Since the half marathon I spent the week running recovery runs and simply trying to get my workouts in my schedule. Back to school for my kid, back to competitive dance (for her)/carpooling (for me) and everything else being a full time working Mom, wife and part-time dance mom entails left little time for really great training. My phone's health monitor told me on Sunday I could do better, so this week I'm trying lol.
So far I've managed two solid runs. Monday's was a run commute but I managed to tack on an extra 2km to it, so I was pretty satisfied with that. Yesterday was a rainy day. I was totally going to bag my run in favor of a strength routine but fate got in the way and due to an armed standoff I couldn't even get close to my home (my kid was at dance practice and hubby was at work). Thankfully the standoff ended peacefully and before I needed to carpool three pre-teen singing girls home from dance. But it left me stuck. Run in the rain or bag it altogether? I decided to run. It meant I had to get changed from my work clothes into my running gear in the back of my suv; thankfully there was only 1 other car in the parking lot and I had enough coats and gear to cover the windows! In the end it was an awesome run. Truly. I got totally soaked but I had the trail to myself and energy to spare. I scrambled up the hills and jumped from rock to rock to avoid the small rivers caused by the rain. It was glorious.
The drive back to pick up the girls though was not. My knee spasmed and felt like one part of the muscle above my knee was twisting inward and the bottom was twisting the opposite way. OUCH. Clearly I pushed it a bit too hard lol. Then my knee went into full-on movie goers knee and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to straighten it ever again. Thankfully some slow breathing helped and the pain eased off, and I could extend my leg. Crisis averted ;-)
On my run I had my usual mix of passing thoughts; my to-do lists, things happening at work, home etc, but then I thought about a recent conversation with my mother. She had congratulated me on my recent half marathon and made a comment about how my body had betrayed me, after I was injured (and how great it was I had overcome that). I thought about that a lot. She had actually asked me if I felt like that a year prior and I had said no. I still feel that way. I don't feel like my body betrayed me when I cracked my knee and caused this OA. It was an accident and more than anything I am pissed off at my thoughtlessness which led to the accident, not my body. I thought about why she would think that way and why I didn't. Then I thought about my running and how a lot of runners talk about their body and their mental state as two separate things. To me, they are intertwined. I can't imagine getting through a 50km race fighting with myself. Sure, races have a huge mental aspect, but the mental state must cooperate with the physical state or you're finished. So to feel like my body betrayed me seems like I'm separating the two halves and I don't think I could go long if I felt that way. Our minds and body must work in concert, rectify any issues they might have at a given moment and move forward.
So what's my next goal? I'm toying with the idea of the half marathon in October. It's on a trail and it's a small race so both are big draws for me. Aside from that I'm going full force into preparing for the Wraskally Wrabbit 2017 edition. I've been away from my favorite race for 2 years and I'll be damned if I'm missing a third. Time to get stronger and eat some hills!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
Maritime Race Weekend - Race Recap
I came, I saw, I ran. I ran faster than last year but not enough to make my goal of under 3 hours. There is just something about this race where I cannot get a decent time, no matter which distance I choose. It might be the insanely packed traffic for the first 3km, or it might be the hills, oh zee hills that never end. Either way I clearly have some work to do in the coming months. It has also strengthened my resolve to run another race in October.
The morning started out with a bit of a hiccup. I thought I could catch the last transit bus to the start line but in the mystical wisdom that is Metro Transit, the bus never came. With 45 minutes to go I started speed walking to the start, thankfully only 3km away. When I got there I meandered around, passively looking for a porta potty but finding none. I lined up behind the 2:40 Half pace bunny, optimistic about my chances. After a minute or so of standing around I got a sharp poke in my back. Turning around I saw a women with some of her friends staring back at me. "You know you're supposed to wear your bib on your tummy or it won't read the chip." I looked down at my bid, pinned to my shorts (like usual). "Oh?" I said, half amused but also slightly irritated, "I haven't heard that one before. I'll be fine, this isn't my first race." then I turned around. Holy hell I thought. Who bothers to be such a busy-body? Then I wondered if she was going to pay such a public service to the people wearing their bibs on their backs? By then the cannon had gone off and we were setting off up the road. I kept pace with my 2:30 pace bunny (I was getting really ambitious), but by the 4km mark and a huge hill, I fell back with the 2:40 crew. I didn't manage to stick with them longer than a kilometer but by then I ran into my husband and daughter who were cheering from the sidelines. I gave them a kiss and kept trucking. Since the first big hill I had developed a side stitch. It stuck with me for the next 4km but slowly went away at the 10km mark. I met up with my family again at the 10km mark, were I got a much needed apple sauce packet. From there my time slid and I started feeling the distance in my legs. By the 13km mark I was really struggling to keep a good pace going. But I rallied and tried to stick to my pace as best as possible as I climbed hill after hill. I saw my family one last time before I headed back up the long Cow Bay road towards the 18km mark. I was glad to see the last aid station as it was being manned by some of my fellow dance parents and their kids. One of the kids even ran me through the last aid station and kept my spirits up just as they were starting to get a bit defeated (I thanked her Mom later). Then it was all downhill to the shore again. With 3km left a lady ran up beside me. I decided (and I think so did she) we'd run together to the finish. We chatted about the race, about some of the faster runners and how short both of our training had been over the summer. She was a really nice lady from Bridgewater. We stuck together right to the finish line. Those race friends are always a treat to have, especially at that point when you just want someone to take your mind off of the discomfort and the distance. Cheers, lady from Bridgewater, I'm sorry I didn't get your name!
