It’s been a rough week. Whenever I’m sick or injured I always wrestle with my workout choices. Unless I literally cannot get out of bed (which was the case last Tuesday) I will go to the gym, go for a run or get on my bike. Not surprisingly this behavior shows up in my non-training life too. Stubborn? Stupid? You be the judge.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 4, 2019
RUNNING
When it comes to running I’m especially stubborn. After all these years you would think I would learn my lesson but I never do. I’ve had some achilles and calf/soleus pain for weeks which culminated in a really painful run off the bike a few weeks ago and so I had to finally confess to my coach what was going on.
I’m like an addict. I hide and deal with it and cover up the truth just so I can get my running fix and for what? I’ve now run myself right onto the f**cking elliptical! That’s right, 9 miles for two weeks in a row on the elliptical.
As if that were not enough, I let “only” having the elliptical as my workout (which was over 7 miles BTW) be my excuse for going to the gym after I was sick in bed all day on Tuesday.
Stubborn? Oh hell yes. Stupid? Check! A tad crazy? Ya think? *insert face palm emoji here*
Wednesday – 1’s on/off on elliptical | 7.51 miles | 1:02:02
Friday – long “run” on elliptical then swim| 9.0 miles | 1:12:04
Total = 16.51 measly miles
CYCLING
Luckily for me, cycling is much easier on the stomach as well as the achilles and calf so I was able to keep up with my workouts. I’m a lot less stubborn when it comes to riding and I won’t go outside unless I feel the roads are safe from debris, snow, ice and lunatics. Well, scratch that last one or I would never go outside.
Monday – NP 1 speed changes on/off | 1:05:04 | 18.4 miles
Thursday – LT 2 base | 1:20:08 | 21.8 miles
Total = 40.2 miles
The argument can be made that I’m stubborn about getting my rides in but I’m seldom stupid when it comes to riding outside. Surely that counts for something?
STRENGTH + SWIMMING
As you may assume, I don’t fuss too much when it comes to getting in the pool. Since my sickness was due to my stomach (not sure if it was a bug or something I ate?) I really didn’t want to swim and possibly puke in the pool. In case you’re wondering, I have no issue spewing on the elliptical.
My trainer had to cancel on me this week (it was legit) and some how I don’t feel the need to supplement my strength training, especially when I spent the weekend at Stowe, VT doing yoga and snowboarding. That’s plenty of strength right?
Follow up on the Backcountry Yoga weekend at Stowe coming soon! Don’t get too excited. It wasn’t all zen and namaste and involved me being both stubborn and stupid.
THINGS I LOVE
Getting older can be particularly difficult when you’re an athlete and this article in Outside online (brought to my attention by the lovely Christine) details the very best and very worst of being a stubborn, and sometimes stupid, aging runner.
When Your Body Says No | by Christopher Solomon
“Like my father, I never ran very fast or far—four, five, six miles at a time. But I ran daily, an act as certain as vespers. I was never happier than when I was moving, a low-budget Mercury skimming along the skin of the earth in torn running shorts. The satisfaction lay simply in heading out the door and covering ground. To be able—that was the thing.”
“To be able — that was the thing.” Yes! That is always “the thing!”
The only thing I don’t love about it is that I didn’t write it myself.
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH
Knowing I may someday have to strangle a mountain lion because I’m out doing what I love.
Have you seen this?
Colorado Trail Runner Kills Mountain Lion in Self-Defense | by Andrew Dawson for runnersworld.com
If this is not the most badass thing I’ve ever read, I don’t know what is.
How was your run? Well I was attacked by an 80 pound mountain lion but I killed it and kept going. How was yours?
Stupid? Maybe but he’s got one hell of a story and can now run wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Oh wait, if he’s was a young white guy then he was already able to do that.
READING + TELEVISION
Sadly, I don’t have much to report here except that I watched portions of Erin Brockovich, Overboard and A Few Good Men while delirious in bed. And we’re just starting a new book club book so hopefully it’s as good as The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens.
