Spring Running Thread

[rocknrollgirl]

So when I started the winter thread, I was running in shorts and confused by the weather. Now I am starting the spring thread, waiting for snow and confused by the weather!

I did the local trail race yesterday. The options were 5k, 10k, 20k. My original plan was to run the 20k as a lead up to North Face on May 1st. But the hamstring issue caused me to drop down to the 10k . I thought is was smarter since I am recovering well to not push it. The race is small townish, local. Many of my students were volunteering, so they were excited to see us there.

Our plan was to warm up for a few miles, run the 10k and then run a few more miles after as a cool down. Got through the warm up, felt great. Lined up, started the race, felt good. They ran us double track for about 1.5 miles and the we made the turn into 3 miles of hilly single track. On the way out on the double track I ran with a few ladies that I know and chatted a bit, and then when we hit the single track, I took off. I got bogged down behind a few folks that were tip toeing on bridges and try to skirt around mud. This is my local park, so I know every root and rock. So in the first 1/2 mile of single track, I passed 5 people and never looked back. Now I am not fast by any means, but I leaned yesterday that I am better than the average bear on trails, that is where I am comfortable.

Just about the time when we made our turn in, my stomach started to get wonky. I had kept my nutrition the same as every Saturday long run. The only thing I did differently was take all of my morning vitamins and pills ( on a partially empty stomach) when I got up. So the discomfort started to get pretty bad. Not nausea, but a feeling of pressure and heartburn. I was really not wanting to slow down and stop so I just pushed it back and kept running.

So I get done and make it across the finish line, manned by my students. They are collecting the finish times. They are asking me my age group and I look up at them, hold up a finger, and walk over behind a tree and throw up 4 times. Nice. I have NEVER thrown up after a race. Not sure what was going on. I felt better immediately, so I must have needed it. The only down side was that after throwing up and cooling down, I did not feel like going back out for more miles. I was a bit bummed about that. So I only got in a total of 8.5 miles.

So no worse for the wear today. Felt a bit sluggish yesterday post race, stomach was not wanting food, but it seems to have all passed.

Onward we trudge.

[emily_in_nc]

Ugh, sorry about that tummy problem. You may never know what caused it, but at least you finished and had a good run before that.

[OakLeaf]

Ugh, RnR. I don't do well with pills on a less-than-full stomach either. Running, even racing after that? Yikes. Your crossing the finish line though reminded me of the fourth of July five-miler year before last. The finish line volunteer asked me my age twice as I'm trying not to puke, and I finally flashed a full hand twice, for "5-5" :D

So, update from the ankle adventures: the LMT released some stuff in the tibialis anterior, the chiropractor released some stuff in the big toe flexors. I kept a brace on it to ride to the farmers' market yesterday, did a little yoga and took the rest of the day off. I forgot to ask the chiropractor what kind of taping he'd recommend, and I honestly had a hard time deciding whether it was better to tape to inhibit muscles or to activate them. In the end I taped the tibialis anterior with my foot in hard dorsiflexion and the tape wrapped around the bottom of my foot to the lateral side, with shorter pieces of tape in an "X" pattern directly over the swelling (which there was still a little this morning). I did 12 miles easy pace and bailed when it started feeling a little loose (not painful). If I'd been healthy it would've been my second 20-miler of the cycle - still, in his training plans, Jack Daniels recommends not going over 2-1/2 hours no matter how slow you are, so from that point of view I would've only been doing 15 miles today. Some alternating heat/cold and then some electrical stimulation afterward, and it feels pretty much okay. Fingers crossed.

[Catrin]

Hope things continue to feel better Oakleaf & RnR!

While I am decidedly not in the running world, I'm always interested and amazed to read of your adventures here. Even before my fall and eventual knee surgery running didn't come easy to me - though I was easing my way into trail running. I'm just plain amazed at the very idea of "only" running 15 miles, let alone more!

[rocknrollgirl]

Hey Oak, we all have our fingers crossed for you. I hope your ankle is improving daily.

I am still battling an angry belly. I think it is from my spring allergies. I get this at some point every spring, nausea and upset stomach from post nasal drip. So gross. The upset stomach boarders on being debilitating. It makes for very unpleasant running. Heck it makes for very unpleasant everything. All I want to do is eat crackers and drink tea, Yuk.

[OakLeaf]

I'd known for a while that nausea outside of my workouts is often a sign of not enough sodium leading to dehydration. But I've just recently read that GI distress *during* a workout can more often than not be because of dehydration, and it makes perfect sense - if I'm only marginally hydrated going into a workout, then I'm only going to get more dehydrated as it goes on, especially when it's hotter and/or tougher. Might be an issue for you too with the weather getting warmer. Ever since my bout with dehydration over the winter, I've been careful to slam a full water bottle with an electrolyte tablet before any hard workout, and it's really helped.

So, last week the small college pool where I deep-water run was closed for spring break, but I got in there Monday and Tuesday, did a partial land workout Wednesday and felt pretty much okay. The ankle is still a little puffy but not painful, the other Achilles is worrisome but improving as I really focus on getting my glutes to fire. Haven't decided yet whether to drive back up to the pool again today or try a lap of the bridges. Day by day.

[rocknrollgirl]

Oak,
How much longer until the race? Three weeks or so? When would you normally start your taper?

We drove north today to get some bigger hills. We have not made the trip since Dec, right before the great hamstring debacle of 2016. I was a bit worried given my barfy status last w/e and the state of my quads this week post race, so I took an extra recovery day.

There really is no easy way to start your trail run at this park, it is either up and to the right, or up and to the left. So we opted today to start at a neighboring park and run those trails and then a short road stretch and then into our intended destination. That way we had a bit more of a warm up and some extra mileage.

We got in 11 miles total, and about 1200 feet of climbing, so mission accomplished. My goal today was to just run easy, walk the big climbs and pace myself. At about 2 miles in my legs said, no thanks, we do not want to do this today and my stomach felt gross. So I kept it to a trudge. About 1/2 way through my stomach settled. No help for the quads, they hurt on all the downhills and made my knees barky. But I blocked it all out and got through. And here is the crazy thing. I walked all the big hills and felt awful for 9 of 11 miles and my pace was the same as the last time I ran there, when we only ran 8 miles, I felt great and ran all of the hills.

Go figure. There is something to be said for trudging. So I will draw on this day when things get tough at North Face, cuz it was not fun today. Today put the work in workout. But I did meet lots of nice folks out with their canine friends and saw some mt bike folks that I know, so that was fun.

[OakLeaf]

Yep, three weeks from today. Lots of non-running stuff has to happen between now and then too ... Your race is the end of the month?

