"I Don't Walk Wit a Limp"

Alright, so I haven’t posted on this blog in a week….and it’s not because I’ve been so busy running I haven’t had time. Wouldn’t that be great?

It’s because after the Monday that I ran 4 miles I was SORE. Not like the good sore that comes after a tough workout, more like “Whoa, I’m definitely not at the point where I can do this a few times a week.” Bummer. And REALITY check. The good thing is I love Reality TV, so it looks like I’ll have more free time to watch that the next couple months.

What happened was that after last Monday I realized I’m not going to be able to run a half in June. Attempting to train for that is too much, too soon. And my next long race is going to be in September. I might as well rest up and take some time off because I’m sure that’s all I really need. In college my IT band gave me so much trouble I limped around campus for a couple weeks and was NOT running. Being dramatic I questioned if I’d ever run again… after taking some time off…I got back into running, and went on to train for 3 half marathons. Just to reiterate: After sharp pain, I managed to train for 3 halves injury free.

What I’m dealing with now is not excruciating pain. Like 50, “I don’t walk wit a limp” but I’m running wit [a lil'] one. Which means I’m sticking to 2 mile runs until that goes away. (Side Note: Non-censored version of In Da Club is one of my favorite songs to run to!) I’m jogging at a pace that is sub 10 min/mi. What I’ve been doing on the treadmill is a mile and a half in 14:something. A short walk break then half a mile in 4:something. Or 2 miles in under 20 minutes (no break). I'm not sprinting as fast as I can on the last lap or anything fun like that.

I’ve been following the 2 miles on the treadmill up with 6 miles on the bike. And doing lots of stretching/foam rolling before and after the run. I’m stretching my IT band and hip flexor, because I’m starting to think my hip pain may be a result of a tight IT band which I have dealt with before.


And it can’t hurt to increase my IT band flexibility. After runs I’ll ice my right hip and knee (when I have time.)

The amount of running I’m doing doesn’t seem to be making anything worse and is keeping the sport from becoming entirely foreign to my body. I’m not too worried about losing endurance, because I’m not losing speed. I figure if I do the shorter runs at a pace faster than 10 min/mi, the endurance should come back pretty quickly. Mentally, I know what it takes to train for a half marathon. And when I slow down my pace a little I should be able to run at least four miles without stopping.

Four quickly turns into six or seven. And I'm back at the base I want to start increasing my weekly long runs by a mile per week. It's weird to me that this is all just an equation now. There's a lot less anxiety/anticipation/doubt in my mind about ability to complete long runs. Weird, I've now ran 9 miles more times than I can count.

I hope to do two halves in the fall. Until training for that starts I'm focused on full recovery and getting faster at shorter distances. I’m running a 3k this weekend. I'm not going to push myself beyond what's comfortable. But I better run faster than 10 min/mi pace. Sore hip or not. NO EXCUSES.

Also Adam (who comments frequently on this blog) is giving away a $50 Gift Card to Road Runner Sports! If you haven't already checked out his blog, you should, it's hilarious. If you wait until after May 3rd, I'll have a better chance of winning ;) Just sayin'.

Rollout

Man I love Luda. Rollout is one of his older songs that just never gets old for me.



This week I discovered what it means to "rollout" my hip, thanks to a trainer at my gym. I told her my hip flexor had been sore and what stretches I had been doing. She asked me if I had used the foam roller yet...and I said, "No. I saw that in my Google search but I haven't tried it." [I guess because I didn't really know what I was doing and it didn't look like it would be all that helpful.]

Ladies and gentlemen I'm here to tell you I was WRONG. The foam roller did so much more for me than the pigeon stretch and hip flexor lunges. The trainer told me to position myself as this woman is in the video, but shift my weight so that I'm targeting one hip at a time. My right hip is the one that is bothering me. She said to roll around until I felt a deep stretch of this hip then hold the stretch for 20 seconds. For the maximum stretch I should twist my upper body in the opposite direction of the hip I'm stretching. (So when I have the right hip on the roller I should twist my upper body to the left, and vice-versa.) I'm stretching both hip flexors out on the roller because it's important to stay "even."



