February 2013 Goals: Update

Just want to jump in here quick to let you all know that I've been sticking to my February Goals and I feel great. 

Two weeks ago, I did weight-training Monday and Wednesday and ran on Tuesday and Thursday. Last week I did my weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday and ran everyday except Monday. That's 4 days a week running and 5 days a week exercising in general.

I haven't done that since the summer. This week I plan to run 12 miles. Last week I ran 10 miles as my long run and then between 4 and 6 miles for the following days. This week I will do much of the same. 

Next week I plan to have a recovery week. So the longest run will be 8 miles and I will only run 3 times a week. Basically I have 2 hard weeks and 1 recovery week. I'm trying to stay injury free and I think this is the way to do it.

After my recovery week I will bump up my long run to 14 miles, then 16 miles, then a recovery week etc. Once I get up to a marathon level of miles I will start contemplating adding on another long run to my week (for a total of 2). That's mostly to start my preparation for the ultramarathon.

Anyway, that's my quick check-in. Let's see how this week goes.

My First Fall

It really could have been worse so I didn't complain at all. I just got back up after spraying some water on my injuries and continued my run. I fell pretty much at the beginning of my route so I had to run with stinging palms and a sore arm for about 12 miles. However, like I said, I was lucky.

I fell on a pretty flat stretch of ground on the dirt. Where I run (look at New Running Route for pics) there are a lot more dangerous places to fall. It would have been horrible to fall on some sharp rocks or tumble down a steep hill.

Honestly, I feel like these wounds are my coming of age scars or make me officially a part of the trail running club! Falling is simply inevitable on trails because of the unstable nature of the paths. Sometimes you come across steep hills, rocks, branches and other earthy debris. Sometimes even trees fall down in the middle of your route and you have to climb over or under them (yes, that's also happened to me). So it was no big deal.

The left side of my body from my butt/hip down to my knee will definitely be sore tomorrow with a nice bruise. It's already sore! 

The most important thing after a fall is not to develop a complex. The worst thing to happen is that you fear falling so much that you don't run or try to be "too careful" and fall again anyway. I'm just glad that I didn't twist my ankle or stub a toe or something really horrible that would prevent me from running. Now that I've fallen I feel good about it. Now I can move forward!

Have you ever suffered a particularly heinous fall from running, cycling or any other type of exercise?

October 2012 Marathon: XVII Castilla-La Mancha

This was from last year's race.

Yes, I did it again! I signed up for my 2nd marathon that will take place on October 28th in Ciudad Real, a province of Castilla-La Mancha.

I AM SO EXCITED!

Oh, and yes, I do have a more ambitious goal this time: 

to finish in 3 hours and 30 minutes.

 After running the Seville marathon, my plan was to take a break from training to recover and then set my sights on another marathon in the fall. I didn't want to rush back into training too quickly because I do not want to get injured again.

So I've been on my conditioning program for almost 3 months now. Then I start training July 1st. The conditioning program was a way for me to keep running without the pressure and strain of training. 

I did, however, want something a bit more structured than just running when I feel like it. Especially since I don't want these 3 months to be lost time.

I fully expect to be ready for training in July. Actually, I know I'm still in shape. Plus, my joints and muscles have had ample resting time.

This marathon only cost me 25€ (or $31), which is a ridiculous bargain! The route consists of two laps and that's probably the only thing I'm not that thrilled about. 

Laps tend to get boring because you have to look at the same scenery etc. Although I pretty much do laps in training so maybe it won't be so bad. Either way I'm ready for another race and can't wait to get started!

More updates to come such as my new training schedule and some tips and tricks I've learned about training through the brutal summer months.

Conditioning Program

Here it is finally, my current running schedule:

Initially I set out looking for something that would keep me in shape until I started training again. I, roughly, know when I want to run another race (in the fall...more on that later) so I just needed to coordinate it with training.

This program lasts about three months and has me running five days a week.

