A Month To Heal

My Finish lineat the Marathon in October was a triumph of human will. It was the hardest race I ever ran.  It was also my slowest, as predicted.

I literally hobbled for a few weeks after, having run on an emerging injury.  I found it hard to turn over in bed!  Ibuprofen was my best friend, as well as massage to my trigger points while I healed.  Eventually the pain subsided.  My chiropractor told me my hip flexor on my left was very tight, creating my pained buttock.  I mosied everywhere, trying desperately to cover my pain, as many would comment on how weirdly I was running or exclaim (as my mother did) that running was risky and killing me.  I hate showing the pain of running because I love it so much.

I decided as I crossed the line that I was probably going to rest for a month from running so I could recuperate and recharge my running passion.  I continued to stretch my hip flexor.

Well, I did.  I am now just entering back into the running scene, having started at 5 k, 8 k and then 10 k last week.  My delayed muscle soreness has lasted me a lot longer than expected, so I could have probably backed off the mileage, but one month should be alright for not losing too much fitness.  At least this is my stubborn belief.  I know I have gained a bit of weight, so this will need to be addressed, mostly due to snacking and inactivity, and wine :).

REST is the BEST

There is a differencebetween being a lay-about and truly resting.   Sometimes when life is getting too crazy and demanding, its tough to get your butt out the door for a long time sweating and panting, changing and showering.  I am having that kind of stretch.  What I do know however, that in the long run (pun?  oopsy!) it is going to pay off in many worthy ways.  

That is not how it always works in the payoff department however.  For example, if I have been sleep deprived, I can not preform ideally.  Getting a good nights sleep is paramount to a focussed mind, a regenerated body and a primed recoup from the previous day.  I have gone out for runs in a unrested state and noticed my energy levels have little reserve.

Does this mean I skip whenever I feel tired?  Nope.  It does mean that I may alter my running regime.  A long run may turn to half that mileage.  My intensity may need to back off to a recovery pace.

Rest does not mean stillness on all accounts.  Just as an injury can call for some change up in what discipline a person uses, rest can mean perhaps switching how the running looks.  Being a driven person on many accounts, this can be very difficult.  It can represent a threat to the big plan.  However, looking at it form the perspective of staying on the plan long term rather than burning out or being injured, rest can take on a longevity dose!

So , if your schedule is taking it out of you, back off a bit, go for a easy run with  a friend, cross train, or even take a full rest and sleep in.  Your big plan will still be achieved if you think of it as a part of your investment! 

Happy running!

Taper Tantrums

First time I have been to a sports massage therapist, and it was totally enlightening.  I had to get past the nudity under the blanket, but that was quickly overcome.  I was feeling anxious about my tight piriformis, and its effect on the coming race, so this is what most of the conversation included.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear that most people in training just before the race go through some breakdown.  The therapist calls it Taper Tantrums!  Taper Tantrums refer to the visits frequented by those preparing to race in long races, and because of the intensity peaking just before the race, the body kind of goes into shock, preparing to mend and heal based on the fact that there was breakdown for a long period.  Rest now and recovery is paramount to a good performance.  If the work has been put in, then the race just needs the focus and trust put in as we rest.  Thissettled me, and i was given a clean bill of cautious health for the coming weeks.

Cycling up or Down in Training

Cycles.I found an article in my research that is helping me tremendously to understand possibly why I had injuries this year.  Its about cycles, and the explaniation is pretty logical.  I went from doing 13 km in the winter for my longer runs- 15 km to 24 km.  This buildup with no real reprieve is immensely problematic to the need for our bodies to recuperate and rest.  True of life as well. We are not machines, impervious to wear and tear.  We are organic.  Resting is a part of growing, of strengthening and of producing.  Its as important as the actual work.  Swing to either side of the pendulum and there will be trouble. So I am realizing there is much more to learn about preparing for a race, about planning for improvement and for making gains in life.  To everything there is a season.

2.5 weeks of a pain in the ... HEE HAW

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Well, my marathon training has now been bitten into. My muscles are continuing to give me grief, cross training is still the only way i can get out and about. I went for a trial run two days ago, but felt the discomfort growing in my injury, so I stopped it and made an appointment with my chiropractor.
Seems I have a secondary injury now in my buttock. My gluteus minimus is tight and injured. Ice rest and stretching. I will try in about a cup of coffee today to go for a run, but my guess is the injury will stop me again and I will need to grab my bike again.
With the kind of year I have had, this really does not surprise me, that I am injured, preventing me from the only outlet I have for personal time. I even got a flat tire last outing on my bike!
What this means for my marathon come October, i really don't know. I was ahead of Yasso's plan, so i will have to see.
UPDATE: 1 Hour Later: I went for another trial run. Got further than last time. It is definitely a different injury now. Right in my higher side. Dang. I had to stop since the discomfort was growing to where I couldn't maintain proper running form.
Rule followed in running: if the pain is changing your form or gait, STOP IMMEDIATELY.

POST NOTE:
A very informative podcast to refer to when injured comes from this blog called Runners Roundtable. It has the info I refer to through the resources I have found on injury assessment, treatment, and prevention. The audio is a bit sketchy, but it has experienced runners talking about their various injuries from running. Enjoy!
So..

• For Piriformis Syndrome Pain
• For Gluteus Minimus stretching

I will post more as I learn more about this new ailment. Until then, I am still a pain in the ass.
I Have a Chiro appointment today. Who, by the way, tried to kill me last week in treatment. Brandt, you know you're wonderful, but those tears were real.

Getting Better

Well, its been a week nearly since I have taking a break from running to get my piriformus back in working order. I have stretched, went to the chiropractor, and iced my butt. I am feeling improvement and hope to hit the road again soon. I really do feel like something is missing, mornings aren't quite the same with out my runs.
I still feel sore when I let my hip on the right side drop. I think I might be investing in a foam roller I keep reading about online. They seem to be really helpful. I used a frozen water bottle yesterday to get some massage on the right places.
My goal this fall is the Kelowna Marathon. 42 km right now seems intriguing, although intimidating. I respect that distance. WIll I enjoy it? Will it be misery? So far I love pushing my long runs. I know I am a sicko. But I feel really alive and empowered on that kind of run, excited to see how much I can do.
Hopefully I will have healed up enough to get on that training ASAP.
I'm going to Victoria this summer, so a long run seems immanent. :)

Man Down Man Down!

Well I did it again. Got an injury that will require some time off from running for a few days. I was on my long run on Sunday morning, pushing to 24 km, felt great, but had a bit of a tender Piriformis (now I can see clearly that this was what I was feeling, I wasn't sure if it wa because i spilled on my bike). By the time I got back, it hadn't gone away. Should not have run on it like that, now it is inflamed and painful to walk on.
I know the stretches, to apply cold and feed my body with protein and other nutrients to heal quickly. I hate this, though as it was preventable. This is the second bout of this injury I have had, both this year.
I have also developed ITB syndrome, which as not as painful, but made me back off my mileage and find new ways to contort to heal.
Injuries are now plaguing me, but I certainly need to take care when the need arises, or it will be longer term issues, which I cant afford in my running.