She recommended that I roll out each hip twice before running, as well as stretch my calves, hamstrings, quads... blah, blah blah ;)

For some reason I'm anal about stretching. That's one positive impact that taking ballet in high school had on me. Warming up was really important with dance...and I carried that idea over to running. I RARELY take off on a run without stretching and walking .25 of a mile. If I'm Exhibit A, it obviously can't prevent all injuries, but if you're one of those people who takes off running without stretching at all. Please try to change that habit. Maybe if I had known about this hip rolling I could have even prevented my hip flexor soreness.

Anyway, I was kind of sore before she showed me how to use the roller. After doing it, I felt AWESOME! Like I had finally released the tension that had been there for the past few weeks. And Awesome enough to go on a two mile "run" that afternoon. Run is in quotation marks because the first mile... was something kind of like this:

Except I was fully clothed and the dog at times was pulling me. The kids I baby-sit wanted to ride their scooters on Thursday afternoon. So we decided I would run along-side them with their dog on a leash.

Really this mile was a bunch of sprints with pauses...(the dog had a couple bathroom breaks, the kids had to walk their scooters up a hill, etc.) I alternated running ahead and behind the kids on their scooters. At one point when we were going downhill the eight year old raced up behind me and the dog and was like "Hurry up! You don't want me to run into you!"

Definitely a "What is My Life?" moment. One day that's going to be me as a parent. With my kid yelling at me to run faster. I can see it now. The eight year old was not taking into account two weeks ago I was too sore to run at all...and besides the downhill, I was for the most part running faster than she could push herself on the scooter. I found it hilarious so that's all that really matters. She also made a comment when we were going up hill "How are you running? I can't even scooter up this." EXACTLY ;)

So after I was done baby-sitting I ran another mile in 9:59. That's pretty decent, I guess. And I was excited that in two days, my weekly mileage surpassed last week!

Glorious Running Cramps!

So for the past two(+) weeks... I haven't gone on a run longer than a measly mile. My hip has been bothering me enough that any more than that seemed like I'd be "pushing it" beyond what was conducive to recovery.

I did take an ibuprofen before I ran today, but I've kind of been taking those every-so-often and while it minimizes pain... it doesn't do enough for me that I'm unaware if something is "off." I can still tell and that's why my other runs were cut at a mile.

Today I ran 2.2 miles around the neighborhood! My neighborhood is kind of hilly...so I actually got to a point past what felt like a walk [er... run?] in the park. I felt like I was pushing myself... and I ran long enough that my stomach started to hurt! To a normal person or even to a runner... that sounds miserable. But, to sidelined little me...Oh, it was GLORIOUS! Granted, I was glad I was only on a 2 mile run. If I had been trying for something really far, I would have had a problem. I probably would have had to stop to walk/ find a bathroom. But, I was able to push through the stomach cramps and was thrilled to have something else bothering me other than my hip.

When I started on this run I did a mental "OhMyGosh! My hip doesn't hurt!" then had the most ridiculous smile plastered on my face for the rest of it. Stomach pains and all. (Oh, and Meghan just to give you the full visualization, I was wearing my Minnesota T-Shirt!) I left my watch at home....like time mattered to me [at this point]... but I just realized I can calculate how long it took me based on my iTunes playlist:

Baby-- Justin Bieber (x3)...
Yikes. Might be a little obsessed with this song and the symbolism.

Dinosaur-- Ke$ha (x2)
Oh ladies... if you've ever been to a bar and HAVEN'T heard this song, listen to it immediately. It's so true. Basically an anthem for every old guy whose hit on you.

Kiss and Tell-- Justin Bieber Alright, I realize this could very well be the playlist of an 11 year old... which is why the next song has enough profanity to make up for it.

I'm On a Boat-- The Lonely Island
Sssh-sshh-shortie. Yeah yeahhh yeah.

Party in the USA-- Miley
And duh.

I didn't get too far into Party in the USA...so I think I did this run in around 22-23 something minutes. That's quality. If I continue down this path of less pain, I'll start taking a watch. It's too soon for that.