I like it because one of my goals this time around was to increase my running frequency. There's an option of cross-training one out of the five days and I use it as I need it. I don't want to do too much and injure myself before I even start training! So I'm very mindful of how my feet and legs feel.

Another reason why I like this program is because it's not focused on distance. It's focused on endurance, which is measured in minutes. I run for a set time period and don't concern myself with miles (or km where I am!) at this point.

Each week I increase my time by roughly six or seven minutes (an increase of about 10%). I do two, shorter, less intense runs during the week along with one day of fast running. The fast run can include tempo runs, fartlek, hill repeats etc. So far I've only done fartlek but I plan to start hill training this week. I also continue to weight train three times a week.

Right now I run: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday but once the school year ends I'll run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday because I prefer to have a rest day before the long runs on the weekend.

I've been on this program since March and I feel good. I plan to start training in July so I'll let you know if this kept me in shape. So far so good.

February Goals

Googleimages

It's that time again. Honestly, 2012 is flying by already. I can't believe we're done with January so quickly. Looking back, I pretty much only accomplished the marathon parts of my January Goals.

The hotel and rental car are booked!

My race day gear is set!

I've also got my Sports Beans!

Most importantly, there are NO INJURIES TO SPEAK OF! 

That's the easy part. Now I'm working on tapering (currently on Week 1, Day 3...more on that later) and getting my mind right. Running isn't only physical, a lot of it's mental, and I feel like life is starting to get a bit hectic for me right now. So I'm trying to not lose focus.

My main goal for February is this:

1. Run my butt off at that marathon! Enough said.

There are also some important changes brewing in my life. I don't want to say anymore until I'm sure of what is going to happen. But to deal with these sudden changes my goals are simply these:

• Be strong
• Open
• Receptive
• Positive
• And above all HAPPY!

Change can be scary, and trust me, I've gone through so many changes these past four years. My past experiences have also taught me that sometimes change is for the best. It should be embraced even if scary.

It's also taught me to be grateful for what I have, now, in this moment. Because who knows what will happen tomorrow?

So wish me luck for this following month because I will need the support!

Fleet Feet Sports

Googleimages

This is a local-owned store that specializes in everything running. I stopped by last Friday because I was on the search for some new running shoes. (I mentioned this in my last post.) They have trained professionals who fit you into the right shoe for you.

It was my first professional shoe-fitting and it won't be my last! I loved it!

I went after work that day. My long run was on Sunday so I really wanted to purchase something that day. Actually, last week was when I should have bought them but I didn't have time.

The day before I went browsing on their website and it said that I should bring my old running shoes.  I had also read somewhere that the best way to get fitted was by close inspection of old running shoes. So I was already impressed.

I've written past articles about my running form and pronation but to sum up: I moderately overpronate. 

My old running shoes are a pair of Nikes that are supposed to correct my type of pronation. I'm not an expert. But I researched a lot about it. I also read a lot about the injury I suffered last year so I knew what I needed.

Well, I go into Fleet Feet and Mike tells me that the old running shoes look great. The wear is straight down the middle and I should get something similar to what I already have. I was shocked and proud of myself! I had diagnosed myself people!

Anyway, the first thing he did was measure my feet. Then look at my calves and ankles as I walked around the store barefoot. Of course I rolled up my pants first. He wanted to see if my calves and ankles did anything out of the ordinary. But I was fine.

I also remembered to bring the socks that I run in and tried on my first pair, which were the Mizunos. If you forget this step they have tons of socks you can use. From there I tried on a pair of Asics and then a pair of Nikes. The Nikes are like the ones I have now but the updated version.

Nikes are nice because they have that foam that makes it feel like you are running on pillows. However, I wanted to try something new. So that's why I picked the Mizunos. They are also narrower and sturdier around the ankle. It is taking some getting used to.

In each pair of shoes Mike took me outside to watch me run. My ankle, according to Mike, tends to rotate just a tad when I run. But I looked good in each pair.

