Gotta love running!

An elite runner once told me that maintenance is 50% of running and I understood him then but I am practicing that now. Distance running can be very taxing on the body and for that reason we must spend 50% of our training strengthening the core and making sure we have a proper nutrition regimen. Injuries are part of every sport and serious athletes have to contend with a number of them, sometimes having to be sidelined from their sports to allow time for treatment and recovery. We take the good with the not so good, but that’s precisely why core strengthening is so necessary. Right now I am sidelined with a hamstring injury I developed while training for the Boston Marathon. But being sidelined is giving me time to work on the rest of my body and I have been adding some weights, among other things, to my training.  I don’t wish to be bulky but a fair amount of muscle building can make a huge difference in my running, especially if I build up the muscles that protect my weak areas.

Naturally, I am bummed out about not being able to lace up my sneakers and get out there and run in the early mornings, especially now that I am off. But running teaches us patience and that is something that has helped me in other areas of my life. Running teaches us to be strong, disciplined, hopeful and optimistic about ultimately crossing the finish line, even if the task looks impossible from the start. Such was the case for me with the BM; it was the hardest race I have run because I was already injured, I felt exhausted, and the weather was yucky. But I climbed each of those hills with optimism and I took it one mile at a time; that’s how we must take life, one day at a time, one issue at a time, one challenge at a time; it works.

Diet is also extremely important for runners. We must eat enough and the right kind of stuff to fuel our bodies to go the distance. I am a health nut already and I keep a very strict pescetarian diet and, since I am injured and unable to run, I have modified my diet a bit. For now, I am consuming very little carbs because I don’t need them, because I am not burning enough calories.  My diet for the last two weeks has mainly consisted of kale and spinach salads, nuts, cheeses, avocados and lots of fruits. I am a fruit-holic and I can easily have a couple of mangos and a banana in place of a meal. My goal while I repair my body is to lose a few pounds and firm up some areas of my body to become a stronger runner. I will be chasing that 3:45 PR in my next marathon.

I am glad to have this downtime time and to add a different dimension to my training. It’s giving me time also to reflect on the important things in life and moving me away from nonsense and foolish distractions and on to a continuous and healthier way of thinking. Making the same mistakes twice and thrice is a sign of immaturity. There is always room for improvement and the idea is to never stop growing. GOTTA love running!

Off to watch my favorite fútbol team… Vamos Barça!