This past week completed week 11 of my 16-week Run Less Run Faster (affiliate link) training cycle for my OBX Half Marathon. The week was all about getting back out on the trail taking walks and working toward increasing the range of motion in my knee after last week’s surgery.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned that the size of the unruly piece of skin removed from above my knee was about 3/4-inch diameter. As a result, the surgeon had to pull the surrounding skin extremely tightly before stitching it back together. Even as the incision heals and there’s no longer such a worry about popping the stitches, there’s an unnerving amount of pulling on the tightened skin.
This past week there were no track repeats, no tempo run, nor a long run; instead, this past week’s runs were replaced by relaxing walks.
In the gym, I was able to do much of my regular exercises. I’m still shying away from lunges and focusing on my weaker right side when doing single-leg squats and leg extensions. I am doing daily leg extensions without any resistance with my left leg as I work on increasing its range of motion as I gently force the skin to stretch to accommodate the movement.
Two weeks post surgery, I can’t wait to try a short, easy treadmill run tomorrow just to see how the leg moves. If all goes well, I’ll hit the track on Tuesday as I ease back into my fall training plan. With only five weeks remaining until the race, I’ve got a lot of work to do to make sure I’m ready to toe the starting line with my friends at the OBX Half Marathon. The hardest thing will be to listen to my healing leg, and not overdo it!
In case you missed it on the blog, this past week I posted the following articles:
- Wednesday – The Struggle Is As Real As You Make It
- Friday – Clear Margins, Comment Purgatory, and Fall Decorations
Looking ahead to this coming week, I’m working on the third post in my five-part series on capturing optimal running pictures and hope to have it up by Thursday.
With no running to highlight this past week, here’s a run-down of the limited number of other workouts I completed…
Fitness tools beyond the equipment in my gym that I used during the week included:
- Rodney Yee’s Complete Yoga For Beginners (affiliate link)
- Rodney Yee’s Intermediate Yoga (affiliate link)
- Rodney Yee’s Yoga Conditioning For Athletes (affiliate link)
- Tony Horton’s Ten Minute Trainer (affiliate link)
- Teeter Hang Ups Inversion (affiliate link)
Cameras used for blog photography include:
- GoPro Hero 4 (affiliate link)
- Canon Power Shot Elph (affiliate link)
- iPhone 6S (affiliate link)
- And the occasional picture taken by Bill
- Questions:
- Did you race this weekend? If so, tell me all about it so I can live vicariously through you. I wasn’t able to run the Army Ten-Miler today and I’m soooo bummed!
- What fun fall plans do you have coming up?
- Do you lift weights regularly?
Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Hope your run goes well tomorrow! Look forward to reading more running photo tips from you
Thanks, Deborah, it went really well!
Glad to hear that everything turned out well with the surgery. Hopefully your run goes well tomorrow! I really try to focus on strength training but I’m not as consistent as I would like to be.
Thanks, Sara! I’m convinced that consistent strength training through my running “career” helped keep me relatively healthy and mostly injury free for so many years.
It’s been over 3 months since my surgery, and sometimes the skin on my scar feels tight. I realize some of that sensation is also the knee joint (that still cannot bend as “fully” as before), but it is freaky!
I wonder if that will eventually go away for you?
I ran every day this weekend and they were long runs. I find myself not doing my strength training when I do my longer runs.
It is hard to fit it all in, and it’s best not to try to lift on the same day you’re overly tired from a long run (I learned the hard way). Perhaps Tuesdays and Thursdays would be good days to schedule your strength workouts so you have time to rest before and after your longer runs.
It is so tempting to push things a bit when we know we should be taking it easy, isn’t it?? But I feel sure you will not push things more than your body is ready for! Enjoy that first post surgery run tomorrow!
Thanks, Teresa! I’ve run twice so far this week and both runs felt great! 😀
You are such a trooper!! I hope that your run goes well 🙂
Thanks, Kim! It felt great to be back running!
It’s so hard to ease back into things, but I think you have a good head on your shoulders and can do it.
No racing for me this past weekend. 🙂 Hoping for a few shorter races but those darn family obligations keep getting in the way it seems!
I do strength pretty regularly (took a pass the week before & after my half since I was run down — and I’m feeling fluffy after all my indulgences! I’m easing back into that, too.
I think you’re smart to cut back on strength training before a race as part of the tapering process. I used to take 2-4 weeks off for my legs and 1-2 weeks off for my arms prior to a marathon. After the race, I’d take at least another week off before starting back lifting. For half marathons (if I’m racing them) I cut back, but not by as many weeks – about half as many I’d say.
Ha! I usually have good intentions of doing my ST before & after a race, but then usually life gets in the way (cause I’m always traveling for my races) — I figure it probably is a good idea to keep me from over achieving!
I’ve gotten much, much better at listening to my body over the years.
I’m trying to up my fairly non-existent game of strength training. I recently with to the gym with PoPo (who am I?). The toughest thing to do is be patient while our bodies heal. And, you’ve done a great job! Good luck as you ease back into running. Thanks for linking!
* went to the gym… (sigh)
Thanks, Holly!
Just curious, has there been a second trip back to the gym with PoPo?
It’s been two months since I had that section removed from my back, and the skin is still really tight. I joked with my dermatologist that it would have been nicer if that melanoma had kindly appeared on a saggy part of my body–then I’d have had a bonus tightening up of some sag!
I ran 9 miles yesterday, it was lovely to run in dry weather. I’m over running in the rain.
Too funny! When I had the melanoma removed from my cheek in December, I did the same thing. I asked my surgeon if he could also pull the skin tight on the other cheek to give me a nice little face lift while he was at it. 😉
I’m glad you’re healing well. I need to get my skin checked!!! It’s on my to-do list, along with the colonoscopy.
Fun times, right?
Glad everything is healing well post-surgery! Good luck on the test treadmill run tomorrow 🙂
Thanks! The treadmill run felt great so I met my friends at the track yesterday morning. 😀
I didn’t realize that you had surgery, glad to hear that recovery is going well! Looks like you have a good plan to ease back into your training plan.
Thanks, Janelle! I had an atypical spot removed from just above my knee. It wasn’t cancerous, but with my history the doctor decided to go ahead and remove it instead of waiting.
This is an awesome plan and I hope you get to stick to it. When do you usually do yoga? Is it for stretching after running?
I typically do yoga after strength training only because it fits into my schedule better on those days.
I did race this weekend Deb and boy did I ever have to bring my mental game. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so close to quitting. I guess I really needed that hard race to appreciate all the others. Much like you sitting on the sidelines for now will make you appreciate it when your back out on the road!
Oh wow, I’m glad you were able to hang in there and stick it out and finish the race. Good job!