I used to train weights at the gym, and I loved it. I was there 4-5 times per week, even venturing out to the free weights section. I was in good shape, although I never got big. Nowadays I don't see what the appeal was. I never got anywhere with it. The only goal I had was to maintain the little muscle I had built. It got boring.
Running is a whole different matter. There is so much room for improvement, whether one wants to run faster or longer. I want to run longer, but even if I decided to keep to the distances I run today, there would still be enormous variation between my different rounds to keep me interested. I can run different routes, for example. I can choose to run by the sea, in the woods, in the city. Tarmac or trail. Rain or shine. Alone or with others. Short or long distance. And so on and so forth.
As the distance I run increases, however, it becomes more and more important to build up my strength. By building strong legs and core, one can hopefully prevent injuries. It's called pre-hab. The importance of it was never clearer to me than it is now, with my stiff ankle.
This morning, frustrated by the lack of running the last few days, I spontaneously did some strength exercises. Eccentric heel drops, squats (thanks Hans!), balance, the plank, crunches, shoulders. I can't say it was fun. Later today I might try to do some wall climbing, which is also good for strength, and undoubtedly more fun. Tomorrow, who knows...some really easy run commuting from work perhaps?
Running is a whole different matter. There is so much room for improvement, whether one wants to run faster or longer. I want to run longer, but even if I decided to keep to the distances I run today, there would still be enormous variation between my different rounds to keep me interested. I can run different routes, for example. I can choose to run by the sea, in the woods, in the city. Tarmac or trail. Rain or shine. Alone or with others. Short or long distance. And so on and so forth.
As the distance I run increases, however, it becomes more and more important to build up my strength. By building strong legs and core, one can hopefully prevent injuries. It's called pre-hab. The importance of it was never clearer to me than it is now, with my stiff ankle.
This morning, frustrated by the lack of running the last few days, I spontaneously did some strength exercises. Eccentric heel drops, squats (thanks Hans!), balance, the plank, crunches, shoulders. I can't say it was fun. Later today I might try to do some wall climbing, which is also good for strength, and undoubtedly more fun. Tomorrow, who knows...some really easy run commuting from work perhaps?
No comments:
Post a Comment