I’ve been getting some comments/emails about my workouts and running hiatus, so I decided I would do a post on it simply so I don’t have to write the same things out over and over again.
I don’t know if the confusion is just a difference in opinion (which I welcome when done constructively) or because people are just starting to follow my blog. Either way I thought I’d go through it again so that you can understand.
My running journey has been a crazy one. Instead of going back through it all again on this post, you can read my entire story here.
Fast forward about a month ago and my husband suffered his first running injury in 3+ years. He fell and slipped on ice causing a small fracture in his sacrum.
It was a hard blow for him. He is now about 7 weeks out of Boston and has been looking forward to this race for a long time. Right now we are stll planning on him running it assuming his healing goes as planned.
The reason for taking off and cross training with Wes was explained here.
Simply put: Wes needed help, encouragement and a workout buddy and I was able to help. Most of you know that Wes is an incredibly fast runner, but it is more than that. Running is his dream, his passion, his stress reliever and something that brings him joy each and every day. When you have that stripped away from you suddenly (even if for a short time) it is incredibly hard to swallow.
This hasn’t been an easy time and I really don’t think I can put into words just how devastating this was for him. I went through a very hard time with my injury, and while I love running with a passion and miss it so much when I don’t run – to him it is a whole different level. I knew the one way I could help him is to be there for him, to take his mind off the cross training and support him.
We had big plans for this time after match was over. We used to talk about where we would go, weekends away and just time doing things we never got to do during medical school. Well….life happened.
We can’t afford to do those things anymore and now that I am working 3 jobs I honestly am not home very much and when I am it is at very strange hours.
I use my time cross training with Wes as an opportunity to be with him. In all honesty, sometimes our time at the gym is our only time together in the day. This has really been a blessing right now.
Do I want to run? Heck yes I do. It took me a long time to come back from my stress fracture and every day I itch to get lost on a back country road and run.
Thankfully there is still way too much snow on the ground to be able to do that and I wouldn’t even have the time – so for now at least during I will finish out one more week of cross training.
This is just the right thing and the right time for me to do it. I wouldn’t ever see him right now if I didn’t and we both really are enjoying the time we normally don’t get. Even if some don’t understand it, that’s OK. This is what is best for my husband and our relationship.
Now on to the next question or comment in regards to my training each day.
I right now am averaging about 1.5 hours of cross training 5 days per week. I don’t think that is so crazy, but to some I can understand it may look that way.
I still use one day a week as a “long” day (as I used to with my long runs on Saturday) but it varies on what day of the week that is depending on my work schedule. Some days I fit it in on Saturday and other times like this week I have to do it on Monday.
We spun for a while, but that seemed to irritate Wes’ sacrum so now we primarily stick to pool running. During the 1.5 hours or so we pool run 95% of the time we run and talk. This means we aren’t going hard or at a high intensity. We are just keeping our heart rates up and enjoying the time.
The one thing I do enjoy about this is that it keeps my heart rate up for an extended period of time, and I hope that in a week or so when I am running again that this helps in my slow progression back up.
I am firm believer that everyone trains differently. I rarely tell someone they are training wrong, because most of the time people know what works for them. To some 1.5 hours of cross training is too much while there are others I have seen that do way more than that. Most of the time Wes ends up doing even more than I do. I usually break off after an hour and a half and he continues on his own.
He knows what works for him and I am learning what works for me. I completely understand if you don’t “get” what I am doing. You don’t have to. I am happy where I am and am enjoying this extra time I get with my husband.
In 3-4 months Wes will begin his intern year of his medical residency. This means crazy hours and very little time together. I want to soak up every moment we can get in these last few months. After the past 3.5 years I think we deserve that.
Running will begin to resume next week. Even though I won’t jump from pool running straight to running I will slowly incorporate running back in and probably pool run as well but less in order to get my body used to running.
As I feel my body is ready I will work my way up until I am where I need to be to start training.
Wes attempted a 50 yard run on grass today after we left the gym and it went well. There was no pain so that is a positive sign. If all keeps going as it is he will run again on Monday (not very far but he will run).
I have been using this time to strengthen my body and I am already researching different kinds of training plans to start working towards my marathon training goals. I am excited to start this new journey and become the runner I’ve always wanted to be.
I’ve started reading multiple training plans, experiences and views and I am trying to decide what the best route to go is. I would love to hear from you all on your favorite training plans – OR if you are like me and often just make up your own!
I do appreciate each and every one of you. Those who understand and those who don’t. I value your opinions so please don’t stop giving them.
Tell me what is your favorite running training program?
Do you use a program or do you just do what your body feels?
