pilates

I took a four-day break from running when I still felt the IT band bothering me on my first four mile venture since the Disney Marathon. I've been following the ITB exercises I found on Jon's web page, which are supposed to strengthen affected areas to prevent injury... On Tuesday, I went to a pilates class, and I was amazed at how good it felt. Difficult, but good. I had done pilates before, but I want to go more regularly. A few of the exercises we did were actually similar to ITB exercises, and overall, I could really feel how the whole pilates regime strengthens the core, which is not separate from legs and feet but integral to their effective functioning. I like the pace of pilates too; it doesn't bore me. Yesterday I ran 3 miles for the first time since Saturday and had no problems. I'm hoping for similar luck today-- then maybe 10-12 miles on Saturday?! Still trying to test the waters for the half marathon in Tampa for early February... but I don't want to go if it's somehow going to interfere with marathon recovery.

I mentioned before that I'd gained 10 pounds since marathon training began in October. This is apparently a common phenomenon for some, but it's no fun when all your clothes get too tight, despite the fact you know you're in great shape. Interestingly, four pounds disappeared right away, which could have been water weight/carbo loading. I've been working on the rest of the weight for about a week now. Diets are a drag, but I'm trying to avoid sugar and simple carbs, at least until I can get back to where I was before. Someone told me if you eat immediately after running in the morning, it staves off mad cravings later in the day, and I actually found that to be the case...