Love Letter to Running

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Love Letter to Running

Dear Running,

 

I haven’t seen you in a while. Back in April, I didn’t know I wouldn’t put on my running shoes for almost 4 months. But when the MRI revealed a stress fracture in the fibula, I quickly learned that this would mean a long time off. Seven weeks without cycling, twelve weeks without running. At the beginning, these three months felt like an eternity. But now it is almost three months later and I have to admit time flew by faster than I thought.

 

Although I was missing you every single day, I realize I am lucky to be missing something so much. Because it means that I truly love what I’m doing. And because three months later, I do not only know what exactly I miss about running, but also why I love it so much.

 

Flying. Some days, running feels like flying. When there’s nothing else to think about than moving my legs forward, each step feels like beating my wings.

 

Being in nature. Running takes me places no vehicle could take me. There’s a power in running in nature because there’s nothing that feels more peaceful to me.

 

Letting go. Running is my favorite place of meditation. When my legs are carrying me over trails, I can free myself and let go of memories, thoughts, and emotions.

 

Being inspired. They say, inspiration comes in stillness. And my best ideas usually join me on the run.

 

I’m counting down the days until I’ll have my next date with you. Only one more week to go!

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About The Author

I did my first triathlon on a pink kid’s bike with training wheels at six years old. That’s where my love for the sport was born, but it took another decade until I figured out that I wanted to combine my passions for sports and writing. 

 
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5 Mental Strategies for Dealing with Injuries

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5 Mental Strategies for Dealing with Injuries

How to Change Your Mindset on Injuries

Before summer 2019 came around, I had never taken a break from running for more than two or three weeks due to injury or sickness. One year later, I’ve had a fair share of injuries ranging from an ankle sprain to Achilles tendonitis to stress fracture. In that year, my running shoes stayed in the closet more days than they were taken out.

 

And of course, there was a lot of doubt, fear, and yes, even tears. Because when you’re standing at the beginning of a road, you often can’t see the end of it. When will the injury be healed? Will I lose all my fitness in recovery? When will I be able to race again?

 

In the end, injuries are just part of sports although we do our best to avoid them or sometimes even to ignore them. But they want our attention and they want to be learned from.

 

Here are the best strategies that helped me change the way I think about injuries. 

Remind yourself of all the good things in your life. Be grateful.

You’ve heard it a hundred times. Maybe you’re annoyed of hearing it another time. If the latter is true, you should ask yourself if you’ve really been listening then. You’ve probably skipped this question before, but if you really want to change your mindset about injuries, you have to answer this for yourself: What am I grateful for?

 

There is so much to be thankful for. If you can’t come up with something personal yet, think about the people you’re close to, the fact that you have a safe place to sleep, and plenty of food to keep you healthy. Once you have found an answer that feels good, hold on to the feeling of gratitude.

 

Injuries are here to point out what you’ve been neglecting.

Problems, injuries, and diseases have one thing in common: They make us look at things we haven’t given enough attention to. The stress reaction might point out that you have been training too much for too long. The fatigue that constantly has your company might be a sign that you’ve been ignoring you sleeping needs. The tight calves might want to tell you that they need better recovery treatment.

 

It sounds weird, but be grateful for the injury because it points out mistakes of the past and it shows you the way to go in the future. Listen to your body and give yourself what you need!

The analogy of the prisoner.

Imagine you were wrongly convicted of a crime you had nothing to do with. You’re facing ten years of prison. How would you deal with that?

 

I think there are two ways to look at the situation. You could give up on hope and let your fate break you. Or you could take this as a chance. You could use this time to learn about yourself, to meditate, to read books, to write, to talk to other prisoners.

 

Now of course dealing with an injury is not as hard as dealing with ten years of prison. But no matter how bad or not-so-bad a situation is, you can always make the best of it and treat it like an opportunity.

Take running as a metaphor.

You’ve just passed the midpoint of your first half-marathon. You’re tired, your legs are heavy. You want to quit. But you don’t. Because you know how good it feels when you’re finally crossing the finish line. How good the food tastes after running for so long. Or when your friends and family cover you in hugs and congratulations.

 

 

Obviously, you can’t quit an injury like you can quit a race. But just like a race, an injury is a challenge. And no matter the size or shape of a challenge, once you’ve overcome it you’re stronger.

Find other things to occupy your mind with.

It’s a strategy you’ll probably read about in any guide about dealing with injuries. But it’s still a good one.

