Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 3

Re-drawing the training map

Recalculating route... (said in my best Garmin-sounding voice)
Image source

My training map needs to be re-drawn.

While I was on the road toward two autumn half marathons, my route was clear: 12 miles one weekend, 6 the next. Run up and down some hills. Sprint around the track. Repeat until fully prepared. Reduce speed to a taper before arriving at final race day destination.

Unfortunately my training took an injury detour.

Nearly two months have passed.
My training calendar, hanging on the refrigerator door, still had a series of big 12s circled on Saturdays.

Last weekend, when I was out for my new "long," run (5.5 miles) I felt strong and wanted to push the pace. I had promised myself walk breaks every couple of miles, but wanted to keep going. It took every bit of willpower to slow down and rest when I planned to rest. (This is supposed to work the other way around, no? It's supposed to be hard to keep going, so if I feel good, I should push on, right?)

When I got home, slight throb in my calf, I realized I made the right decision by walking even when I didn't want to. I took it easy, even though my heart really wanted to run sprint intervals. Those sprints - which seemed like a shortcut at the time - would have turned into a much longer detour.

That struggle, between what I think I should be doing - feel like I could be doing - and what I really can do right now, has been eating at me.

So this morning, while I sipped a cup of coffee, I tore my training calendar off of the fridge, got out my biggest eraser, and started writing out a new plan.

If I can follow directions when my map tells me to run up and down the same hill over and over again, 'til I feel like I'm going to hurl, surely I can follow my map when it tells me to slow down, back off, glide around the block, and take walk breaks.

Tonight, with Hubby, I ran a few miles through our neighborhood. Toward the end, he was feeling his oats and started a sprint toward home. I felt a tug in my calf, and chose to walk the last few blocks. I called it a "cool down lap." Because that's what the new map directions say.

Do you rest when it's "doctor's orders" or do you burn the candle at both ends?
Do you revise your training plan?
What is the longest injury recovery period you've ever had?

Wednesday, September 26

Is it Pool Running or Aqua Jogging?

Alt. title: Exercises to do while nursing an injured calf

My September entry into the New 2 U Cross Training Challenge is both the lamest and the most creative of my entries to date.

My sole goal: get a good workout without putting any strain on my right foot and calf.

This sounds pretty simple until you realize that nearly every aerobic and strength exercise involves standing, jumping, pushing, or pedaling with your feet. Even core exercises like planks are out of the question.

Google searches for "exercise with calf strain" return almost nothing of use. There are exercises to do once your calf is healing, but no advice at all about what to do to keep from going batsh*t crazy during the week or two during which you need to stay off your leg.

Yes, yes... I know I could just laze around, read, nap, repeat.
But I have never been good at sitting still. Maybe I had undiagnosed ADHD as a child? Either way, I don't intend to change now.

So this month's workouts took some creativity. I developed a strength training routine to use during these dark days of calf-strain-plus-PF:
  • bent-knee push ups
  • cat/cow pose
  • bicycle crunches
  • rowing crunches
  • Russian twists
  • 1980s aerobic-video-style leg lifts
  • superman and hollow-man
  • alternating donkey kicks and "dirty dogs" (one leg at a time, none of this jumping stuff)
Source: google.co.uk via Joanne on Pinterest


In addition, I did a workout I've never done before: pool running.

Or maybe it's called aqua jogging?
(If it's really "aqua jogging" this is the one and only time you can call me a jogger without ending our friendship.)

Whatever we call it, I've been "running" in the water-aerobics-area of my local pool after I finish lap swimming. I can't say pool running will ever replace real running, but it was a nice alternative while I was hobbling around.


I'm also glad that the Cross Training Challenge got me back in the water with snorkeling in July, lap swimming in August, and now pool running/aqua jogging in September.

That said, I think I need to return to dry land for my October challenge.

