26 Or Bust!

Per doctor’s orders, I’ve been taking it easy on the running to give my peroneal tendonitis time to heal. I’m happy to report that any lingering discomfort in my foot is almost completely gone. To keep in shape, I’ve been spending more time than I ever thought I would on the stationary bike. It’s rather exciting to go well over 20 miles and it’s fun to catch up on Law & Order reruns on USA (it’s much easier to watch TV on the bike than on the treadmill), but my new friend the stationary bike definitely does not take the place of running.

Until now, I hadn’t realized how much I had come to enjoy running. It’s relaxing on the long easy runs and makes me feel incredibly energized. Just going five miles in the morning before work makes me feel like I’ve accomplished so much. Every time I walk into the gym it’s a bit hard to resist the treadmill and I’m a little jealous of all the runners I pass. Plus, it really does take some time to build a tolerance to the bike seat. It’s not bad for 30 minutes, but after 90 minutes the next day is a little sore.

Oddly enough, I actually find the bike harder than the running. I spent the last two months running, strengthening my muscles for that specific exercise and building up a tolerance for that motion over long miles. Suddenly, I’m using all my muscles in a different way and it’s taking some getting used to. The first week was the toughest, no surprise, and I’m starting to see an improvement by being able to bike at a higher resistance level and to go greater distances. I’m settling into the groove of the bike and each day look forward to the challenge of pushing harder than before, the same mindset I’d adopted for running.

While the biking is growing on me, I am looking forward to my new orthotics next week and getting back to running. I feel confident that I can ease back into the program and catch up to the team in plenty of time. Still, I may have to squeeze in one long cross-training session a week on the bike to keep up my stamina and catch up on missed TV!