Weekly Rundown- There Were Issues…
Well, never a dull moment around here! THIS week, I’ve been dealing dealing with a pain on my left side, around my ribcage. I was able to run but my strength workouts had to be modified. It’s not good, but definitely not the worst thing that’s happened. As usual, thanks to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown. Let’s just see what happened… First, a flashback…. Let’s go back to Friday of the previous week. I did a Caroline Girvan Iron Series workout, which was posterior chain: back, glutes, and hamstrings. It was a great, hard workout. Nothing hurt during the workout but by Friday night and into Saturday, I had a pain under my ribs that got worse and worse. I can say with utmost confidence that this was caused by lifting a weight that was too heavy for me during that Friday workout. SIGH. Sunday But I can run! I ran from my house to the beach, which is 9 miles. When I started, the ribs really bothered me- it hurt to move that left arm back and forth. But after a few minutes I stopped noticing it, phew. This was an odd run- I really didn’t feel great for the first four miles or so, but then felt better and better. The second half was a great run. I dipped my feet in the ocean but didn’t go all the way in. I was just here a few weeks ago, but the water seemed dramatically colder already. I also hadn’t arranged for a change of clothes- my husband picked me up and I didn’t think he would appreciate me sitting in his car soaking wet. Monday Ah, now it gets tricky. Next up in the Iron Series was a full body workout. I previewed it, saw that it started with renegade rows, and knew there was no way. Having just run 9 miles, I also didn’t want to run or do any heavy leg work. So I did Marcia’s Cardio Barre Workout. This was just what I needed. The movements are bigger than Peloton barre classes- squats and lunges- but there are no weights, so it’s more gentle than regular strength classes. The last ten minutes are abs, which is nice. Tuesday 3 mile run followed by plyometrics. I’m approaching the plyos cautiously, but so far my foot is fine. Wednesday Okay, this is officially A Problem. Ribs are still sore (to clarify, I don’t think the problem is actually my ribs- it’s a muscle around that area.) There’s still no way I can do the full body workout, so I reluctantly skipped it and moved on to Day 15 of the Iron Series. Bummer. I was really feeling good about moving through the whole series, taking each class in order. Well, I’ll come back to Day 14, eventually. Day 15 was shoulders, and it was the first class I didn’t love. I mean, an entire class on shoulders… I don’t care about my shoulders THAT much. But I could do the whole thing without hurting my side, so it was the perfect class for today. It was also the perfect day to take this class, because it was a running day as well. After I dropped my daughter off, I continued on to a park with a trail where the local cross country teams hold their meets. This is a very pleasant, well-groomed trail. If you’re interested in trail running but think there are none around you, consider that the high schools probably have cross country teams, and they have to run somewhere. Quick side note- I have a new favorite podcast! After my post earlier in the week about refueling properly for hard workouts, Nicole told me about this podcast. First of all, awesome name for a podcast about menopause. This episode was great, and now I want to listen to more. Thursday I decided to continue on with the Iron Series- Day 16 was hamstrings, with lots of deadlifts. The only thing I had to modify was the staggered deadlift, where you’re doing most of the work with one leg, and Caroline has you holding the dumbbell in one hand. I absolutely could not do that on my left side, but it was okay if I held the dumbbell with both hands. Friday A 3 mile run that started in the dark (one more week till we turn the clocks back!) and ended in the daylight, followed by plyometrics. Earlier this week Jenn posted about Planksgiving.. The way she put it was “I’m also doing something called Planksgiving, which sounds absolutely terrible. Who wants to join?” Ha ha… well, I’m up for that challenge! I signed up, but then realized there’s no way I can do a side plank on my left side, and some of the other variations seem risky for me as well. So much for Planksgiving! We’ll just have to let Jenn tell us all about it. I can do a regular plank on my elbows, so I’ll join her in that every day. Saturday Rest day! Taking Saturdays as a rest day has really been working well for me. I get to sleep in a little, but then I go to work, so I don’t rest TOO much and end up feeling depressed for the rest of the day. While I was at work I assessed the rib situation. I can’t figure out if it’s getting better or if I’m just getting used to it. Definitely still hurts- but it’s not keeping me from doing the things I really want and need to do. Well, everything heals eventually… right? Sunday On tap for today… 10 mile trail run. I’m looking forward to it! Then watching the Dolphins and, well, I guess I better get some Halloween candy! We get lots of trick-or-treaters. Are you doing Planksgiving or any sort of challenge for November? Are you ready for Halloween? Is anyone running a Halloween-themed race?