I also tried them on with some amazing orthopedic inserts. This was to correct the slight ankle rotation. At that time I didn't think it was absolutely necessary to get them but maybe if I feel like splurging one day. (They cost $40 a pair but last for 3 pairs or running shoes).

So basically the choice was down to what I wanted because any of the shoes could work. The Mizunos were the more expensive pair (the Nikes the cheapest). It's always good to try out different brands of shoes so I figured this was the perfect time.

Right now I'm trying to break them. I've run on them twice already. Once during a long run of 16 miles and the second time during interval training on the treadmill. Tomorrow I'll do a short run of about 3-4 miles or so to further break them in. Then I have a long run on Sunday.

I'm loving these shoes! 

I say definitely try to find a professional running shoe retailer where you live. Not just any place, a place where they can actually fit you for a shoe. It is so worth it.

December Goals

Googleimages

I feel like I just made my November goals. Seriously, this year is winding down fast! I don't have any regrets for the month of November though. I did as much as I could. 

Yet, I still haven't gotten to my foot exercises. At work I read an interesting blog post about another runner who has to have a boot on her foot! This scared me a bit because her foot pain started out a lot like mine. 

You remember right? 

My foot hasn't been hurting at all. But reading that article was a wake up call. I can't afford any injuries right now. I'm working my body hard so I need to baby it a bit more.

I'm trying! 

Other than that I stayed on track. Tonight I have a group weight training class that I've been wanting to try since I got this gym membership. 

Well, on track training wise. As you know I've been super lazy where my hair is concerned.

Anyway, here's a few things I'm thinking about for December:

1. READ THE BLOGS I'M SUBSCRIBED TO. Honestly, it's been over a month since I could really sit down and see what everyone has been up to. I'm so focused on work, training, family life etc. like everyone else, that some things are placed on the back burner. This is one of those things. So I'm going to make an effort to start re-connecting with all you lovely people.
2. Find some different running routes. I did 16 miles on Sunday and it hit me: my running route is getting super boring. I did Fartlek this week just to break it up. But I won't be able to on Thursday so it's boring running route again. Chema has scoped out some interesting places while riding his bike. So I'm thinking I might check it out on Saturday in preparation for my long run Sunday. I only have 6 miles to run anyway. So it's a good time to check it out. I want to be prepared for my 18 miles December 11th. Only 2 weeks away.
3. Get my license. I need independence people! I've been driving around a lot lately and I feel completely ready for that part of the test. Now I just need to start studying the DMV book. Everyone keeps telling me it's "common sense." Yes it is to an extent. But they ask a lot of technical stuff too. I took the practice exam online and, yea, if it was the real one I'd still be without my license. My goal is before Christmas, and definitely before the New Year. Wish me luck!
4. Get back on track with weight training. This week I've been catching up. However, it's been about 2-3 weeks since I've dedicated a whole workout session to weights. The proof is how sore my body feels right now after just 1 day.
5. Connect with my Spain (and US) friends and family. I suck at staying in touch. This month, especially with the Christmas holiday, I want to re-connect with people. Maybe I'll be ambitious and send out Christmas cards! Maybe, I said.

That's about it. I'm trying to think of something else that I want to focus on but there's nothing really. Of course I want to try and incorporate my foot exercises and Fartlek a lot more, in general.

I set these mini goals just to keep myself motivated. Honestly, I'm doing well. I didn't slack even a bit last week and even ran Thanksgiving morning. So I'm proud of myself. Hopefully next month will be another productive month.

What are your goals for December?

Half-Marathon Recap

The race is over! I finished uninjured and happy! Even though I went in knowing I wasn't trying to acheive a PR...my mind wasn't completely convinced. So afterwards, at home, looking at the race results, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. It was just a tinge.

However, I ran the race in 1 HOUR AND 39 MINUTES. I RANKED 10TH IN MY CATEGORY. For some reason there were no total ranking results.

