Do-Over

This morning's run really aggravated me....I managed to pull myself out of bed and drive to the track and then couldn't complete a full run. So, I made up my mind to go to the bridge tonight with my son. It was a beautiful day and the weather was slightly cooler than usual, with only some major wind at the top of the bridge...but we managed to have a great run and NO SIDE STITCH! This morning must have been a freak occurrence...I am a bit sore from my recent TRX training, specifically under the area of my rib cage. I suspect that some of this soreness may have contributed to a spasm during this mornings run. Either way, I was meant to run again today, and I'm glad that I did. Tomorrow calls for the first day of a new month, an hour run on the track, followed by TRX.

Side Stitch

Since the 19 mile run on Saturday, I have recovered quite well. My foot is doing great with very minimal pain and my hip is starting to feel attached to my leg again...LOL. I have been stretching and iced my hip over the weekend. I spoke with a friend who is an experienced runner last night. We were talking about the frequency of my running injuries and he suggested that I increase the frequency and duration of my runs during the week. My schedule had been 3-4 miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a long run on Saturday. Instead, he recommended running no less than 5 miles during the week. Additionally, I would be increasing from 2 days a week, to at least 4 days. I was always under the impression that I should be conservative during the week, maintaining a 45 minute weekday run, to avoid injury for my long runs. However, it is quite the opposite. By running less miles during the week, my body is not adequately prepared to withstand the long miles on Saturday. So, it is a conditioning approach to becoming stronger for the long runs ahead. Of course, it calls for a "dedication check" since it will require more time and commitment on my part to get these miles in during the week. With that said, I headed to the YMCA this morning to run the outside track. I walked the first lap as a warm up and then started running. Almost instantly, I developed a side stitch. This happens very rarely to me, but I know how to control my breathing and stretch to help it subside. However, today was not successful. This was a bit discouraging. I continued to deep breathe and stretch, but was only able to run (or attempt to run) for 30 minutes today. I suppose it wasn't meant to be today. I came home and did a bit of research to make sure there wasn't other things I could do....here is what I found on side stitch while running. It is described as a sharp, twinge of pain just below the ribs, usually on the right side of the abdomen. There is no direct cause of a side stitch, although some theories support that it has to do with what a runner eats prior to the run. One study reports that those that consumed fruit juice or beverages high in carbohydrates can instigate the onset of a stitch. The more complicated theory is that it is caused by stretching the ligaments that extend from the diaphragm to internal organs, specifically the liver. While breathing, the jarring motion stretches these ligaments. For some people, they exhale when the left foot hits the ground. Others, exhale when the right foot hits the ground. It is those that exhale when the right food hits the ground that may be more prone to a side stitch. During the exhale on the right foot, it causes greater force on the liver. So as the liver is dropping down, the diaphragm is raising. The theory is that this repeated stretching leads to spasms. If you develop a stitch while running, it is recommended to stop and place your hand on your right side of your belly and push up while breathing evenly. While running, concentrate on deep inhalations and exhales. Short, shallow breathing can instigate a stitch. Many times, stretching can resolve the stitch and allow for a pain free run. Also, slowing down the pace, even to a walk may help. To read more: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/aa053100a.htm

17+1+1=19

Today was scheduled to be a 17 mile run...however, the weather was perfect and I was feeling a bit zealous, so I completed 19 miles. We started our run at 5am instead of 6am in an effort to avoid as much sunlight (aka HEAT) as possible. But, to my surprise the temperature was 74 degrees at 4am!!! The weather made for a very pleasant run considering we had so many miles to do. There was a great breeze through the entire run, especially on the bridge. I had a nice proportion of fluid intake, along with my Gu and dextrose. I think the last 3 miles were more painful just because I knew I was almost done. I had to work with myself mentally to talk myself through the last few miles. Now I will have a couple weeks of taper runs and then do another moderate run, maybe 15 miles or so? At the end of September I have a 26 mile split run planned with Nancy. So I am done with today's run and I plan to rest, rest, rest. My foot is holding up pretty well right now. I soaked in Epsom Salt and I am icing my feet as I type. Next week calls for more TRX and a couple 3 mile runs. I really am in awe that I did 19 miles today, I can't wait for Marine Corps!!!