The best part of the race was that my knee didn't hold me back (much). I only felt pain around the 18km mark, when suddenly my kneecap felt like it doubled in size. It didn't really do that, it just felt like I had two kneecaps. I tried to block out the sensation since it wasn't causing me pain. My short, tired stride at that point must have helped.
Overall it was a good race day. The weather couldn't have been better and the course had lots of support. There were a few issues I hope the RD looks into for next year; namely that start when you have all 4000 people running through a very narrow road for 3km. Maybe stagger the start so we aren't arm wrestling at aid stations or spending 10 minutes zigzagging through crowds? Also, what was up with NO fluids at the finish? I mean that's kind of dangerous isn't it? I walked around looking for something to drink but was only offered a sample of pickle juice (um yeah, I passed on that). The only post-race food I could find was some dry bagels and samples from vendors. Thankfully someone offered me an apple and it was the best one I'd ever had. For the cost of the race some H2O at the finish would have been appreciated. But like I said, no issues came up that ruined the day. I'll still be back next year, trying to better this year's time.
The morning started out with a bit of a hiccup. I thought I could catch the last transit bus to the start line but in the mystical wisdom that is Metro Transit, the bus never came. With 45 minutes to go I started speed walking to the start, thankfully only 3km away. When I got there I meandered around, passively looking for a porta potty but finding none. I lined up behind the 2:40 Half pace bunny, optimistic about my chances. After a minute or so of standing around I got a sharp poke in my back. Turning around I saw a women with some of her friends staring back at me. "You know you're supposed to wear your bib on your tummy or it won't read the chip." I looked down at my bid, pinned to my shorts (like usual). "Oh?" I said, half amused but also slightly irritated, "I haven't heard that one before. I'll be fine, this isn't my first race." then I turned around. Holy hell I thought. Who bothers to be such a busy-body? Then I wondered if she was going to pay such a public service to the people wearing their bibs on their backs? By then the cannon had gone off and we were setting off up the road. I kept pace with my 2:30 pace bunny (I was getting really ambitious), but by the 4km mark and a huge hill, I fell back with the 2:40 crew. I didn't manage to stick with them longer than a kilometer but by then I ran into my husband and daughter who were cheering from the sidelines. I gave them a kiss and kept trucking. Since the first big hill I had developed a side stitch. It stuck with me for the next 4km but slowly went away at the 10km mark. I met up with my family again at the 10km mark, were I got a much needed apple sauce packet. From there my time slid and I started feeling the distance in my legs. By the 13km mark I was really struggling to keep a good pace going. But I rallied and tried to stick to my pace as best as possible as I climbed hill after hill. I saw my family one last time before I headed back up the long Cow Bay road towards the 18km mark. I was glad to see the last aid station as it was being manned by some of my fellow dance parents and their kids. One of the kids even ran me through the last aid station and kept my spirits up just as they were starting to get a bit defeated (I thanked her Mom later). Then it was all downhill to the shore again. With 3km left a lady ran up beside me. I decided (and I think so did she) we'd run together to the finish. We chatted about the race, about some of the faster runners and how short both of our training had been over the summer. She was a really nice lady from Bridgewater. We stuck together right to the finish line. Those race friends are always a treat to have, especially at that point when you just want someone to take your mind off of the discomfort and the distance. Cheers, lady from Bridgewater, I'm sorry I didn't get your name!
The best part of the race was that my knee didn't hold me back (much). I only felt pain around the 18km mark, when suddenly my kneecap felt like it doubled in size. It didn't really do that, it just felt like I had two kneecaps. I tried to block out the sensation since it wasn't causing me pain. My short, tired stride at that point must have helped.
