Hello Reader,
Another month is upon us and Spring is coming soon. That means racing is starting to become a weekly event for many of us. But first a quick update on me and my journey
Coach Gerald Update
It’s been a long road for me and my body. It all started in August 2024 during the Historical Germantown 8K. My knee kept trying to buckle throughout the race. I was able to finish strong with a 1:03:31. The issue wasn’t going away and I found myself in Physical Therapy. That helped tremendously.
However, about a month later, I started having some pain in my right shoulder. While I was trying to resolve that my right hip started acting up. (Yes, my old body is falling apart lol) I am making progress on all that. However, I haven’t been able to get the mileage in. The shoulders are better, the hip is almost there. It’s looking promising for the Flying Pig 5K & 10K. The half marathon portion of the 3-way challenge is a bust for me.
Why did I have all these issues? I wasn’t doing the strength and flexibility work, and it caught up to me. I kept making excuses and my body started shouting.
Monthly Tip
You might think it would be don’t skip the gym. While that would be a great tip, I think you get that from my cautionary tale above. Instead, I’m going to share this gem with you.
Racing every weekend will lead to either burnout, injury, or lack of progress
As the races pick-up it is tempting to do a race every weekend. I’m not saying you can’t participate in multiple races. You just can’t run full out every single weekend. Shorter races like the 5K can be recovered from in 1-2 days. That’s still 1-2 days that you need to be easy. However, the longer the race, the more time your body needs to recover. Half marathons need at least 1-2 weeks of easy running. If you need/want to run longer races, either treat them like a long slow distance run and enjoy the race environment at an easier pace, especially longer races. The other alternative is to treat the shorter races like a speed workout for the week.
Where can you find Coach Gerald?
If you will be in the area, come see me at one of these races. I’d love to say hi.
Interested in learning more about how I can help you on your running journey?
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