I've been thinking a lot about how my running background contributes on the trail. You might think that it would make me relatively fast. The thing is, running gives you good cardio, but it doesn't prepare your body for 8-12 hours of walking on rough terrain with 25-40 lbs on your back. Cardio is useless if your muscles, tendons, and joints can't keep up. This is why a lot of runners find themselves with overuse injuries on the trail.
That said, I have noticed a few benefits (I think).
- Injury detection and prevention
Running has taught me how to know that a problem is forming and when to ease off. Between my running injuries and physio, and my crossfit years, I have a pretty good arsenal of stretches to help head off injuries before they get serious. - Mental vs physical weakness
Some days, it's hard to put in miles. Sometimes that's because I'm physically exhausted and my body genuinely needs a break. Other times, it's more psychological and I'm really just being a weenie. Training for runs seems to help me know which is which. - Willpower
When I'm just being a weenie, you just have to get over it and get the job done. Treating training as work has helped me get through the weenieness 90% of the time. (The other 10% of the time is ok - sometimes you need a mental break too.)
Just some random thoughts as I put in miles. I haven't been immune to injuries, but I think running has helped me deal with them.
Start: Story Spring + 1.5 miles
End: VT 9
Distance: 16.6 miles
No comments:
Post a Comment