Stretch it out..

I spent 30 minutes today at the gym focusing on stretching. Yes, 30 minutes. My hamstrings and quadriceps have been really tight, and I knew that I needed to start working them out. Well, I fell in love with some of the equipment I worked with at the gym. For example, I used a foam roller like this one, found at http://www.gaiam.com/product/muscle+therapy+foam+roller.do. I was told by the Exercise Physiologist at the gym that it would hurt, and it does hurt. I was told by some friends that it hurts until you get used to it and then it feels heavenily. I don't know about it feeling heavenily, but maybe if I use them I will get used to it.   The other thing that I used was similiar to this found here, http://www.amazon.com/OPTP-Stretch-Strap-Instructional-Booklet/dp/B000QM625E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1332369430&sr=8-3.

I knew I was tight, but when the exercise physiologist told me to straighten my leg, and I honestly thought it was, I KNEW I was tight.  I am interested in seeing how that 30 minutes of stretching will affect my running tomorrow.  I am thinking that maybe this week I will get a massage, (since my insurance covers half of it), maybe that will help some more. Also thinking that I need a pedicure because my feet are rough, from being on them all the time because of work and now with running, I should probably baby my feet as much as possible.

I also decided that I am going to start getting up at the same time every day. I used to, but now I didn't and that doesn't really help my exercise cause.  I am going to start tomorrow, get up about an hour before my daughter. That will give me time to do the ab workout I have saved on Netflix, and time for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom, I couldn't imagine my life right now without being a mom, but between running, work, school, housework, I often neglect me. Yes, I know that running is for me, but my mind doesn't get quiet enough with running, and therefore I get lost in all the "To-Dos" and not enough of the moment. 

I was talking with one of my friends today and I have decided to back off of worrying about running for a certain time. I am going to go back to what I liked originally, running itself. My runs are now going to get longer, but if I don't enjoy it, I won't keep at it. So, I need to go back to just running for the love and not for the time. Yes, I do want to improve my time, but that will come with time. I want to love it again so that I can cherish every moment up to and including my first half marathon, which, by the way is in 39 days! OMG! I better get back to doing school work. Have a great leap day. Hope you have a great day, the weather tomorrow is supposed to be even better.

 

Thanks for reading!