Having an injury sure puts things in perspective. I've been able to run a minimum of 4 miles easily for 20+ years now and on most weeks, I run a long run of 10 - 12 miles on Saturday. But now that I'm not running much, when I do run, I feel like I'm just starting for the first time.
So, today, Evan left his homework at home and I was heading out for a 3-miler. I thought, why don't I just run it out to Monfort, which is 3 miles from my house (but that means I have to run home, making it a 6-miler). No problem, I thought, I can do it! Its probably ok to run that far now, isn't it???
So I did and well, lets just say that I made it home without totally puking up my breakfast. I felt like crap 2 miles into the run - almost like I was going to faint. Arrgghhh...I didn't expect to feel like that!
With Evan's homework sheets scrolled up in my hand, I plodded on. But it was so weird...I had run this distance for years and years, on this same road, and for the first time, I thought I wouldn't make it.
But I did and actually, on the way home I felt better than on the way out. Maybe it was because I swam this morning (got in a mere 1000 yards today) and my body was just tired or maybe its because I'm getting older and I refuse to accept this minor fact (ya think?)...
Either way, I'm happy I was able to run that far. I need to be running again and I've decided to just go for it and live with the pain. I'll continue with PT but I can't wait any longer.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Parenting Trumps a Group Run
Well, its Saturday and my friends are all running at 8:00 this morning. They are running 12 miles and I would LOVE to be running with them. When my kids' soccer games for today were cancelled last night, I thought "yippee, I can run with the group" (at least start off with them and turn back after 3-4 miles).
But then the phone rang. It was the mom of one of Katerina's friends, who wanted to know if she could spend the night. Of course she can, that would be great. Katerina is at the age where friends are starting to be important to her so she was over the moon when I told her.
So, it would be just me and Evan for the evening (Kurt is out of town). I had never spent an evening with just Evan so this would be pretty cool (and it was). But it dawned on me that leaving to run with the group would mean leaving him alone, which is a whole different ball game than leaving the two kids alone.
At first I thought "no problem, he'll be fine" but then after remembering that my mother is also out of town, I realized that I couldn't say "if you get scared, you can call Daddy or grandma". Neither of them are around this morning and that would make being left alone seem even lonelier.
Bear in mind that this is a kid who LOVES his computer and who LOVES it when I'm gone because that means he gets to play his computer. I let him do that because it totally preoccupies him and he won't bug his sister when I'm gone. But this time, he would know that not only am I gone, but there is no one for him to call if he got scared. Not good.
And...one more reason I need to stay put....the wind. It is howling outside and it scares him to death. For some reason, he does not like ths sound of the wind. So, it looks like a ride on the trainer for me!
That's ok, I'd rather stay here with him anyway. The group runs are great but so is hangin' out with my son. He'd be happy as a clam if he could play his computer games while I rode my bike in the basement.
Such is the life of an Iron Quest Mama!
But then the phone rang. It was the mom of one of Katerina's friends, who wanted to know if she could spend the night. Of course she can, that would be great. Katerina is at the age where friends are starting to be important to her so she was over the moon when I told her.
So, it would be just me and Evan for the evening (Kurt is out of town). I had never spent an evening with just Evan so this would be pretty cool (and it was). But it dawned on me that leaving to run with the group would mean leaving him alone, which is a whole different ball game than leaving the two kids alone.
At first I thought "no problem, he'll be fine" but then after remembering that my mother is also out of town, I realized that I couldn't say "if you get scared, you can call Daddy or grandma". Neither of them are around this morning and that would make being left alone seem even lonelier.
Bear in mind that this is a kid who LOVES his computer and who LOVES it when I'm gone because that means he gets to play his computer. I let him do that because it totally preoccupies him and he won't bug his sister when I'm gone. But this time, he would know that not only am I gone, but there is no one for him to call if he got scared. Not good.
And...one more reason I need to stay put....the wind. It is howling outside and it scares him to death. For some reason, he does not like ths sound of the wind. So, it looks like a ride on the trainer for me!
That's ok, I'd rather stay here with him anyway. The group runs are great but so is hangin' out with my son. He'd be happy as a clam if he could play his computer games while I rode my bike in the basement.
Such is the life of an Iron Quest Mama!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Surprise - A Good Swim!
Wonders never cease, my mother used to say. And today one of those wonders happened at Master's swim practice: I had a really good swim!
It was weird all the way around. I woke with a start at 4:50 AM (I rarely bold anything but this deserves bolding). I got up and felt strangely wide awake. Still, I drank my usual 1.5 cups of coffee and had so much energy, I almost bolted from the couch to get to the pool.
I was in the water by 6:20 and took off like a bat out of you-know-where. Sarah was already there (of course) and we shared a lane. Kurt came in 15 mins later (he rides his bike) and we 3 shared a lane.
I felt strong and swift. Even though I can't keep up with well, anyone, at Master's swim, I still swam fast. Richard wasn't there but he had emailed Todd the workout so we did it on our own:
Warm-up: 200 free, 200 kick, 200 pull
Main set:
3 x 200's
4 x 100's, alternating choice with free, descending (slow to fast), 30 seconds rest
6 x 50's, breathing every 5th stroke (what was Richard thinking?)
