TIme to Recommit

There are a few things that have really been nagging at me lately, and some are beyond my control and others are not.

One, as any regular reader knows, is my running.  It sucks.  No way around it.  The only way I can think of to improve it is to do it more.  I am going to try running 6 days a week, and if it isn't a normal "run day" it will be short 2-3 easy Zone 2 miles to be able to build slowly with out injury.  I am also going to add a speed work session every week.  Probably be hitting the high school track for intervals, or something of the sort.

The other thing is my dang shoulder!  I finally broke down and decided enough was enough and went to the Performance Health Institute and met with Dr. Bennett, a sports chiropractor and triathlete himself.  I have always been a little skeptical of chiropractors, but this guy came highly recommended.  Long story short, this guy was right on!  He tested all of these individual muscle groups, and he could pin point exactly where I have been injured in the past even with out me telling him!  He made so much sense!  I immediately felt better after he adjusted my shoulder and after finding some weaknesses in my right hip and my left hamstring, I will be going back for those as well.  He also gave me a bunch of strength and conditioning exercises to be doing at home to improve things as well.  He has worked with athletes in Kona and said that he can tell a difference in those that do strength training and those that do not.  I think that he will be a great resource for me this coming year as I prepare for IMTX!

As I am only two weeks away from Nationals,  and then my off season will be starting, it is a great time to recommit to taking care of myself.  I have skipped out on the strength and stretching.  I have been lax on what and how I eat.  I have slacked off on some of my work outs (some of those have been because of these nagging injuries, so not entirely due to laziness), and I haven't been allowing myself to recover as I should.  I can NOT risk not doing any of the above as I get ready for an Ironman.  I can't have injury or to not be at my best.  So, here's to doing what I need to, and have known that I should be doing all along.  Onward and upward!