So is it called "pool running" or "aqua jogging?"
Have you ever tried aqua jogging or other water aerobics?
Clearly I need a non-aquatic activity for my next cross training challenge...
Any suggestions for another new-to-me exercise to try?

Saturday, September 15

Heartbroken (expletives redacted)

Today Hubby and I packed our towels and goggles and headed toward the pool. The weather was perfect for pool time: warm, dry, and sunny. I was looking forward to swimming laps the way I normally look forward to happy hour on a Friday evening.

When we arrived, the parking lot was ominously empty. This sign was posted on the locked gate:
Closed for the season
Seriously?

This is FLORIDA.

It's 80-something degrees outside today and will be hot until Thanksgiving. What "season" are they talking about?

But these are first world problems. I'm bummed, but I'll survive.

Trying to make the best of the situation, Hubby and I went home, changed clothes, grabbed our Speedminton rackets, and headed to another park.

We were both feeling sort of stiff at the start, so we did some dynamic stretching to loosen up. We sent a couple of volleys back and forth, and just as I started thinking "it's a gorgeous afternoon, maybe Speedminton is more fun than the pool anyway..."

I felt a pop.

**string of expletives redacted to spare sensitive readers' eyes**

My right calf feels like someone is jabbing a knife into the soft part.

My pf-ing foot had finally started to feel better. I was going easy on the return to running (which is partly why I was headed to the pool in the first place). I had even started to plan for two fall half marathons.

But clearly something is still wrong in my southern hemisphere.

Now if you'll excuse me...

I have some more cussing to do, and I am incapable of writing more at the moment without including the F-bomb. So I'll spare you the expletives and yell where only Peanut and Hubby can hear me.

Wednesday, August 29

Junk(ie) miles

Three.
Three weeks of being sidelined by plantar fasciitis.

By now I thought I'd be crawling the walls because I haven't been running. I assumed I'd be bitter without my daily dose of endorphins/endocannabinoids. In fact, I worried I'd be a little like a junkie going through the DTs.

But lack-of-running-anxiety has not set in.
The shakes haven't started.
I'm not homicidal.
At least not yet.

So how have I stayed sane?

I filled my morning "running time" with other productive pursuits: prepping my class materials for the first day of school, submitting a journal article I've been working on for months, baking multi-grain pumpkin muffins, tying down the lawn furniture and then consuming frosty rum drinks.

But I still need my daily workout fix, so I've found other activities: swimming, yoga class, and a slightly modified "Ripped in 30" wherein I sub low-impact cardio for all of the jumping and plyometrics. (If I'm going to hurt my foot more, it will be on the track, not for a DVD, thankyouverymuch.)

So far, this plan seems to be working!

Ok. Ok...
I'll admit it.
I ran 4 miles on Sunday.
And I've taken a couple of long walks, which are supposedly no better than running when it comes to healing from PF. But one run in 20 days is a low I haven't seen in years. That counts as "not running."

Yes, I know I sound like a smoker who substitutes a straw for a cigarette and who chews nicotine gum for a fix... I know I sound like a drinker who says "I haven't had a drink in weeks! Except for one with dinner yesterday. But that doesn't count."

We all have our addictions.

And while the placebos are working for now...
I cannot wait for my next fix.

What is the longest you've gone without running?
How do you avoid withdrawal symptoms when you're sidelined from an activity you love?

Saturday, August 18

Can do

This morning was the first Saturday morning in months that did not involve a crack-of-dawn alarm clock. The reason: no morning run on the schedule thanks to a bout of plantar fasciitis.

It's been six days of no running. By all accounts I should be going bonkers.

But here's the thing...
I stumbled across this quote and it has become my recovery mantra:
"When you catch yourself slipping into a pool of negativity, notice how it derives from nothing other than resistance to the current situation."
Donna Quesada, The Buddha in the Classroom: Zen Wisdom to Inspire Teachers
So...
I'm trying not to fight the situation.