6 x 25's, odds easy, evens fast
I don't remember all the details but this was pretty much it. There was a cool-down kick thing but I couldn't stay that long. Although this was one of the easier workouts that Richard has had us do, I was still happy with how easy it felt for me. I could've easily swam (swum?) longer but just didn't have time (I have to leave by 7:00 to get my kids to school).
All in all, a good workout. Looking forward to swimming outside this summer, both in the pool and at the lake.
TTFN
It was weird all the way around. I woke with a start at 4:50 AM (I rarely bold anything but this deserves bolding). I got up and felt strangely wide awake. Still, I drank my usual 1.5 cups of coffee and had so much energy, I almost bolted from the couch to get to the pool.
I was in the water by 6:20 and took off like a bat out of you-know-where. Sarah was already there (of course) and we shared a lane. Kurt came in 15 mins later (he rides his bike) and we 3 shared a lane.
I felt strong and swift. Even though I can't keep up with well, anyone, at Master's swim, I still swam fast. Richard wasn't there but he had emailed Todd the workout so we did it on our own:
Warm-up: 200 free, 200 kick, 200 pull
Main set:
3 x 200's
4 x 100's, alternating choice with free, descending (slow to fast), 30 seconds rest
6 x 50's, breathing every 5th stroke (what was Richard thinking?)
6 x 25's, odds easy, evens fast
I don't remember all the details but this was pretty much it. There was a cool-down kick thing but I couldn't stay that long. Although this was one of the easier workouts that Richard has had us do, I was still happy with how easy it felt for me. I could've easily swam (swum?) longer but just didn't have time (I have to leave by 7:00 to get my kids to school).
All in all, a good workout. Looking forward to swimming outside this summer, both in the pool and at the lake.
TTFN
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Trying to Be Positive
Well, I ran 50 mins this morning (very slow) and didn't feel any pain. That is good. However, later on the pain came back with a vengeance. Sigh.
I shouldn't be surprised. After all, it is a strained muscle or something like that. And given how bad it has hurt in the last few months, I shouldn't have expected it to go away quickly.
So, back to PT on Thursday. I was going anyway but I didn't expect to be back at square one. Made an appt with Todd for more "trigger point dry needle therapy" and ultrasound treatment.
I know injuries are common in runners and that training for an Ironman raises the risk even higher. And I know its still early enough that it might heal in time for Arizona (although Boulder is in August and I need to be training for that race NOW). So I'm trying to be positive.
Just disappointed, that's all.
Tomorrow is Master's swim and then on Thursday, I'll do a hard Spinerval workout. Friday I'll swim again and Saturday I'll run 12. No, just kidding...I'll do a slow, wimpy little 4 mile run. BIG sigh.
I shouldn't be surprised. After all, it is a strained muscle or something like that. And given how bad it has hurt in the last few months, I shouldn't have expected it to go away quickly.
So, back to PT on Thursday. I was going anyway but I didn't expect to be back at square one. Made an appt with Todd for more "trigger point dry needle therapy" and ultrasound treatment.
I know injuries are common in runners and that training for an Ironman raises the risk even higher. And I know its still early enough that it might heal in time for Arizona (although Boulder is in August and I need to be training for that race NOW). So I'm trying to be positive.
Just disappointed, that's all.
Tomorrow is Master's swim and then on Thursday, I'll do a hard Spinerval workout. Friday I'll swim again and Saturday I'll run 12. No, just kidding...I'll do a slow, wimpy little 4 mile run. BIG sigh.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Brenda Ran Boston!
Anyway, she finished in 3:58, which is really a good time for a race like that. Boston is not a good race to PR in - there are thousands of people on a skinny road and its just not known for fast times. And from what I hear, she went out too fast and couldn't maintain that pace at the end. But good for her for trying!
I learned some things from Brenda. She was so diligent about her training and I really admire her for that. I took many shortcuts in my Ironman training and Brenda is the kind of person that if her training plan called for 10 miles and our training run ended up being 9.7, she would go out and run .3 mile more.
I was also amazed at how much she was running. One weekend when i ran with her, she had run 10 mile the day before, 20 on Saturday, spin bike on Sunday, 8 on Monday, 6 on Tuesday, 5 on Weds, off on Thursday and 10 again on Friday. It was insane! Never in my wildest dreams would I run that much when training for a marathon! Now, I look back at my training for marathons - back when I ran marathons - and I can see how wimpy my training was!
But there were no training plans back then. There wasn't even the internet back then, except for the last few I ran. All I knew was that I needed a long run every weekend and that's what I did. No speedwork, no tempo runs, no hill repeats, nada. Just 3-7 mile runs during the week and one long run on the weekend (and I took the other day off).
I'm happy for Brenda and looking forward to training with her for Arizona!
One more thing about Boston. I was so excited about running it and had such a wonderful time, that I wrote my all-time favorite article for the Greeley Tribune when I got back. At that time I was writing a monthly nutrition column and they asked me to write about my experience running the Boston marathon when I got back. I remember sitting at the computer and my hands just started writing. It flowed so easily whereas my nutrition columns were difficult or sometimes boring to write. This article came straight from my heart and i still treasure it to this day.
