Andrew’s grin was ear to ear our entire ride. Andrew makes it look so easy as he is taking pictures while biking but I can’t look anywhere other than directly in front of me while riding a bike, nor can I grab my water bottle while riding. Every thought I have is directed toward not crashing, but maybe it will become easier as time goes on?
There is a trail over by our lake that was practically empty, and while I like ups and downs more than flat, it was so nice to have the trail to ourselves.
We definitely didn’t plan on going this far, but it happened!
PS Going fast on the Peloton is much easier than hitting those same speeds outside. Wind resistance is REAL on the bike.
Now for the other big event of the weekend. Beck has been looking forward to us going to this concert because it meant he got one-on-one time with my mom. His love for her is so special.
We went to the Imagine Dragons concert! I can’t tell you how many miles I have run to their songs, and we’ve all loved them for years, so it was the perfect concert for us. As an added bonus, they went to BYU and started writing their music in our area, making us love them even more.
Chicken fingers and french fries were demolished by me and Brooke.
The opening band was not very kid-friendly (even though there were SO many kids there), so we didn’t really listen to them, but Imagine Dragons went above and beyond our expectations. They sound even better in person! Dan Reynolds is also very open about the hard things he has been through and his mental health struggles, and he shared some powerful messages in between some of his songs.
The weather was heavenly.
Thanks to not marathon training, I was able to stay up until midnight for the first time in ages.
A late night did not stop me from watching Chicago. This is a blurry photo from my laptop, but 2:09 for Ruth Chepngetich! My heart broke for Keira d’Amato as she dropped around mile 8 because of her foot pain. Ugh. That feeling is still fresh in me and I cannot even imagine the disappointment at her level and the incredible build that she has had. She will always be my hero.
Now for some hamstring talk. I think I might have an idea of what is going on, but of course, I will still be doing my imbalances testing, strength training, and seeing some people for it, but I have found something that is actually really helping!
After my race, Nicci sent me an email about my hamstring and an article about how nerve tension can cause problems like mine. I read through the article she sent me and then played his video (which I have below). It all makes sense now (I think, at least). When I did the hamstring stretch (foot up on a chair) from the video, I didn’t have pain, but then, when he said to bend your spine without changing your leg angle at all, I had a zing through my hamstring like no other.
He provides amazing stretches to help with the sciatic nerve tension! “NERVES NEED TO MOVE! And tight nerves can have substantial consequences. Not only can nerves cause pain, but they can also create chronic muscle, joint, and connective tissue stiffness, soreness, and tension.”
Nicci, and the author of I RUN FAR, I could cry I am so thankful. I’ve been dealing with this for years and years but I’ve always worked on the actual hamstring or my glutes to try to fix the problem, never the sciatic nerve tension. It makes sense why sometimes it feels fine and sometimes it hurts; that was always a mystery to me… Because with an injury I feel like it would always hurt, right?
I will use the same focus that I use for a goal time at a marathon to increase my nerve mobility! <– As you know, I love a goal;)
Has anyone else experienced something like this before??
Been to any amazing concerts? I want to hear which ones.
Tell me a highlight from your weekend!