THIS WAS A CHALLENGING COURSE.

 It was super hilly. I mean, it was nothing but hills! I mean I have to incorporate some type of hill work into my training now! It's interesting, but it wasn't my legs that were burning. It was my lungs! I'm so happy I'll be starting Fartlek again.

My pace was 7.33, which I'm completely content with. At 6.1 miles I was at 46 minutes and at 10 miles I was at 1 hour and 18 minutes. I put effort into this race. My first marathon was completely flat. I held back because I just wanted to finish. I didn't hold much back this time around. It felt good though. I'm already thinking about a shorter race to run in December.

The only annoying part was that there was no one waiting for me at the finish line! I really gave it my all at the finish and sprinted. I expected my family to be there...but they were confused and were standing at a different finish line. To their credit it was a confusing event. 

There was a 10K, the half marathon, full marathon, marathon relay, and a kid's race. All running at the same time. I was confused a bit while running because they kept yelling out instructions and I was trying to focus.

Oh well, it couldn't be perfect, could it?

Race Preparation

It was so cold and dark! I got up at 430 am. I expected my phone to automatically update Daylight Savings, but it didn't. No, I don't have a smartphone. Why? Well, planned obsolescence. But I digress.

Anyway,

• I woke up
• Checked my ipod
• Checked Chema's ipod touch
• Turned on the computer
• Woke up my mother and asked her
• Turned on the TV...

I just wanted to make sure it was 330 am. It was. So I manually put the time back on my phone and stayed in bed (wide awake) until 4 am. At that time I got up and ate breakfast, put in my contacts, got dressed, then warmed up and stretched.

Chema, my younger brother, and older sister, came to see me run. My mom couldn't come unfortunately because of her injury. 

So in this first picture you can see how dark it is at 6am.

This is the start and finish line for the half and full marathon.

Here's where we could check our race results. However, when I crossed the finish line I was more concerned with finding my support team.

There I am! I was so excited. Even though this was a smaller race the energy was great.

Now you can really see how cold it is! I had on 2 layers and another one in the car for the finish! I was too incredibly happy that I had those gloves.

Cheesing with my sister.

And here I am cheesing with the teenager.

This is me right before the start. At this point there were only 10 minutes before the race!

More people getting ready for the race.

Not a huge showing but it was decent.

Not sure why the bird was there but he was scaring the little kids.

The spectators! Actuallly, there weren't very many people supporting the runners. They pretty much stayed at the start and finish lines. But I was more focused on those hills anyway!

Five minutes before the race!

Almost three minutes before the race!

There I go! If my face is any indication (the little of it you can see) I was in paradise!

They had those cool little foil wrappers at the end that I've always wanted to drape around me. I felt so professional! However, they don't keep you warm...at all. The food offered was bananas, bagels, pizza, and beer. Since I'm vegan I gave the pizza to my brother and gobbled a banana and 1/4 of a bagel.

A few hours later I had another snack then lentils with potatoes for lunch.

Thoughts

I had such a great time. I really do recommend races. It is so uplifting. It's a big accomplishment. Like I said, I'm already planning my next race.

The only negatives were that no one was at the finish line to snap a photo. Also I had a wardrobe mishap. My cool new running pants chafed. They have zippers at the ankles and they cut me on my right ankle. 

Luckily, I didn't even notice until we were driving back home. I guess I was on too much of a high. So yea, I either need to wear longer socks or get some different pants.

Something silly: I mentioned before how I felt a tinge of disappointment for not running faster. So, to make me feel better Chema "googled" the women who finished ahead of me. For some reason it made me feel better knowing these women are professional runners. All of them had run the race more than once and were on running teams. I patted myself on the back for a job well done.

Other than that, I have no complaints. My second half marathon is over and I can't wait to run another. 