Now....what am I blogging about....oh yeah, training for the AZ Ironman triathlon! What have I dont this last week?
After seeing Todd last Weds for the amazing, fantastic, magical needle therapy that has literally worked wonders in my tensor fascia lata, I did the following:
Thursday: ran 38 mins slow and easy
Friday: swam 1400 yards
Saturday: ran 30 mins
Sunday: biked 31 miles - awesome ride!
Monday (today): Master's swim, 1600 fast yards - about killed my shoulders!
Tomorrow I have to get up super early but will plan to run for 45 mins before getting kids to school, then off to class.
Congrats to Brenda and here's to an exciting year ahead!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Things are looking up
This last week was crazy busy so I'm behind in blogging...
The good news is that my PT guy, Todd Smith (aka, muscle magician) tried a new treatment on my sore spot called intramuscular-something...and it involves sharp needles....but it might, just might, be a miracle. Really!
I can't believe I'm even saying that. I'm THE biggest skeptic around. I don't believe in most of what passes as "alternative medicine" and I definitely don't believe in acupunture. But this procedure is similar to acupuncture and well, it worked (if you define "worked" as there is no more pain).
I'm holding out to see if it comes back but right now, I have no pain when I run or walk. I still have pain when I get out of the car (but I fixed tha situation by swinging my legs around to face the other way, then putting my right leg down first - wa la!). And I've been taking Celebrex so it could be a combination of everything. But I was so excited I had to blog about it.
Too tired to write more...will finish this tomorrow. TTFN!
The good news is that my PT guy, Todd Smith (aka, muscle magician) tried a new treatment on my sore spot called intramuscular-something...and it involves sharp needles....but it might, just might, be a miracle. Really!
I can't believe I'm even saying that. I'm THE biggest skeptic around. I don't believe in most of what passes as "alternative medicine" and I definitely don't believe in acupunture. But this procedure is similar to acupuncture and well, it worked (if you define "worked" as there is no more pain).
I'm holding out to see if it comes back but right now, I have no pain when I run or walk. I still have pain when I get out of the car (but I fixed tha situation by swinging my legs around to face the other way, then putting my right leg down first - wa la!). And I've been taking Celebrex so it could be a combination of everything. But I was so excited I had to blog about it.
Too tired to write more...will finish this tomorrow. TTFN!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Biding My Time
We started a new 5-week session in Master's swim today. I actually got there on time (6:15 AM) and was in the water at 6:20 (can I hear a collective "wow"!). It seems that no matter how hard I try, I can't get there any earlier than that. And to be honest, I'm not sure I really need to but that's another story.
After warming up for 300 yds or so, Richard had us do 4 sets of 3 100's with a minute rest in between. After each set we were supposed to do an "easy 50" with a drill for the first 25 and freestyle the last 25. There was actually more detail to this workout but my brain shuts down after hearing the first half of what we're supposed to do! Honestly, I can never keep it straight, I just go when he says go and I stop when I see everyone else stop (no trouble there, I'm always the last one to stop).
Today I started with fins thinking I could kind of keep up. Natalie and Al were in the lane next to me, with Todd and Jim next to them. These people happen to be the fastest swimmers in our program and they lap me handily. Its like running with Doug Bell or some elite Boulderite. But people like that don't intimidate me - they're so far out of my league that I don't even think twice about it.
But Jade and Sarah are more like me and I try to keep up with them. I used to be able to be fairly close to their speed but not today. They were way ahead of me. I really had to keep myself from starting a pity party - I felt like a total clod. Even wearing fins, I couldn't keep up with them.
What's interesting is that sometimes I feel totally hypoxic when i swim, like I can't get my breath. And other times its smooth-sailing. Today I was hypoxic and strangely enough, I was kind of glad because it mimics how I feel in a triathlon sometimes. I get that panicky feel where i can't seem to breathe. I haven't had that feeling in a long, long time (thank God, because its horrible). But today I had a minor version of that happening and i just kept swimming.
I figured I swam my usual 1400 yards today and I think that's fine for now. Will start to increase it when we move outdoors in June. I plan to swim the perimeter of the lake at least twice a month (1.2 miles) all summer and fall, until we move back indoors. That's more swimming than i did last year and I had a decent swim time in Florida!
I wanted to run really bad after dropping off the kids. But I had a lot of school work to do and since I'm not supposed to be running much anyway, I decided to get the work done. I lifted for 20 mins and then worked on school stuff. In fact, I was sitting on my butt almost the entire day - UGH!
So, when it was time to go to Kat's soccer practice, I decided to take Daisy and try a short, easy run. I did, and ran about 2 miles, very easy and slow. I felt great and had no pain. But later I did, of course and i'm icing my hip right now.
All in all, not a bad day. Got a good swim workout in and lifting. Will keep going as planned...hope to be running again soon!
After warming up for 300 yds or so, Richard had us do 4 sets of 3 100's with a minute rest in between. After each set we were supposed to do an "easy 50" with a drill for the first 25 and freestyle the last 25. There was actually more detail to this workout but my brain shuts down after hearing the first half of what we're supposed to do! Honestly, I can never keep it straight, I just go when he says go and I stop when I see everyone else stop (no trouble there, I'm always the last one to stop).
