How to Rise Above an Injury in Time for Race Day

By Ginger Zee

Photo by Ida Mae Astute/ABC

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.

There’s nothing like waking up and walking like a pirate a few weeks before the race you are training for. And that’s exactly what I felt like hobbling around after my recent hip injury: a disappointed pirate.

The best way to describe my pain is through a childhood reference: You know how Barbie legs pop off and you can snap them back in? My hip felt like someone didn’t snap my leg socket back in correctly. In case you’re following along, that means I felt like a disappointed, Barbie-legged pirate.

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As far as my workouts, I took it easy. I did tons of stretching, and mostly rested (and took some ibuprofen). Tuesday and Thursday, I only did upper-body and core work with Mark. One would think that rest would cure my hip, but the pain continued. Even worse, as I crossed the days off the calendar and we moved closer and closer to race day, I felt so frustrated! How would I run a race in a couple weeks when I could hardly walk?

Then, a miracle happened: After a week of both resting and active recovery, by Sunday, I was nearly 100 percent. I know that for the next week, I’m going to have to be extremely careful with my training and my hip. I’m going to take it easy and assess how I feel each day leading up to the race. My fingers are crossed that I’ll feel great for RUN 10 FEED 10 on Sunday!

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Notes from Her Trainer
Ginger’s training schedule for the week was all about pain management and trying to get her hip back to normal. We eliminated the scheduled runs, and supplemented with custom workouts that were designed to get fresh blood and oxygen to her hip region without taxing the joint. This seemed to help, along with ibuprofen and rest. This coming week is all about seeing if Ginger’s body is OK to take on RUN 10 FEED 10.
–Mark Langowski

What to Do If You Get Injured While Training
Sometimes, as much as it sucks, it’s absolutely necessary to sit a race out. Click here to read when you should skip a big workout or race. We’ve also got tips on staying in shape while injured, and seven steps for mentally healing from an injury.

–WomensHealthMag.com editors

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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!

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