PILATES
Since I'm dealing with this stress fracture and unable to walk/cycle/RUN(discussed HERE) I have been looking into alternative ways to stay active. This weekend, along with my usual strength training, I tried out a pilates dvd that has been sitting around my house.
Honestly, when I hear "pilates" I think "plank". Which is actually a move I LOVE, but it is one I knew would be difficult with my injury. I decided to go ahead and give the dvd a shot anyway. This is the one I used:
I was pretty impressed by this dvd. I have a love/hate relationship with workout dvds. Some are GREAT, but most just plain suck. This one fell into the good category. I will say it is probably not for a more advanced user. I'm new to pilates, so this was perfect for me. The instructor was clear in her directions and the moves were easy to follow.
It focused a lot on breathing and technique. Of course there were several moves that I thought to myself "this would be great with some hand weights". This dvd was a great example of working SMARTER not HARDER.
RUN
Speaking of "smarter not harder" I have started reading Chi Running. Ok, I'm probably the last runner on here to read this, but better late than never I guess.
On the off chance that someone else hasn't read it, here is what the book focuses on:
• Injury-free running
• Improve running efficiency with a mid-foot strike
• Increase your running speed while reducing effort
Sounds perfect for me right? I really want to focus on my form when I return to running. I don't want to have to take anymore time off from injuries. So I'm studying this book and taking notes. Once I'm released from the doctor I'm going to try to take a ChiRunning workshop.
FOOD
I've come across several posts on the weight loss blogs that talk about how much they hate when fellow bloggers act like they're perfect all the time and always get things right. While I don't write a "weight loss" or a "running" blog (I think of mine as a healthy living blog), it did make me wonder if some of the readers think that about my blog.
I don't come on here and write posts each time I overindulge. I don't feel the need to "confess" to my readers when I eat too much pizza. But that doesn't mean I'm trying to portray a perfect life. I simply don't dwell on it.
I live my life. I try each day to eat healthy and to move my body. There are days when I don't achieve that goal, but I never look at it as a failure. I just look at it as an opportunity to learn. Want an example?
This evening my husband went out on our 12 mile training run. I say "our" because we were training together. Now he is training alone. Of course I'm upset by this, but I've tried to stay positive. Well, when I went to grab dinner I did something I haven't done in over a year. I ate a mug full of cheerios with soymilk. A perfectly acceptable meal. But I didn't stop with one mug full. I ate three.
Do I feel guilty? Nope
Am I worried about it? No
I take it at face value and plan on learning from it. Obviously me being at home while my husband got to go out and run made me sad. And so I sat on the couch, watched the Grammys and ate my cereal.
I'll go so far as to say not only am I NOT upset about it happening, I'm pretty GLAD it did. You see, at this point I don't think that much about eating right. Most of the time it simply happens on its own. So, for me to over eat means there is something I need to address. Not being able to run is obviously bothering me more than I wanted to admit, the cereal brought that to my attention.
Turning the negatives into a positive:
The only way to fix a problem is to acknowledge it. Eating a little extra cereal is not an issue since its not a habit, but suppressing feelings (sadness about not running) IS the issue. So I will acknowledge these thoughts:
-Not being able to run makes me sad.
-Losing that one on one time with my husband makes me sad.
-Not reaching a goal when I wanted to, makes me sad.
-I feel like running is part of "who" I am, without it something is missing.
But do you know what would be worse than all of that?
Never being able to run pain free again. And that's the reality I face if I don't let this bone heal.
And while running is a part of me, it does not define me. I get to define who I am. The choices I make determine my destiny. I choose to be positive.
I am THANKFUL for that brief moment of negativity because it helped remind me of the positives.
Positive thoughts for the day:
-Pilates will make me long and lean.
-My body's ability to heal itself is an amazing thing.
-This time off will help me appreciate running more.
-The doctor says no vacuuming/mopping/sweeping. :)
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And a quick shout of to my husband Charles, he ran his 12 miles in 1:46. Great job hun!