Today I started with fins thinking I could kind of keep up. Natalie and Al were in the lane next to me, with Todd and Jim next to them. These people happen to be the fastest swimmers in our program and they lap me handily. Its like running with Doug Bell or some elite Boulderite. But people like that don't intimidate me - they're so far out of my league that I don't even think twice about it.
But Jade and Sarah are more like me and I try to keep up with them. I used to be able to be fairly close to their speed but not today. They were way ahead of me. I really had to keep myself from starting a pity party - I felt like a total clod. Even wearing fins, I couldn't keep up with them.
What's interesting is that sometimes I feel totally hypoxic when i swim, like I can't get my breath. And other times its smooth-sailing. Today I was hypoxic and strangely enough, I was kind of glad because it mimics how I feel in a triathlon sometimes. I get that panicky feel where i can't seem to breathe. I haven't had that feeling in a long, long time (thank God, because its horrible). But today I had a minor version of that happening and i just kept swimming.
I figured I swam my usual 1400 yards today and I think that's fine for now. Will start to increase it when we move outdoors in June. I plan to swim the perimeter of the lake at least twice a month (1.2 miles) all summer and fall, until we move back indoors. That's more swimming than i did last year and I had a decent swim time in Florida!
I wanted to run really bad after dropping off the kids. But I had a lot of school work to do and since I'm not supposed to be running much anyway, I decided to get the work done. I lifted for 20 mins and then worked on school stuff. In fact, I was sitting on my butt almost the entire day - UGH!
So, when it was time to go to Kat's soccer practice, I decided to take Daisy and try a short, easy run. I did, and ran about 2 miles, very easy and slow. I felt great and had no pain. But later I did, of course and i'm icing my hip right now.
All in all, not a bad day. Got a good swim workout in and lifting. Will keep going as planned...hope to be running again soon!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Test Ride #2
Remember, I got that fancy-schmancy carbon-fiber racing bike last December after my dismal performance in the bike portion of the the Florida Ironman. I've ridden it ONCE since then because of weather and "dirty roads". Its been on my trainer and I've ridden it for my Spinerval workouts but that's not the same as riding it on the road.
So, today was the day.
Kurt raised the stem for me (per my request), put water bottle carriers on it, and pumped the tires and checked the brakes. Its nice to have a resident bike mechanic at home (even though he gritches about it all the time).
So I took a spin around the neighborhood first and yowza, it felt so weird! I've been riding my road bike for the last few weeks (same bike I rode in the IM) and its a totally different bike and fit.
On my racing bike, I'm tucked in tight in a total aero position, whereas on my road bike I'm more stretched out, if that make sense. My racing bike is also much lighter - I can pick it up with one hand.
After test driving it for a few miles, we took off for a 2 hr ride. Whew! I was flying. I actually passed Kurt for once! Either those Spinervals were paying off or this was one fast ride!
I felt really good. We cruised along for quite awhile just enjoying the ride. The weather was perfect - sunny, clear, no wind, and about 75 degrees. Kurt likes to ride out east, which is not as pretty as riding west but there's much less traffic.
So we stop to get a drink and chat for a bit and a truck pulls up, and the driver (who obviously knew Kurt) jumps out of his truck, runs over to us and hands us a roll that he said he just made, saying something about a sourdough starter, and then jumps back in his truck and speeds off. We laughed and I took a picture of Kurt holding his roll (see above). I found out later that Mr. Breadmaker is a local psychiatrist...figures!
It took me awhile to get used to my new bike. I was frustrated at the start but as we rode on, it felt better. I can definitely go faster on this bike. But its not as comfy as my road bike and that's a bit disconcerting, considering I'm training for a race that involves a 112 mile bike ride. But after about 20 miles or so, I felt like I was finally "settling in" to the new bike fit and feeling comfortable.
Later, we rode our bikes down to the Rio with the kids - they are really good bike riders - and back home, which is mostly uphill. Had a nice time
Tomorrow Master's swim starts again and I'm looking forward to it. Not a bad weekend, despite the lack of a long run. Capping it off with a margarita almost made up for it!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Being a Good Girl
This is the 2nd Saturday I haven't been able to do my usual long run. And as much as I'm trying to stay positive, there's nothing positive about it. In fact, I hate it.
But the good thing is that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do and that is run less. I'm constantly telling myself that its still early enough to not worry about it but its hard when all my friends are getting in really good shape.
OK, enough with the whining...I did run a very slow 3 miler today and I have no soreness or pain at all. Zero. Nada. Zip. This is a very good thing.
Tomorrow Kurt and I are going to ride for 2 hrs and I can't wait. Originally I was riding with the group at 10:30 -in fact, I was the one who set up the ride - then I remembered that I'm supposed to teach Sunday school (oops!) and had to back out of the ride. Talk about a double whammy - no group run and now no group ride! I miss the camaraderie!
But my dear husband said that he would ride with me so we called up some friends who had asked us to babysit awhile back and asked if they would watch our kids. They said yes - yay! Its going to be 75 degrees tomorrow and I'm so anxious to get out my new bike.