Mine was pretty much of a trudge yesterday too, but I got it done without aggravating anything. Besides the injuries it was super hot and humid, which it seems like I've been complaining about all winter, but it hasn't been consistent, so I'm still not even close to acclimated to 80° and 80% humidity. I only did four miles at goal pace (which honestly, my time goal is pretty much out the window at this point), even took a couple of walk breaks, but got all 17 miles done. The ankle was kind of twingey, especially going around corners - that's one good thing about Boston being a more or less straight line point-to-point course - but it doesn't feel any worse this morning. The other Achilles I'm just trying to be as careful with as I can. Day by day.

[rocknrollgirl]

Two hours of trail running today, in the rain. I had a tough time convincing my husband on the way to the park that it was going to be AWESOME! But, once you are soaking wet, you can't get any wetter.

Actually on the way over we reminisced about all of the mountain bike races we have done in pouring rain/sleet/snow/hub deep mud. The last one of those was the last time. we had over 500 dollars in repairs to our bikes! Today, I just had wet gear.

[Crankin]

This is true. Thinking of all the trail runners and people prepping for the marathon today. We decided to walk to the gym (.99 mile the short way) for tabata. OK, it was sprinkling on the way there, and the weather forecasts were very conflicting, so off we went. Class was over and when we went out the door it was raining lightly. Then it got heavier. Ugh. I had a hoodie on, with thumbholes, sort of stretchy, wicking material, but it was only about 50 out. The road into the gym is a downhill, going home, and I really wanted to run, but DH was lagging, as the class wore him out. He had shorts on, too and a heavy cotton hoodie. Once we got to the bottom of the hill, it was not much further to the condo, but I was seriously concerned about hypothermia; i don't think i have ever walked so fast, less than a 15 minute mile. When I took my capris off, the tops of my thighs were turning red, so I am glad I got home when I did.
Will have to wait to show DH the trail and neighborhood way to get home from the club. Today, we needed the fast way!

[Catrin]

Sounds like challenging weather! Here we've had amazing winds today - could actually barely stand up against a couple of the wind bursts. My car even tried to move over into the next lane :eek: No hiking for me today, obviously, but glad both of you were able to get out regardless of the weather!

[rocknrollgirl]

It was probably about 48 when we ran today, but in the first mile, it feels like 20 degrees warmer. That is one nice thing about running in cold or wet weather is that you do generate a ton of heat. That being said, we were in the right gear, so it does make a difference.

And it has been CRAZY windy here all week. I almost got knocked over in the grocery store parking lot the other day.

[rocknrollgirl]

Can you believe that I am sitting here waiting for snow on April 9th? This is crazy!
After last week's long run in the rain, we decided to get up and out early this weekend to try and beat the storm. We made it back just as the rain started coming in. It was cold this morning, I think around 26 when we started. Cold enough to freeze my hose again. We only h ad to run for an hour because it is a drop down week. One more really long run to go before race day in a few weeks.

Hope you all had a good week. Oak if you are checking in, I hope your achilles is feeling better. Stay warm and dry North East TE'ers, cuz it is coming your way!!

[Crankin]

Thankfully, we are too far north. We had our snow last week.

[rocknrollgirl]

Thankfully, we are too far north. We had our snow last week.

Just rain so far, but that nasty chilly kind. The 37 degree kind. Been hunkered down all day grading papers and puttering.

[OakLeaf]

Well.

First of all, nothing catastrophic with the injuries. I've mostly been offline because of the move back north. Always super stressful and disorienting to me, never mind just the physical energy it takes to close up a house. Slowly trying to re-engage my head and my body now that they can be in the same place together.

So things just kind of are what they are. I'm still planning to run next week, still feel like I've got a reasonably good chance of finishing without aggravating anything much, but trying to prepare emotionally for a DNF. I'm kind of okay with the idea of it (which might or might not be a sign of how depressed I've been, sigh), but actually putting it into practice and knowing if it's time to bail - that will be the challenge.

There is some silver lining though, and that's the fact that four years after my fall and decades after the cumulative injuries that set me up, I am FINALLY, really, starting to get better. I knew I was taking a risk by keeping on with all the aggressive, problem-focused bodywork at the same time I was training for a race, but I'd wasted so much time with incompetent practitioners, and I've still been in so much discomfort, that when I finally found good chiropractors in both locations, I really needed to keep going with it and d*mn the torpedoes. And it's those changes in my biomechanics that have brought me down at the moment, but I'm also at a point where I can really feel the positive side of it. Really my run on Friday was the first time I've been so aware of everything coming together, my lumbar curve, hip extension, pelvic rotation, all felt amazingly right and so different from what they've been the past 40 years.

And it's all connected, holey moley. You want an illustration of how everything in the body is connected ... that's come very clear. Turns out, when I sprained my right ankle at 12 years old, all that thoracolumbar dysfunction, that weird twist in my lower spine and pelvis, all those thick bands of adhesions in my right obliques and QL, all that stuff I've had for decades ... all of that was compensating for the weak ankle. :eek: So when I finally started getting all that stuff worked out ... the first thing I said when my ankle hurt was that it felt "sprain-y," and that was right, it's called sinus tarsi syndrome, and it's a complication of old sprains. It's unusual for it to rear its head after so much time (it's been at least ten years since the last time I sprained that ankle), but now I understand why. It's a pretty mild case, and I'm optimistic about being able to rehab it properly after race day is over one way or the other. Besides just the risk of aggravating something, my biggest issue now with the race is the fact that there are muscles that just aren't trained because they weren't working right until a couple of weeks ago. The peroneals on that side, particularly, are awfully sore for not a lot of running.

The other Achilles - THAT was my left glute not firing properly since all of a sudden it's now in a completely different relationship with everything else. My first clue was how my usual Achilles remedies involving the foot and calf weren't doing a single thing to help; my second clue was how very, very weird my left glute felt after my last session with the LMT when he really worked out the knots where it had been fighting its new alignment. I probably inadvertently aggravated that with the deep water running I was doing to spare the other ankle, sigh - DWR is good for a lot of things, but not so much the posterior chain. I've got the glute taped now (not so hard to do myself really ;) ), paying close attention to keeping it relaxed when I'm running, did a yoga video focused on integrating the feet and hips, and it's much, much better.

I've got so much tape on me at this point I should audition for "The Mummy." Except I'm not sure if they had pink argyle in ancient Egypt.

Weather - yeah me too. Bit of a culture shock going from waiting (sometimes futilely) for the humidity to drop below 90% before I run, to waiting for the temperature to rise above freezing. I'd have got out earlier today if I'd realized that that high of 55° we were supposed to have, wasn't actually supposed to happen until 7 pm, ha. Had a few flakes of snow on my run Thursday, took yesterday off when it was really falling.

RnR, all's good with your hamstring and glute? Yay if so!

Onward.

[rocknrollgirl]

I hear you about doing all the body work while training. I had that conversation with myself many, many times over the past 10 weeks. I just figured/hoped that at some point it would all come together and I would feel stronger. If not for this race, then for the next. But I have never been this sore from cross training while I was training.

