I had my first "bad" run today, my first BONK of the training program. I was kind of wondering when one of these days would rear it's ugly head. I've been sticking with an Intermediate Hal Higdon marathon training program for 6 weeks and have had 25 great runs. No pain, no energy loss, and great mental focus. Today that all came to an end. I needed to run 6 miles with tempo intervals. Before I even stepped on the treadmill I decided to run 6 miles, no tempo. (Probably the first sign it wasn't going to be a good day).
For the past two weeks I've been nursing some self diagnosed plantar fasciitis and pain in my left foot. I've been, thus far, pushing through it and trying to keep on schedule without risking serious injury. During the first few miles of my run I started to feel pain in my feet and some creaking in my knees. I stopped and stretched and then returned to the treadmill...no luck. I stopped and rode a stationary bike for a few minutes then tried the treadmill again...again, no luck. I stopped after just 3.5 miles probably because I just didn't have the drive and couldn't get myself mentally prepared for the task at hand, more so than the physical discomfort.
The great thing is this isn't the end, the start of a horrible trend, or failure. Bad days happen in running just like in life. I've never met someone who hasn't "bonked" at least once during their training program. If you recall an earlier post, I've bonked before and I'm sure I'll bonk again. I just wish I knew ahead of time so I wouldn't begin to wonder "Is something wrong?"
Everyone has bonk workouts. Its all part of the game. The great thing is that there is always tomorrow. Also, remember it is good for your body to change routines. Muscles can plateau during your training if you are continously doing the same activity. A good bike ride could have been the answer or maybe a stair run hint hint.
ReplyDeleteThere is a chink in the armor? The bonk workouts
ReplyDelete(or any kind of bonk anything in life) make you appreciate the great workouts. If every workout was great, that would just be "normal". You need peaks and valleys to put things into perspective.