Making a return to full fitness
With my injury woes now seemingly behind me, I am finally making a return to full fitness. It’s been a long road but one definitely worth going down.
The last few weeks have seen me start to up the distance and intensity of my runs. It feels so good to finally be getting back to where I was before my injuries. Of course, there’s still plenty of work to be done with my fitness.
Early morning seafront run
So the last 4 weeks have seen a dramatic up turn in my VO2 Max which is a great indicator of where I’m at. During my marathon training it peaked around 57 but dropped as low as 48 while out injured.
My improving VO2 Max
Distance wise, 8 miles is the furthest I’ve run to date having also smashed a 7.25 mile run in the last week or so. I’ve kept the pace quicker than I maybe should have, but I’ve felt good and strong on both runs.
Longest run post injury
Having had to wait for my back to fully recover from the adjustment I had due to my jammed pelvis, I haven’t been to the gym in weeks. But with 18 days off work after this coming weekend, I fully intend to get back to the strength work. I have also started doing some core work again which will undoubtedly help keep me fit and strong.
Getting back into core work
The one thing I have noticed in the last 24hrs is the amount of weight I’ve put on. I rarely weigh myself and hadn’t done so since my first few weeks out injured. Last night however, I thought I would. There is definitely evidence of the extra weight around my waist that’s now hiding my abs but the number on the scale was certainly unexpected. 11st 8 1/2 was my weight this morning when I weighed myself again. This is obviously a long way from my heaviest but its also some way from the 11st I hover around when fully fit.
I don’t actually view it as too much of a problem but it was definitely a surprise. Hopefully, upping the mileage and getting back down the gym will soon see that number drop. Of course, eating less crap should help!
My second race post injury is a week and a half out which will be a test of my fitness. It’s a potentially fast and flat 10k on the Severn Bridge so should be fun. A week later is Bridgwater Half Marathon. Running races two weeks in a row will mean I’m finally back in the game.
