How to Deal With Pain While Training
By Ginger Zee
Ginger Zee, Good Morning America’s chief meteorologist, is hosting and taking on RUN 10 FEED 10 this fall. Each week leading up the 10-K race on September 21, she and her trainer, Mark Langowski, will share updates on her training journey. Here’s what went down this past week.
At this point in my training, I’m pretty clear on the fact that preparing to run a 10-K is difficult. Still, I went into this week optimistic about my goal of finishing the RUN 10 FEED 10 race with flying colors.
Training went well despite working my typical double shifts. Monday I worked out on the Arc Trainer at resistance 25 for 30 minutes. (I’ve actually really gotten into watching Napoleon Dynamite while on the Trainer—weird, but it works!) Tuesday I did a full-body workout with Mark, who’s been focusing on body parts that will support my old injury and make me strongest where I need it most. Wednesday I rode my bike, Thursday I was back at it with Mark, and I took off Friday.
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Then on Saturday I ran… SIX MILES! I did it at less than an 8:15 pace, and I went straight with no breaks. My thighs chaffed a bit, which was a strange sensation (Is that what runners deal with? Ha.), but overall, I felt so accomplished! I felt like I could run the race already, even though I have three weeks of training left. So confident and full of joy, I got up to my apartment, stretched, and went to bed later that night, ready to go.
I woke up Sunday and could barely walk. The area that hurt is difficult to explain, but it was on the opposite leg of my injury, inside my hip. Think about if you took a Barbie’s leg off—it’s the part where you would reconnect it. This pain was so intense. I was hobbling around, and every step made me cringe.
To be honest, I was seriously disappointed. I’ve never struggled this much when it comes to running. Thank goodness I have my goal: to get back at it and rest and do whatever it takes to run RUN 10 FEED 10. I am feeling anxious, but determined. Here’s hoping I can get back on track and heal up this week!
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Notes from Her Trainer
It killed me when I heard about the pain Ginger was in after running her six miles. Oftentimes when a client has a lingering injury, his or her body will compensate by placing more pressure on the opposite side of the body as to not aggravate the past injury. This compensation then places excessive load on the opposite leg—which is probably what led to Ginger’s major pain. I was afraid of this, but we have to roll with the punches.
The reality for the coming week is that we are going to have to stay away from running. I am not concerned about Ginger’s stamina for the race, so there is no need to push it with a seven-mile training day this week. We will now start to taper back for the race and simply amp up the cross-training sessions so that her endurance continues to improve, while making sure her injured areas don’t flare up.
Once this race is over, we are going to address this lingering injury. We want to make sure Ginger can run in the future without having to worry about this happening again.
–Mark Langowski
Ginger Zee is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC’s Good Morning America, reporting on the nation’s weather throughout the morning broadcast. Additionally, Ginger reports across all ABC News broadcasts and digital platforms. She will be hosting Women’s Health’s RUN 10 FEED 10 New York Flagship event on September 21, running alongside all participants.
Mark Langowski is a celebrity (ACSM & NASM) trainer who founded Body by Mark Wellness 13 years ago. He and his team of wellness professionals work with athletes, television personalities, CEOs, and hundreds of others across the country. He will be training Ginger for the upcoming RUN 10 FEED 10 race and offering tips and tools for others to train along with Ginger and himself. Get more wellness tips from Mark at bodybymark.com and on Instagram @bodybymarkwellness.
Follow Ginger’s training journey weekly, and learn more about/sign up for RUN 10 FEED 10!
