I Maxed Out

The idea behind Insanity Max 30 is that you go, go, go and when you reach your max, you stop, take a quick break and jump right back in, coming back stronger than before. You should push through that plateau. As one girl in the video says, "When you think you can't do one more, do ten." 

This is similar to what I've noticed when we're running. Henri, obviously, has no problem running the full time. I, on the other hand, sometimes have to struggle through. Today, I could tell right off that I was going to have a hard time on this run. My legs were fighting me from the very first minute. I know the point where it gets easier, where I hit that max and just have to push through and I'm good. Once we got past that point, it was smooth sailing, but I had to fight to get there. I couldn't give up before that point, or I was missing out.

I really wanted to go farther today, too. Why I chose today, I don't know. We stopped a few times to get around patches of ice, but the rest of the time, we ran. I went at a slower pace once we hit the two mile mark, or at least I tried to, but I have a dog attached to me who sometimes sets the pace a little higher than what I would normally do.

Henri felt good on the run today. He ran beside me at the beginning, when I was struggling to get over the hills. He literally jumped and pranced when we passed the point we normally have to walk because of my ankle. He was so excited and focused. A dog came running out into it's yard, barking as we passed, and Henri barely flinched. Then I praised him and clapped as we ran by a guy stepping outside to smoke. He gave us a cheer and a thumbs up. Thanks for that!

Then it was time for Insanity. My legs were tired, so I probably didn't push as hard or as fast as I normally could have, but as the workout went on, I was able to move easier again. I made it through that and it was bonus ab day, so I popped in the 10 minute ab disc and kept going. 

Yes, I am crazy. Yes, I might have pushed too hard. About 7 and a half minutes into the ab workout, I got a charley horse. It lasted about 5 minutes. It is safe to say that I exhausted myself and my body. I would have loved to jump back to the place where I had to stop because I was rolling around on the floor (I got lots of kisses and attention from Henri for that!), but I knew I was spent. I'm a crazy person, but I do know when to call it. That was a max I could not push through.

I feel better knowing that there was not much I could have done to prevent it. I had warmed up, I had stretched, I was hydrated. Maybe I could have had a banana or two, but I just couldn't go any more. I might not have had the best form on that particular exercise either, but I was tired and I tried a modification that might have been my undoing. Now my calf muscle is sore, but, hey, my ankle feels fine! Pro Compression socks for the rest of the evening!