The 6-mile run left me with a swollen left knee. I tore my ACL in that knee 8 years ago and have been able to play sports, run, and do pretty much everything with it since. Sometimes on long runs, especially after a long time off, it will swell a little bit. Like today.
So, I'm resting it. I went to the boxing gym today, worked for 60 minutes, and feel very good. I got my heart rate up to a high level, put in some aerobic and anaerobic time, and I feel great. I limited skipping rope to 6 minutes to keep from pounding on the knee.
I had sushi for dinner, great food and it never leaves me feeling bloated. I'm taking extra care to eat and refuel soon after my workouts and it's working. No more sluggishness because I wait too long to eat. I've checked the net for information on this and it seems that there's a 30-minute golden window after a workout in which you want to consume good calories.
Rest continues to be a sticking point. I can't expect to have endurance, energy, and power during my workouts if I'm not recharging my muscles, letting my joints heal and recover.
Breakfast is still a bit of a challenge, but getting up earlier to workout gives me extra time to get plenty of calories in early in the day.
If you feel some swelling or are developing some sensitivity in some joint or muscle (or anywhere for that matter), listen to your body and get some rest. There's still plenty of time before the race, something I remind myself of each day, and avoiding injury is a critical part of training.
My knee will dictate if I take tomorrow off or go for a 3-mile run. If it's still showing some inflammation, I'll go down to Barton Springs for some swimming work in the cold water.
Nutrition, rest, staying on schedule. Keeping it simple.
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