TRX Suspension Training

This morning I began a new cross-training exercise called TRX Suspension Training. All I have to say is OMG and WOW! The suspension training is pretty cool and you use your own body weight to move through the exercises. (See the link at the end of this post to view the website.) The class was divided into two groups. One group worked on the "straps" and one group did cardio exercises. Each group worked on the same interval schedule, one set of 45 seconds and a second set of 60 seconds. The cardio exercises were jumping jacks, mountain climbers, push ups, squats, running in place with high knees, and shoulder presses with arm weights. It's hard to describe the suspension training exercises without being able to demonstrate, but basically it involved bicep curls, push ups, planks, etc. The video links on the website provided will be helpful for the visual of the straps. Stephanie and I had run 3 miles prior to the class starting, and I quickly learned that one water bottle is not enough for running and a TRX class. Silly me. I will definitely come more prepared next week! It was a great workout, although I did get a bit light headed about half way through the class. However, once I sat for about 10 minutes, I was able to get back in the class and finish the hour. Afterwards, I felt so energized and awake! It was a tough class, but I really liked the fact that I was able to work my entire body. I think if I stay with this for a while I can really gain overall physical tone and strength. The instructor was great and said this program was invented by Navy Seals. I plan to incorporate this class in my schedule at least once a week, ideally twice a week. My arms are sore but I think I should be back to normal tomorrow. I considered going back on Friday, but I'm doing a 17 mile run on Saturday so I better be ready! By the way, the foot is soooo much better than this time last week. I'm feeling really confident about Saturday's run! Start time will be at 5am. Check out www.fitnessanywhere.com to learn more about TRX.

Grateful

All week long you have been hearing about my foot injury and how it HAD brought my spirits down. I am happy to say that I ran just shy of 7 miles today and my foot cooperated very well! I am so grateful for my feet and my body that allow me to run. I had doubts that my foot would withstand such distance today, but it did. When I arrived this morning I thought it would just be Leah and I doing a straight run, but Mary, Nancy, and some of the girls in our pace group surprised us and joined. They went on to do 9 miles. Leah and I settled for 7 miles since she is battling a foot injury as well. The morning was hot and humid, but the occasional breeze and good company made for a really great run. After the run, I was able to sit down with my wonderful running coaches, Mary and Nancy, and we planned out my schedule for training runs. It's hard to believe that the marathon is almost here! Only 9 weeks to go! We have revised my schedule a little bit, thanks to good advice from my fellow running partners. Here what it will look like for the duration of training: Week of 8/28: 15-19 miles, weeks 9/4 and 9/11 taper runs, week 9/18: 10 miles, week 9/25-9/26 split run each day 13 miles, week 10/2 - taper run, week 10/9: 15-18 miles, weeks 10/16 and 10/23 taper runs. All of this will still be dependent on my currently healing foot injury. Due to the fact that I am a magnet for running injuries, they thought it would be best if I split my 26 mile run into 2 phases, but still within 24 hours. So, I will do 13 Saturday morning and 13 Sunday morning. This way, I will have completed the 26 miles, but in a more conservative way. I am looking forward to the weeks ahead! Stay tuned for a new cross-training exercise experience this week: TRX Suspension Training.

Things are looking up!

What a difference a day makes...since my last post on Tuesday my foot has drastically improved! I went to see my chiropractor yesterday and she reassured me that I would get through this. I told her where my pain was and she worked on that area. She also showed me a stretch I can do for my foot during the day. Since the sudden injury, my pain is not staying in one localized area. Instead, it has moved into a few different areas of my foot. If it would have been a stress fracture, the pain would remain localized. Right now, my discomfort is in my toes. I know it probably sounds strange, but it is the ultimate toe cramp kind of feeling. I felt a lot of relief after I left her office yesterday afternoon. I called the girls and planned to run this morning. We did 3 miles this morning and I would report that I felt approximately 90% better than I did Tuesday. The only thing I changed since Tuesday was the fact that I wore my old running shoes. I had been wearing New Balance since November of 2009 and recently switched to Saucony. I'm considering going back to New Balance. The run was a success and I'm icing the toes as I type. The last couple days I have found myself in silent prayers. Whenever I think about my foot I send a little request up above to help me through this. This Saturday was planned to be track work on the training schedule, but the group decided to do bridge repeats instead. Due to the fact that I am not 100% healed and bridge repeats are intense on the feet, I have opted out. Instead, I will run with my running friend, Leah, and we will do a straight run. Most likely, it will be 7-8 miles. More updates to follow after the Saturday run. Thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers...keep them coming my way!!!