 

When you’re forced to take a break from running, you’ll have more or less time over that is looking for a new occupation! Why not take it as a chance to try something new?

 

Even if you have to spend a lot of time at home or even in the bed, there’s still plenty to explore. I guess we’ve all become experts in this since Covid-19, but from documentaries to books to online classes, the Internet has a lot more to offer than social media and Netflix.

 

If you’re allowed to do other sports, you could engage in cross-training such as swimming, cycling, and weight lifting. If that’s not for you, think about these options: aqua jogging, bouldering, kayaking, and the elliptical are just waiting to be discovered by you!

 

While I was recovering from the stress fracture, which required me to walk on crutches for two months, I kept reminding myself of these five things every single day. And you know what? The two months actually flew by like two weeks. Just remember to be nice to yourself, give your body all the time it needs to heal, and be patient! 

 

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About The Author

I did my debut triathlon on a pink kid’s bike with training wheels at 6 years old. That’s where my love for the sport was born, but it would take another decade until I figured out that I wanted to combine my passions for sports and writing. 

 

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The Best Aqua Jogging Workouts With Music

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The Best Aqua Jogging Workouts with Music

If you want to give aquajogging a try, I’d recommend you buy a waterproof (or splash-proof) earphone set for three reasons:

  • It will make time pass about ten times faster while you’re in the pool.
  • You won’t need to use your watch to time intervals.
  • And going at a high intensity is a lot easier when you can just imitate the music’s rhythm. 

Here’s some inspiration for aquajogging workouts with music. But be warned: There’s some weird music coming your way!

Intense Workouts

Just klick on the images to get to the Spotify playlist! 

The Pyramid Workout

The hardest part when making this playlist was finding songs that are under two minutes long. That’s why some of these songs in this playlist really top the charts for the weirdest music out there. My personal favorite is “Waiting for My Cappuccino” by Dan Reeder. You should definitely check it out if you haven’t heard it yet! (I’d love to hear your interpretation of the lyrics!)

Duration: 1h15min 

Main Set: 1-5min hard, increasing by 30s with each repeat; 30s rest 

Intensity: 4/5

30s Fartlek

This one is a 14x2min in which the two minute sets consist of four thirty-second songs. Let me tell you: You probably won’t ever want to hear those four songs again when you’re done with the workout 🙂 

Duration: 53min 

Main Set: 14x 2min (30s sprint, 30s medium, 30s sprint, 30s medium)  

Intensity: 4/5

"Oh Hack" Workout

This playlist is based around the song “HACK” by Shuta Sueyoshi and Wonder Hack. Trust me when I’m saying that this song will turn your legs into jello at the end of the workout! I love and hate this song at the same time because it makes you feel like it’s about to end when it’s actually just taking a break before returning even faster. At least it makes a good workout!

Duration: 47min 

Main Set: 6x3min 

Intensity: 4/5

3min Fartlek

In this playlist, you’ll get to hear fast and slow songs alternatingly for about three to four minutes each. This workout is not as intense as the others, so it makes a great recovery workout. 

Duration: 1h  

Intensity: 2.5/5

Shuffle Play Workouts

Just hit the shuffle play button and let Spotify decide how hard your workout is going to be!  

International Songs

This is a wild mix featuring songs in any language except for English. Give it a try if you’re up for songs in Gaelic, French, or Vietnamese! 

Japanese Songs

This playlist is a mix of Japanese songs that either can be calm & slow or loud & fast. Japanese music has somewhat become my favorite for aqua jogging. 

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About The Author

I did my debut triathlon on a pink kid’s bike with training wheels at 6 years old. That’s where my love for the sport was born, but it would take another decade until I figured out that I wanted to combine my passions for sports and writing. 

 

Book Reviews

Disclaimer

All resources and information shared on this website are only for informational purposes and aren’t intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any condition or disease.

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Copyright © 2021 ASK Project

Aqua Jogging: How and Why to Run in the Pool

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Aqua Jogging: How and Why to Run in the Pool

There are many synonyms for aqua jogging: water running, pool running, or deep water running. But no matter what word is used, some people are still hesitant to jump in the pool for an aqua jogging workout. So keep reading if that’s you 🙂 

Why you should give aqua jogging a try (even if you’re not injured!)

