Day 240, 125 To Go

August 28, 2013

Hello again folks!  It is Wednesday and I am only two days away from a long deserved vacation!  I can't wait!  I have started to consider thinking about packing.  Yes...I am on my way to taking care of that at some undetermined point in the near future.  Just not today.

Today, I am working my little tush off trying to get as much done as I can before I leave work for three weeks.  If it wasn't bad enough that I have a lot to do already, I have to keep on putting out fires!  Hey people!  Don't you know I don't want to work at all this week, let alone fix all your problems!  No?  You don't know?  Well shit.  You should.

Anyway, I am tired and worn out to my core.  Speaking of core, that brings me to lesson #2 in the 22 Essential Pieces of Marathon Training Advice from Active.com.  You can click on the header of each lesson to go to a good article from Active.com.  This is a great website for training advice and for also signing up for races.  You should go there!!

Build Core and Overall Body Strength

Strength and core exercises are the perfect complement to running. Core strength plays a vital role in stabilizing your entire body during running by maintaining a neutral pelvis, and delaying the breakdown in your form when you're fatigued. Not only does core work strengthen your body and prevent injuries, but it also helps improve your running economy. -Jason Fitzgerald

Ah, the core.  What is the core?  Everyone has different definitions of what it is, but basically, it is what holds everything, athletically speaking, together.  It is your abs, your lower back muscles, your quads, your hamstrings, your glutes.  These are the muscles where your power comes from.  These are the muscles that keep you going when you are tired.  Working on these muscles, from doing abs to squats to planks or whatever, will give you an advantage over everyone who is not doing them.

Like me, for instance!  I have alarms that go off three times a week telling me to work on my core.  Sometimes I do it, but often I do not.  That has to stop and it has to stop now!  There are a slew of exercises you can do to strengthen your core, so you won't get bored.  Check out the article linked above for some examples.

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.73 miles

Pace: 9:09/m

Max Pace: 7:55/m

Calories: 281
Avg HR: 126

Max HR: 137

Well, today I looked down and I was running at about an 8:30 clip, so I slowed down.  I didn't feel pain behind my knee, but there was some tightness a little higher up on my hamstring.  It seems like the sore spot has gotten better, but my hamstring is still a little tight.  Now that I am done icing, I can start to slowly stretch the muscle to relieve this tightness.  I think I am on my way to recovery.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.  Later folks!

Run for Life!!