Trial Run

Today was my first run since this recent foot injury. I had been feeling some relief over the weekend and went to see my chiropractor yesterday for another treatment. She encouraged me to try to run this morning and just stay close to home to see how much I could handle. I had some soreness in my foot the minute I stepped out of bed this morning. I tried to stay hopeful that the run wouldn't be too painful. During my walk warm up I was trying not to change my gait, but my foot was quite sore. I began to run through my intervals and was pleased that running did not increase my already existing pain. I made it through 30 minutes and had to return home only because I did not wake up early enough for any longer. I also didn't want to over do it and be in severe pain the rest of the day. It is interesting because once I showered and got ready for work, my heels are actually the most comfortable for my foot and has the least impact on my gait. I have iced twice today and I am heading to the couch for more ice and maybe some massage. I must admit, this has brought my spirits down a bit. This is now my fourth injury since January of this year. I know in part this comes with the territory in being a runner. But I also know that I am just not strong enough. The time necessary for proper cross training and overall body strength are something that I lack. I was speaking to a fellow running acquaintance today who said she maintains a 10 mile maximum training run and doesn't rely on an intensive training schedule for a marathon. She believes that the mental component during the race is the essential element to crossing the finish line. She said that if you can run a strong 10 mile run, a marathon requires three times your strength. Just as a half marathon requires three times the strength of a 5k run. I have thought about that today and it has crossed my mind that perhaps I will not sustain the training schedule set before me. To date, my longest run is 15 miles. Initially, I had wanted to run a full 26 mile training run to feel that I had already accomplished such distance while I am at the race. But now I am not sure if that is the best plan. I am going to continue my treatments with the chiropractor and have a serious talk with my running coach this Saturday to discuss my training schedule. Obviously, I don't want to jeopardize my training by "over-training" and then be faced with a severe injury that prevents me from even reaching the start line at Marine Corps. I'm not sure why I have been faced with these injuries this year. Nothing is harder than having a goal and experiencing these set backs to make it so difficult to accomplish something! I'm seeking peace around this and praying for strong feet to get me through this journey. I'm actually looking forward to the 19 mile run in 2 weeks, but I need to be strong enough to complete it...which means my feet need to cooperate! Positive thoughts and prayers are welcomed right now for me.

Dropped Cuboid Bone

Since my last post on the 15 mile run, I recovered quite well. By Sunday morning I woke up feeling my normal self. I had a business meeting Monday through Wednesday that kept me from doing a run day on Tuesday. But, I returned home Wednesday evening and made plans to run with Stephanie on Thursday morning. About half way into the run, my right foot started to give me pain on the outside of the foot. I mentioned to Stephanie how strange it was that my right foot was suddenly giving me problems. Usually my left leg is the difficult one. We were almost done with a 5 mile run and my foot started to really hurt. The pain wasn't only on the outside, it was now radiating sharp pain into my toes. I could no longer run and we had to walk the last 1/2 mile back to Steph's house. Ugh! I got to my car and took my shoes off. I wasn't sure what the heck was going on. When I got home I was limping and in a lot of pain. I iced it and got ready for work. Immediately, I called and made an appointment to see my chiropractor. My work day consists of a lot of standing and walking, but I managed to get through it. I saw my chiropractor on Friday and told her the story. She immediately identified my symptoms and diagnosed it as a "dropped cuboid bone". A dropped what?? She said she has treated it before and it is very common for this to suddenly occur. I am scheduled to see her three times next week. The cuboid bone is one of seven bones in the foot. The cuboid syndrome often manifests in lateral (side-to-side) pain or foot weakness. The pain may come on suddenly or gradually persist over time. The condition mainly affects athletes, especially those with a significant amount of impact on the feet. The patient's foot type may play role, for instance in those that overpronate or underpronate. A medical professional can treat this syndrome by realigning (also known as reducing) the subluxed cuboid. It is a manual manipulation that is done by a trained professional. For some patients, this treatment also includes being fitted for orthotics. So, yesterday was a planned 10k race with the group. I was not able to run but I did show up to support the group. When everyone crossed the finish line they were complaining how miserably hot it was. It was so difficult to see them running in and hear their labored breathing. I really wanted to be running with them. My running coach encouraged me to follow the doctors orders and be conservative right now. At least we are on a two week taper until the next big long run which is 19 miles. I have been icing the foot and I am starting to feel some relief after only one treatment with the chiropractor. I believe that I will get through this set back, just like I have done all the others. Even if I show up at the start line under-trained, I will get through this race. Stay tuned for updates this week...