When you start out with pool running, you might feel like you’re the only person in the pool that’s less than sixty years old. But don’t let yourself fool by that! Aqua jogging is not only an awesome way to maintain your fitness while being injured, but it’s also a great alternative for land running. Here are some more reasons to try it:

 

  1. Injury: Aquajogging is considered safe for almost any kind of injury since it is a non-weight-bearing activity.
  2. Cross Training: Next to cycling and swimming, aqua jogging is a great way to mix up your training.
  3. Recovery: The day after a hard workout, just jump in the pool for an easy water run!
  4. Improvement of Running Form: As you have to work against the water, your muscles get used to more resistance. When you get back to running on land, you’ll notice that it feels much easier

How elite runners use aqua jogging

Thanks to aqua jogging, some professional runners have come back stronger than ever after a period of injury.

  • Tina Muir qualified for the National Championships after a month long break from running and only six weeks of land running at drastically reduced mileage.
  • US-marathoner Meb Keflezighi used aqua jogging as cross-training once or twice a week.
  • Deena Kastor, who holds American records on several distances, won the 2005 Chicago marathon after training on an underwater treadmill for more than a month.
  • Dieter Baumann won Olympic Gold at the 5k race in Barcelona after completing most of his workouts in the pool because of Achilles tendonitis. (Click here to see an epic sprint finish!) 

How to start pool running

If you don’t have access to an aqua jogging belt or vest, you can certainly go without. However, it takes away from running specificity, as you have to kick more downwards so that you stay afloat. So if you’ll spend a lot of time in the pool, I’d recommend you buy a floatation belt (especially if you’re an insecure swimmer). That way, you can fully concentrate on implementing the right form. Make sure you’re in the deep end of the pool where your feet can’t reach the floor.

 

As a complete beginner, start out with 20 or 25 minutes for about a week so that your body can get used to running against water resistance. Make sure that your breath is regular and you’re not holding it unconsciously. You might also feel some soreness in the hip flexor at first because it’s working harder as your pushing against the water. You also shouldn’t worry about the intensity or your heartrate at first. It’s much more important that you get used to the correct form so that you get the most out of your aquajogging workouts. If you like swimming, you could alternate between pool running and swimming in intervals of ten or twenty minutes. That way, you’ll get a longer workout in.

 

Once your body is accustomed to the movement, you can start increasing the duration and intensity of the workout. If you’re using a heart rate monitor, keep in mind that your heart rate will be about ten percent lower than on land.

The right form

When an injury is keeping you from running on land, aqua jogging is the closest you can get to running without the pounding. That also means that the right form is as important in the pool as it is on land. 

 

  1. Imitate your running form: To get the maximum out of aqua jogging, try to imitate your running form as best as possible.
  2. Don’t lean forward: Make sure you’re not leaning forward too much without noticing. Just imagine there’s a cup of water on the top of your head that should not fall down.
  3. High knees: Get your knees up as if you were running up stairs. 
  4. Midfoot strike: From the high-knees-position, imagine making a midfoot strike so that your foot lands on imaginary ground right under your hips. 
  5. Hip extension: Push your leg backward. The most common mistake when aqua jogging is a short hip extension. As this is the most important part of your running form, don’t forget about that! 
  6. Forget about pace and distance: The slower you go, the more efficient you are. 
  7. Increase your cadence: If you want your workout to be more intense, increase your cadence rather than the speed at which you’re moving in the water. 

Aqua Jogging Workouts

If you’ve already tried pool running, you might know what I’m talking about: Each time you take a look at your watch, only one or two minutes have passed, while you could have sworn it felt like five minutes. Pool running can be boring, but there are definitely ways to make it more exciting.

 

  1. Bring a friend: Social aqua jogging definitely makes an equally good workout as going on a run with friends.
  2. Listen to music: My personal favorite is listening to music because it also makes it easier to find into the right intensity. Moving your legs fast in the water gets a lot easier when you’re listening to equally fast music. Check out this post, if you need aqua jogging workouts with music.
  3. Listen to an audiobook or podcast: For long (water) runs, this is a great alternative to music. Just tune in to an interesting podcast or audiobook and 90 minutes will pass like nothing!
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About The Author

I did my debut triathlon on a pink kid’s bike with training wheels at 6 years old. That’s where my love for the sport was born, but it would take another decade until I figured out that I wanted to combine my passions for sports and writing. 

 

Book Reviews

Disclaimer

All resources and information shared on this website are only for informational purposes and aren’t intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any condition or disease.

Menu

Copyright © 2021 ASK Project