Learning from the run

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After years of being a multisport athlete and training in swimming, cycling and running, I've become a single sport fan. Not even signed up for a multi sport event this year! And it shows, looking back at my Training Peaks account and training log. There are plenty of 10+ hour weeks of riding, but the swimming and running has greatly decreased. I'm lucky to hit 4000 yds total for the week in the pool - which uses to be a nice daily total a few years ago. As for running, I've had a few weeks where I didn't even lace up my shoes. Coming from someone who used to run 70 plus miles a week, it's been a bit of transition! I also didn't realize how much the cross training through the multisport focus help keep me healthy and uninjured. Even when I was mostly just running, I was still in the pool a few times a week. I also made an effort to get in the bike a few times. But lately, I haven't been good about running as much as I should - or swimming. I was happy the last two weeks to run three times - even if it was super short. This week? So far just twice - and with the weekend rides, I might not get a thirs run in. Swimmings been okay - but not that many yards. I need to made a greater effort to run and swim in the next few months. Why? 

I could feel it on my last run. How tight and stiff my hips were and how hard it was to get a nice long turnover going. My once fluid and smooth stride was shirt and choppy. I was stiff and awkward without any flow. I could tell I hadn't been running hardly at all - every time I tried to increase the turnover I was struggling. Ouch. For a former runner, it was a little disconcerting. And a solid reminder that all the cross training I did as a runner , I need to keep doing as a cyclist. All the stretching, lifting and such - all kept me healthy while running. The swimming helps with flushing the stiffness from all my workouts. And as I noticed while running, even a few short jaunts around the neighborhood will keep my hips and back stronger. So with that observation in mind, I'm really going to try to work I my run a little more. Staying strong means more then hours on the bike.  I might not be able to recover for a half marathon in December this year, but I have my eyes on the Rescue Run! 

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