Recovery shmovery?

Most people think that training programs are all about the workouts and only the workouts. However, there is so much more to training than just doing workouts. Along with workouts, a good training program should incorporate things like strength training, drills, eating habits, stretching/massage and recovery. Each element is important to keep an athlete healthy, injury free and constantly improving.

One of the more important elements, second to the workouts, is proper recovery. If the body isn't able to take time to adapt to the training efforts, then they are pretty much rendered useless. Injury and illness can also occur in the absence of proper recovery time. However, for some athletes the recovery aspect is the hardest to do. The 5:00 a.m. wake ups, the double days, the sore and tight muscles, are all easier to deal with than to have to take a day off.

The past 3-4 days I have been having some tightness in my chest and labored breathing. After Tuesday and Wednesdays' workouts I was coughing and bringing up phlem. So Thursday I went to the doctor to check things out. Four hours, an  EKG, blood tests and an X-ray later I finally left with a possible viral bronchitis infection. Awesome. Six weeks before my marathon and I'm breathing like a 300lb man getting up from the couch to go to the kitchen. What's the point of telling you all of this? I have basically been forced (yes, FORCED) to back off and take some recovery this week. Thursday I tried to run 10 miles and at three miles I had to bag it because my breathing was so bad. I planned on postponing my track workout until Friday night after work. All day I was battling myself on whether or not to do the workout or take another day off and focus on doing my long run. After work, I called Coach Dad and told him how I was feeling (and that I couldn't even read Ellie a book without getting winded. BLAH!) and this is where I was forced to take a day off. I get really frustrated  when things like this happen because it makes me feel like I am being weak and I want to do the workout but know I shouldn't do the workout. I would be able to get through the workout, but at what costs? So I listened to Coach Dad and cut out the workout and focus on  the long run instead. Of course it didn't come without a few tears and some turmoil that the marathon is so close and I am missing  big workouts.

So I slept in this morning to get a little extra rest before my long run. I decided to run on the trails to keep the pace down and, if needed, hike the steeper parts to keep my breathing under control. I ended up having a great run! I only had to hike a few times and a few of the climbs I ran on when I first got to the Springs even felt easy as I ran up them. I would get to the top and have not even realized I was running up. Although my legs were feeling fantastic, my breathing still wasn't 100% but it was better than I thought it was going to be. My chest is starting to loosen up and my breathing isn't quite so labored. Tomorrow I will take an already scheduled recovery day, hydrate and relax and hopefully come back Monday feeling even better.

Moral of the story: RECOVERY WORKS.

I don't know why recovery is so hard. This looks great! 

This one is for YOU.

In my last post I talked about people doubting me and my reasons for moving to Colorado. But I think I need to recognize another group of people who have my back. Recently, I have been receiving messages about my posts that talk about my running. Some say I should stop because they make them tired (haha) but most of them tell me how my posts inspire them.What most of you don't realize, is that you are the ones inspiring ME. Yes, YOU are inspiring ME.

I have Coach Dad to push me, and I have me to push me. But sometimes it takes more than what either of us can do. That is where you come in. In the past I have posted links to 'Athlete Tracking' for my various races. I have gotten an overwhelming number of people replying to those posts saying that they have signed up to track me during the race. People that I didn't even know cared about running let alone MY running! It puts such a big smile on my face to know that I have so much support from my friends and my family. It brings tears to my eyes. (Yes, I am a little misty eyed right now. Don't judge me!) Then to follow it up I post my race results, and whether they be good or bad, my phone is on the brink of exploding from the notifications I receive from the 75+ people "Liking" my status.  Every single one of those "Likes" means so much to me. Not to mention the number of individual posts people leave with their congratulations. It all makes me feel that you are proud of what I did. It also holds me accountable to give 100% every day in training and 120% in every race because I don't want to let my "fans" down. I want all of you to be just as proud of me, as I am for myself when I get a new PR, or win a race, or even have a a bad day and am still able push to the finish. I don't think I can say enough to show how much it means to me to have all of your support.

I also love the fact that I can inspire you, too. It makes me feel good that if I never make it to the Olympics or win a major race, my running has still done something bigger than that. It's messages like these that let me know I am doing something right:

Even if you do one race or just go out for a nightly run, I am happy that I had some influence in a positive way. So many people never try because they think they can't do it. But how do you know you can't if you don't try? And even if you can't, who cares! You tried, it didn't work, you move on and you try something else. I don't know if I will make my goal of the Olympic Trials. But I am still going to try like hell. If I don't  I will be sad for a bit, then I will have to reevaluate my running, and create a new goal. (and hope that you wont stop supporting me! Haha) I know that is way easier said than done, but I hate to see people limit themselves from experiencing so many good feelings because they are afraid of failure. Failure is inevitable. You will fail at something at lease once in your life because you are human. But you are also good at something, you just have to figure out what that is.

 I saw this video today and I think everyone should see this at least once. It made me feel inspired.

"To try is to risk failure. But risk must me taken because the greatest hazard of life is to risk nothing." 
- Felice Leonardo Buscaglia

Thank you family, friends and especially my Coach, for pushing and inspiring me to be a better me. And thank you all, for letting me inspire you!