I will definitely focus on running a PR! (After my marathon of course)

Race Pack Goodies

The race expo wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped. I guess I was expecting more free stuff...yes, I definitely expected cooler free stuff. But just in case you're curious here's a peek:

 This is where I picked up my bib number. It was the first day of the expo so there weren't a lot of people. Thankfully!

There I am with my goodie bag. The best gift (besides the race shirt) I was given.

 Here's the free stuff: a granola bar, chapstick, a mini tube of lotion, and toothpaste. I'm still confused about the toothpaste.

 There I am sporting the race shirt! I like it a lot actually. The material is pretty good quality and the fit is excellent. I probably won't wear it on race day though.

A close up of the bag. It's nothing special but I think I'll start using it when I go to the gym.

No, these super cool running shorts were not included in the race pack! I bought these for $11 at the expo! I've been wanting some spandex shorts to run in for awhile. These can also double as undies. They are so comfortable!

 I should've bought two pairs!

One of the vendors at the expo. I'm excited because it's a completely organic supermarket! So Chema and I have another option when looking for our vegan fare.

My bib number! It was shocking because these numbers are my dad (28) and older sister's (27) birthdays! Their birthdays are in February, which is when I run the marathon. It's shocking because I initially got motivated to run the marathon for my dad. He passed away suddenly a couple of years ago and was a real exercise nut. My sister has nothing to do with my running...at all...but I still think it's a cool connection.

The first half marathon I ran was not high-tech in the least so this "new" technology impressed me. Instead of the chip on the shoe it's placed on the back of the bib number.

The stuff in the front is the non-exciting free stuff I mentioned earlier. The stuff in the back I purchased as part of my November goals. I want to try some alternative ways to hydrate and energize myself while running. Instead of drinking tons of water or eating solid foods as they wreak havoc on my stomach. I purchased this stuff for a total of $3! Anywhere else it is so expensive. As in more than $3 for just one pack.

Does anyone know where I can by this stuff at reasonable prices?

That's it. That's my race pack.

Mentally, I'm ready for the half marathon. I want to do some stretching tonight and tomorrow to loosen up my muscles a bit. This week was super busy with work that I only had time to go to the gym Wednesday and Thursday.

Something crazy that happened: Last night in body combat my mom injured herself! We were doing back kicks and she suddenly stopped and limped out of class. She couldn't finish it. She was in so much pain she had to go to the emergency room this morning. She now has one of those leg braces that doesn't allow you to move at all and crutches. They think she tore a muscle. She won't know more until Tuesday when she has an appointment with the orthopedic doctor. It sucks. So we didn't go to the gym today and next week I'll be going solo. The only positive thing is that I can try new classes, also part of my November goals. I just hope my mom gets better soon!

Back to my mental state...

I'm only nervous about 2 things:

1. Daylight Savings -- Of course we have to push back the clocks an hour the day I have to run the half marathon! It's at 2am so I hope I don't forget. Either way, it's better to be early than late.
2. Traffic -- The NC State campus area is always busy anyway so I hope it's not too bad on race day. I plan to leave the house at 530am and the race doesn't start until 7am. Plus, it only takes about 20 minutes to get there. I should be OK.

So that's it. I will check in again tomorrow to post any other final thoughts. As well as to show you what I plan on wearing on race day. Wish me luck!

Half-marathon countdown...

 I just looked at my calendar and realized that I'm running the Raleigh City of Oaks Half-Marathon 

 

IN 3 WEEKS!

(Check out the course map HERE)

Time flies doesn't it? Thankfully, my foot has completely recovered because I was getting nervous. 

This will be my 2nd half-marathon. 

I ran my first in Spain of last year in 1 hour and 36 minutes. 

However, I don't want to run a PR for this race.

I signed up for the half marathon as further preparation for the full marathon in February. If I was only running the half I would attempt to run a PR. 

This time around I'll be happy to just run it in the same amount of time.