But yes, the hamstring and glute are feeling good. I have kept up with all of the exercises and have added in some stuff for the front chain, quads and VMO. we have not been cycling as much this winter and I do not want all of the glute/hamstring/ IT exercises to set up an imbalance.

It sounds like you are in the mend but the timing is just not great. It is SO hard going into any race with injury on your mind, especially a big race. I really feel for you. You will make the right decision when the time comes.

Add moving to your plate and you have a lot going on. I hate moving. The actual moving part, not the living somewhere new part.

Keep us posted on how you are doing this week. I have two friends racing at Boston also, that I will be tracking, so I will be following the race.

[rocknrollgirl]

Good Luck on Monday Oak!

Not sure if you are traveling yet, but just wanted to give a shout out.

Boston Marathon!!!!

[OakLeaf]

Thanks! For some reason the temperature in Boston is supposed to be perfect for running every day this week except Monday, when it will be pretty warm. :rolleyes: Not so bad for running injured though, and the silver lining is that it looks like we'll have a bit of a tailwind after all. Unless they change the forecast again before then!

[Crankin]

Nah, the forecast is still for 70-72 at the high point of the day. No humidity. By the time you get to Boylston St., though it will be going down to the 60s.

[Pax]

Go Oak!!! Wishing you all the best today.

[rocknrollgirl]

Go Oak!!! Wishing you all the best today.

She is doing great, through the 25k mark, still holding a great pace!!!

Go Oak!!

[Pax]

Looks like she finished! Way to go Oak!!

[OakLeaf]

Thanks all! I was very happy to finish, and re-qualified with a decent margin. Even if I'm still healthy next year I'm not sure I really want to run another spring marathon, it's a huge hassle with the move and all, but just qualifying is a milestone in itself. The Achilles is a little iffy right now but the other ankle held up fine, and I'm feeling much better after doing a yin yoga video. Thinking about going back downstairs for dessert. :)

[rocknrollgirl]

Congrats Oak. My two friends that ran said it was warm and windy , so great job. I hope the Achilles feels better soon. Do you move every winter?

[OakLeaf]

The weather was kind of a double-edged sword, and I'm pretty sure people who started in earlier waves would've had it a lot rougher than I did. It was very hot at the staging area in Hopkinton, but the wind turned within my first 5K and the temperature dropped by 10 degrees almost immediately, nearly 20 degrees by the time I finished. I definitely noticed the wind in places - actually more so than I did last year, even though the recorded wind speed was less - but since the wind brought the cool ocean temperature, I thought it was a net benefit. Having trained in heat definitely helped too.

Yep, we head south every winter. There are pros and cons, but not having to try to run on slush-narrowed roads in February is huge! Hope your other friends had good races, too.

[Pax]

Be glad you headed home when you did, it's actually warmer in the upper Midwest than it is here. It's been cool and tremendously windy here the last couple of weeks.

[OakLeaf]

We actually left for Boston before the hot weather hit at home, hopefully the rain will be done by the time we get back, and it should be more spring-like. With the rain and then drier weather, it should be good mushroom hunting this weekend!

This year the Marathon was commemorating the 50th anniversary of women running, and I thought it was extra fitting that it's the 50th anniversary of Bobbi Gibb's bandit run and not Kathrine Switzer's sneaky registration the following year. At first I thought it was odd to commemorate a bandit, then I realized it just shows the continued importance of civil disobedience in establishing the rights of marginalized people. :)

[Catrin]

Good observation Oakleaf!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Pax]

Oak - absolutely. Playing "by the rules" when the rules are designed to oppress, is a suckers bet.

[ny biker]

Congrats on the race, Oak! Enjoy that dessert.

[OakLeaf]

Next up, RnR. How are you feeling? Which distance did you decide on?

[emily_in_nc]

Congratulations, Oakleaf! I am perpetually in awe of anyone who runs a marathon, considering how difficult even 3-4-mile runs are for me!

I have not run at all since we arrived in NC in mid-March. Sigh. There are just too many strikes against me here: family obligations, RV projects, a tiny campground with only two roads out, both of which have such a steep grade I can barely walk up them, much less run, and not enough time to drive somewhere to run.

However, I did buy new running shoes here and am ready to start up again (slowly!) once we leave this place. We'll soon be heading west in the motorhome, and I am hoping to get back to running at least occasionally. Also planning on many more bike rides and some hikes. I've enjoyed this family time (with my mother and step-dad, plus a brief road trip to Ohio to visit DH's elderly parents in assisted living) but am ready to be on our way!

[rocknrollgirl]

Emily,
bummer that you have not been able to run, but it will come back quickly.

We got out for our last longish run before our race next Sunday. Last w/e we drove an hour north to get some bigger hills and got in 11 miles of hilly single track. I felt really good, and not too bad after. We got in 2 very solid mid week runs and two good days lifting, so the hay is in the barn. Now I just have to be really mellow this week and go enjoy myself next weekend.

I signed us up for another trail half in Maryland in June, so I am trying to keep the momentum going. 7 weeks between will give me plenty of recovery after The North Face next weekend and time to get in a few solid long runs. The elevation gain in Maryland is 1/3 of what we will face next weekend so it will be easier for us to train. I think the total elevation change for the half next weekend is 4500 feet of vertical. That is a lot of up and down. Tough to train for when you are a flatlander.

[OakLeaf]

Yikes, that is a lot of climbing! Have a good week - you are ready for this!

Emily - sometimes a break isn't a bad thing. When your situation is right for running, it will come back.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks RnR and Oak...I have stopped and started running over the past ten years more times than I care to count, so when life permits, it will come back. We leave NC on Tuesday, so soon after that, I should be getting back out there.

Good luck on your race, RnR! Sounds like you have prepared the best anyone could!

[Crankin]

Good luck RnR. That sounds hard, for sure, but I truly undersand the allure of a trail run.

[Crankin]

I ran today. I was doing errands all day and then my friend needed to come over and work, because noisy stuff was going on at her house and she needed to do a conference call. Anyway, by then it was 3:45. I set out on the little trail that connects my street to the next neighborhood, but turned in a different direction that I usually walk, since that is a hill. This is rolling and ends up on partially dirt road, near another road I wanted to explore. I got to the road I wanted to explore, because it's dirt (once was on a group ride where I refused to go down here on my road bike). Very interesting. There's a town hiking trail off of here, but I kept going on hte broken pavement/dirt road, until straight ahead was a sportsman club (I knew I've heard shooting on the weekend) that was posted. The road turned left, but looked much more dirt-like. I was getting a bit creeped out, so I turned around. I would have ridden my bike on this road, but the part I didn't go on, i am not sure. I am pretty sure where it comes out, but I will wait to do this with DH.
I walked when something started hurting (hip or knee), watched my posture and foot strike, and made it back sweaty, but in one piece. I have no idea how fast I was going, but it was slow, and I estimate it was about 2.50 to 3 miles and I made sure to foam roll, lacrosse ball, and stretch the hell out of my body when I got back.

