Friendly Friday Advice: What Not To Do For A Trail Run
By admin
Hello and happy Friday!
This week hasn’t quite gone as planned. I guess that’s life.
You win some you lose some.
And sometimes you get slapped with a UTI days before a trail run.
Oh yes… another reason why being a woman is hard (I am aware that men get UTI’s but let’s be honest, we are plagued much more frequently).
What started off as a little annoying issue turned into a hunched over, tears streaming, pain in my back.
Hopefully my antibiotics and pain killers will help get rid of what has now developed into a full blown kidney infection before I lace up my new shoes for tomorrow’s trail run.
Well, hello kidneys, thanks for letting me know you’re in there. Please keep punching away at my sides…
What Not To Do For A Trail Run #1:
Don’t wait until the pain is so bad that you can’t stand up before seeing a doctor.
I could have had this kicked out of my body on Tuesday, giving me plenty of time to fully recover for a Saturday morning race.
Instead, here it is Friday, and I started taking antiobiotics yesterday afternoon. Fingers crossed.
Lesson learned.
What Trail Run Am I Doing?
In January I ran a 17K trail run (my first trail race) and loved it. I ended up signing up for the Hot Top 10K which is a part of the same series as the winter race.
I some how convinced Ashton and Julie to race again with me.
The Hot Top is in Charlotte, NC and we’ll be running Crowders Mountain.
Which brings me to my…
What Not To Do For A Trail Run #2:
Don’t avoid training when you’re literally running up (and down) a mountain.
When I told the race director that I was going to sign up for this race, he politely informed me that though I did great the first race, that that had been their “flat course”.
If I wanted to survive this race my butt should get training on inclines.
I wanted to follow his advice. I kept telling myself that next week I would start doing hill workouts (on a treadmill since I live in possibly the flattest part of the country).
Well next week turned into the next week and before you know it here I am 1 day out with a beat up kidney and no hill workouts under my belt.
Oops.
It isn’t as if I have been avoiding training completely. I am 10K-ready so hopefully that will be enough??
And at least I have pretty new shoes.
Oh wait…
What Not To Do For A Trail Run #3:
You might want to wear new shoes more than once before racing in them.
Last week I paid a visit to my favorite local running store, Fleet Feet. I knew which shoes I wanted (I will never give up my Mizuno Wave Riders) but they didn’t have the color. So they placed the order for me and I received the call on Wednesday that they arrived.
Yay?
I met my friend Jeanette for a much needed running date to try them out. 3-miles later we were done. The shoes felt awesome, but I would prefer to at least get one more run in them. Especially since I went up a half size then I am used to.
Are longer runs going to cause heel blisters?
Too bad someone keeps punching my kidneys so I can’t…
Anytime you get a new pair of shoes, I always recommend putting at least 3 good runs in before wearing them in a race.
I know what you’re thinking… can’t you just wear your old shoes?
Of course I can, but these are so pretty that I really want to wear them. Remember, when you wear kick-ass shoes, you run faster!
I’ll see come tomorrow morning.
And as of right now, that’s what I’ve learned. However, I might have a few more tips after the race. Don’t worry I’ll fill you in as soon as I get back to Charleston… we’re making a girls weekend out of our Charlotte trip.
Have a great Friday!
Have you ever run a trail race?
What’s a “what not to do” mistake that you’ve made when it comes to running or fitness?