Rest is Over by Elizabeth Azze
During the last couple of months since our Wasatch adventure Joe and I have been focusing on our current clients adventures which included the Chicago marathon, NYC marathon, Mountain Masochist 50 and the up coming JFK 50. We have also been focusing on editing our current exercise videos and creating new exercises for our expanding exercise library. It has been a great way for me to direct my energy from training to something else that offers just as many rewards.
My rest period has come to an end and I have so much fire in my belly to adventure and explore the trails like never before. I am so looking forward to what next year has too offer; will I get into Western states again ha, ha probably not, since there is roughly a 15% chance. Wasatch 100 is definitely on the wish list along with the Badwater 135 and the Cascades Crest 100. The North Face 50 that takes place on our local trails in Harriman looks like will be my 1st major race for 2011. My training focus for the months ahead will be on increasing my overall functional strength & power but first up I will be addressing any imbalances and weakness’s I may have developed during this past season.
Trail running, road running, mountain biking, etc. is about much more than just getting out there and logging in the miles in hopes of maintaining an injury free successful training regime. You must pay close attention to many things such as the timing of your nutrition, adequate hydration, addressing muscular & joint imbalances, increase your core stability & strength and not skimping on your flexibility training or rest. These principles are just the beginning and when you have them properly integrated into your training routine, you can then begin to focus on the strengthening and power training phases of your program.
You may not even be aware of the imbalances you have or are creating, for example: If your out for a run and you feel a pain in your iliotibial band or foot, etc and you decide to carry on without addressing it, your body in turn starts compensating by favoring one side. That’s just the beginning and as the miles tick away, the further compensations accumulate and a greater potential for an injury arises. This is just a small piece of a complex puzzle put simply. We want to help you realize that you can have a successful season without injuries caused from improper training. If you are willing to put in the time doing the little things that you may not necessarily want to do, you will make great gains in your performance.