  • I can't run, but I can catch up on my reading goals for the year.
  • I can't run, but I can spend an hour on my stationary bike in the cool sanctuary of my air conditioned living room.
  • I can't run, but I can spend a morning preparing class materials for the start of fall semester.
  • I can't run, but I can fill the refrigerator with fresh produce and make delicious meals like whole wheat pasta with broccoli rabe and spicy chicken sausage.
  • I can't run, but I can sleep in one day for a change.
  • I can't run, but I can go to yoga class for the first time since May.


There is only one "can't" but there are a whole lot of "can-dos."

(PS - Dear readers, please remind me of this mantra if I still can't run 3 weeks from now and the effects of good these intentions wear off...)

What can you do this weekend that makes you happy?

Wednesday, August 15

PF strikes again

I've been avoiding admitting this out loud, but the poking pain in my right foot refuses to be silenced any longer.

It looks like I am the latest victim of the evil PF monster.

This is new to me.

Years ago I had IT band issues, and figured out how to beat those. Last summer I strained my calf in a jellyfish sting incident, and I rested and iced my way to recovery. I've had more than my fair share of blisters, and I've lost toenails. But plantar fasciitis has never been in my personal injury vocabulary... until now.

At this point it's not debilitating, just annoying. But I'm starting to notice aches in my hip and calf, which are telltale signs that my sore foot is mucking up my stride.

Podiatry Today notes that:
"Treating plantar fasciitis is challenging for any patient but it is much more difficult in the running population due mainly to the runner not wanting to take any time off from running."
Go figure.

But, I'd rather nip this in the bud before it gets worse, so...

... as much as it pains me to type these words: I'm going to cut back on running for the next couple of weeks, ice my instep, and massage the sore spot with a tennis ball.
Meet Tennie, my new training partner

Any other recommendations would be warmly welcomed!

(In the meantime, I guess it's a good thing I've got the New 2 U Cross Training Challenge to keep me distracted.)

Have you ever dealt with plantar fasciitis or similar injury?
What are your recovery secrets?

Sunday, October 23

Keep going? Or not?

Yesterday Hubby and I went for a "hike" (ok, a glorified off-road walk) at the University of West Florida cross-country trails. These signs were my favorite part of the adventure:
Caution: You may encounter poisonous snakes
and alligators in this area.
We saw fish, turtles, squirrels (including an albino squirrel!) and birds... but no gators or snakes. I'm a little bummed about that. I live in a swamp, yet the only gator I've ever seen in the wild was in South Carolina!

How often do you get to go for a walk or run where the wildlife might eat you?

Today was our scheduled long-run day in preparation for an upcoming half marathon. Hubby knocked out exactly 13.1 miles. I, on the other hand, had "issues."

I have been trying to ignore nagging hip pain on my runs for the past couple of weeks, but this morning the offending hip was worse. I stretched and foam-rolled before the run. Yet the hip didn't ease up after the first 15 minutes of running like it usually does. So I had an epic "should I keep going or not?" battle raging in my head for nearly two hours.
My run / don't run brain fought like these sea lions...
Keep going: Run my planned 12 miles, despite the hip pain.
Not: Risk aggravating what is clearly an injury.
Keep going: Suck it up. After all: No pain. No gain.
Not: Skip my 12 today, hit the foam roller, and try again tomorrow.
Keep going: There is only one more long run between now and the race. This is crucial training time!
Not: You might not be able to race at all if you make this injury worse.
Keep going: You're being a wuss!
Not: You'd be stupid to push this! This isn't just tired muscles!
You know it's bad when your mind starts calling itself names...

And, of course, this debate was in full swing as I was out on the road slogging along. (Do as I say, not as I do?)

In the end I decided on a middle-of-the-road course of action. When the hip showed no signs of loosening up, I adopted a run 10 / walk 5 strategy. (And yes, I am ashamed to admit, on my running blog, that I walked so much of my morning "run." I am also embarrassed to admit that I continued running when I probably should not have...) I finished something closer to 9 miles than the planned 12.