[Crankin]

This wasn't a run, per se, but I did go back to the dirt road with DH this morning, as it was threatening rain and not good weather for cycling. I wore my rain jacket and it didn't do more than sprinkle to a light rain just when we were getting back. We walked and took the road up where I had stopped; as I thought, it was rutted, sandy, and very rocky in spots. Not what I would do on a road bike. But, it did come out where I thought. On the way in, we noticed 3 trailheads for town conservation land trails, so we took one on the way back. Another goes up a nice hill and goes on for a while, as we surmised by looking at a map on DH's phone. As we headed back on the dirt road, a woman (whom I had seen on Friday, came whizzing by on a mountain bike. I had seen her and a guy on Friday, and also on the path by my house). Saw some interesting birds and geese, a waterfall, and some interesting homes. When we got back, we downloaded the trail map for the area, which used to be a rifle range up until the 50s. So, this will be a good area for snow shoeing come winter. I thought maybe there was a trail on the other side of the dirt road that connected up to the top of the hill near where I walk to get my gym, but the land is owned by the sportsman's club where there is a bridge that crosses a pond and it's posted (thank you Google).
Interesting, and a different little corner of my town that I had no idea of. Good for running, trail running, snow shoeing, hiking, and maybe a mountain bike?

[OakLeaf]

Nice, Crankin. Hope it didn't beat you up too badly.

Looks like miserable weather for RnRgirl's race. Hope it went well!

Yesterday was fun. I was able to watch at mile 1, mile 7 and the finish line. I hadn't known Tara Welling's story before she won, but now reading (http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/index.ssf/2016/02/friday_morning_news_notes_link_30.html) about the year she had last year, makes me glad she won the race. And seeing Desi Linden up close ... swoon.

I'm nursing a mild but stubborn cold. That on top of trying to let things heal up, the little bit of jogging from point to point that I did yesterday, was as much as I've run in two weeks. Soon enough. I have a call in to a PT who comes highly recommended - it's a LONG drive, but I'm hoping that he can give me some guidance with just occasional visits.

[rocknrollgirl]

Well, 49 degrees and raining, very muddy conditions on a brutal course! So from a trail running perspective, awwwwwwwwwwwesome! Stomach felt great, glute was good, feet ( which have been bugging me), were great. I had a barky groin ( do girls HAVE a groin?) The crease of my leg. Is that your groin? I don't know but that barked a bit and I ignored it.

Had a good day, felt blessed to be out there. Ran 7 mins faster than three years ago. I looked at my watch at the 10 mile mark and said dang girl, you can beat your previous time if you haul your buns. So I did. I came through early than my DH and BIL were expecting me so they were pumps.

I also learned 2 things:

1.I can power hike uphill like nobody's business

2. Wet sketchy rocky downhills do not scare me

It is not gonna win me any trophies, but I sure passed a lot of folks that way.

So home, warmed up ( I was freezing post race, getting some food down, all good.

[Crankin]

Congrats, RnR! It sounds fabulous. And yes, girls have groins. I laughed when I read that, because mine felt cranky today, too!
Stay warm.

Oak, I didn't run the trail today (DH would rather die than run), and I think it was good that I walked. I hadn't used the foam roller this morning, and i should have, as the groin as I said, is a bit twitchy. Walking fast was fine, and then we ended up going into town and walked some more. If all feels OK, I may try to run again, tomorrow, but it will be on the TM, before my power lifting class.

[OakLeaf]

Nice work, RnR! Glad you had fun.

Wet sketchy rocky downhills TERRIFY me - just the other day DH was trying to lead me down a steep DRY but slightly loose downhill, and I could kind of keep my head from spinning if I went backwards on my hands and knees, but when we got to the stream crossing with a turn in the middle of it, that was it. I climbed back up and said we were walking the extra mile and a half back the way we came. :eek: So way to go!! Hope your groin feels better soon.

[Catrin]

Nice run Crankin and hope you feel better Oak! RnRoll it soundslike you had fun!

I'm currently in Denver at a conference and that always plays hell with diet, exercise, and sleep. Trying to make the best of everything and am walking and using the hotel gym as much as I can.

[rocknrollgirl]

The morning after damage report:

The bad hamstring is sore. No surprise there.

My groin ( glad to know I have one) is sore. I had packed my tens unit in the truck so I had stim on it all the way home. It felt good when I got home, but is sore again today.

And my right knee just yelled at me coming down the stairs.

That and I did not sleep well. I would normally take off from school the day after, but my AP kids have projects coming in today and I have a lab scheduled today so I have to drag my tired behind in.

This is what the course looks like so you can get an idea from a footing perspective. No add in a four thousand feet of up and down and well, you get it. The 50 miler had almost 14,000 feet of elevation change. Crazy.


Oak, is something still really hurting you from Boston? Is that why the new PT? And good job to everyone else for getting out there!

[Crankin]

Just looking at those rocks hurts my feet.

[Catrin]

Those rocks!!!! How much of the course looked like that?

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[rocknrollgirl]

Those rocks!!!! How much of the course looked like that?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T537A using Tapatalk

About 95% of the course looks like that. The laughable part is at one of the aid stations that warned us that was going to get rockier just ahead.
I looked at the person next to me and said....how is that even possible? And it was wet and muddy. I was so glad to have beefy grippy trail shoes on.

[OakLeaf]

Yep. I've done some hiking around Bear Mountain. That's the kind of trail it's okay to race on when it's wet and you know you won't tear up the mud. ;)

Take care of yourself and recover! Hopefully your kids aren't too hard on you today.

As far as the new PT, other than the cold I'm at least as good as I was before the marathon. It's more I've got enough of the misalignments finally worked out, that I'm ready to start back in on the imbalances. Standard exercises are plenty good enough for rehabbing the ankle, but the thoracolumbar/shoulder/diaphragm/rib/hip stuff, I need a good sequence of release/activate/integrate into a movement pattern, and that's where I need guidance. I actually had this PT's name late fall, from a runner with a similar injury history, but I didn't want to start with a new practitioner right before moving. Got an appointment on Friday, so hopefully we can get somewhere.

[OakLeaf]

Just got back from the new PT and I'm sooooo encouraged! FINALLY someone who gets that strengthening without mobilization just reinforces bad movement patterns - and who could assess me and see the layers upon layers of compensation instead of just the basic ability to function that I've built for myself by working around everything that doesn't work right. He said that he's probably ever seen only a couple of patients with LESS lumbosacral mobility than I have, in his entire career. :eek: He was frank that at my age we're not going to be able to perfectly fix stuff I've had from childhood, but I wasn't expecting that, and any improvement is good.

