It has now been 7 weeks since the NYC Marathon and 6 weeks since I resumed “training,” which has mostly just base training and easy miles.
Prior to the marathon, I told myself I was going to take November and December to run whenever I felt like it. Well, that lasted about a day, and then I got the itch for a plan again. Ha!
At the end of November, I started to ramp up the miles again even though it was tough with the cold and snow, but I love having a plan each day, and I still have my big, dream goal to accomplish. Things were going okay–not great, just okay–as it was cold, snowy, icy, and I was still recovering from the marathon, but I was doing my best to stay positive and enjoy the fact I was able to run.
Mileage post-marathon:
Week 1: 0 miles
Week 2: 27 miles (about 35% of highest weekly mileage during the marathon build-up)
Week 3: 41 miles (about 50% of highest week)
Week 4: 41 miles
Week 5: 38 miles
Week 6: 30 miles (too busy with Christmas things to run more)
Week 7: 26 miles (plan to run)
I did hit 2018 miles for the year last week, which I was stoked about. This year won’t be my highest mileage ever since I spent the end of the winter/beginning of the spring with a couple different injuries. However, I’m always happy to get over 2000 miles for the year.
I did a couple of faster workouts with the Raven Run Club that I coach, and things were feeling okay, but after a few weeks, I could start to feel my hamstring/glute flare up again. It wasn’t bad, and I could definitely run through it without the pain getting worse, but I also knew it shouldn’t be this way.
I ran 14 miles this past Sunday, and I could feel the ache set in after about 8 miles. I decided enough was enough, and I knew it was time to reign things in and get this injury healed for good. (And not keep operating at 85-90%.) Truthfully I have been dealing with this injury on and off for several years, so now (during the off-season) is the time to get my right hamstring and glute as strong as my left side.
My plan is to run about 4 days a week, strength train 3 days a week, and do yoga once a week. I really need to focus on the strength training, recovery, and going to ART to get everything loosed up and equally balanced again.
I know it is going to take some time, but during the winter is the best time since training during the winter isn’t as much fun as it is during the summer. Hopefully it won’t take too long, and I’ll be back cranking out the miles within a few weeks!
This is pretty much exactly what happened to me after New York! I had been looking forward to not being on a plan and just running for fun, but then I decided I wanted to start training again, ramped up a little too fast, and got some hip pain. So my “plan” for just running casually ended up happening and I feel a lot better now that I am not going too hard. It’s not nearly as cold where I live, but it’s nice being able to not have to think about long runs in the rain, etc.
I’m so glad someone else can relate to me! Where is your hip pain?
Well, I have hip pain as well! Mine travels around the whole area, but last winter settled (ferociously) in my SI joint, causing me to miss my marathon (sob.) So far so good this year- I do leg swings and a lunge matrix before every run and strength training after every run, including one leg dead lifts and side plank with leg lifts. The hip still aches a bit sometimes, but I have high hopes of doing the marathon in February (I live in Florida so this is our season.) What is it with these hips of ours anyway??? i hope you figure out how to fix yours once and for all.
Hey, whatever you have to do to keep your hips healthy! Good luck with the marathon!