It happened. The run that I have been waiting for. You all told me that I would find my running groove again and I knew I would, I just had no idea when it would happen. I’m not calling this a comeback (yet) but its a huge step in the right direction.
Even though I have been back to running for a few weeks now, things still felt weird and not 100%. I knew a huge factor was simply my muscles getting used to running again. The runs I was doing outside took a lot of work- a long warm up, lots of stretching and foam rolling after, and usually involved walking breaks. They also averaged 2-3 miles.
Over the past 3 weeks I have also placed a huge focus on glute strength. I talk about this all the time but for awhile I couldn’t feel my glutes working no matter what I did. Then I learned some different exercises in PT, and along with getting my pelvis in proper alignment, I started to feel my glutes again.
I realized that when they were working, everything felt better. So I have been doing lots of strength training including Body Pump and CX Works classes whenever I could make it there.
Last Wednesday I was feeling great after Body Pump and CX Works in the morning and a trip to the chiro in the afternoon. I had planned to run before work on Thursday, but I woke up with an extremely stiff neck. I was in quite a bit of pain and there was no way I could run.
This week, I once again planned for a Thursday morning run and I was finally able to make it out there. I haven’t run outside before work in quite some time. It was 40 degrees and still dark when I left. But I wasn’t dying the whole time, my hips didn’t feel tight or “off”, and I felt like my glutes were doing what they are supposed to do.
I ran 3 miles with hills, and it felt challenging in the way that running is supposed to. It made me remember why I love those early sunrise miles and why I worked so hard to get back to running.
Happy Friday everyone!
What is your favorite time of day to run? (Definitely first thing in the morning for me!)
How much will you be running this weekend? (I have a busy weekend but hoping I can squeeze in 3-4 miles on Saturday morning!)
How often do you experience a run where everything just feels “right”?
I am right there with you with first thing in the morning! My body just “gets” it more at that time. So happy to hear you had a great run! You are so aware of your body mechanics now, it’s pretty awesome. I actually have no idea what my glutes are doing what they should, I’m sort of curious.
Thanks! Its such a weird thing. Like how do such an important muscle like the glutes just decide to stop working? I think by now you would definitely know if your glutes weren’t activating- and all the yoga is likely reinforcing good habits for you!
Yay! I am so happy to be reading this!!!! My favorite time of the day to run is first thing in the morning —after I eat something and have coffee of course…
I definitely need a little coffee before I run! But typically Im out the door about 30 minutes after waking up.
i l’ve me a running groove, congrats on getting it back! I’ve been in a funk ever since I got this new part time job…
Thanks! I never realized how much life changes can affect my workouts, but after I moved I was extra tired for a couple of weeks!
This is all fabulous, Lisa! I’m super happy for you! Hopefully your body lets you keep taking strides in the right direction (pun totally intended). My favorite time to run is in the afternoon or early evening. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen too often. I’ll be running 20 miles this weekend – I have to lead a 3 mile group run at work on Saturday and have a half marathon on Sunday!
Thanks! I hope you have some great runs this weekend!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad that you are running again, and happily so. I will not be running this weekend or next week as I try to stop this ankle thing from getting worse. le sigh
Silly ankle. But you are being smart about it so hopefully it won’t linger for too long!
So glad to hear you are feeling like yourself again. I am not a morning person so after I sleep in and had some coffee and a good breakfast I like to go out for a run. If I go right away I’m way too tired and don’t feel like I get a good work out in and hear my tummy growling. But of course that is all different when it comes to race day. I can’t get up early enough. Guess it’s the excitement!
Its weird for me to have to wait around before I run on race day because I usually like to be out the door shortly after I wake up!
YES! Runs like this are the best! I am happy for you Lisa! Happy Friday!!
Thanks! Have a great weekend:)
YAY so happy for you! I am still waiting for that run when everything “clicks.” I’ve also been thinking about my glutes – I feel like mine are totally inactive, too. Seeing that you’ve had so much improvement through doing glute exercises is motivating me to work some into my life regularly and hope to see some improvement, too! Have a great weekend!
I hope the glute exercises help you! I had to try a bunch and then figure out which ones work best for me. I really feel my glutes when I do lunges, especially if I put my front leg up on a step!
I hope that you have a run where everything clicks very soon!
Great job on your run! So weird, but this run happened to me yesterday too! Everything just felt right. I am not a morning person, so all my runs happen in the evenings after work, except for on the weekends. Then I can usually get myself up around 9 or 10 to run 🙂
I’m so happy for you that you finally had a good run and your hips are feeling better! Mornings are my favorite time to run also. I probably won’t get any runs in this weekend with apartment showings and a garage sale, so I made sure to log plenty of miles during the work week.
