Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Getting past an injury & such.....

    As my last blog post said, in December I had to drop at Brazos Bend 100 around mile 50. My ankle just wouldn't hold up and the pain was up in my IT Band and knee area so I shut it down.  Mentally it was bad but I knows then that I had to go see a doctor. A few days later I saw my race photos and I decided then that I must throw everything out, hire a coach and start fresh. After seeing a doctor and being told not to run for 6 weeks I immediately hired Gia Madole for my coach to get me across the finish line at Leadville. There are good coaches out there but it's what fits me the best. I knew I had 6 weeks to lose weight, change my diet and hopefully maintain my base so I started that day.
   Many runners view an injury as a negative but after over racing in 2015 I feel those 6 weeks were great! My core was in terrible shape and even though I had the legs to run a 100 in October,76 in Nov and 50 in December it would have been a tad easier with a stronger upper body. I just got time to reboot and decide what my priorities are in running. Just as in life when you get caught up in the hustle & bustle you sort of forget what you are doing and this is where I was. I had signed up for SnowDrop 55hr, Rocky 100 and Vol State 500k.  I quickly dropped from all of them and simply focused on Stephen. It's a pretty cool thing to do! Several days a week at the gym on a bike and doing strength/core was nice and I missed that when I tried following other runners late last year.

  Diet- I had to shed 15 to 20 pounds and I have zero patience so I got into the calorie counting deal. I gave up the eating out and bought a lunch box. MyFit Foods became my friend for lunches and dinners consist of veggies,protein and fruit for the most part. Breakfast - protein shake, 3 tablespoons of rolled oats and a chia cereal that keeps me full til lunch. I started out at 197. I'm a small frame person so that's a lot for me while running.  I finally got down to 180 Sunday after a run and I'll see where it leads.  I've ate good before but never really "got" it.  Portion controls haven't been a strong suit for me. Yes I'd eat quality food but I would just eat more than I needed.  I see people's struggles on social media with weight and food.  The struggle is real but for me it's just about making better choices.  I can't drink alcohol and run at the level I'm wanting to be.  That's a battle for me but just like food, it's a choice.  I do think I need to reward myself after a tough week but I'm starting to think that may just be a way to make excuses to drink or to eat crap. I'm still working on that......
    What's ahead? I've got a couple of 50 milers this spring and then Leadville 100 in August. June & July I want to spend as much time as I can in Colorado running up mountains.... No pressure. Just get use to the elevation. After Leadville I'm not sure. That's too far away and I'm just enjoying each week training. I'm back to running and last week got close to 70 miles in plus my gym work.
  I guess the purpose of this blog is that no matter what life throws at you, the setback can be used as a catapult to even bigger and better things in life if that's what you truly desire.  Whining and moping would have just wasted time in my very short life and nobody's got time for that...... Til next time #RunStrong