Monday I'll swim and Tuesday, a short easy 5 mile run. Anxious to find out what happens at Physical Therapy this week - hoping that will make a difference too.
I'm not sure what else to write about in this blog...it might get more interesting when we actually start the Ironman training plan...I'm open to any suggestions!
But the good thing is that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do and that is run less. I'm constantly telling myself that its still early enough to not worry about it but its hard when all my friends are getting in really good shape.
OK, enough with the whining...I did run a very slow 3 miler today and I have no soreness or pain at all. Zero. Nada. Zip. This is a very good thing.
Tomorrow Kurt and I are going to ride for 2 hrs and I can't wait. Originally I was riding with the group at 10:30 -in fact, I was the one who set up the ride - then I remembered that I'm supposed to teach Sunday school (oops!) and had to back out of the ride. Talk about a double whammy - no group run and now no group ride! I miss the camaraderie!
But my dear husband said that he would ride with me so we called up some friends who had asked us to babysit awhile back and asked if they would watch our kids. They said yes - yay! Its going to be 75 degrees tomorrow and I'm so anxious to get out my new bike.
Monday I'll swim and Tuesday, a short easy 5 mile run. Anxious to find out what happens at Physical Therapy this week - hoping that will make a difference too.
I'm not sure what else to write about in this blog...it might get more interesting when we actually start the Ironman training plan...I'm open to any suggestions!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Have Bike, Will Travel
My kids are on spring break and they've spent almost every minute of it together. They love each other immensely but like any other sibling set, they hate each other immensely too. Today they demonstrated the latter situation quite well.
After oh, maybe the 8th or 9th round of sqabbling I decided that was enough, they either vamoose to their rooms or they will be drop-kicked out the door.
This is one of those times when I can relate to Bill Cosby's famous missive to his oh-so-beloved children: "I brought you into this world and I can take you out!" except with adopted children, you change it to household instead of world (just a little humor, folks, don't take it seriously!).
I love my kids dearly but this was also one of those days that I was GLAD that I had a physical outlet, like running, biking, or swimming. I needed it desperately today or I was going to strangle two perfectly normal children.
Coupled with the fact that it was going to be sunny and 65 degrees today, I knew I had to get out on my bike. I called my mother to see if her darling grandchildren could come visit for awhile (please, mother dear, please!). She said yes, and before you can say shot blocks, I was out the door, bike in hand, child in the other.
I dropped them off at Grandma's and was on my bike in no time. Ahhhhhhhhh.....yes! Fresh air...blue sky...nothin' but the road and me for 2 solid hours. And a few cement trucks, Ford F-150's, and errant barking dogs...
I rode for 2 hrs. Felt pretty good and enjoyed an awesome view of the front range. Rode north on County Road 33.
Tomorrow I swim and Saturday, I will try running with the group for 6-8 miles. I'll take a Celebrex first and just see how it goes. I think if I keep up short distances until this "angry" tensor fascia lata heals (that's what Todd called it - he said it was mad), then it won't be so hard to start the real IM training program. At least I hope so. Wish me luck.
After oh, maybe the 8th or 9th round of sqabbling I decided that was enough, they either vamoose to their rooms or they will be drop-kicked out the door.
This is one of those times when I can relate to Bill Cosby's famous missive to his oh-so-beloved children: "I brought you into this world and I can take you out!" except with adopted children, you change it to household instead of world (just a little humor, folks, don't take it seriously!).
I love my kids dearly but this was also one of those days that I was GLAD that I had a physical outlet, like running, biking, or swimming. I needed it desperately today or I was going to strangle two perfectly normal children.
Coupled with the fact that it was going to be sunny and 65 degrees today, I knew I had to get out on my bike. I called my mother to see if her darling grandchildren could come visit for awhile (please, mother dear, please!). She said yes, and before you can say shot blocks, I was out the door, bike in hand, child in the other.
I dropped them off at Grandma's and was on my bike in no time. Ahhhhhhhhh.....yes! Fresh air...blue sky...nothin' but the road and me for 2 solid hours. And a few cement trucks, Ford F-150's, and errant barking dogs...
I rode for 2 hrs. Felt pretty good and enjoyed an awesome view of the front range. Rode north on County Road 33.
Tomorrow I swim and Saturday, I will try running with the group for 6-8 miles. I'll take a Celebrex first and just see how it goes. I think if I keep up short distances until this "angry" tensor fascia lata heals (that's what Todd called it - he said it was mad), then it won't be so hard to start the real IM training program. At least I hope so. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
I Love My PT
They guys are great too but they weren't interested in getting their picture taken.
We don't actually have master's swim class this week - it runs in 5 week sessions and the next one starts next week (hence, why I brought my camera to the pool). Good time to take a photo.
But my big news of the day is my appt with Todd Smith, PT extraordinnaire at Proactive Physical Therapy and Sportsmedicine here in Greeley. I've been to Todd before and was so impressed that I went back.
