Three Things Thursday - sleep, banned food, and avoiding running injuries

1. I'm tired

Really tired.  I've had the most bizarre thing going on the last week or so.  Crazily itchy hands and feet.  It makes it hard for me to go to sleep and wakes me up at night.  I don't know what's going on and Dr Google gives me a list of possibilities so wide as to be useless.  Last night I tried taking a benadryl, and it seemed to help.  I'm now wondering if it's allergy related?  If it doesn't go away soon, I'll see my doctor.  For now, I just want a solid night's sleep!


2. Further to my post about banning foods from my house...

A couple people commented that banning a food makes them want it more.  I get that, and it can be true.  Having said that, there is a difference between banning food from your house and banning it from your life.  I rarely keep ice cream in the house, but we occasionally will go for ice cream as a treat.  Same thing with cookies and other treats.  Everyone has to do what works for them, and I have accepted that I have issues with portion control and one of the best ways to deal with that is not to have unlimited portions at my fingertips.

3. Jen asked a question on Tuesday's post about how I've avoided running related injuries

First of all, I'll admit that I haven't totally avoided them, but the few things I've dealt with have been minor and fairly short lived.

The things I've done are: a. Build my running volume gradually, b. Avoid speedwork  c. Listen to my body

a. I have always followed the 10% rule, not increasing my total running volume by more then 10% a week.  Recently, I've also added in a recovery week where I drop my running volume about 40% every fourth week.  In addition to this, I don't let my long run be more then 50% of my running volume, and I try for less then that.

b. Yes, I've avoided speedwork, but I don't think this is a good recommendation for most people.  Having said that, I think it's one of the reasons I haven't had any serious trouble.  Many running injuries happen when people try to go too fast, too soon.  I read somewhere that the first year of running, you should focus on building volume rather then speed.  Although I am past that first year now, I've decided to wait a bit longer till I bring it in.  It's also a possibility that I'll have a coach in the new year, and if that happens, I'm hoping they can help me build speed without hurting myself.

c. Listening to your body is KEY.  When I was only 2 weeks into the C25K program, I didn't listen and pushed myself way too far on a hike.  It resulted in a knee that I couldn't run on for about a month.  Now, I'm very aware of any aches and pains.  Sore muscles are fine, and I will still run, but if I have joints that are bothering me or I have pain that feels wrong, I either take it easy or take a day off.