Overall it was a good race day. The weather couldn't have been better and the course had lots of support. There were a few issues I hope the RD looks into for next year; namely that start when you have all 4000 people running through a very narrow road for 3km. Maybe stagger the start so we aren't arm wrestling at aid stations or spending 10 minutes zigzagging through crowds? Also, what was up with NO fluids at the finish? I mean that's kind of dangerous isn't it? I walked around looking for something to drink but was only offered a sample of pickle juice (um yeah, I passed on that). The only post-race food I could find was some dry bagels and samples from vendors. Thankfully someone offered me an apple and it was the best one I'd ever had. For the cost of the race some H2O at the finish would have been appreciated. But like I said, no issues came up that ruined the day. I'll still be back next year, trying to better this year's time.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Downsizing to the Half and could you stop pressing on my knee?!
I bit the bullet. After reading an email from the RD about the 6 hour marathon cut off time, I decided to downgrade my race to the half marathon. Sigh. While I disagree that "if you cannot finish the marathon within 6 hours you are physically unready for the distance," (as they put it), I can't help but respect the rules. Also, I didn't train through this summer heat to not get a medal.
I'm okay with running less, it means I won't be in a world of pain the next day. I now need to work on finishing the half under 2:45. Last year was a gong show of a half marathon so this year I'm determined to get it done in a respectable time frame.
All that said, these past 2 weeks have sucked for my knee. The swelling that was kept at bay by the Naproxen returned really fast so now it feels like there is constant pressure on top of my knee (as if someone is pressing down on it), that I may have developed a slightly migrating form of shin splints and a nasty muscle knot on top of my thigh that even my most torture-looking of rolling sticks can't beat out. Really, that stick is freaking scary with all the pointed knobs. Ugh. I could take the Naproxen again but honestly, it made me so nauseous that I almost prefer the occasional Tylenol. And, as usual, I have no time to sit around my doctor's office, a 2 hour trip most times. Who has 2 hours in the middle of the day?! I have no sick time left and only a few sparse personal hours so I'd rather use those for an actual emergency, not chronic pain and swelling. Last night I had such a bad case of movie-goers knee that I was hobbling around like a 90 year old. Still, not an emergency. Pathetic, yes, but not an emergency.
Despite all that I continue to run. I did take some days off last weekend but it honestly makes things even worse. It's like the swelling has a chance to settle, so running keeps everything moving. I guess, I think. That's what you get when your doctor says there's nothing else that can be done. Lots of guessing.
So I'm not sure what to try from here. Thankfully most physio clinics and my chiropractor work after work hours (yay), so I have options. I just don't know which one to try since I'm not really sure who could fix the problem.
I'm okay with running less, it means I won't be in a world of pain the next day. I now need to work on finishing the half under 2:45. Last year was a gong show of a half marathon so this year I'm determined to get it done in a respectable time frame.
All that said, these past 2 weeks have sucked for my knee. The swelling that was kept at bay by the Naproxen returned really fast so now it feels like there is constant pressure on top of my knee (as if someone is pressing down on it), that I may have developed a slightly migrating form of shin splints and a nasty muscle knot on top of my thigh that even my most torture-looking of rolling sticks can't beat out. Really, that stick is freaking scary with all the pointed knobs. Ugh. I could take the Naproxen again but honestly, it made me so nauseous that I almost prefer the occasional Tylenol. And, as usual, I have no time to sit around my doctor's office, a 2 hour trip most times. Who has 2 hours in the middle of the day?! I have no sick time left and only a few sparse personal hours so I'd rather use those for an actual emergency, not chronic pain and swelling. Last night I had such a bad case of movie-goers knee that I was hobbling around like a 90 year old. Still, not an emergency. Pathetic, yes, but not an emergency.
Despite all that I continue to run. I did take some days off last weekend but it honestly makes things even worse. It's like the swelling has a chance to settle, so running keeps everything moving. I guess, I think. That's what you get when your doctor says there's nothing else that can be done. Lots of guessing.
So I'm not sure what to try from here. Thankfully most physio clinics and my chiropractor work after work hours (yay), so I have options. I just don't know which one to try since I'm not really sure who could fix the problem.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Side Effects Suck...so back to the drawing board!
The nasty side effects of the naproxen haven't completely left me. I dealt with embarrassing gas, bloating and sporadic burping for days after my vomiting/acid reflux attack. I tried to dismiss my daily nausea on psychosomatic symptoms but since I stopped taking the naproxen a few days ago the symptoms have gone away. I can't help but feel there is a correlation. The problem is my thigh and knee pain have increased exponentially. I'm not quite at the point where pain is waking me up in the middle of the night, but I very quickly started getting "movie-goer knee" again at work. This will really suck if there's a fire drill.
