Long run for me today. I went 1 mile longer than last week, which is good. The first 3 miles are just plain uncomfortable for me. It's the warm up period; everyone has one. It's wise to take advantage of it and work it into your overall time.
At mile 3.2 my lungs and chest opened up, my legs were loose, my stride longer. Nirvana.
So I got thinking. One of three things is happening:
1. I'm now running downhill
2. I'm running with the prevailing wind
3. I'm a distance machine
I was going with distance machine, because in truth, that's what I am. I'm not fast but I can go forever.
Just not in running right now. Because at mile 5.2 I blew up in a puff of smoke when my IT band tightened up and I decided that it was time to walk.
Try pushing past your discomfort and see what you are capable of, be it running, HIITs, more repetitions of the weekly workouts, cycling, anything. You will surprise yourself at what you can do!
If your lungs and muscles are screaming, that's a good thing, and if you push through that you will be stronger and fitter. If you are mechanically hurting, don't push through it. You don't want injury to your tendons, ligaments, bones, etc. Stretching will help as it increases your flexibility. And taking it slow will let your body get stronger over time.
Toning and weight-bearing exercise helps strengthen lateral-movement muscles that don't get strong or used much in running. Women are particularly prone to injuries that come from lateral movement because we tend to focus on forward-moving exercise, and shy away from muscle-building exercise (which is a huge no-no). If you do the weekly workouts on Instagram @fitnessinreality, you won't be missing any of your key muscle groups.
Push yourself! And enjoy your Saturday!
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