So, we're starting off with some exercises to mobilize the pelvic joints - not just the SI but the pubic symphysis as well - and go from there. I'm only going to be seeing him once a week since it's such a long drive, but since there's nothing acute at this point, it's all good!

[Catrin]

Excellent - that is good news! Not that you need so much attention for your lumbosacral mobility but because he knows what he's talking about. Where is he by the way? I'm sure that it would be totally unrealistic for me to drive that far but if he is that good a one-time consult might be something I could consider in a few months if I don't see changes in the right direction.

[OakLeaf]

He's in Dublin, so closer to you than most of Columbus. :)

[Catrin]

Thanks - send me his name via PM and I will check him out. My chiropractor thinks my main problem with my leg instability is still knee/quad strength regardless of how much work I've done, though my coach is inclined to blame my hip. I am giving it until July (first anniversary of knee surgery) to give it a full year. I've read lateral releases can take that long to heal properly. There is also a local Ortho-certified PT who is said to be quite good - though "local" isn't close.

[OakLeaf]

So I got out for three today. After all this time my legs were obviously good for more, but my respiratory infection is still a little bit precarious, and I didn't want to push it, but I was jonesing hard. :) Felt great - looking forward to getting back into it.

RnR, how are your legs feeling? Who else is running?

[rocknrollgirl]

Hey...I am good. rested for a few days for my ouchies. Ran an easy 4 on Thursday and did an 8 mile trail run yesterday. Lifted today. feeling pretty good for an old girl. We have another race on June 11th so I treated this week like a reverse taper. We will do a few long weekend runs and then taper down again.

Saw my foot guy on Wed. I am over pronating past what my orthotics can handle so he is making me a new pair. It is causing my feet, particularly my big toes and the tops of my feet to hurts. It only started about 6 weeks ago, so I think we caught it pretty early. Hopefully the new orthotics will help. I had planned to step up to longer trail races next year, but if the increased mileage is going to exacerbate this problem, I will stay with shorter races. Not worth doing long term damage at this age.
I have too many retirement plans.

Oak, I am glad you are getting the care your pelvis needs.

[OakLeaf]

So I've been running a little, not much. Partly because it's amazing how much fitness I lost in three weeks. :mad: Partly because my adductors are screaming from the PT exercises, which I really wasn't expecting - pretty much standard hip strengthening stuff, the only exercise I'm doing now that I hadn't done before is the seated internal/external rotation against a stretchy band - and it's not the isometric adduction that I'm doing to mobilize the joints, because they didn't get really sore until we added the other work. Really it ought to be the abductors and external rotators that are getting the most work, but it's the adductors that are so sore I can only do the exercises every other day. Yikes. But we've had some beautiful running weather.

How's everyone else doing?

[rocknrollgirl]

I'm good just been busy. We went to DC for a few days. One of my former students that I have stayed close with was commissioned as an officer in the Navy and invited us down for the ceremony. It was really awesome. She has a great family that my husband and I are pretty friendly with so it was lovely to be part of.

Came back Saturday pm, got up really tired Sunday am and went out for a short 5 mile trail run. Got in another 6 tonight in the rain. We are planning on 2 long weekend runs, a short taper and then our next half on June 11th. So it is coming along. Waiting for a call from my foot guy for my new orthotics. I with they would hurry up already.

Nothing more fun than sore muscles from PT. I was shocked this winter how sore I got. I thought I was hitting all of those spots but nope.

[emily_in_nc]

I have not been running at all. I got out of the habit while in NC and spending time with family, and in a campground with only a short loop (.1 of a mile) plus huge mountains in all directions, and now I can't seem to get back into it. We have been doing lots of hiking and walking and cycling, but I can't seem to make myself get back to running, because I know it's going to be hard, and most places we're staying now (national forest campgrounds in the south) are hilly.

Wah wah, I know! Just gotta get my discipline back. :)

[OakLeaf]

Emily, you know what, you're doing plenty. Any time someone tells me they "should" take up running, I tell them, if that's how you feel about it, no you shouldn't! It's not like there aren't dozens of other ways to get some cardio and enjoy the outdoors. Life's too short to do things for "recreation" if you don't enjoy them. When you WANT to run, you will - and if you never want to again, that's totally okay!

Me - lots of PT exercises, still not a lot of running, but the changes that are happening are really revealing. Now that I'm getting some mobility back in my SI joint, I'm finding weaknesses in my feet, lower legs and hamstrings that I knew were there, but that weren't responding to any of the work I was doing before. Strength follows alignment follows mobility.

If they invent a time machine, first thing I'm doing is going back to when I was six years old and bringing myself a pair of shoes wide enough for my feet, and staying far, far away from that quack who put me in orthopedic shoes so I could walk with my feet crammed into shoes that were too narrow. Meantime, I'm feeling really good about the progress I'm making.

[Crankin]

I so agree, Oak. No matter how much I want to be a runner, it's not good for me, and I do plenty of other cardio. Glad the PT is working.
I saw a FB post from my instructor at my former gym. She is a lovely young woman, but when she stated her first postpartum 5K time of 29 minutes as being slow, but getting it done, I laughed. She really is not a bragging type, but it's all perspective.

[rocknrollgirl]

The important thing is to keep moving, be it hiking, cycling, walking, running, whatever. It does not really matter. When I had my foot surgery last year, I was pestering my doc about getting on the trainer while I was healing. He said sure...why not, your heart and lungs won't know you aren't running! Just keep moving....doing something you love, your heart and lungs will thank you!

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks so much for the support, Oak, Crankin, and RnR. Of course you're right. I am still super active; I just have to stop beating myself up because I haven't been in the proper place (or mindset) to run lately. Part of it is that I enjoy doing things with DH, and he doesn't run (has too many knee problems when he tries), so we hike and walk and bike, and that doesn't leave a lot of time/energy/days left to run!

Oh, and Crankin, that woman's statement is what's known as a "humblebrag". Annoying, isn't it? Most of us would be very pleased with a 29-minute 5K, and she knows it. :-P

[rocknrollgirl]

Thanks so much for the support, Oak, Crankin, and RnR. Of course you're right. I am still super active; I just have to stop beating myself up because I haven't been in the proper place (or mindset) to run lately. Part of it is that I enjoy doing things with DH, and he doesn't run (has too many knee problems when he tries), so we hike and walk and bike, and that doesn't leave a lot of time/energy/days left to run!

Oh, and Crankin, that woman's statement is what's known as a "humblebrag". Annoying, isn't it? Most of us would be very pleased with a 29-minute 5K, and she knows it. :-P


I hate when people do that. I actually split from a group of women that I used to train with for that very reason. Well that and they were super catty.

I remember one day in particular we were training for a long triathlon and out for a long run. The pace was supposed to be zone 2. I was wearing a garmin, so I held us at zone 2. We were actually right on pace for over 2 hours. When we finished I was super stoked that we did exactly what we were supposed to, and one of the women went off on this rant about how much she sucked and how pathetic the pace was and how slow the run was. WHAT? Who needs to hear that?