Todd was actually a dietetics student way back when I was at CSU getting my doctorate. I worked as a supervisor of dietetics students at the student health center and he was one of my students who I trained when I was there. Not longer after that, he decided to change majors and pursue physical therapy. Wa-la, here he is and we're working together again!
He did a thorough exam and pinpointed the pain fairly easily (and pinpointed is an understatement - he pretty much nabbed it). Its the insertion of the tensor fascia lata muscle into the iliac crest bone. Just what I thought (ha ha).
He worked the area for awhile moving my leg in more ways than I knew it could be moved, pressing his thumb into the area where it hurt to confirm the diagnosis and well, it REALLY hurt. But I was just glad to have it figured out and to hopefully, be put on a treatment plan.
But all the while I was bracing myself for the possibility that he might say "no running forever". Ok, I exaggerate, I knew he wouldn't say that but I was worried that he would say "no running for 3 months" or something like that.
Todd could see the look on my face and he said "you runners are crazy...no, you Ironman people are crazy!". Then he told me about two treatment options that he felt would really help. The first one was what he calls "ultrasound" which is heat probe that he would apply to the area for 10 mins (what he had done for my lower back a year ago, that really worked). He also told me about a new "needle therapy" that used acupuncture needles, but was not acupuncture, that he had used with some success in other patients.
But he would not do the needle therapy without talking to "my doctor" (aka, Kurt) first. He said that not running would be ideal, but that he knows better to tell a runner not to run and that slow running on soft surfaces twice/week might be ok. He encouraged me to do more biking and swimming and lay off the running for awhile, except maybe a few slow runs each week. He also said to run only on flat surfaces - not the side of the road where its curved.
This was good news! His assistant did the ultrasound and it felt great afterwards. I left the office with absolutely no pain but noticed after I drove less than a mile, that it hurt again when I got out of my car. However, it went away soon after that and tonight, it feels fine.
So, I go back twice next week and between now and then, I will do the slow, easy, short runs on soft surfaces and bike and swim more. I forgot to mention that I did run today - 40 mins on the grass at UNC and although I had pain the first 20 mins, it went away (such a weird injury - it comes and goes all the time!).
But I'm really encouraged and happy that its not worse. And I don't mind biking more, its just that biking takes so much more time! Next week I have a crazy-busy week and it will be hard to fit it in. But I'll do it.
So, that's it for now. I need to focus on the positive and not get down about not doing the long runs on the weekends. Hopefully, I'll be back at it soon.
I love my PT!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Injuries Are a Blessing and a Curse
I haven't run in 3 days and my mind has gone through all kinds of contortions because of it. My normal routine has been thrown out of whack and I should feel all disconbobulated. But I don't. I feel fine.
I never thought I'd say that. After all, running has been the backbone of my life for the last 25 years. It's my therapy, my salvation, and sometimes, my ticket to a zen-like existence that I wouldn't trade for all the chai tea in the world.
But as you know, I've got an injury. The good news is that it is much better and I can hardly feel it sometimes. The bad news is that I still need to let it heal and shouldn't run for quite awhile.
But since last Saturday, I've gotten some killer non-running workouts in. Sunday morning, I did a Spinerval workout for an hour and felt great. Coach Troy has convinced me that indoor cycling (and running) should be a part of any endurance athlete's training plan and i can see why after doing his workouts. I never sweat running as hard as I do doing a Spinerval workout.
Then Monday, I went to the pool even though there is no Master's class this week (it starts again next week). I got there late but got in about 1500 yrds, which I'm totally happy with. And the best part is that I didn't even feel tired when I was done. I could've easily done more but didn't have time.
And thanks to Tom McIlhenney (sp?) for giving me advice AGAIN. He watched me swim and reminded me to turn my head to the left when I rotate - not just look straight down. He gave me a few more tips and said I was doing great - can't say how much I appreciate all of Tom's advice and support this last year!
Then, later that day, I decided to go for a ride. My husband and children were out of town so i could actually ride without the pressure to get back to pick up the kids - woo hoo. I went through the usual routine that I've described before, of pumping tires, checking brakes, packing up all the gear, including the bike, into my truck, and headed out west. I live in "east" Greeley and I hate riding through town so I usually drive out to Monfort or The Buzz to take off from there.
This time I parked at the Buzz. There were a few men looking at me as I lifted my bike out of the back of my truck and put on all my stuff. They probably thought I was nuts but i really don't care. I just wanted to ride.
I ended up going 28 miles and had a great time! I felt really strong and fast - managed to maintain 18 - 19 mph most of the time, occasionally going above 20 mph. I rode out to Windsor and up New Liberty Hill, which is a killer hill. I always have to use my triple to get up that hill and felt this time that I didn't really have to use it but I did. I felt so good on that hill that I turned around, went down and back up it again!
Then, I headed around Hilltop Drive and out to the round-about (which is always fun on a bike) and back down to Highway 257. I don't normally go this far; I usually chicken out and go back on O street. This time I was determined to do something different, so I turned south on 257 and went up the big hill that leads to Highway 34. Although I was thrilled with "pushing the envelope" on my own, I realized that it was probably the wrong time of day to ride on any highway because there was a ton of traffic. And this traffic is flying by at 65 mph - not good.
