Feeling Good Again

After posting last month about all the issues I've been having with my legs, I finally decided that I needed to rest.  So I took a break from running for 10 days.  I hit the gym almost every day during that time, but my cardio was limited to spinning or the elliptical.  No impact whatsoever!  I also did some lifting every other day and heavily iced my legs.  The result: my first pain-free run last night in over 2 months.  I'm not gonna lie, it felt great!  Hopefully I can stay on top of this issue now that I've ruled out a stress fracture.  I was sweatin' it during my time off.  My mind typically trends toward the worst case scenario, though.

I had a ton of time to really let my mind wander.  I got to thinking of a few things...

First of all, my time off reinforced my thoughts about the need to make my body bulletproof.  Not literally of course, but to really focus on not having one shred of weakness.  Going to the gym last week really brought the idea home, so I've decided to add a little gym time to my training regimen.  Of course that means more time dedicated to training, but I think the payoff is definitely worth it!

My run yesterday was at a very relaxed pace.  I think I tend to overdo it sometimes and push it too hard, too often.  A slower pace really let's me focus on my form and gives my body the time it needs to respond appropriately.  Coupled with the right pair of shoes for me, I feel like I'm in good form again... Finally!

The other thing I've had a lot of time to think about is my diet.  I eat fairly sensibly, but sometimes feel like I may not get all the nutrition I need for my active lifestyle.  Oddly enough, I've spent some time reading about vegan diets lately.  While I have no desire to live a vegan lifestyle, I think that incorporating more plants and seeds into my diet is very important.  I do ok with fruits and grains, but I'm terrible with the veggies!  Definitely need more green stuff in my diet.

While it sucks to have time off from running, the last week and a half have been pretty eye-opening for me.  Sometimes just putting in the miles is not enough!  It's about evolving and incorporating change where change is needed.  I can honestly say that I'm glad I was in pain, but I'm also glad it wasn't something major.  Just enough to open my eyes to new, more educated ideas.