This Sunday I plan to run another 12 miles. Yesterday I ran 90 minutes. That's usually how long it takes me to run 12 miles at my long run pace. But I didn't actually "measure" the distance. 

I've been using this strategy to run since my foot has been giving me trouble. Meaning, I've been running based on time rather than distance.

Since it's all healed I'll run my 12 miles on Sunday. The following week I will run 10 miles and then on November 6th the half-marathon.

I won't make the same mistake I did last year and not recover properly. 

That's what caused my IT band injury. 

This time around I plan to continue do my weight training but not run.  To substitute I'll do classes at the gym or the static bike. 

The following Sunday (November 13th) I will run 8 miles.

Hopefully, this will give my body ample time to recover because I want to aim for 14 miles on November 20th. 

If my body feels up to it I will also re-incorporate speed training (Fartlek) the second half of November. Or the beginning of December at the latest.

I'll post some race preparation once it gets closer to the day and of course the race recap!

Overall, I'm excited about the race and I hope I finish without getting injured!

Foot Update and tomfoolery at the gym

This foot injury is WEIRD! 

I went for a walk with my brother every day this week, except today because I went to the gym with my mom.

 Aren't we cute?

Body combat rules! We might hit zumba tomorrow but I'm not sure I'm up for embarrassing myself quite yet.

Okay, yesterday we went on our walk and I used some old running shoes.

Oh, random moment, here's a nice car we saw:

Oh, and some people have already put up Halloween decorations! Crazy.

You can't see it that well, but yes, it's a pumpkin. We even saw scarecrows but didn't take pics. I don't know what we were thinking.

Anyway, the sneakers aren't technically old. Since you're supposed to swap out shoes, I swapped out those. I really like them so I didn't want to wear them out.Well, I wore them to go walking because they matched my outfit.

So we walked for about 70 minutes and then I went for a run. I only did 20 minutes because I didn't want to put uneccessary strain on my foot. Especially since I knew I'd be going to the gym today.

My foot felt great! Completely fine. I woke up this morning with no-pain-whatsoever! Strange, right?

In body combat today, I felt no pain. My mom and I registered for a 7-day free tryout pass. The monthly plan is pretty decent. It's only $44 a month and since we live at the same address the second person is $30.

Completely high tech: all of the treadmills have touch screens, each elliptical it's own TV... However, there's a gym even closer for only $10 a month, no committment. I will definitely check that place out before I make any decisions.

Tomorrow I plan to run at the gym and I hope to feel no pain. Right now my foot feels great. I don't know what to make of it.

Brooke @ FreeBird Runner had such a great suggestion: do some foot strengthening exercises!

(By the way, you should check out her blog if you haven't. She is super nice and positive and runs in the most beautiful places! If I had a blogroll she'd be on it without a doubt.)

Google is amazing. Once I put together my routine I'll share it with you all but I'm excited about it! Hopefully it will help me avoid this phantom "injury" in the future.

Stay tuned for tomorrow because my mom might just make me do zumba with her...

Sunday Long Run Update

I had to let you all know about my long run today instead of the hair update. Mainly because I didn't do anything new with my hair this week and because you all know my foot has been bothering me.

This entire week I've been good. I didn't run, walk, climb or jump on this foot. I figure, baby it a bit and then maybe it will let you run your 6 miles on Sunday. So I did. It was hard. I even got jealous watching other people running (you know it happens to you too!).

Yesterday, Saturday, while doing some shopping with the fam, we made a stop at Walmart. I picked up some of this:

and some of these:

I know, old school stuff. I wanted something to take the pain away and something to massage the muscle.

This is not a "serious" pain but it is a nagging one. 

When I hurt my iliotibial band last year I knew I had an injury and not an ache and pain. I couldn't walk let alone even attempt to run.

This is not that kind of pain. 

It's there, I can feel it, but it's not debilitating. I chose not to run this week to prevent it from exacerbating. I mean I have a half marathon to run in November and a full marathon in February. So I can't afford injuries.