Over post-run breakfast, Hubby and I were debating the "should haves" again. His perspective was:
"If you had asked me this three years ago, I'd have said 'suck it up.' But now I know powering through can make things worse, so I'd say 'this won't be a PR race for you anyway, so you risk more with injury than with miles at this point'."
That perspective should make me feel better... but I still feel like a wuss for my poor performance this morning.

And yet I also worry that I pushed too hard this morning for "junk" miles when I should have just called today a rest day and tried again tomorrow.

ARGH!!!

Maybe I'll go back to focusing on 5ks...

Do you ease up when you feel joint pain, or do you push through it?
Do you feel nagging guilt when you cut a run short?


Photo (of sea lions) courtesy of Liz Noffsinger / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Wednesday, June 29

High heels hurt less?

We have a verdict on the aftermath of Sunday's jellyfish attack: I have a strained, possibly torn, gastrocnemius.

The stinging subsided in my foot, but the cramping and pain continued in my calf. Clearly I did something horribly wrong (besides stepping on a jellyfish). In rushing for the outdoor showers to wash the jellyfish off my foot, I made a critical error. Rather than walk the long way around a brick wall to enter the shower area, I decided to hop over the wall. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The "pop" I felt in my left calf, however, is a reminder that sometimes fastest is not bestest.

Sunday night my left leg would not hold my weight. (Hopping around the house on one jellyfish-stung foot, while gingerly keeping the other from touching the floor, was so much fun.) Light pressure on the calf hurt. Monday even shaving my legs was uncomfortable. (I don't press that hard with my razor! Really!) But Tuesday was a bit better, and today my calf is mostly just stiff and sore.

But here's a weird twist to this tale: Uncomfortable women's attire is the cure for all of these ills!
#1 - I learned that if I had been wearing pantyhose on the beach, I wouldn't have been stung in the first place! The nematocysts that release venom don't react unless they come into contact with flesh. Hence: pantyhose protect against jellyfish.
#2 - I put on a pair of low heels to teach class today, and to my great shock and surprise, walking down stairs was less painful with them on than without. (Yes. You read that correctly. Walking in heels feels better than barefoot. For the first time ever.) I suppose this makes sense. My calf feels fine when my toes are pointed. And hurts like a !#$@%$ when I flex my foot. Those heels... keep my toes pointed. Brilliant! Bring on the stilettos!

High heels don't get me back up and running just yet, though.
And, despite the fact that I adore my BCBG heels, I can tell you which shoes I'd rather be wearing...


Do any of you have recommendations to keep from going crazy when you can't run?

Sunday, June 26

Ouch! That really hurt!

Earlier today I suggested that I had a successful running day, logging 6 miles on the treadmill, and that I was contemplating another run to blow off some first-day-of-class stress.

Well, I solved the problem of pre-teaching jitters all right.

My husband and I decided to take an evening walk on the beach. Beautiful white sand. A nice breeze. The perfect way to relax before a hectic week begins. And walking is an excellent form of active recovery.

But just when all was going well, a jellyfish attacked! (My apologies for the grainy cell-phone photo. It's the best I could do under the circumstances.)

The worst part of the whole incident is that in high-tailing it back across the sand to the showers, my calf started cramping. I get muscle spasms all the time, but this is like nothing I've ever felt before. Part of me wants to think it's just because I ran this morning, and my legs aren't used to a half mile sprint across soft sand... The other part of me wants to think I'm tougher than that, and that it's an effect of the sting.

Which one is worse, I wonder: Cramping up after a walk to the point where my left leg doesn't want to hold my weight? Or cramping up from jellyfish venom? The former implies that I'm becoming a wuss, the latter that a jellyfish is trying to kill me.

Well, no matter what happens in class tomorrow, it's likely to be a lot more pleasant than this!