And it went on ALL the time in a slightly under the radar passive aggressive kinda way. Did wonders for my morale and self esteem. Needless to say, I do not train with them any more. Or even talk to them for that matter.

My hubs and I never talk pace outside of making sure we get our time in on our feet for our long trail runs. He does not even run with a watch anymore he was so turned off by that group and the data hounds in general. Outside of this forum, I do not talk much about any of the running or sports that I do with other people.

[Crankin]

I know this, Emily and RnR, and it seems out of character for this person. She is a super fast competitive runner, just coming back from having a baby. And, she is my older son's age! I became friends with her on FB, to findout that she is one of those "Beachbody" coaches, too. Yuck. It's a giant pyramid scheme.
I find cyclists do the humblebrag all of the time. It is hard for me to take. I don't compete, except maybe with myself, but it is hard to see others, older than me, who are just so much faster. I keep telling myself I am OK, and I am in it for the long haul. I stopped wearing my HR monitor years ago, don't care about power. I use cadence and speed to judge my rides. While I do look at my speeds, I try not to obsess.

[OakLeaf]

Welp, I don't know if you can really classify all those things together.

Complaining about the pace of a group run? Especially when the pace was what was agreed on at the start? That's just rude.

Venting disappointment over a bad race for one's own ability, even if someone else might be stoked to log that bare clock time? Who else can we express our disappointment to, if not other athletes?

I don't feel like there's much difference between myself celebrating a great race for me and someone else wanting commiseration for a sucky race for them, even if we logged the exact same time, even if their sucky race was 20 minutes faster than my great race. Because the bottom line for any recreational athlete is, "I competed against MYSELF, and came up ..." either wanting, or triumphant.

[Crankin]

I try to take that attitude, especially with this person, but it is really hard for me. I know I secretly wish I could be fast, in anything, but I am not willing to suffer. I was such an uncoordinated kid who hated sports, so I know I should be happy. And obviously, I just have to look at the other 98% of the population.

[rocknrollgirl]

Welp, I don't know if you can really classify all those things together.

Complaining about the pace of a group run? Especially when the pace was what was agreed on at the start? That's just rude.

Venting disappointment over a bad race for one's own ability, even if someone else might be stoked to log that bare clock time? Who else can we express our disappointment to, if not other athletes?

I don't feel like there's much difference between myself celebrating a great race for me and someone else wanting commiseration for a sucky race for them, even if we logged the exact same time, even if their sucky race was 20 minutes faster than my great race. Because the bottom line for any recreational athlete is, "I competed against MYSELF, and came up ..." either wanting, or triumphant.

Case in point, the race I just did. I was SO pumped about being 7 mins faster than last time and my BIL was mortified and humbled by his time. His sucky race was 25 mins faster than my great race. Hugs for him, high fives for me. He did not make me feel badly about it though.

The few times I have gone to road races with him, he is completely discombobulated as to why I do not " run faster". he said to me...you look like you should be able to run really fast. He is not being mean, he is truly confused. I think he now understands that trail running is a different beasty and will have a bit more respect for the dirt! I am happy just to be out there moving!!

[emily_in_nc]

I try to take that attitude, especially with this person, but it is really hard for me. I know I secretly wish I could be fast, in anything, but I am not willing to suffer. I was such an uncoordinated kid who hated sports, so I know I should be happy. And obviously, I just have to look at the other 98% of the population.

Ditto ditto ditto!

I was a sickly child with a huge number of allergies, asthma, skinny, and weak. I missed lots of school being sick all the time. I hated gym, did everything to avoid it. I was a straight-A student, bookish and nerdy, who felt clumsy, awkward, and couldn't hit a ball if it beaned me in the head. I would love to be "fast" at whatever, too, but these days I'm just happy to be out there doing more than 98% of 55-year old women!

[Crankin]

Maybe we should start a club, Emily....
The thing is, the sports I hated as a kid are not lifetime fitness actiities that require endurance. Although I struggled to learn to ride a bike (I was 9), I always loved it and felt competent. But I never knew I had good endurance until the aerobics craze kicked in. I tried running briefly in the late 70s, but gave myself shin splints, so never thought of just trying better shoes! I got fit so fast that after just a couple of years, I was a certified instructor teaching 7 classes a week. What a crazy time. My gym teachers are laughing from their graves, as I was the kid who was assigned to "Flab lab" when I flunked the President's Fitness Test. That test, was skill related and the only thing I could pass was the running. I will never hit a ball or get a basketball in the hoop. Flab lab was actually endurance and core work. I was not happy at being there, but I do remember feeling quite fit when it was over.

[emily_in_nc]

Maybe we should start a club, Emily....
The thing is, the sports I hated as a kid are not lifetime fitness actiities that require endurance. Although I struggled to learn to ride a bike (I was 9), I always loved it and felt competent. But I never knew I had good endurance until the aerobics craze kicked in. I tried running briefly in the late 70s, but gave myself shin splints, so never thought of just trying better shoes! I got fit so fast that after just a couple of years, I was a certified instructor teaching 7 classes a week. What a crazy time. My gym teachers are laughing from their graves, as I was the kid who was assigned to "Flab lab" when I flunked the President's Fitness Test. That test, was skill related and the only thing I could pass was the running. I will never hit a ball or get a basketball in the hoop. Flab lab was actually endurance and core work. I was not happy at being there, but I do remember feeling quite fit when it was over.

LOL! I would totally have flunked the President's fitness test too! Hah!

I loved aerobics when it became a "thing" and did it all through college and after for awhile. I tried running in college but also ended up with killer shin splints and had to stop. Interestingly, I never get them now, even as much as I stop and start with my running. I always had a bike as a kid and through high school, but I was never "good" at it, it was just a way to get around. I had no bike in college or my early 20s until DH bought me a bike when I was 26. I have been hooked ever since. Hard to believe I've been riding one bike or another as an adult for 29 years now -- though I got more serious about it in the early 2000s. Before that, it was more of an off/on thing, kinda like running is for me now.

[Aromig]

I find cyclists do the humblebrag all of the time. It is hard for me to take. I don't compete, except maybe with myself, but it is hard to see others, older than me, who are just so much faster. I keep telling myself I am OK, and I am in it for the long haul. I stopped wearing my HR monitor years ago, don't care about power. I use cadence and speed to judge my rides. While I do look at my speeds, I try not to obsess.