If you haven’t started watching the new season of True Detective, I highly recommend it! The story is so intriguing and is told over three decades with the same actors (Stephen Dorff and Mahershala Ali) playing vastly different ages and ranges. Incredible.
By the time my husband and I get to sit and watch this at night, I’m too tired to be stubborn.
RANDOM PICTURE OF THE WEEK
In Vermont, we drink our CBD, and it makes me both stubborn and stupid in the best way possible…
Here’s hoping I have a better week, make better decisions and stop being so stubborn! < – – there’s zero chance of that happening
What are you stupid/stubborn about?
Will you watch any movie when you’re sick in bed? I obviously will.
Read anything good this week?
Oh man, sorry you were sick. That is the worst. Working out is so ingrained. I get it for sure. Yeah the mountain lion thing is amazing. Lately I entertain what running will look like when I no longer run marathons. Part of it is appealing. Part of it.
Feeling much better now but thank you! As for marathons, I felt pretty good about giving them up and, road races in general. I usually only run in competition when I’m doing a triathlon now and you know what? I love it! Maybe that’s next for you? 🙂 I love getting people to convert!
You went to the Backcountry retreat? Nice! I completely forgot about it. Whomp whomp whomp. Hope you had a good time! That stinks about the illness. Something about the pool and stomach issues would keep me away too. Hope this week is better!
Yes! You didn’t miss much so don’t be too bummed and the weather was horrible on Saturday so I didn’t even get to snowboard at Stowe. Boooooo. So far, this week is better for sickness but the boys had a snow day yesterday and two hour delay today. Kill me.
So sorry to hear that you were sick last week but glad that you are feeling better. Sometimes when I’m sick with a cold I have noticed that working out actually helps me feel better, but if I have a fever I just lay low until it leaves.
That story about the runner and the mountain lion freaks me out!
You’re 100% right about running sometimes helping but, sadly, not in this case. And that mountain lion story (and all the other ones like it!) are terrifying!
You are in good company, with the addiction to endorphins! Hope you are feeling more like yourself this week.
Oh I know I am! I have to come here to feel “normal” though because my family and non-running friends certainly DO NOT get it! LOL! Feeling much better but now the weather is not cooperating. At least I have a treadmill!
Haha–stupid and stubborn? Are you my sister from another mister? That article you posted hit home–hard. I’m pondering a post about this issue because, for the first time in my running life, my body is starting to balk when I want to get out and run. I’m glad you posted the link. It’s giving me a lot to think about. But I”m not done yet…
Glad you are feeling better! It looks like a lot of us were sick this past week. I’m hoping that means all the germs have left the building.
You know I am!!! And that article hits every doubt and worry and fear, doesn’t it? It gutted me and I just had to share. I know you have more to deal with than most (F that RA!) but you are still doing it and, as determined as you are, I’m not sure there’s anything that will stop you. Seriously.
Feeling much better, thank you but now buried under snow and ice so it’s the treadmill for me. I’m NOT complaining!
Ugh… running on an elliptical would be pure torture!!! I hope you recover soon! Btw, Malibu is adding a half Ironman in September… registration opens this week (Babak has a bad injury so he probably won’t do it this September but maybe next)…
Oh no about Babak!!! I hope he’s ok…and I hope you’re ok. There’s nothing worse (as you know) than an injured athlete!!
I’m back to running – thank God – but now buried under snow and ice so it’s the treadmill for me, but I’m not complaining at all. I’ll take it over the stupid elliptical any day!!
Oh no illness and injury! You poor thing. I only do the elliptical occasionally but could not go on it for a total of 9 miles! that’s just cray cray!
It was absolutely insane, I assure you, but now I’m back to running! I had one road run before this latest storm so it’s been the treadmill mostly, but I’ll take it!!