About 4 hours before going to bed I took 1 ibuprofen and then massaged my foot with the cream. I had also been walking around all day shopping. So it was aching a bit anyway. It felt better instantly. So I was hopeful for this morning.

5:55am: I woke up, took 2 ibuprofen, and massaged my foot with cream. I put in my contacts, got dressed, warmed up and stretched, and then got ready to head out the door.

6:45am: I left the house and started running at a slow pace. I felt really good! I was amazed and impressed with my body! Although I had the hope that my foot wouldn't hurt, I didn't actually believe it deep down. I guess I had proved myself wrong!

7:13am: My foot started hurting. I was really bummed but I knew that if I kept running it would just get worse. Afterall, there's no point in finishing this 6 miles if afterwards I couldn't run for 3 months with a serious injury.

7:26am: I was in front of my house and didn't really want to go in. How disappointing. I didn't finish my run. I guess I have what is officially called an "injury". WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!!!!!  Ok, calm down. My foot doesn't actually hurt right now. What would happen if I tried to run again? Yes, I ran again.

7:41am: I was back at the house after finishing my route! My foot didn't hurt a bit! Success!

When I started running again my foot felt fine. I'm not sure why. It's like it just needed to get warmed up. This has happened to me before with other muscles. I'm running and then the muscle feels tight. I don`t want to stop, so I don't, and the pain eventually goes away. I guess that's what happened in this case.

When I got back into the house, before stretching, I took 2 more ibuprofen and massaged my foot more with the cream. I then proceeded to stretch, shower and wash my hair. As I type this my foot feels fine. It is tight though. Like how your muscles feel after a really long run or a really good weights session.

Most importantly, based on what happened today, I've changed my marathon training schedule.

It's shocking, I know. But I feel good about it.

• Instead of running based on miles I will run based on time. 
• I am also going to run more frequently

So I will run. If after 20 minutes I feel a slight pain in my foot I will stop. Once the pain subsides I will start runing again. I'll do this cycle until I finish my running planned for the day.

This week I will run not more than 40 minutes and then I will increase it the following weeks as I see fit.

I figure this will help me stay in shape while I nurse my foot pain. I plan on running every other day. This week I'll run Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. While the following week I'll run Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

After each run I will massage my foot with cream. I'll take the ibuprofen when I need them.

What do you think?

Reflections: Injury and Recovery

Taken from googleimages

I've been reflecting lately on my injury last year. Not for any particular reason except that is was an important obstacle in my life. I have always been able to exercise when I wanted and how long I wanted; but not then. 

Sure there were times when I chose not to exercise but this injury made it impossible. I was physically unable to engage in physical activity. 

This was a crucial moment for me. 

I have learned a lot from that experience and work everyday not to commit the same mistakes. I want to share the process I went through from injury to recovery to running again.

Understanding the Ailment

Once I was past the denial stage, meaning I accepted that I was injured, I researched all I could about my particular injury. This was partly to make sure I did not aggravate it and slow down recovery and partly to see how long this recovery would take. 

Most of my research was online. Based on my particular symptoms I realized I was suffering from a common, overuse injury called illiotibial band syndrome (IT band syndrome). I read up on what that meant to my body, how it was caused and how to treat it.

Coping

This was a two-part process because I had to learn how to cope with my injury mentally and physically. As I said above, I researched how to treat it. The best "medicine" for this type of injury is rest. I had to stop running altogether for at least 3 months. I incoporated useful stretches for the IT band into my routine. When I was able I also incorporated leg exercises. 

For a full month I did no exercise, nothing. This was hard for me to deal with mentally because just a week ago I was training for a marathon! I was running 4 times a week and weight training twice a week. I went from a highly active lifestyle to a non active lifestyle in a span of days. I didn't stop running gradually because I wanted to get better fast and because I was in serious pain. 