This is my story. We have a Wednesday night group in our town, and there are usually two options for the ride -- 10 miles or 30 miles and all bike types are welcome. The first 5 miles of the short route is always with the first 5 miles of the long route. I'm not fast enough to keep up with the racers who do the 30 miles (and they honestly scare me how they pass and zip around - we've had at least one wreck so far this season with broken bones) so I hang out at the back with the comfort bikes and cruisers. But then I'm riding the last 25 miles usually by myself, or a few people who are slower than I am. I feel like I can't leave them, but its not a pace I like either. So I chalk the Wednesday rides up to making friends. I have friends that I ride with at work that are naturally more athletic than I am, and I can keep up with them for shorter rides, but I couldn't do it on a super long rides. I keep telling myself that speed doesn't matter, I'm really into this to work out and that's working out for me, but I do catch myself watching my speed. I can change the display on my Garmin so I've been meaning to remove the speed display so then it really won't matter :-)

[rocknrollgirl]

So just like that the weather has become very unpleasant for running. Last w/e was still tolerable and then Tuesday, blam, 87 degrees and humid. The pollen count is off the chart, we have had air quality alerts all week. Blech.

Yesterday we had a long run. the last before our next race in two weeks. Two hour trail run. At 6am it was already near 70 degrees and humid. Made for very difficult conditions. I find it drives my heart rate through the roof until I acclimate. So it was a tough two hours. This is our last trail run locally until the fall. The ticks are out. So from now on we will have to drive to trail run which stinks.

On a good note, I think my new orthotics are going to do the trick. I have gone through all of my work and casual shoes and gotten rid of anything that causes me discomfort. Replaced with a few pair of Clarks, very comfy and supportive. Today I am going out on a mission to find flip flops with arch support. They do exist, but they may be unicorn status.

[OakLeaf]

I would think flip flops would kind of defeat the purpose - you have to extend your big toes to keep them on, which unless you have phenomenal control of your foot muscles, is going to flatten the arch as well. Plenty of sandals with strap tops and rigid soles though - Chaco and Teva come to mind.

Brutally hot here too, smog here too (yep, 50 miles from the nearest city which is a small city, in the 21st century we get smog too :( :mad: ). Thankfully the humidity is still low, the pollen hasn't been too bad and my shots are keeping up with it. Between the heat and I'm still sore all the time from the PT exercises, I've kind of given up on building distance for the time being, and instead I'm keeping it VERY short but trying to run every day or at least six days a week. I'm figuring if the distance is so short, I won't need as many recovery days. It drives me crazy to run for a shorter amount of time than it takes me to get dressed, warm up, and then stretch afterward, but that's called discipline, I guess.

How does the terrain of your upcoming race compare to the last one?

[rocknrollgirl]

Hey Oak,
I only need the flip flops for flippity flopping around the house and a quick run to the store. I do not wear them for hours on end like the rest of the folks around here. I found a pair of sketchers that may work. Otherwise I have on really supportive shoes or retired running shoes with orthotics in there.

Fortunately the terrain at the next race is more like what we run locally. I think there is only 1500 feet of elevation change in this race compare to 4800 at North Face and the upcoming race will not have the rocks like at Bear Mt. probably lots of roots which we are used to. So it should feel more runable, less power hiking.

I am not sure what I will do after this race as far as maintaining distance. I will not have anything "long" until next fall. We will trail run all summer and want to start mt biking again after this next race. I may just do a longish trail run every other week just to keep my endurance up. 90 mins would probably do it.

We have three trips planned and they all involve hiking, so that can sub for some long trail runs too.

[OakLeaf]

Good luck tomorrow, RnR! Go have fun and kick some butt!!

[Catrin]

Have run RNR!

[rocknrollgirl]

Thanks Ladies,

We survived. It was hot and humid which does not go well for either of us. My husband in particular. I was soaked from head to toe by mile 3. The course was nice, lots of nice single track. It was however connected by open field crossings. No fun in the heat and very brushy. I was glad I sprayed with bug spray on my legs. So it went ok considering. The last couple of miles were tough. I have never cramped in my life and when I finished even my feet were cramping. No fun. I was well hydrated and my nutrition was fine, I think it was just that there was no way to keep up with salt loss.

We do not have any races planned over the summer, but will start back up in September. I had been seriously considering a full trail marathon last year, but I think I am going to shelve the idea and just stick to trail 1/2 marathons and shorter. My teaching load is really heavy next year, I have 80 AP students registered, almost double the norm. It is going to be a heavy load to carry and I want to be smart and manage and enjoy my training. Keep things in balance.

So there you have it. Survived. Got good swag, got to run with hubs and one of my former students who met us there. All good.

[Crankin]

Sounds like a good experience, despite the weather.
And, your plan for sticking to halfs during a stressful year sounds good, too. More people should do this. It avoids burning out and ending up hating something you loved.

[rocknrollgirl]

Sounds like a good experience, despite the weather.
And, your plan for sticking to halfs during a stressful year sounds good, too. More people should do this. It avoids burning out and ending up hating something you loved.

That is my biggest fear. I LOVE trail running. I don't want it to become a "thing"

[Catrin]

Sounds like you had fun outside of the cramping. I'm sure you've nailed proper prep for endurance activities in the heat - have you ever tried something like Salt Stick Buffered Electrolyte capsules? They have two versions, one with caffeine. I've found in serious heat it really helps to pop one periodically. They are on the large side, but well worth it.

Focusing on what you love without allowing it to become stressful is a great idea! It's so easy to go there without really realizing it...

[rocknrollgirl]

Catrin,
we have tried everything, endurolytes, S-caps, gatorade, nuun, gatorade and nuun mixed. Usually I am just unhappy and slow i n the heat. My husband gets clobbered. I am at a loss of what to do. I am starting to think it might be a blood sugar thing with him. He rarely takes nutrition on our long runs, and so he is not used to doing it on race day. Yesterday he ran 13 miles of trail on 1 gel. I had 1 before and 3 during. I am thinking this because I gave him a coke after the race when he felt bad and it was immediate improvement.

So it may be a combo of mile dehydration and low blood sugar.

[Catrin]

Catrin,
we have tried everything, endurolytes, S-caps, gatorade, nuun, gatorade and nuun mixed. Usually I am just unhappy and slow i n the heat. My husband gets clobbered. I am at a loss of what to do. I am starting to think it might be a blood sugar thing with him. He rarely takes nutrition on our long runs, and so he is not used to doing it on race day. Yesterday he ran 13 miles of trail on 1 gel. I had 1 before and 3 during. I am thinking this because I gave him a coke after the race when he felt bad and it was immediate improvement.

So it may be a combo of mile dehydration and low blood sugar.

That's not a good combo for sure, and the heat & humidity doesn't help for sure. Hope you can work this out - and hopefully other events this year will be at least a bit better, conditions wise.

BTW, I really enjoy reading about your trail runs, one of those ways I live vicariously though some on this forum. I was able to trail run just long enough to start enjoying it a lot before my knee forced me to stop.

[rocknrollgirl]

That is very sweet, thank-you. I will keep on posting updates. The best thing about trail running aside from being in the woods, is the people I have met on the trail at races. Most of the time just a voice in front or behind for a few miles and then we split up and you meet someone new. The mid packers are the best, Most of us trudging along just happy to be out.

