXWORX (30 minutes)  This was my rest day.  Not much else went on...

Saturday - 10 miles on the mill.  I don't mind hitting the 10 mark, but it's going to take some mental preparation to get over that without croaking of boredom.  I did watch Newlyweds with Nick and Jessica, that kept me pretty entertained.  I was obsessed with these two, and yes, I know they broke up...

Sunday - Elliptical (35 minutes) Body Pump (60 minutes) Arc Trainer (10 minutes)  YAY for strength training twice this week!!

"Bandaid the problem"... aka KT Tape

After my hip flexor strain, I was desperate for any solution other than the prescribed “no running for two weeks” option. I know, I know, you are supposed to heal an injury rather than just bandaid the problem. I took a whole 5 days off of running. FIVE. After the miserable 5 days of walks and really easy and boring elliptical minutes, I headed back to Google for another option… 

Enter my new love… KT Tape. 

Apparently if I would have gone to Instagram earlier and searched the hashtag runnersproblems, I would have seen this earlier. I’ve seen volleyball players wear it, and I had seen it on a runner or two at prior races, but it didn’t really dawn on me that this could help my hip flexor. The KT Tape official website has a video on how to apply almost anywhere. YouTube has several as well. 

Check out the WHAT IT IS section of the official KT Tape website..explains a lot..
 
I watched a few videos on hip flexor application, but I march to the beat of my own drum, and figured out what worked best for me, a pretty simple odd shaped X. The pain point is a good place to start like they indicate in the video. Two strips at a time does the trick for me. Obviously, depending on the area you may need more, or you can rip one in half. It’s not cheap stuff ($12.99 for 20 strips) BUT it’s worth every dime in my opinion. I’ve been wearing it on EVERY run for over a month now. I would say running wise, my hip is mostly healed, and I probably wouldn’t NEED to tape every run, but right now I’m almost afraid for the first run without it. KT Tape can be purchased online or at most sporting goods stores. I buy mine at our local Hibbett Sports. 


TIPS:
-Obviously make sure you are OK to be running, don’t use it as a bandaid unless you are sure you don’t have a major issue going on! (Do as I say, not as I did) 
-Use soap and water to clean the area of skin you will be applying the tape to. Dry thoroughly. 
-I read a tip online that I always follow, and that is to use hairspray. Spray the area of clean skin wear the tape will go before application. Let it dry, and then apply the tape. It helps it stay on especially if you get super sweaty. -Wear compression shorts or socks. If you tape your calves or shins, I would recommend wearing a compression sock or sleeve to help keep the tape in place. I wore compression shorts to help my hip tape stay, and it helped with support and circulation. 
-Do your research. Watch the instructional videos, make sure you are applying it correctly. It’s pretty expensive, and you want to make sure you are actually getting the full benefit of it. I’ve personally never been professionally taped, but it is my understanding at some races or race expos, KT Tape has a booth and they will actually tape you up. Sounds sweet.