Today was a big day for me. Since I missed two days of exercise due to my class retreat, I had a lot of catching up to do. I started by running for two hours (with a break halfway through), and then did an hour of sit-ups, squats, legs, raises, etc. My body burned for three hours, and while my muscles and joints are very unhappy now, I feel very content. No one can endure three hours of exercise without learning a bit about their body’s functionality. All this training gave me a lot of time to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses, and I discovered several tricks that make my workout more efficient and endurable.
The first of my breakthroughs occurred while I was running. When I run, I usually do a form of interval training, which alternates between jogging, running, and briefly sprinting. Ever since I've started this routine, it’s been very difficult for me to keep my heart rate below its maximum of 164 beats per minute. No matter how many times I ran, my cardiovascular strength just didn't seem to be improving. But today, I noticed something new. Whenever I’d start to run or sprint, my chest would become extremely tight. It was like my lungs weren't big enough for all the air I needed. I should now mention that I always wear two sports bras when I run, to decrease the strain on my back. I thought this would make my workout easier, but today I realized how wrong I was. After an hour of running, I was sure that my difficulty breathing was not due to a limited lung capacity. I experimented a little, and am now sure that the source of my inadequate inhalations was my constricting clothing. As soon as I removed my tight upper garment, my heart rate slowed down from 166 beats per minute to 157. This was a very valuable discovery, because now all my workouts will be more beneficial to my heart. When I run, it can be less of an anaerobic workout.
I also learned how to overcome pain in my joints. The area that gives me the most trouble is my hips. My hips have been a burden for as long as I can remember. They do not just malfunction in one direction…they fall out of place from all angles. It’s difficult to explain just how they do this, but if I move my legs too wide, too quickly, or change their direction drastically, my hip pops. The feeling that comes with this pop is also difficult to explain because it depends on what made my hip pop, and where in my hip the popping occurred. Sometimes it feels like my leg was pulled out of its socket, sometimes it feels like there’s a brick in between my tailbone and the back of my leg, sometimes it’s as though the tendons and muscles around my hip were tied in knots, and other times there’s just a long, unpleasant, tingly pain. There is nothing I can do about this, except pop my hip back into place, or rest my legs. As you can imagine, this does not make for an easy running experience, since I am rapidly moving my legs from a narrow stance to a wide stance. It can also make my jogs less efficient since I sometimes have to stop and push my hip back into place, which makes my heart rate go down. I encountered this problem several times during my run, and finally found a way to avoid it. I noticed that right before my hip pops, there is a small, throbbing pain on the crest of my ilium. If, as soon as this pain began, I tightened my lower stomach and glutes, my hips would continue to function, and the pain would go away. I was able to apply this knowledge to my later leg exercises as well. I cannot put into words how happy I am to be able to manage my joint pain. It has been such a hindrance, and sometimes stops me from being able to walk properly. Countering it with this strategy opens a whole slew of exercises which I previously avoided due to their extreme leg movements.
Whenever I’d choose to exercise, my shortness of breath and joint problems often discouraged me from being active for long periods of time. I didn't think I could train for as long as I did today, but I’m so glad I did, because now I have two fewer weaknesses to hold me back. Now, I can train for longer, and become an even better athlete. There are still many limitations that I need to overcome, but I know that I will be able to face them as well. Today gave me confidence in myself, and made me feel much less helpless. I learned that strength is not avoiding weakness; it’s learning how to improve in spite of your weaknesses. I feel like today, I was strong.
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