Date: 2/14/21
Training Day: 23
Miles: 2 (+6 miles hiking)
Time: 22 min
Shoes: Altra Paradigm 5
Weather: N/A (indoors on a treadmill)
Strength Training: Shoulders

How It Felt: The running was alright. My knee didn’t hurt, but I was aware of it, if that makes sense. The shoulder workout was nothing special. It seems my strength workouts either nearly kill me or feel like I didn’t do anything. The first half of the hike was good, but then a hot spot formed. I hiked the rest of the way walking funny, trying to keep my heel from blistering.

Commentary: Thinking about my knee issue yesterday got me thinking about my training. I hired a personal trainer specifically to help me strengthen my right leg to support my jank knee. And I figured while I was paying him I might as well have him get my upper body ready for my Spartan Race.

Three weeks before I started my official run training, I hired my personal trainer. From the time we started working together to the day I started my run training we did two leg workouts. Now I’m clearly not a professional, but I think those three weeks would have been the perfect opportunity to get my legs stronger before I started running hard core. Apparently not.

Once I started my run training, my personal trainer decided I should do two leg workouts a week, and the guy scheduled one of them on my long run day. Seriously? I told him I would not do two leg workouts a week, especially on my long run day. His response? For sure. We just want to make sure your quadriceps are strong enough to withstand high mileage.

Are you fucking kidding me? Then why is it when I wasn’t running five days a week with long runs and intervals you barely scheduled any leg/quad workouts?! Why in fuck’s name did you wait until I was upping my mileage and intensity to finally acknowledge that I needed to build my quad strength?!

Although this annoyed the shit of me, I didn’t think much of it because my knee felt fine. Since my knee hurt yesterday during my run, my annoyance has turned into discontent. It has me wondering if hiring a personal trainer was not a wise choice.

I’ve been lifting weights on my own for a few years now. Back then I had at least five pounds more muscle than I do now. At the beginning of the pandemic I weighed seven pounds more than I do now, and I fit not fluffy. What I wish I could remember is how long it took me to get back my badass muscle after I took a long break from weights. Because right now I’m not super impressed with my muscle gain.

Before this personal trainer, I picked a muscle group and worked it until it was so fatigued I couldn’t do anymore. I also didn’t take long breaks between sets. Now I’m not saying I was doing it right, but it worked. And I probably shouldn’t be too judgmental about my gains this time around since it’s only been a month and a half. But at the same time, it’s already been a month and a half…

Sometimes I wonder if I’d have been better off on my own. I don’t know best, but I’m not 100% sure my personal trainer does either. When I’m doing my own workout I know when I can do more and go longer. I also know when I feel like shit and should just call it a day. I feel like following these prescribed workouts doesn’t allow for that. Maybe I should talk to him about that. Perhaps some communication would help?

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