I’m in one. Big time. And my body just raised the red flag in the form of what I’m pretty sure is a stress fracture – or the beginnings of one – in my right foot.
I get it. I GET IT!! I’m running too much. I am training for a half marathon, you know? *sigh*
Problem is, no other cardio workout turns me on the way running does. Spinning is a close second, but – up until very recently – there were literally no spin studios in all of Seattle. (NYC-based Flywheel Sports has recently remedied this dire situation. More on that later.) I could cycle, but Seattle’s monster hills and less-than-attentive drivers cause me to fear for my life. I’ve considered swimming – planning to head over to the local pool later today, actually – but I’m already making all kinds of excuses. (I won’t bore you with the list in my head, but it mostly has to do with not wanting to deal with chlorine…or water.)
And then there’s the strength training part of my routine. Yoga is out – Downward Dog with a metatarsal stress fracture is NOT happening. Pilates is still in, but less frequently…because, frankly, I’m bored with it. Crossfit? Maybe; but it scares the hell out of me in theory.
I even tried to convince myself that it was okay to “take my birthday week off,” even though I started feeling really, really gross a day or so in…and started to make food choices that make me feel even worse. Neglecting self-care is a slippery slope, I tell ya.
The irony is that I’ve just started coaching an amazing group of women via Girl Power Hour’s Fit & Fab 30 Day Challenge. Just last week, I was helping one of them work through her resistance to working out while, in my head, I was thinking “Perhaps you should follow your own advice, Lara.”
So, ENOUGH! Here’s my plan (and how it works for you too):
- Get to the pool 2 – 3 times a week. Cycle 2 – 3 times a week. Translation: Try something new.
- Figure out how to get my bike in my car so I can drive to the Burke-Gilman Trail and ride – safely – there. Translation: Remove barriers.
- Book private Pilates sessions for once a week. My guess is that I’m bored because I’ve been training myself and doing the same stuff over and over. Hiring another instructor to kick my ass should solve that problem. Translation: Get support.
- Grab a ride with Flywheel. Yay! Translation: Circle back to stuff you love.
- Map out my May training schedule using the same half marathon training plan I’ve used for the past month, substituting swimming and cycling for runs. Translation: PUT IT IN YOUR CALENDAR! NOW!!
- Spend the next two weeks eating from the Clean Elimination Diet. My sugar and caffeine intake has ratcheted up as my training has slipped this past week. Time to bring my food back in line with my fitness goals. Translation: Maximize energy with food choices.
That should get me through May when, I hope, my foot will be back in business for running. If not, well, at least I’ve got an alternate plan in place and may still be able to run my race at the end of June. Translation: Keep your goals in sight.
What about you? What’s your plan to get out of your exercise rut and get back on track? Tell me in the comments.
