Taking it easy

As I mentioned before, I've got this stupid hip thing going on. Today, for the second day in a row, I woke up at 0500 fully intending to run before work. And today, for the second time, I did not go run because of this pain in my hip joint. Day two of taking it easy. But I have had an epiphany of sorts. As I mentioned yesterday, I now see my training in a more holistic way. Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

Back in my impetuous youth, I thought it would be a good career move to be a Marine officer. I blame Ronald Reagan for this delusion. Anyway, I went to a fancy-pants school in the northeast on a ROTC scholarship, and I split my personality into two distinct parts: 1) the wannabe war-dog and 2) the punk-rock, hedonist liberal. Without digressing too much, it was a hard schism to manage. For one thing, I was never an athlete, and if there is one thing the U.S. Marine Corps believes in, it is physical fitness. Several times a week, we would go to the river, work out together, and go on long runs. I always lagged. I was always among the last to finish, despite being in the best shape of my life. When I asked my peers and the ROTC leadership, they'd say that I needed to do weight training and calisthenics.

In my naivety, I could not see the connection between sit-ups, push-ups, and running ability. However, now in my old age, it makes a little more sense.

As I said yesterday, the body is an integrated system. Running is primarily a leg exercise, but the legs do not act alone. The legs depend on the butt and back. The lower body, in turn, depends on the upper body. Weakness or inefficiency in the back or trunk can have negative repercussions on the performance of the lower body. This is why cross training is critical.

Cross training gives the whole organism a chance to catch up. It works muscles and systems that normally get neglected in the primary exercise, which in my case is running.

So last night, I did my first weightlifting circuit in a long, long time. The leg presses and other exercises I did helped strengthen muscles that I use for running, but they also touched muscles that running uses less often. I exercised the whole leg last night. I also did back exercises and chest work. In fact, I did a whole body circuit followed by some serious lower-body stretching. It was good. I felt a little nauseated afterward, and today I am slightly sore, but I think I am better for it.

So my plan is to continue with my running program when my hip no longer hurts, but continue doing weights and no-impact cardiovascular exercise, like cycling or swimming.

Tags: workouts, wellness, running, jogging