Omg yay so I’m so glad you mentioned Hanson! So I have been using standard training plans, and I’ve never hit the wall, but I always feel like shit toward the end of a race. So my goal for my next marathon is to feel STRONG the entire time, so I started Hanson’s program. A little bit of forewarning, there is a TON of mileage during the week with this program, but I really think I’m growing stronger and a little faster.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with Hansons! I have been doing a lot of research (and will continue to) but I always find it fascinating to hear how other people enjoy different training plans! I know that my goals is to be stronger AND faster!
I’ve never followed a training plan! I kind of make up my own, but I just go with how my body is feeling/what the weather’s like, before deciding on a workout. For my past marathon, I was running 3-4 times/week and cycling 2-3 times/week. Long runs on Sunday and a mix of easy and tempo-ish runs during the week.
That is what I have always done. I may still stick to making up my own but I like playing around with different ones! I really do want to keep cycling in my routine because I see how much better my body does when I do but I don’t want to over do it. Guess I need to play around with it and figure out what works best with my body and my schedule!
I think part of the confusion about your training regimen is due to the fact that even when you WERE running, you were still doing 1.5 – 2 hours of cardio every day by supplementing your runs with long spinning sessions. I guess I just don’t understand what the training benefit of all that extra cardio is?
I can see what you mean – yes, when I was starting back running and cross training I really hadn’t found a good medium. I couldn’t get out of the cross training mind set even though I was still running. This was a mistake I am looking to correct.
I have found that for my body when doing low intensity cross training 1.5 hours or so is usually where I feel most comfortable. It allows me to somewhat keep up a base in terms of exerting myself (even if easy). As I start back to training I will use cross training Some but not near what I was doing before. Depending on the amount I run and depending on the day. To be honest with you I am still figuring this out.
I am looking forward to figuring out a new way of training and of course my schedule is always changing so I do what time permits. Once we move and I find a full time job that will change it as well! Thanks again!
And I think that is one key thing – you have made it clear throughout that you are trying to figure out what works best for you, that you make mistakes and own them like all of us, and you are trying to improve and get better with each step along the way.
I don’t think you necessarily have to explain the exact whys, but I do understand and I think in a sense it shows how you are supporting your husband in a really great way.
Thanks Jade! 🙂
I follow the training plan at marathonrookie.com (even though I’m training for my 5th 1/2 and am no longer a rookie…have not been bitten by the marathon bug yet) and like it. I’m still running strong and getting faster and this is my 5th time through. I have adjusted it a bit to fit my needs/life/involvement with the local run club. It works for me, and honestly the more common/well known plans scare me. Like they are meant for the “real” runners or something. Even though I think of myself as a real runner, still they scare me a bit.
BTW – you handled this post really well. Blogging is so interesting to me in that people feel like they have a right to question and critique things about your life. I see it happen over and over with the blogs I follow. It’s your life, and ultimately you don’t owe anyone anything, but it’s really nice of you to take the time to explain to those that feel they have a right to comment and critique.
I really do enjoy hearing other opinions as long as they are done respectively! Everyone is different in what works for them. I’ve made mistakes yes but I am learning from them and I think that is all you can expect!
I will have to take a look at that training plan! Sometimes I just love incorporating a few and coming up with my own until I figure out exactly what is best for my body! And anyone who runs is a real runner! You are a real runner and you are running our 5th HALF!! That is awesome!
As I have said before, you don’t owe anyone anything in terms of explanation – the internal workings and decisions of a relationship are the business ONLY of those involved.
But I do understand some of the confusion people expressed:
– After losing your job you hit running *HARD*, massively ramping up mileage and so on … of course it led directly to getting injured, but it was your primary focus of the blog, so it was seen as a primary focus.
– When you got hurt and needed to find ways to keep going / motivated, We didn’t stop running … in fact, you often discussed how hard it was seeing him running.
– Then you were doing much better and starting to work towards regular running.
– Suddenly Wes gets hurt, and you immediately stop running ‘to support him’.
– I don’t know about the emails you got, but I know one of the comments basically called out what they saw as a ‘double standard’ … in other words why does YOU being supportive mean not running, but not the other way around?
Again, the answer is simple – it is your relationship, you each have different things, and your decisions are yours and not for anyone else to make.
Personally I think that so long as what you are both doing is working to further you as individuals and as a couple , THAT is exactly what you should be doing. It might not be what some others would do, but that is THEIR problem, not yours.
I’m just hoping the two of you can get slowly back to running and that this spring and summer are great running times for you both!
Well put!
Yes I can see why some from the outside looking in could see that as a double standard. I get that. But anyone who knows the dynamic of each of us can understand. At the time I got injured Wes was 1 month out from his two biggest marathons of the year so I would never have dreamed of asking him to quit. He did what he could with me, but he still had to focus on his races.