I realized that I had hurt myself a week before but I was in denial. Instead of resting, maybe taking a couple of days off, I ran 18 miles. I had to stop at mile 16 because I was limping from the pain. 

The next morning I could barely walk. I mean with every step I was in excruciating pain. This lasted for a week and then the pain subsided. However, I knew I had to be smart. So I just stopped cold turkey. This was the best thing for me to do physically but mentally I was a mess. 

I had incredible mood swings. I would restrict my diet because I was afraid that I would gain weight. I thought, if I gained weight, it would be even harder for me to get back into shape once my 3 month hiatus was over. 

I would see people running in the street and get incredibly jealous. I was mad, depressed, and overall disappointed in myself. How could I have gotten injured? What was wrong with me? Did I know anything? 

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A friend of mine is a psychologist. One day, talking casually, she introduced me to visualization. She told me to visualize my route. To think about the smells when I run, the sounds, the sights and how my body feels during a run. 

She encouraged me to run in my mind. It may sound strange but it was helpful. I would sit outside, or sometimes in my room and just close my eyes. Sometimes I would think about a particuarly satisfying run that I'd done in the past. Or invent an entirely new one.

It was great becasue I was able to satisfy my mind while protecting my body. 

After that tumultuous month was over I slowly started getting in shape again. Nothing too taxing on my body though. I would stretch everyday, do some leg exercises to strengthen my IT band and also abs. I also rode my static bike. Soon my 3 months were over.

When To Go Back Out There

As I said the normal recovery time for this type of injury is 3 months. Of course I listened to my body. I was itching to go back out there and run but I was afraid to run. I was afraid that I would start running and that pain in my IT band would resurface and then the entire cycle would start up again. 

I was deathly afraid of this. I almost didn't go out there and run, almost but not quite. 

I started with running 15 minutes the first day. I warmed up on the static bike for 10 minutes first. Then I stretched for 10 minutes paying extra attention to my injured area. 

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Instead of running right away, I walked for about 10 minutes or so then started running. I ran at a leisurely pace. I ran even slower than my long run pace.

I ran the slowest I have ever run. 

After my 15 minutes I cooled down by walking 10 minutes and then repeated my stretching routine. 

I made sure to run on dirt roads at first and to avoid hills until I felt strong enough. I ran a total of twice a week at the beginning and would increase my time by 5 minutes each week. 

Not until I reached 30 minutes of running without stopping did I increase to 3 times a week. When I reached 45 minutes I incorporated hill work and started running on asphalt surfaces. 

The question: When to go back out there? Is a complicated one. All I can say is to take it slow. You don't want setbacks. You want to get injury free as soon as possible and stay that way.

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Self-treatment vs. Hospital Care

Throughout my injury and recovery process I pretty much self-treated. Based on my pain and the nature of my injury I did not feel like I needed to go to the hospital right away. 

I gave myself until the 3 month recovery was over to see the doctor. If I wasn't fine by then, and if my leg acted up again while running, I would see the doctor in case I had a more serious injury. 

Luckily, in my case, I just needed to rest and to take care of myself and not push myself too hard. I was a beginner runner acting like I wanted to qualify for the Olympics! Of course I was going to hurt myself. So I say self-treatment is good up to a point. 

Obviously you know your body better than any doctor. You know if an injury requires more than homecare or not. 

If you are in extreme pain and normal anti-inflammatory/pain medication does nothing than maybe you need to see a doctor. 

Some injuries do require surgery so keep that in mind as well. Be smart and don't be afraid to get help if you find you need it.

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Writing this it seems like the time went by in a flash. 

But it was super long! 

Okay, it was only 3 months. However, I didn't start training again until June. 

So from December 2010 to June 2011 I was MIA. 

The amount I ran after those 3 months was nothing compared to my training. 

Three weeks into my training now I can tell how out of shape I am! 

Yet, I'm wiser for the experience and determined to run my first marathon more than ever!

Stay tuned for a future post on my 1-month marathon training update.