But I trudged up the hill anyway and turned onto Business 34, which was a last minute decision but a good one. Business 34 has a much better shoulder than the main highway. I tooled along for several miles and turned south onto 95th Avenue and back to the Buzz from there. Great ride!
Its easy to run by yourself but biking is different. You feel as if you are taking your life into your hands by riding by yourself. And its somewhat true - its much easier to get killed on a bike than running. People are not as forgiving to cyclists as they are to pedestrians and plus, you can't always hear cars coming from behind (esp if its windy). Plus, there's always the fear of a flat tire and not being able to fix it and being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Not good for women. This is why its always best to ride with a group but it just aint gonna happen for me in the middle of a weekday.
Today I had to teach so not much time for exercise. I would've run if I weren't injured but I was a good girl and decided to just wait.
Tomorrow I have my first appt with Proactive, a physical therapy place. I'll see Todd Smith, who I've seen before (and knew from CSU) and who I really like. Hope to get a core-strengthening program and tips on how to keep this iliac crest injury from getting worse and/or coming back.
That's all for now!
I never thought I'd say that. After all, running has been the backbone of my life for the last 25 years. It's my therapy, my salvation, and sometimes, my ticket to a zen-like existence that I wouldn't trade for all the chai tea in the world.
But as you know, I've got an injury. The good news is that it is much better and I can hardly feel it sometimes. The bad news is that I still need to let it heal and shouldn't run for quite awhile.
But since last Saturday, I've gotten some killer non-running workouts in. Sunday morning, I did a Spinerval workout for an hour and felt great. Coach Troy has convinced me that indoor cycling (and running) should be a part of any endurance athlete's training plan and i can see why after doing his workouts. I never sweat running as hard as I do doing a Spinerval workout.
Then Monday, I went to the pool even though there is no Master's class this week (it starts again next week). I got there late but got in about 1500 yrds, which I'm totally happy with. And the best part is that I didn't even feel tired when I was done. I could've easily done more but didn't have time.
And thanks to Tom McIlhenney (sp?) for giving me advice AGAIN. He watched me swim and reminded me to turn my head to the left when I rotate - not just look straight down. He gave me a few more tips and said I was doing great - can't say how much I appreciate all of Tom's advice and support this last year!
Then, later that day, I decided to go for a ride. My husband and children were out of town so i could actually ride without the pressure to get back to pick up the kids - woo hoo. I went through the usual routine that I've described before, of pumping tires, checking brakes, packing up all the gear, including the bike, into my truck, and headed out west. I live in "east" Greeley and I hate riding through town so I usually drive out to Monfort or The Buzz to take off from there.
This time I parked at the Buzz. There were a few men looking at me as I lifted my bike out of the back of my truck and put on all my stuff. They probably thought I was nuts but i really don't care. I just wanted to ride.
I ended up going 28 miles and had a great time! I felt really strong and fast - managed to maintain 18 - 19 mph most of the time, occasionally going above 20 mph. I rode out to Windsor and up New Liberty Hill, which is a killer hill. I always have to use my triple to get up that hill and felt this time that I didn't really have to use it but I did. I felt so good on that hill that I turned around, went down and back up it again!
Then, I headed around Hilltop Drive and out to the round-about (which is always fun on a bike) and back down to Highway 257. I don't normally go this far; I usually chicken out and go back on O street. This time I was determined to do something different, so I turned south on 257 and went up the big hill that leads to Highway 34. Although I was thrilled with "pushing the envelope" on my own, I realized that it was probably the wrong time of day to ride on any highway because there was a ton of traffic. And this traffic is flying by at 65 mph - not good.
But I trudged up the hill anyway and turned onto Business 34, which was a last minute decision but a good one. Business 34 has a much better shoulder than the main highway. I tooled along for several miles and turned south onto 95th Avenue and back to the Buzz from there. Great ride!
Its easy to run by yourself but biking is different. You feel as if you are taking your life into your hands by riding by yourself. And its somewhat true - its much easier to get killed on a bike than running. People are not as forgiving to cyclists as they are to pedestrians and plus, you can't always hear cars coming from behind (esp if its windy). Plus, there's always the fear of a flat tire and not being able to fix it and being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Not good for women. This is why its always best to ride with a group but it just aint gonna happen for me in the middle of a weekday.
Today I had to teach so not much time for exercise. I would've run if I weren't injured but I was a good girl and decided to just wait.
Tomorrow I have my first appt with Proactive, a physical therapy place. I'll see Todd Smith, who I've seen before (and knew from CSU) and who I really like. Hope to get a core-strengthening program and tips on how to keep this iliac crest injury from getting worse and/or coming back.
That's all for now!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Adapting to Change
No, I'm not talking about healthcare or anything political...I'm referring to going from running 10 - 12 miles with a group of people I really like to running maybe 3 miles with my dog. I love my dog but it wasn't quite the same this morning.
But if I focus on the positive, I can say that "at least I ran". I went very sloooooowwww and paid close attention to keeping my form correct, i.e., no weird swinging of my left leg, which I tend to do sometimes.