I ran behind a young couple for a few miles yesterday, I called her pink shoe laces. They were doing the full marathon, two loops. Good runner.We split up and I saw her later at an aide station. I yelled out PINK SHOELACES! We meet again. She laughed said it was nice to put a face to a voice.

Then I hooked up behind another young couple doing the full, ran with them for a bit. They are training for a 50 miler in Colorado. Hard core. Nice youngsters.

Then I ran a few miles with a guy probably in his 60's. Interesting guy. Married to an oncologist that does palliative care. Said he had been married to his first wife for 14 years and lost her to cancer and never thought he would find love again. Very sweet guy.

Ran with another young guy for a bit that said his goal this year was not to get lapped by the marathon leader. Said it had happened last year. We talked a lot about cold beer.

Most of the people I chat with are shocked at my age and tell me that they find it inspiring, so that is nice. I tell them it is either keep a race on the schedule of my butt might just land on the couch and stay there!

We are hiking in some nice spots this summer too, so I will post those up.

[OakLeaf]

Nice, RnR. I thought about you in that heat. My friend the serial marathoner took a rare weekend off this week to rest up for the FIVE he's doing next weekend :eek: - I happened to run into him at the coffee shop Saturday morning and allowed as how it was a very good weekend to stay home.

My experience is I can't keep up with electrolyte loss even at more normal temperatures. Figure you lose 500-1000 mg sodium for every liter of sweat, and in those temperatures you'll probably sweat three liters an hour if not more. Plus the magnesium and calcium. Any more, I pre-load before an event, and after eight marathons I'm finally feeling like I've got a decent handle on nutrition and hydration to where I'm not in a complete mental fog by the finish, but even that probably wouldn't have been enough in 90°+.

I'm on the email list for Carmichael Training (never been a client of theirs, just got onto their mailing list somehow), and a couple of weeks ago they put up a blog post (http://trainright.com/optimizing-workout-nutrition-for-hot-weather/?utm_source=Blog+Content+Email+May+28+2016+-+Hot+Weather+Nutrition&utm_campaign=hotweathernutrition&utm_medium=email) about nutrition and hydration in the heat. Maybe there's something in here you or your DH can use.

[emily_in_nc]

Nice job, RnR, especially considering the conditions. Heat and humidity make for very tough running. Kudos to you!

[Skierchickie2]

Hi guys - I'm back after several years away from this forum. I started running this spring, after ski season ended. First time in maybe 10 years that I was able to run enough to get to the point where it feels fun (not just torture), and didn't just quit running and turn to other things. I've been really happy, worked my way up to 12.5 miles on the nearby single track. Enjoying running again, feeling like I could go forever. I've missed that feeling. I was even planning to sign up for a 25k trail race, and some other local events. Was even thinking of doing a marathon in the fall, if all went well.

It didn't. I'm home on the couch, icing my knee. I'm supposed to keep it elevated, but that seems to cause excruciating pain. :(

Here is what happened: Sunday morning Hubby and I went for a run with our dog on our favorite single track. It was our first really hot, humid run of the year, and he was having trouble, but I felt way better than I expected. I had planned to do 6-8 miles, as my long run a week ago had ended with some hip pain, so I thought I'd cut back. Anyway, after 5 miles he and the dog went home, and I continued on. It was going pretty good. When I got to 9.5, I figured I should cut directly back to my car, on the main ski trail/2-track, but I really wanted to stay on the trail. So I did. Big mistake. At 11 miles I caught my toe on a root or a rock, and pitched forward. Missed hitting the nearby tree with my head, so that was good. But I landed HARD, especially on my left knee. it was bad. When I was able to look, it was all bloody - I figured whacked and scraped. Then I saw the small missing chunk of flesh. Lots of blood. Had to walk 1-1/2 to 2 miles back to the car. Lots of whimpering and "ohmygodohmygod" going on.

Got home (car is a stick shift, so the clutch was torture). Took a shower and tried to clean it up, but there was a lot of dirt ground in. Hubby tried, then decided I needed stitches. Went to the ER, got X-rays, etc. Doctor said one view looked like something was in there. He spent a long time cleaning and hunting, cleaning and hunting, but couldn't find anything. It was excruciating, even after he numbed it. Because of the possibility of debris inside (he said it was a puncture, that went all the way through to the pocket, plus extreme bruising) he wasn't comfortable doing sutures, because of infection. So it has to be kept immobilized so it can heal. So I'm on crutches, in a lot of pain. The pain pills don't work long enough, but do okay for a while. I really think there is more going on, maybe under the kneecap. He said nothing was broken, at least. I see the regular doctor tomorrow, so hopefully will learn more. I just know that while it feels really bruised on top, the majority of the pain is inside. Not bruise-type pain. At first I hoped it was from the thorough poking and prodding, but that should have let up by now.

I've been off work so far - really should go in tomorrow, but not sure how I'll be able to arrange & support my leg at my desk. And driving is an issue (we do have a pickup with an automatic, but space is a problem, plus the pain), although hubby can cart me around tomorrow. Fortunately he is off work then, and can take me to the doctor

Just posting to whine, I guess. I know I'm jumping to conclusions about how bad this is, but I really thought it would be a little better by now.

I just bought new road shoes the day before this happened.

Thanks for listening

[OakLeaf]

Welcome back, skierchickie! So sorry about your knee. :( I'm not surprised that trauma like that hurts more the second day. Hope it's "just a flesh wound." Take it easy as much as you can, hope you can find some way to deal with it and stay reasonably comfortable at work. Hang in there and heal quick.


I'm building mileage back little by little, it just bums me out how sore I am all the time on so little mileage. Most of it's the new IMPROVING biomechanics I know, on top of soreness from the exercises themselves, but it's still frustrating. Especially since I'm obviously not going to be ready for the 5-miler I've done the past few years on the Fourth of July. It is what it is though, some symptoms are still basically unchanged but some things are definitely improving. Plus I can feel my nicer butt muscles in the shower. :p I should be ready for some of the later season 5Ks and a half in the fall no problem.

[rocknrollgirl]

Oh No. I am so sorry. You are in the thick of it now, right after the crash. Try not to panic. Because you have a wound and impact damage, it is going to take some time to heal. But don't freak out. Go to your doctor. Find out what he/she has to say. Maybe you need a scan or further imaging. Follow their instructions and know that you can come here to vent/whine/complain.

I had a hamstring issue this winter, mild tear. Thought for sure my season was over. Even said out loud, well my season is over.Spent 2 months in PT and hours and hours stretching and strengthening my glutes. Season not over. So try not to freak out ( too much). When you are ready, let me know and I will send you lots and lots of tiltles of inspirational trail running movies you can watch online. Got me through the winter:)

OK, I am going off to start a summer thread. So meet me over there.