Got My Mojo Back

As I've eased back into running with my hamstring strain (now about 95% healed), I've worried, obsessed over, fixated on and complained often about how discouraging the loss of my running fitness was. Three weeks off running and all cardio gains are lost, even if you're doing other cardio activities. As my leg loosened and strengthened, I could not blame pain or pulling sensations for my need to take breaks. It was decidedly my cardio capacity that was ailing. At first, running a 1/2 mile demanded a quick 10 second breather, then it was after a mile and so on. My heart rate (HR) initially registered much higher than it normally would, but over the past few weeks, I've seen the HR numbers decline - nearing my typical range, but still I felt the need to stop for breathers. Or did I? Had I developed a mental block over my ability to run for more than a mile non-stop?

This week during treadmill runs I noted that doing a 9:50 "easy pace" (still slower than my previous 9:40 "easy pace") only elevated my HR to the mid-140's, whereas a couple weeks earlier it was reaching the upper 150's. This concrete information could only mean one thing. My cardio is returning nicely, but my head is in the way of my performance. With a 5 mile run scheduled for today, I was bound and determined to do it without stopping. Mind over matter. I needed to break through that mental block, find my running rhythm again, embrace and remember what it feels like to breathe heavy for a sustained period of time. And guess what? I did it! In fact, when I hit the 5-mile mark, I was still a mile from home, and rather than catching a deep chill walking that last mile in the stiff breeze, I took inventory of my legs, HR and energy, and realized I was fine - no tightness in the hamstring, legs still feeling fresh, breathing not labored, HR within normal limits, energy left to go further. I extended my run to 5.5 miles (and felt I could have gone longer, but didn't want to over do it), using the last .5 mile for a cool down. I took time during that short walk home to congratulate myself on breaking down a mental barrier, regaining my running confidence and getting my mojo back. My mojo has awakened just in time, as our Canyonlands training starts on Monday!