Apologies for lack of updates recently. I would like to say I have been ridiculously busy but that would be lying; in all honesty, in the three weeks following my surgery I just wanted a bit of a mental break from running as well as the enforced physical one.
As Bryn will testify, I was the worst patient in the world. Despite instructions to stay on the couch with my foot up, by day 2 I was attempting to see how far I could make it without crutches. Anyone who knows me will also know that sitting still is something I would normally never do. My borderline ADHD personality meant that having to slow down drove me crazy and I was not a particularly pleasant person most of the time.
Happily, the surgery went well and i'm now walking around with minimal pain. This week I have been able to get stuck into rehab, which has given me a focus and improved my mood. So far this has been based around aqua jogging and walking, which I hope will progress to running in a couple of weeks. I have also had some help from a rehab specialist in order to correct my biomechanics, which I believe have contributed to my problems. I will post another blog about my rehab at the end of this week with more details but as a new year has just started I wanted to talk about the things that I want to improve this year based on my experiences in 2012.
I was given what is now one of my favourite quotes of all time a few days ago; "life is like photography, you need the negatives to develop". This was a reminder to me that every injury should be made into a positive. What can you learn from the experience that will help you to be more successful in the future? Here are my running resolutions for the coming year...
My Top Five Running Resolutions of 2013
1. Be more positive
Too be successful you need to remain upbeat in the face of adversity and always look at how you can make the best of a bad sitution. I am very guilty of getting into a negative mindset and this is something I really want to change.
2. Improve strength and conditioning plan
I have always done bits and pieces but I think there is massive room for improvement in my 'prehab' plan. This year I want to put in a place a plan that I do on a consistent basis. A good strength plan needs to be specific both to your sport and your weaknesses. It also needs to to be progressive and the reps/ weights or exercises need to be changed every couple of weeks to provide a stimulus for improvement. I will apply these principles to my plan with the help of my physio.
3. I will spend more time working on my flexibility
Like most runners I am embarassing inflexible. I've said so many times before that I will start stretching more but it hasn't actually happened yet. For me to actually do something, I have realised it needs to be part of a structured written plan. So this year I am going to also put in place a flexibilty and mobility plan that involves short daily sessions with a couple of longer sessions each week.
4. Do more cross training
I used the time I couldn't run to do more swimming and cycling. Well, I actually spent most of this time learning how to swim and cycle and obtaining appropriate kit...By keeping one swim and one cycle session a week I will keep in touch with these other sports so I can easily substitute at the first sign of an injury. Not to mention having different sports is definitely good for both my mental and physical balance...
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| When cycling its important to own a bike. Pink barbie hat optional... |
5. And finally, to not be afraid of taking a day of cross training instead of running when I have a niggle...
Taking 2-3 months off of running sure puts into perspective one missed day.
I hope that my running resolutions might inspire you to make some of your own. They are probably some that can be applied to most runners! Lets hope 2013 is a more injury free/ illness free season. And if this isn't true (because somethings we just can't control) - we can atleast look on the bright side of it! And always remember the words of my sister; "The darkest hour is only sixty minutes long"...
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The quotes in this blog are kindly provided by my sister
(who often wears a bunny suit...) |
