Full 'Front' (chest and arms) strength training. Unlike yesterday's abandoned attempt, today I had good energy. My short .8-mile run yesterday did me a lot of good. Strength training with no running is yang without the yin, er, well, something like that. One really sets up the other nicely. After a summer of entertaining thoughts about become a more serious, high-mileage runner, I've gone back to the one day weights/one day running routine of old. It feels right for me. But it was good to experiment and think things through, and now I have a more systematic approach and a few modest performance goals.
My knee feels good today, not any different than yesterday, which is good. Still a little stiff, but no real pain. Nonetheless, I've already iced it four times since I woke up, and I've been slathering Dama's recommended Tropicin lotion potion religiously after each icing, working out the last niggleness before my next run. The only pain now comes when there's a little lateral pressure, like when I cross my legs, which is easy to avoid. Still, I'm going to hold off until Sunday before my next run, and just do my Back ST day tomorrow, so I can begin the week with my newly formulated weekly routine. It starts with the new 'Bottom' or legs strength-training day:
1. Jog to track
2.Bounding
3.Skipping
4.Run backwards
5.Jog home
6. Plyo box: front, side, step
7.Plyo Box: Hip hike
8.Plyometrics bench hop
9.Broad Jump
10.Vertical Jump variations
11.Leg extensions & curls
12. Kicks
Before everyone starts warning me to take it easy with the knee, what I'll end up doing is a reduced version like this
1. Jog to track .6 mi.
2.Bounding 50-100 yards
3.Skipping 50-100 yards
4.Run backwards 100-220 yards
5.Jog home .6 mi.
so total mileage just 1.5 miles or so
6. Plyo box: front, side, step low reps, just 6" box
7.Plyo Box: Hip hike
8.Leg extensions & curls no weight
9. Kicks in air
Nice times btw Laura! I'm thinking that after I build up to 3 miles or so I may keep things there for a while and just work on pace until I can do 8mm too. I read that the Kenyans work on pace first, and then add distance, and that seems like the intuitively correct way for me to proceed as well. I've been thinking along these lines for a while now, but now that I've learned that pros do it, I feel like I have license to try it in earnest and forget distance for a while. This might be a good plan while I'm finishing rehabbing the knee too.
Anyway, good to be back in business. After just two weeks, it felt like it had been forever since I last ran when I was starting out yesterday . . .