I am at a different spot right now and I get it some people can’t understand the true importance of running to Wes. They think he just really likes it – it is his LIFE. If he could quit and become a professional runner he would in a heartbeat. Again, like you said it is our relationship and I am more than willing to explain as I can but at the end of the day I am going to do what is best for us.
You and me both on hoping for better running days ahead! We both jogged for 15 minutes today so that is a big step!! It’s coming 🙂
Good for you! No one understands a relationship except the two people in it. I can so appreciate needing to spend time with your person in whatever works for you both. I love stacking workouts, I totally feel you 🙂
Thank you Annie! 🙂 I appreciate it! Relationships are a tricky thing – and every relationship is different.
I personally enjoy this blog over others BECAUSE you don’t stress overtraining and are realistic about it. There are a few bloggers that seem to live this picture perfect schedule and their lifestyles are build around their workouts rather than building workouts around having an actual LIFE. thank you!!
Awww thank you Kathryn! 🙂 I won’t say I am perfect at that but I am having to learn that you can only do what you can do. When I get into marathon training I have to fit it around the rest of my life – it gets more hectic but you can only do so much.
I ran my fastest half coming off of training with almost all pool running and a month on the roads, ya it’s weird when you hit the roads at first, but it comes back quickly. I’ve done the 55-70mpw Advanced Marathoning Plan a few times now, i usually cut it back a bit…it isn’t the best for the injury prone. But, I did take ~15min off my time using the plan, modified and all. I like that it seemed like there was some method behind it (not just blindly ramping up the miles, not throwing in speed without variety). Best of luck!
Awesome! You just gave me some hope Niki 🙂 I am really looking forward to getting back into training and seeing where it takes me!
I am using the Hanson’s training plan and I am 10 weeks into a 16 week plan. So far it is going great but it is definitely the hardest training plan I have used. (I bought a custom 16 week plan based on my weekly mileage goal of 45-60 miles). During my last marathon I hit the wall at mile 16 and I feel like these workouts are really helping me learn to run on tired legs. The only thing that s been a real problem for my training is this terrible winter weather!
oh friend, you know we can relate. the injuries, the sabbaticals. it’s needed. heal and embrace the recovery. Praying!
I know you understand 🙂 Thank you! We are finally on the mend I believe!
Ah, haters gonna hate! Everyone has to do what is best for them and you have to do what is best for you! I have a ton of respect for you for being honest about your workouts and how you feel about life generally. I also appreciate that you seem to genuinely appreciate your readers, which is seen by how regularly you respond to comments and criticism. I’ve always thought that to be the greatest you can be, you have to follow YOUR PLAN and do whatever works for you. I don’t often comment but I always enjoy your blog. Keep it up!
Thank you so much! 🙂
This was such a sweet post and your love and support for Wes is so touching. Hoping you will both be back to doing what you love soon, but in the meantime, relish your time together!
training IS different for everyone. I have friends and bloggers think it’s weird that i run & strength train almost 5 days per week, doing double sometimes triple workouts in a day. (it happens when you work at a gym! haha) And also, i think it’s so selfless and thoughtful of you to be by your husband’s side while he’s injured. that is something I don’t know if I, or any other runner out there would do for their best friend or spouse. Now tell Wes to get better!!
I applaud you for keeping up with your strength training! That is something that I am trying to incorporate more in my routine each day. It is going to be a strong focus for me as I start back into training.
I agree that training IS different for everyone. Some people think I’m crazy and I am OK with that I am doing what I think and know is best for my body!
I will pass that message along to Wes 🙂 Thankfully he seems to be on the mend so running soon!
aww good to hear!
Sara–I am really interested in hearing more about your husband’s sacral fracture. I have bilateral stress fractures in my sacrum right now so my running is on indefinite hiatus (I was also recently diagnosed with osteoporosis–I’m only 31–so I am having to really supplement to get my bone density to where it won’t get any worse in my spine). Is he using any supplements to speed healing?? Any other tricks or special nutrition?? I’ve been reading a lot about how fish high in good fats can help but you know the internet–it’s all over the place! Injuries just really suck! I’m stuck on the spin bike for now and elliptical (even though my doctor doesn’t really want me doing that but I’m not a good listener haha!). Thank you!
Oh Ashley I am so sorry to hear about your sacral stress fracture! I am actually going to have Wes put together a post on what he did/used during his recovery process. Hopefully that will answer most of your questions but if it doesn’t you can always email me specific questions at saralovingontherun{at}gmail{dot}com.
Hope you have a speedy recovery!