Today I was pretty excited about mixing up my workout... partly because I'm finding that I enjoy doing different things from time to time and partly because a personal trainer I know was able to give me some tips to help alleviate some of my hip discomfort. I started my workout with a few new stretches and exercises, then headed downstairs for my 3 mile run.
The only disappointing part of today's run was that I wasn't able to get outside like I'd originally hoped. Today was another crazy warm day for January in Cleveland, but by the time I was able to run, the temperature had dropped back into the 30s. Because I've heard too many stories of people getting hit by cars, I rarely run in the street and am completely unwilling to do so in the dark. The warm weather had melted all of the snow on the sidewalks and I was excited about squeezing in an outdoor workout... until the dropping temp had me concerned that the rain on the sidewalks might get icy... and I just didn't want to take any chances. As much as I would have loved to be outdoors, I'll take the safety of my treadmill until the sidewalks are clear.
So, to mix up my run, I decided to do some interval work... and was amazed at just how good it felt. I started out running 1 minute at 6 mph, then 30 seconds at 8 mph, repeating the cycle for the first mile. That actually started to feel a little easier than I had expected, so I kept the same pattern, but stepped it up to 6.5 and 8.5 mph for the second mile. For my last mile, I set the treadmill to 6.5 mph and slowly increased the speed throughout, ending my run at 9 mph... which felt fantastic! Of course, the very best part of today's run... I went the entire workout with zero discomfort in my hip. Don't get me wrong... I know my hip issues aren't gone for good, but I am pretty excited to find that a few new exercises could make such a difference.
Needless to say, I plan to continue working on building up my hip strength and, who knows, maybe I'll get this thing taken care of after all...
You have a lot of willpower! I've tried covering the screen but it never lasts long. :/
ReplyDeleteBTW, thanks for your comment today. It makes me think maybe I should be doing more. What kinds of strengthening exercises do you do for your hip? I had this issue last year training for Cleveland and hip pain is the worst. Thanks again!
The best tip I got from a certified trainer was to stretch my hamstrings - go here for the right way to do that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT4mIxlAklo
Deleteand to do hip abductor exercises - I do this without the cable and plan to use a resistance band when my hips are stronger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvnR8CDb4BU
I can honestly say that just those two things have made a huge difference in only a few days. I'm trying to do them daily. I'll keep you posted :)
And for the short time my knees bothered me before I got new shoes, I used a lot of ice... don't be afraid to go that route either :)