I’m sorry to hear both about your Achilles/soleus and about you being sick! I am super impressed by your dedication to getting the work done on the elliptical!
I’m the most stubborn person when I’m sick. It’s essentially my husband trying to do things for me, me objecting “I can do things!”, and us repeating that cycle until I pass out on the sofa. God help me if we have children and they take after me.
OMG I am the exact same!! I will crawl out of bed to do stuff around the house or go to the gym and my husband is like “what are you doing???” Luckily, my kids are smarter than I am 🙂
Ugh I’m sorry to hear you were sick – seems to be a lot of that going around lately. I’m not a good sick person either – I have a hard time just laying in bed doing nothing. But I’m also learning that if I don’t listen to my body I pay for it later.
I don’t know how you managed 9 miles on the elliptical and didn’t lose your mind?! That’s dedicated!
So true about listening to your body! I always think that I can either shorter my sickness or draw it out for days. Staying in bed was the best thing I could have done, but I probably could have used another day. And the elliptical was horrendous but at least I had Netflix!
I am so stubborn too and I also kind of ignored and hid a calf injury for weeks. Ugh will I ever learn?! We are watching true detective as well and I really like it more than I thought I would
So glad to know I’m not the only one!! I haven’t learned yet so I don’t think it’s happening for me 🙂 And True Detectives is SO GOOD!! I cannot wait to see what happens next!
I am stubborn too, to a point. Since chronic pain and inflammation (foot) have taken over my life I have toned things down a bit. Now I’m running less but still working on being faster. So I have a longer period of time when my foot doesn’t hurt only to have it absolutely aching after training/ race day and… repeat. Being sick really sucks. I would definitely rather hurl from the elliptical than in the pool. At least the chunks land somewhere and don’t float around, am I right?
Drinking CBD??? I’m in the land of marijuana yet you guys have so many different ways to get your CBD on than we do! what’s up with that!!!
So sorry you have chronic pain! I can’t imagine that but know all too well the throbbing, stabbing pain of one body part or another after a hard effort.
And you are 100% correct about puking in the pool vs elliptical – LOL!!
I thought Vermont was the land of marijuana but you must be in California 🙂
I’m in the Netherlands 🙂
I’m heading your way in September…and I may never come back!
I’ve learned that runners can be a stubborn bunch. I learned it from watching my own stubborn tendencies…
I rarely watch movies, but we did watch Roma on Netflix last week.
Hope you’re feeling better this week!
Well, being stubborn IS part of what helps us do all the amazing things we do on the road, right? It’s a blessing and a curse!
I’m interested in seeing Roma since it’s gotten a ton of hype. Curious to know what you thought?
Feeling MUCH better and back on the road and treadmill because we got yet another snowstorm. Yay winter!
I’m stubborn AF. I get it from my dad. Add to that I’m redhead and well, you can see where I’m going. lol. I’m especially stubborn about running. Just ask my surgically repaired meniscus. LOL
I heard about that guy in Colorado! That’s totally crazy! I hope that I would have enough redheaded fight in me to do the same, if I needed to.
When I’m sick in bed, it’s crime shows all day and all night. Gimme all the Drugs, Inc., Cops, Jail, CSI, NCIS. I’m even into Intervention, etc. And luckily, there’s ALWAYS something on so I never struggle to find something to watch. haha
I love redheads! My college roommate was a redhead and we’re still getting in trouble together 🙂
I also love that you have a “sick” genre. I think that’s the only time I would love those shows! I’ll have to check some out next time. haha – thanks
Ugh. Sorry you were sick my friend and I hope the injury is minor and you are back to 100% soon! I can’t stop reading about the mountain lion story – that is insane! We have had a couple of mountain lion sightings around here lately and I really wonder if I have to abandon my trail running adventures…xoxo
Luckily it passed quickly and I have been back on the treadmill and roads!!
Please be careful out there my friend!! Although I think you can probably take the mountain lion 🙂 xoxo