I iced my hip and right knee after I got home. I want to be back SO BAD! In other news, I've signed up for my next race: The Spring Hill Elementary School Fun Run 3k on May 2nd (Again with the Baby Steps.) The kids I babysit go to that elementary school. I figured if I had to crawl across the finish line, it's still less than two miles. It's more of a fun run/walk...I don't think I'll get an official finish time. (I saw nothing when I Googled race results.) I may try to get the eleven year old I baby-sit to run the whole thing with me. One of these days I'm going to run solo and try for a PR at any distance.

IDunno, IDunno, IDunno

A girl I lived with in college always said her IDunno's quickly and in threes. I'll catch myself doing it sometimes and think of her. IDunno, IDunno, IDunno is pretty much how I feel about my running status.

Monday I went for a little jog around the neighborhood. It seemed to be an okay time to attempt baby steps. And I wasn't especially sore after. Maybe I should have iced my hip. Or something.

Tuesday I was all ready to do the same run again. I hadn't taken any Advil this time and...I was too sore to complete the run :( I made it to the end of my street and decided between my right hip and right knee if I pushed it... I would hurt something and went for a walk instead. I felt super cool with my iPod..walking. But whatever.

That night I iced my hip. And knee. (I don't think my knee is actually hurt but somehow with the compensating it's sort of sore. This could be a sign that instead of hip flexor problems its actually my freakin' IT band. I had trouble with that nerd in college. Not since, but it flared up randomly in college too...so whooo knows.



Wednesday, when I woke up my hip was very sore. I took two Advil and went to work. Amazingly I had no pain whatsoever all day... and that evening I did a one mile run outside, again. No real trouble.

(Fyi, I'm not taking Advil around the clock. And I probably should be more diligent in having an
"icing schedule." Same for a non-running workout schedule...I think what happened is that I needed a break from all the training and rest was my main plan of attack. Call it lazy...but it is what it is.)

Today I did a one mile run on the tready in 9:22. I then did a mile on the elliptical. And seven on the stationary bike. I knew if I pushed it for more than a mile it would be a bad idea, since my hip still doesn't feel perfect. But I guess on the positive side of things, the short runs don't seem to be making anything worse. And I've felt good enough for 3 short runs this week. I really want to get to a point where I can just not worry about how my hip is feeling and run for a long time.

I guess I should be glad that I'm at least able to exercise, but I know I'm losing running endurance with each passing day, and it's pretty annoying. Another scary development...is that it's almost getting to the point where it's fun to be lazy. [Sigh.] For the first two to three weeks after the half, I wanted nothing more than to go on a pain free 8 mile run. I still do.

But it's kind of nice having all this extra time that I'm not training. I feel like a "normal person." I think I'll take one additional EASY week...then I'll have to look into a legit non-running workout plan IF my hip is still kind of meh. Which "meh" is pretty much how I feel about non-running workouts so hopefully I can soon start training again!

BABY Steps

Justin Bieber was in DC today for the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn!



One perk to nannying is that I always know what's cool in the world of tweens. And because of this I may or may not have become obsessed with his song Baby ;) JB is the new JTT...or the JTT of their generation. I actually think the two are eerily similar looking. [Scroll down if you dare to compare!] I guess its reassuring that the taste of American teen girls hasn't changed much since 1996.

I say anyone who can get Luda to rap about when he was 13 and had his first love... is beyond legit as a musician. I mean seriously. The same guy who brought us "Move Bitch" getting nostalgic and emotional.

Aaaand then you have CONAN, who can't stop tweeting about Bieber. It will be interesting to see if JB can follow the path of the other Justin. JT.

Or if he falls off the face of this earth like JTT.


CLEARLY, I have WAY too much time on my hands. I blame my granny hip. Or that's what I'm now calling my sore right hip. I've been icing it. Taking Advil. Cutting back the amount of days I workout per week. And I took an entire week off of running. Last week I did the elliptical, cybex, and stationary bike. I'm not really sure what the best form of cardio is when your hip flexor is sore but these didn't seem to make anything hurt worse and there was no pounding. I only worked out TWO days last week. It's been a looooong time since I've said that. I stretched almost everyday though. The pigeon seems to be the most helpful.
This morning I woke up and decided the time had come. To take a deep breath and baby steps and attempt a one mile run around my neighborhood. There are some hills but it was only a mile and if I needed to, I'd abort mission. Cardio-wise I was able to run this easily. I never experienced any sharp pain. And when the run was done I was in no worse pain than before I started.

