To Run Better, I'm NOT Running

Like many here, I love to run. It is a self-fulfilling act. However, I do impose some goals upon it: I want to be a better runner. So, I run to run, but I also run to improve my ability to run. Make sense? Cool.

Well, to help me run better, I'm not running this week. NOT.

Why?

I'm glad you asked.

I've got a few nagging injuries and warning signs of other overuse injuries soon to follow.

There's a good reason for the 10% rule...I should know better. (10% rule suggests that you increase training by 10% a week, not more.) I've broken it in cycling and developed over use injuries. Now, I've repeated the same mistake. Thing is, I'll start out for an easy run and feel so good during the run, I turn it into an hour long jaunt through the hills.

So this week, I'm not running. I'll try an EASY two mile run Thursday and depending on how that feels another short and easy run on Saturday. I wanted to do a timed two mile run Saturday, but the wise thing is to do that another time.

To run better, this week I'm going to ride my bike. I rode 33 miles yesterday and have a 55 mile trip planned for tomorrow morning. I'll do a high intensity 20 miles on Friday. I don't hate riding, but I am a little burned out on the bike. My head is not clear after riding like it is when I run.

There is one thing I'd like to share, advise people to try. Ginger extract. I'm not a holistic guy, I don't subscribe to those types of remedies. I have a degree in mathematics and pretty well aware of number games and tricks that people/companies play to make something look efficient.

But ginger is a legitimate anti-inflamatory medication. In fact, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, it is more effective than any other non-steroidal anti-inflamatory medication you can buy. The recommended dose is 4 grams, which is quite a bit.

It's pretty cheap, easy to find at most pharmacies, and you can also increase whole ginger into your diet to receive the same benefits. There are other immune system boosting and digestive benefits to ginger as well, but I'm not worried about those right now.