LISTENING TO YOUR BODY
- By loramarie03
- 3 October, 2012
- 13 Comments
One week from today, I will be leaving for the airport to head to Jamaica!! (I promise, I will have an update to the countdown every day.) I am SO excited and can’t wait to be relaxing on the beach. Our to-do list is down to nine things and most of it to ensure the bride is beautiful on our day. 
Who knew pampering yourself could make you so busy?
Part of pampering myself is sticking with my workouts. I think I’ve mentioned before, but running keeps me beautiful on the inside. For some reason, pounding out a few miles acts like a calming effect on my mind and makes me sane. I’m sure C appreciates it.
However, I can tell that my legs are sore and still a little angry at me for all the hills in the Adirondacks. I scaled back my run this morning to four miles and am throwing in an extra rest day tomorrow to make it a little easier on myself. And check out this humidity — yikes (just glad the sun isn’t out!).
Listening to your body is essential and is the number one piece of advice I give out when it comes to exercising.
Here are some tips for how to listen to your body:
- If you feel pain, something isn’t right. You should never feel pain when you are exercising or done with a workout. There is a difference between pain and sore. Sore is OK, but pain is not. If this is the case, remember to rest and ice and if it worsens, see a doctor or physical therapist. Back in the day, I had shin splints and like the dummy I am, I kept running on them! Instead of it being a quick fix of not running for a week, I was hurt for nearly 2 months! My shins even hurt when I was sitting. So yes, you definitely shouldn’t work through pain.
- Tired? It’s OK to skip a day. This one is a bit tricky because if you let your mind know that feeling tired is a way not to workout, it might start playing tricks on you. It’s important to be smart about this one. Usually when my legs have that super tired feeling — like I’ve run too many miles — I know the best way for me to recover is to take a rest day and not run. That being said, I know some people are at their best when they are able to shake out a mile or two. It is important to listen to your body if its tired, particularly your legs. Tired legs mean that you have to push a little harder for the same result and in that case, you might lose your efficiency/stride which could lead to injury.
- Think about cross training. Just because your legs are too tired or you have pain in your hip doesn’t mean you can’t work out. I do believe in the value of just taking a day off… but cross training is a good alternative when you still want to squeeze some exercise in (especially if you are sidelined from running for awhile). If your legs are tired, focus on you arms, shoulders, back and abs — that way, you will be able to let the tired part of your body rest while focusing on other areas.
Any tips for how to listen to your body? What’s the weather like by you?
Copyright © 2013
Always good advice! Everybody is different and it's important to learn to know your body, especially in running distance! And I can't believe you're getting married so soon! Sooo exciting!!
Definitely, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to running, that's for sure! I know, I have no idea where the time went but I'm excited!
Thanks for the advice! What happens when you have a marathon in 6 weeks? :/ #alwaysinjured
Oh no! What's your injury? You can take up to 10 days off without impacting your fitness level. Definitely think about reconsidering your goals… just so that you don't overwhelm yourself at the start.
I used to be the worst at listening to my body because I have a really high pain tolerance. I have learned a lot about myself this last year and learning to listen to what my body is trying to tell me is one of them. I have gotten much better at it.
Fall is definitely here in Spokane! It is really chilly in the morning and then warms up to the 70s by afternoon time. Last night at Run Club it was super chilly and windy. I wished I had worn pants and not shorts!
That sounds like perfect fall weather!! I am the same with a high pain tolerance — it's hard to give in sometimes because I feel weak. I've definitely learned a lot lately.
Thanks for the reminders! I always try to push through pain, and then get really injured. I've learned to listen to my body, but always need those reminders. It's a shocking 54 degrees here, but may reach 88 later today!
**** A note to RunnerRitsa… Lora, I know you will have great advice… but a quick note from me too… I had shin pain 3 weeks before my marathon, took a week off, and felt great on marathon day. All the months prior had prepared my body for the marathon. I know I would have been out from my marathon if I had not stopped running (although it was mentally tough for me to take a week off!)
88 is probably cool there!
Awesome advice!!
Yes, always listen to your body. Address aches and pains early before they turn into something serious. Pay attention to the wear on your shoes, they may not last you 500 miles depending on how you run. Worn out shoes can cause you all kinds of misery.
Ice, Ibuprofen and stretching can help many aches and pains. If you do not stretch on a regular basis start slowly and do not start stretching for the first time ever on race day.
Good call on stretching — I am awful at stretching but since I started doing it more regularly it has helped a great deal.
Every morning I take a random rest day during the week, I usually end up with a strong desire to workout in the evening. Like yesterday for example, but I kept to my rest day and had a super awesome workout this morning!
I think that's a great idea!! We often forget how valuable rest days really are
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