Thank you! Morning runs are so great. I hope everything goes well this weekend!
I had that last Saturday. Everything fell into place and it was a great feeling.
Isn’t it the best feeling?! I’m so glad you got to experience a run like this too!
Yes to a good run! You’ve been so patient throughout this process. It will surely pay off with many more good ones to come!
Thanks, I definitely hope so! I remembered how you posted about how you have a “lazy glute” and I think that is a big problem for me too! But seeing that you have been able to keep yourself running strong gives me hope that I can get back there too!
So happy to see you “got your groove back” and are feeling good about the running again!
Thank you! Its a great feeling!
Hi Lisa! Yay! CXWORX is great for teaching you to activate your glutes, with all the focus on the posterior chain — it also builds them up. I teach that class, as well as BODYPUMP. So I’m a big fan of your workout choices! 🙂 Happy Friday to you!! 🙂
I love CXWORX and I wish that there were more classes offered at my gym! (We only have one morning class a week, and its kind of late so I can’t always make it depending on my work schedule). But I am even trying to incorporate some of the exercises I’ve learned in the classes into my home routine!
I’m so so happy for you for having a good run! Wishing you continued progress and success with that 🙂
Although I run in the evening most of the time, I really enjoy morning runs – as long as they’re at a decent hour. If I could run at 9am every morning that would be perfect!!! But, a little thing called an office job kind of prevents that haha
Thank you! I do like getting out first thing, and having to be at work gives me a little push to get out there early. For me its harder to get started if I put it off for too long!
I am so happy for you! You’ve been so dedicated to addressing your issues and I’m thrilled it is paying off! You nailed it with glute strength and so many of us (me included) need to do better with it. Teeny tiny tri for me on Sunday. Just breathe.
Thank you! Good luck in your tri tomorrow!
so so so happy you finally had that run that just reassured you that you’re getting better. I seriously admire how consistent you’ve been with foam rolling, PT exercises, and strength training. I’m so bad about it, but if I actually took it to heart I’d probably be way less injury prone. Maybe I’ll use you as motivation to start taking those things more seriously ha
Honestly I feel like if I didnt do that stuff I would really fall apart! I hate that Im such a high maintenance runner, lol. But if doing all this stuff gets be back to running then its worth it to me!
YAYYY LISA! So happy for you. I hate running in the mornings. My favourite time is afternoon, if it’s sunny or evening when it’s dark and cold. I feel like I’m flying through the night like a superhero. Wow, okay I am a dork.
Hahaha I have never had the experience of feeling like a superhero running in the dark! Maybe thats because I don’t run at night:)
This post had me smiling so much. I’m SO glad you got in that great run, it makes a world of difference both mentally and physically when that happens!! I run firs thing in the am, before the sun is up traditionally. I hope to do a longer run on Sunday, maybe 7ish or so miles but we will see. Have a great weekend!
Yay!!! So stoked for you. I haven’t had a run like that in a long time. Hoping to get in a long-ish run this weekend!
Yay! So glad you are feeling better. It’s amazing how many pieces there are to the puzzle in order to have your body just “get it.” Hope you enjoy a nice run this weekend!
Fantastic! I’m so glad that this one happened for you and that you are feeling better. I think a comeback is definitely right on the horizon for you! (And definitely early morning for me as well!)
Thank you!
Lisa, I am SO happy for you!!! The first of many great runs to come for you, I hope! 🙂 I’m definitely a morning runner. At the end of the day, it’s all about fitting in as much relaxing as I can get before bedtime haha.
Thanks! I am with you- after dinner all I want to do is lay on the couch!
Yey!!! Happy dance! So excited to hear this!! A great step in the right direction!!
Thanks so much!
Whooo so happy to hear that you finally had THAT run!!!
Thanks so much!
YAY FOR YOU!!!!!! I’m hoping to find my run again too very soon…I had my follow up with my sports ortho last Monday and he wasn’t very pleased with the progress I’d made. He asked what my physical therapist had been doing, so I told him, and he was like, “That’s it?” So he wrote me another rx and told me to go someplace else. I went to the new one Thursday, and they were waaaaay more thorough and had several new ideas. Fingers crossed for good results.
Sometimes its so good to move on and get a second opinion. I really hope that you start to see improvements quickly with the new PT!
Glad to hear you had a good run. It was nice to see a pic from your new ‘hood 🙂