Back on the schedule as normal again starting today, so that makes this a rest/cross-training day. After a three month injury layoff, I am reminding myself that rest days are just as valuable for my training as mileage & speedwork days.
Not that it means I must be a lazy bum, mind you. I got up at my usual time and had a sedate breakfast while helping Stacy get out the door for work instead of rushing off to the gym. It felt odd, but was a refreshing change of pace. Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to getting back to the rhythm, though.
One of the reasons I was out of action for three months is that I have a ludicrously weak core. I strained/sprained several muscles in my lower back, coupled with IT band problems. So I decided that cross-training this season needs to incorporate core workouts.
Enter Tony Horton and his infamous Ab Ripper X.
Today’s workout: Cross-training & Rest
After getting Stacy off to work and dealing with the dog, I pulled out my yoga mat (hardwood floors are beautiful, but painful) and my P90X discs. I flipped through until I found Ab Ripper X – of course, it was the last disc in the set. I put it in and “just hit play” as Tony chides me.
I only made it through about half the movements, but part of that is that I have pain in my coccyx that makes a lot of these motions hurt. The rest is just that I have weak core muscles.
P90X is a great program, but Stacy has the Insanity set… and that has been making me curious for months. I let it slide during last year’s training & racing season, then I went and got myself hurt and was in no condition to start Insanity. I’m thinking now that I may swap out the P90X core workout for the Insanity core workout for the second rest day this week.
Hopefully I can work out my weakness issues in my core and use that to help me gain some speed. I think my legs are developing properly for a sub-1:30 run, but that won’t mean much if I can’t keep myself in proper form and cramp up. Today’s work fuels tomorrow’s performance, so I’m keeping at it.