My goal was to run only on grass or ashphalt but absolutely no concrete. I took Daisy along, thinking that would force me to stop occasionally since she likes to do that. We did stop a lot, but I had forgotten that I had basically trained her to run on the sidewalk and well, she ran on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are made of concrete, did you know that?
But the bottom line is: I ran and I'm glad for it. Even though I felt somewhat lonely - knowing that all my friends were running either 12 or 20 miles today, laughing and joking the whole way - I knew I was doing the right thing. But I was lonely.
So, for now, this is my plan:
So, lastly, I think I need some kind of daily meditation to keep my head on straight, to not go down the path of self-pity or "awfulizing" (thinking the worst) and to help me think positive. After all, this Ironman is all about having a better experience than my first one and that will mean finishing strong and well, faster than before.
So that's the plan and I'm stickin' to it.
But if I focus on the positive, I can say that "at least I ran". I went very sloooooowwww and paid close attention to keeping my form correct, i.e., no weird swinging of my left leg, which I tend to do sometimes.
My goal was to run only on grass or ashphalt but absolutely no concrete. I took Daisy along, thinking that would force me to stop occasionally since she likes to do that. We did stop a lot, but I had forgotten that I had basically trained her to run on the sidewalk and well, she ran on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are made of concrete, did you know that?
But the bottom line is: I ran and I'm glad for it. Even though I felt somewhat lonely - knowing that all my friends were running either 12 or 20 miles today, laughing and joking the whole way - I knew I was doing the right thing. But I was lonely.
So, for now, this is my plan:
- Run 2-3 days a week (what I was doing before) but keep the mileage low and slow, instead of doing tempo runs and going up to to 12 or more on my long runs, I'll keep it at 5-6 for awhile.
- Bike 3 days a week, whether its Spinervals or outdoor riding. I want to include one Spinerval workout/week, however, and focus on speed and hill climbing to build strength
- Swim 3 days/week
- Lift 2 days/week and get started on a core strengthening program
So, lastly, I think I need some kind of daily meditation to keep my head on straight, to not go down the path of self-pity or "awfulizing" (thinking the worst) and to help me think positive. After all, this Ironman is all about having a better experience than my first one and that will mean finishing strong and well, faster than before.
So that's the plan and I'm stickin' to it.
Friday, April 2, 2010
A Different World
On Thursday, I posted this on Facebook: "Its amazing how much time you have when you don't exercise"...and its true. Many people responded to that comment and although it sounded a little strange, I really meant it.
This is because I had decided to make good on my plan to lay off running (despite my 3 mile easy run/walk that I did on Weds) and NOT run on Thurs morning. It was so weird! I had so much more time and surprisingly, I was very relaxed. I had finally convinced myself that running too much or too often would make the pain in my iliac crest (not hip, actually) get worse. So I worked all morning on an assignment for my class at UNC and it felt strange to have so much time!
The problem is, I didn't even walk or lift so later in the day I had the "slug" feeling, which is not good. Then today (Friday) I had planned on riding with Nancy but it was so cold and windy that we decided not to go. Instead, I did a 40 minute Spinerval tape and lifted a little bit.
The interesting news is that I scheduled myself in to see Kurt for my "hip" pain! Talk about weird - seeing your spouse, who is a doctor, for a medical appointment. We decided to do that for several reasons (too many to write here) but the bottom line is that he examined my hip and gave me a shot to numb the pain. He also told me that my core is very weak, something I had suspected, and I'm "unbalanced".
What I really wanted was a referral to Proactive Physical Therapy, which I got, and will make an appt next week. I'm really looking forward to this appt because I think Darrell and Todd will have a good idea about what caused this pain and what to do about it. I really want to get started on a plan to strengthen my core and "balance" me so that I don't have this problem anymore.
That's all I can write now. Too tired...will try to run a short, easy run tomorrow and see what happens. Wish me luck!
This is because I had decided to make good on my plan to lay off running (despite my 3 mile easy run/walk that I did on Weds) and NOT run on Thurs morning. It was so weird! I had so much more time and surprisingly, I was very relaxed. I had finally convinced myself that running too much or too often would make the pain in my iliac crest (not hip, actually) get worse. So I worked all morning on an assignment for my class at UNC and it felt strange to have so much time!
The problem is, I didn't even walk or lift so later in the day I had the "slug" feeling, which is not good. Then today (Friday) I had planned on riding with Nancy but it was so cold and windy that we decided not to go. Instead, I did a 40 minute Spinerval tape and lifted a little bit.
The interesting news is that I scheduled myself in to see Kurt for my "hip" pain! Talk about weird - seeing your spouse, who is a doctor, for a medical appointment. We decided to do that for several reasons (too many to write here) but the bottom line is that he examined my hip and gave me a shot to numb the pain. He also told me that my core is very weak, something I had suspected, and I'm "unbalanced".
What I really wanted was a referral to Proactive Physical Therapy, which I got, and will make an appt next week. I'm really looking forward to this appt because I think Darrell and Todd will have a good idea about what caused this pain and what to do about it. I really want to get started on a plan to strengthen my core and "balance" me so that I don't have this problem anymore.
That's all I can write now. Too tired...will try to run a short, easy run tomorrow and see what happens. Wish me luck!
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