Day 6, Week 5: Facetious injury recovery tips you probably shouldn't use.

Today's workout du jour was some Cathe, of course.  There was a lot of heavy weight lifting, barbell toting, random animals int the workout area, and animals messing up all my post-workout selfies.

TOTES BARBELL

Did a LOT of this.

Small dog be like "why hooman doing this stupid selfie thing?"

I was not thinking about stealing this dumbbell.  OK, yes I was.

But I had to be a little careful during the workout, and not because animals would randomly come and hang out around me while I had a heavy barbell over my head.  As I mentioned yesterday, my left glute has been giving me some issues lately--issues such as being a tight ball of hurt that makes coming down on my left leg feel like I'm running on a stump.

You know.  Just some small issues. 

So, in order to make sure I'm in tip-top shape for training and for my races, I plan on taking a few days off to let my glute heal and stop being so angry.

Ha!  Just kidding!  I plan on training right through it, like any sensible runner/duathlete would do.  But I do have some facetious tips for all those injured runners out there still training away:

• Take it easy (or easier) during your workouts.  Slow down, whether your biking, running, cross-country skiing, or underwater basket weaving.  You can also consider shortening your workouts as well so you're not aggravating your injury as much.  Or at least that's what you can tell yourself.
• Practice some self-care when you're not irritating your injury further by working out.  Massage the area (unless it's a stress-fracture...then I wouldn't advise touching it at all.  Or working out, really, but hey-you know your body), get on a foam roller.  What helps me is a little trigger point ball that works best for loosening up those tight muscles deep inside the glute.  You know, the ones even the massage therapist won't work on no matter how much you tip her.
• Ignore the pain and hope it magically disappears.  Because it's probably just a weak muscle that just needs more training, right?  Work that weak muscle into shape.
• Google the cause of your pain and then ignore all the advice they give you.  Because who wants to read "rest and take it easy" when you want to see "train through it you big baby?"

Seriously, if you're really injured, don't train through it.  Just take it easy and silently curse and shake your fist at all the runners you see on your commute to and from work.

And now silently curse and shake your fist at these stupid learnings:

• The trigger point ball was worth all 6 bucks I pad for it.  So much screaming glute relief.
• I should be in bed right now because I have a 35 mile bike ride tomorrow.  Looks like I'll be taking it easy at 6 AM because I'll be took freaking tired to push too hard.
• So many animals in my workout today.  I'm surprised there were no tragic accidents involving the barbell.
• "Train through it you big baby" is one of my favorite mantras.  Not the healthiest mantra, but definitely one of my faves.

Tomorrow's workout: I already told you - 35 mile bike ride with a 3 mile run off the bike.  Fabs.