Despite feeling gross and achy I've kept running. Some days it's been only 5km/3 miles, but other days I've gone as far as 10km. I need to squeeze in an actual long run this weekend when I have the time. Runs have been okay, nothing awesome except on a few rare occasions. The heat is back in full force so I try not to beat myself up about my frequent walk breaks.
The most exciting running-related news is that I was asked to be on a relay team for next spring. The race is the only one of its kind in the province and even my husband wants to run a leg! Now I just have to focus on getting my pace under 6 minutes per km (as per race rules). Currently I hover in the 8 minute range, with great runs in the 7 minute range. I'm hoping with some specific speed work I can drop my time down farther. I've got time, time to giv'r!
Despite feeling gross and achy I've kept running. Some days it's been only 5km/3 miles, but other days I've gone as far as 10km. I need to squeeze in an actual long run this weekend when I have the time. Runs have been okay, nothing awesome except on a few rare occasions. The heat is back in full force so I try not to beat myself up about my frequent walk breaks.
The most exciting running-related news is that I was asked to be on a relay team for next spring. The race is the only one of its kind in the province and even my husband wants to run a leg! Now I just have to focus on getting my pace under 6 minutes per km (as per race rules). Currently I hover in the 8 minute range, with great runs in the 7 minute range. I'm hoping with some specific speed work I can drop my time down farther. I've got time, time to giv'r!
Monday, August 15, 2016
Scale back week and working on speed
After an extended family camping trip over the weekend it is time to get back training for this half marathon in less than 5 weeks! Ack!
I did run a bit on Saturday, even with the fire ban. I found a logging road that took me 2km into the woods before I found a sign telling me to bugger-off because of the ban. In total I managed 6km before heading off to the local family fun park to spend the day walking an additional 9km. I count it as a very slow long run lol.
This week consists of two 7kms and three 6kms. With this fire/trail ban on for at least another week I'm glad for the scaled back mileage. Running up and down streets can get pretty dull.
My current goal is to improve my speed so my average improves from the 8 minute/km to somewhere in the 7 minute or 6 minute (dare to dream) range. I know from previous experience it will take some serious effort to get the time down a minute, but it isn't impossible. Hill sprints and intervals will help, in addition to using podrunner to keep my legs operating at a metronome pace. Today I'm supposed to run the 7km in 8 minute/km, so I'll aim for at least that, with the goal of actually running in the 7's.
I did run a bit on Saturday, even with the fire ban. I found a logging road that took me 2km into the woods before I found a sign telling me to bugger-off because of the ban. In total I managed 6km before heading off to the local family fun park to spend the day walking an additional 9km. I count it as a very slow long run lol.
This week consists of two 7kms and three 6kms. With this fire/trail ban on for at least another week I'm glad for the scaled back mileage. Running up and down streets can get pretty dull.
My current goal is to improve my speed so my average improves from the 8 minute/km to somewhere in the 7 minute or 6 minute (dare to dream) range. I know from previous experience it will take some serious effort to get the time down a minute, but it isn't impossible. Hill sprints and intervals will help, in addition to using podrunner to keep my legs operating at a metronome pace. Today I'm supposed to run the 7km in 8 minute/km, so I'll aim for at least that, with the goal of actually running in the 7's.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
10km Birthday Run = FUN
Yesterday was my birthday-yay! So after last year's disappointing birthday I decided this year I would take the day off of work and try to enjoy the day as much as possible. It turned out to be a great day. I drove my daughter to camp and my husband to work then found a parking spot close to the waterfront and enjoyed running back and forth along the 4km stretch before heading into the downtown to finish up 10km. The boardwalk was somewhat busy with cruise ship passengers and local day care centers sightseeing, but it wasn't to the point it was annoying or anything. It was cute to see what the tourists deemed picture-worthy in the area as I ran around them.
I should explain why I wasn't on a trail, which, trust me, would have been preferable. The province is currently sitting under a trail ban. It's horrible and it sucks but with multiple huge forest fires out of control it is the easiest and safest thing to do. So, for the next 2 weeks at least all of the HRM runners will be invading the streets of the HRM. Boohahaha.
The acid reflux I had the other day has thankfully passed, although I'm still a bit queasy and have some gas (burping) issues but overall I feel a lot better. I took half of a naproxen pill yesterday morning and it certainly helped my knee make it pain-free through the 10km run. So I guess I'll scale back the pill to a half portion, once a day, as opposed to two full sized a day as I was originally prescribed, and see how this goes. Going two days without one sucked, and I was really surprised how fast my knee pain/swelling returned. Clearly I need to take something for this swelling but going back to the doctor and playing the medication game just takes too much time and I'm not a human petri-dish. So I'll keep with this routine until it either doesn't work for me any longer or I have some time miraculously added to my life to spend sitting in a doctor's office.
