crash stretching!!!

Some people manage to lose weight dramatically - crash dieting, I'm hoping some crash stretching will get me back on the road to performing the way I should be! The last few races have been very frustrating for me, Eagleman and last weekend at Rhode Island. Both races on the bike, I quickly found my left leg feeling numb from my gluts down and my right side with a 'nervey' pain originating in my lower back, running through my glut and the outside of my leg. Along with this a significant lack of power! Realising I am just soooo tight in my hips, through too long of not enough stretching and taking care of myself the way I know I should have, its all added up. I've spent the last few weeks with a much higher focus on stretching and recovery, but now its a case of recovery and recuperation first and some training in between to simply 'keep my oar in'. Not the most ideal way to lead in to my first Ironman of the year, but I'm seriously hoping I can turn things round and get to Lake Placid in the best shape I know fitness wise, I am in...
:-)

Your body knows exactly what it needs!

Just lying down after a nice long run this morning, in crazily hot and humid conditions. The last couple of days have been over 100 degrees (high 30's possibly in the 40's C) and with humidity at around 90%. So I'd set off for my 2hr45 run with my nutrition and hydration all sussed out or at least thats what I thought anyway! (maybe in slightly more normal conditions it would have been fine but as I found out... not today!) Calories wise I'm confident I planned for and took in exactly what I needed. My new INFINIT nutrition run formula is great. I'm taking in more calories than I ever used to and its going down so well, keeping me feeling strong throughout. Today though in these conditions, I really could have done with more water! Running towards garden sprinklers and having to stop at a couple to get some extra drops of water within the last few km's of my run was a sure sign my body was crying out for fluid! I'm confident calories wise I'd got it right as I really was just craving pure water. I've had plenty of experiences in training and racing where I think I'd definately underestimated calorie intake and had specific cravings basically for sugar! I've experienced various cravings, I remember one training run I'd done on a hot day in the UK (yes we do have some!) where I'd taken only water with me (silly lesson that I had to learn!) and I remember having a strong craving specifcally for a cadburys creme egg! I suppose the creamy inside is almost like some gels! (I didn't manage to find one, running in the mountains in the countryside around cardiff!!!)

After a bottle of water this morning as soon as I got through the door, a little bit of a nauseous feeling initially, I perked back up again and with my mission to make sure I'm maximising my recovery time, I think I'm doing pretty well so far - recovery drink (INFINIT fruit punch Repair formula), cold shower and 2XU recovery tights on, an Anne special breakfast smoothie (today with oats, yoghurt, milk, mango juice and banana) and a lye down before a good stretch in a bit! Maybe I'll be ready to face the heat again soon...!

:-)