The Long(est) Run...to date

Today was certainly a long run. One of which was my longest run to date, 15 miles. I will admit I was thinking about it last night, hoping and praying I would survive. And survive, I did. The morning began with a slight drizzle of rain which made me hopeful for cloud cover during the run. Unfortunately, that was not the case today. The weather forecast called for 50% chance of rain, and at 9pm tonight we are still awaiting the sky to open up. Oh well, I suppose we survived despite the scorching temperatures. We managed to find shade whenever possible and we stayed very hydrated. My fuel belt carries four bottles, each are eight ounces. I filled them three times today!! Overall, I felt strong on the run. There is a section of our route that I find to be a never-ending stretch, so today I brought my iPod. I found it to be very helpful during this part of the course. My running partners were not offended by me tuning them out and it was a nice distraction for me to push through the long part. At mile 13, my running coach said, "Jenn, you just did a half-marathon". I knew this meant only two more miles to the finish. It felt surreal knowing I would run beyond my limit today. And those last two miles seemed to last forever. The morning was bringing higher temperatures the longer we were on the road and I began to feel increasingly tired. One thing I will improve on for the next long run is to be more conscientious of my energy replacements during the run. Over today's 15 miles, I only consumed one Gu and tons of water. I should have probably taken another Gu, along with a dextrose tablet. All of this was in my fuel belt, but I kept pushing through instead of feeding myself. The heat does incredible things while training and my body was definitely feeling its effects. When we reached the finish, the pain in my hips and feet set in. My stomach had reached full potential of fluid intake and I needed to SIT! When we returned to our cars, my running coach had ice-cold popsicles waiting for us! I ate the popsicle faster than light speed and chugged a coconut water. Ah, it felt great to be done! When I got home, my husband had a lovely breakfast on the table for me of eggs, turkey bacon, toast, and fruit! I headed to the shower and then nourished myself with breakfast and my recovery drink. Immediately, I iced my feet and re-centered. After a nap, I woke up to much less body aches and a more revived sense of self. It's amazing how two additional miles can hit you like a ton of bricks! I know this is all muscle adaptation and it's part of the process to train my body. I will have two weeks of taper runs, until the next long run of 19 miles. Meanwhile, I will keep hydrating, stretching, and resting. I may not have had the clouds on my side today, but I had something from above guiding each and every step. I am grateful for today and I thank my body for pushing me beyond my limit!

The Flip Side of the Snooze Button...

This is my first week without boot camp torture and I can honestly say that I miss it! My running partners are both on vacation (the NERVE of them!) and I have been running solo this week, until tonight! On Tuesday, I managed to climb out of bed and head to the YMCA. I lifted some weight and ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I planned to return to the YMCA this morning, but I didn't win the fight against the snooze button. My body has been sore this week, my hamstrings are tight, and I suppose I simply needed to sleep. I was perfectly fine with this mindset this morning. My bed was wonderfully comfortable and the sound of my husband snoring was delightful. I did, however, begin to feel guilty when my feet finally hit the ground and it occurred to me that I had slept through my workout. It is important for me to keep up with my week day runs so that I am strong for my long runs. Plus I want to lift weights during my "off-season" of boot camp so that the arm flab doesn't return. Besides, no one wants to see pictures of me crossing the finish line at Marine Corps with flabby arms!! As the day went on today I wasn't sure how I could make up for missing this morning's run. Perhaps I could go to the YMCA after work...but then I remembered how much I hate it there at that hour. You know that time...when everyone else has just gotten off work and people are timing you for when you will finish with the machine THEY are ready to use. I like it there in the peaceful hours of the early morning, when the rest of the city is sleeping! During dinner, the subject came up about running and my son said he hadn't run yet today. (He is a baseball player and is running two days a week). Then, my husband chimed in that he could ride the bike while we ran. Wow! What a great idea! So there we were...my son was well ahead of me and I was keeping a nice tempo while my husband rode alongside on the bike. About half way through the run I realized I should have waited another half hour for my dinner to digest, I suffered from some major heartburn...along with my continuous prayer for cooler air. But it was really nice to be with my family and spend the evening a little differently than normal on a Thursday night. We ran approximately 3 miles in our neighborhood. So, I don't feel guilty any more about sleeping in today, instead I feel grateful to have a supportive husband and a motivated son. Nothing means more to me than my family and my health. Stay tuned for Saturday's 15 mile run!