I think I'm going to attempt this same run tomorrow and a few other times this week. The weather is gorgeous and for my mental sanity... I think I need to.

I'm just going to throw this out there and see if anyone else can relate:
I'm NOT a crier....but I've decided the reason why is I run when I'm upset. Or because I run all the time things don't upset me to the point where I'll burst into tears. I have too many endorphins. And I just hate crying in general.

The CRAZY thing is... I think I turn into a crier when I can't run :-(

I've cried over petty things the past two nights. Last night I even did the "look at myself in the mirror as I was crying." Dane Cook would be proud. Patience is not something I'm gifted with. And not knowing how long I won't be able to run long distances starts to wear at me. If I stay busy I'm okay. But yesterday I missed my family on Easter...and I cried. Tonight my plans got canceled. And I...cried? Those weren't really the only things I was upset about...but even if I listed everything...if I was able to go on a long run I doubt I would have shed so many tears.

Anyway, hopefully by next week I can attempt at least a 3 mile run. I'm ITCHING to start training for another half. Or 10k. I'm so bored I've resorted to... watching myself cry?! Which is about as lame as an injury. What changes in emotions do you all notice when you can't run?

My Hip Don't Lie :(

So I've been reading running blogs for a while. And I'm a pretty faithful commenter if the writer complains about an injury preventing them from running. Reason being: I've been THERE. I had to stop jogging my senior year of college when I had a sharp pain in my right knee. This was never officially diagnosed... I had a PT at my church look at it... and she said it was either due to a slight tear in my meniscus or a tight IT band. RICE [Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation] thankfully healed it. But that doesn't mean I wasn't dramatic about it as I sat around icing and propping up my knee. I may or may not have secretly cried that "I'd never run again." Um it's not like I was wounded in battle. Or was in a debilitating accident. I just needed to rest. Luckily it healed before I got to the "Do You Wanna See What My Life Is?" point ;)

I guess I've been pretty fortunate up until now. I've read about other runners' injuries and I only had the minor soreness, aches, and pains that come with training for a half marathon. I left encouraging comments and trained away. Probably two weeks before the half my right hip started getting kind of sore but it wasn't bad enough to prevent me from running or something I noticed once I had warmed up. I felt SO GOOD on race day. And although it wasn't a PR for me... the 2010 Shamrock Half is the best race I've had so far. In terms of not running out of steam and level of fun. I want to get back to that point. Where I'm drinking a Yuengling on the beach feeling like I've come so far.

I'd say my "overall soreness" was probably less for my 3rd half...BUT...for the first time I had pain in specific areas after the race. My left foot and right hip were sore. I vaguely remember twisting my foot weirdly when we had to run onto the grass to let an ambulance through. I almost bumped into someone...so I'm pretty sure that was what was up with that. And luckily that pain is gone. My hip was sore for the 10k... I took some Advil before the race.. and really it was the least of my worries if you read THAT race report. Initially I thought maybe the 6.2 mile run helped get out the kinks...

but I tried running yesterday on the treadmill and I realized...I need to take a break from running :(

I did one mile in 9:55 and my hip was sore the entire time. I could feel myself limping/altering my stride. I then did a mile and half on the elliptical. (I HATE the elliptical. I know most people love it. They should be glad I'd never fight them for it.) And then I did 7.5 miles on the bike. This didn't really seem to irritate my hip, thankfully.

But... I think I need to take an entire week off from running. I'm currently Googling treatment for a sore hip flexor. I don't think this is anything that a break from running won't cure. But if anyone has any insight...or preventative exercises I can do... I'd appreciate it.

Realistically, I'm probably due for a running break. I was diligent about training since the end of December. I'm "listening to my body" so things don't get worse. And waiting until I feel better to sign up for my next half. This might be the Marine Corp Half. Or might be a race in June. We'll see. And if any one "isn't feeling it" about going running this week...just think I'd kill be to able to cover those miles!