I should explain why I wasn't on a trail, which, trust me, would have been preferable. The province is currently sitting under a trail ban. It's horrible and it sucks but with multiple huge forest fires out of control it is the easiest and safest thing to do. So, for the next 2 weeks at least all of the HRM runners will be invading the streets of the HRM. Boohahaha.
The acid reflux I had the other day has thankfully passed, although I'm still a bit queasy and have some gas (burping) issues but overall I feel a lot better. I took half of a naproxen pill yesterday morning and it certainly helped my knee make it pain-free through the 10km run. So I guess I'll scale back the pill to a half portion, once a day, as opposed to two full sized a day as I was originally prescribed, and see how this goes. Going two days without one sucked, and I was really surprised how fast my knee pain/swelling returned. Clearly I need to take something for this swelling but going back to the doctor and playing the medication game just takes too much time and I'm not a human petri-dish. So I'll keep with this routine until it either doesn't work for me any longer or I have some time miraculously added to my life to spend sitting in a doctor's office.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
New meds and new complications
I sat, frustrated, talking with my husband last night. I was pissed off that in a trillion dollar industry they can't make a simple anti-inflammatory pill that has no side effects. The early morning hours before had me up with what felt like bubbles in my throat, a headache and eventually vomiting for 30 minutes in my bathroom while trying to stay quiet so my child could sleep. Thank Naproxen side effects for that.
When I was more coherent later, I googled it. It sounds like I had an acid reflux attack (a Naproxen side effect), so I called my GP and told her what happened and asked if I should keep taking the Naproxen, because, hey, it was working on the anti-inflammatory end. I got a call back a few hours later saying my GP wants to get my heartburn under control first, so she would be adding another pill. NOPE. After 18 months of this BS I won't. I will not add a pill to counter the side effects of the first pill. And if there are side effects for the second pill, well, we'll just add a third pill. I see why those weekly pill cases were made and have stayed so popular. I won't become a human petri dish unless I have some serious disease that requires multiple medications.
So after figuring out that naproxen has a half life of 6 hours, I figured my 24 hours of not taking one was sufficient and I grudgingly took one of my husband's proton something-or-other pills he uses for his severe heartburn. Last night I slept beautifully, thankful that pill worked.
This morning I woke up to the familiar aches and pains in my knee but no burning or bubbling in my throat, so some progress was made? I guess I'll hold onto my naproxen pills for my flare ups and try to muddle through in between. I did manage a run yesterday of 5km, which was so much further than I thought I would get. I honestly thought I'd get to the end of the parking lot at work and puke at the effort, but my tummy behaved. Today I'll go for a 6km run and hope the knee pain isn't too bad. I've been slathering my knee and thigh in BioFreeze like it's suntan lotion in the 80s and that helps, but I know it's not a permanent solution. Something tells me I'll be visiting my chiropractor again very soon...
When I was more coherent later, I googled it. It sounds like I had an acid reflux attack (a Naproxen side effect), so I called my GP and told her what happened and asked if I should keep taking the Naproxen, because, hey, it was working on the anti-inflammatory end. I got a call back a few hours later saying my GP wants to get my heartburn under control first, so she would be adding another pill. NOPE. After 18 months of this BS I won't. I will not add a pill to counter the side effects of the first pill. And if there are side effects for the second pill, well, we'll just add a third pill. I see why those weekly pill cases were made and have stayed so popular. I won't become a human petri dish unless I have some serious disease that requires multiple medications.
So after figuring out that naproxen has a half life of 6 hours, I figured my 24 hours of not taking one was sufficient and I grudgingly took one of my husband's proton something-or-other pills he uses for his severe heartburn. Last night I slept beautifully, thankful that pill worked.
This morning I woke up to the familiar aches and pains in my knee but no burning or bubbling in my throat, so some progress was made? I guess I'll hold onto my naproxen pills for my flare ups and try to muddle through in between. I did manage a run yesterday of 5km, which was so much further than I thought I would get. I honestly thought I'd get to the end of the parking lot at work and puke at the effort, but my tummy behaved. Today I'll go for a 6km run and hope the knee pain isn't too bad. I've been slathering my knee and thigh in BioFreeze like it's suntan lotion in the 80s and that helps, but I know it's not a permanent solution. Something tells me I'll be visiting my chiropractor again very soon...
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