Challenge your Body when not Running

I injured my knee and have taken 7 days off of running with no improvement, so I went to the doctor to be referred to another doctor next week.  While I wait for my prognosis, I’ve begun to think about what I may do to take some of the pressure off my knees that the constant pounding of running creates; hopefully I will not need to.  Should I get on a bike?  I really don’t see the thrill in that.  Plus Pee Wee Herman loves bike.  Should I start swimming?  I’ve never felt like I can push myself to the limits in the water.  If you push yourself to exhaustion you drown, right?  What other things can I do to challenge myself and test my whole body instead of just pounding directly on my knees?  Adventure racing.

mount_whitney-image

I haven’t been on an adventure race challenge but have done most of the activities that they compete in when I was an Eagle Scout, outdoor loving teenager, and in the Army.  Shoot, I’ve “adventure raced” in enemy territory!  I thought about an adventure racer that I met not too long ago, Robyn Bennicasa, when she was promoting Project Athena.  I was able to find some races on the Project Athena website which look a lot like what I was thinking of, like the one coming up soon, the Mt. Whitney Challenge.  Hiking up a mountain for days?  That’s just like a long trail run, but with some climbing and more adventure involved of course.  Why stick to merely adding swimming and biking to running to do a trathalon?  I want to mountain bike, rock climb, and kayak, and everything else, all while blazing my own trail….just not in enemy territory this time.

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Comments

  1. Suzi says:

    Good luck on your knee. Surgery should be the last resort!

  2. Chris Barber says:

    I agree. I hoping good ‘ole fashion rest will do the trick.

  3. Amy Reinink says:

    Ugh. Hope your knee feels better soon. Since you can’t squeeze an adventure race into a half-hour workout, try adding the rowing machine to your repertoire when you just need a quick, knee-friendly endorphin fix. I recently gave this a try, and was shocked at what a good cardio workout it provided. Plus, it’ll get your shoulders and back ready for all that kayaking and climbing. 🙂

    1. Chris Barber says:

      That’s a great idea! I do need to work on my shoulders. http://www.seriousrunning.com/blog/uncategorized/running-for-a-cause/

  4. chritine says:

    Hmm I’m liking the sound of the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Can I talk about food on your running blog or is that not proper blogosphere etiquette… Have fun on your hot date at Taste of Alph tonight (eating & drinking on your days off – tisk tisk) and stay away from the wasabi…

    1. Chris Barber says:

      Of course you can talk about food and how it relates to health, running, and anything else that has to do with the blog here. It’s an open forum! Unless I want to edit it.

      Thank you, Alpha did taste lovely. I’ve been off running because of a knee injury for almost 2 weeks now so if I didn’t eat or drink on my days off I’d be in bad shape at this point.

      I am not scared of any food. I eat wasabi for breakfast.