Hilly Mamba?
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Hilly Mamba?
Hey Mambo, mambo Italiano!
Hellish Morning, if it involves getting up at 4 a.m., as this one would.
Yep, half marathon. :)
I'd have to agree with hellish morning. No one is forcing you to do it... and you do it anyway, madness! :D
Hi All,
Have not posted much the last 2 weeks or snow. The snow forced us off the trails and onto the roads which for us was very unpleasant and the unpleasantness ended with me with a mild hamstring strain. That was a week ago. We have a new Sports Med Health Care place right down the road, the do chiro and PT and acupuncture and all that all in one place.Got in right away to see them.
My new PT Mark, says he feels like it is all stemming from.....wait for it....wait for it.... A weak left glute med. WHY IS IT ALWAYS MEDIAL GLUTE???? WHY?
So we started my PT Wed, I am back there today. He seems great. I did get to do a few slow miles yesterday. It felt ok. Tiny pinch up high hamstring/ glute at the end. And onward we trudge. 12 weeks till my race. Come on hamstring!
So as a side note, one of the things he made me do was stand on one foot on a balance pad. Two min intervals. Holy cowzer was that hard. Worked every stabilizer in my whole leg. Even for a yoga chick. I think I am gonna get one of those.
Ow, heal up quick. Glad you've been able to get into PT right away though.
I used to love the balance mat when I was a gym rat. Haven't been on one since ... not a bad idea, even, as you say, for a yoga chick. We've been doing a fair amount of eyes-closed balance work in yoga, working on the proprioceptors, but the raw work of an unstable surface is something else again!
Yowie! Heal soon! I've a balance pad in my home KB gym that I use for both balance work and cushioning my knee if I MUST kneel briefly. Also good for supporting my neck for certain floor core and flexibility exercises. It's well worth the cost of a good one, got mine from Perform Better on sale.
If you don't follow the Daily Bandha (which doesn't post anything close to daily) - it's a really amazingly detailed site explaining fascial connections and alignment cues in yoga and beyond. Here's one of their posts on the gluteus medius, with links to more.
http://www.dailybandha.com/2014/06/t...e-in-yoga.html
Funny thing though - I actually went to the site looking for side plank (full expression), which is where I feel the GM more than any other pose, and they don't even mention it. Which probably means I feel it there because it's weak on me too, and my hips are probably tilting in the standing poses more than I realize, sigh, it stinks not having a good yoga teacher any more. Definitely saw some hip tilt in the photos from that last race, been working a lot of one-legged bridge too. Probably should add some hip hikes. Which brings back annoying memories of trying to teach hip hikes in the gym and having half of the participants for whatever reason completely ignore my instruction and doing side-facing step-ups instead. Which would've been semi-okay if they'd kept their hips level, but nooooooo. Sigh.
Holy Smokes...The new PT ( Mark), takes no prisoners. He says that I will have THE most stable pelvis at my race on May 1st. I wonder if they give an award for that, like Miss Congeniality? He is not screwing around.
Oh and a female PT KT taped my glute...like that was not awkward.
That made me laugh!
I've always wondered how they tape guys, for the men in my family that would be like trying to stick tape to carpet.
We are big on KT tape in our house. I a actually pretty good at it for a nonprofessional. Not quite good enough to tape my own backside...Quote:
Originally Posted by Pax
Now men. I tape my hubs all the time. Mostly shoulder, rotator cuff. If I were going to tape a leg, he would have to shave it. Otherwise, here comes his first "wax" !!!!
Ha. :D Funny how the thought of having a female PT tape my bare azz, does seem so much more awkward than my male MTs digging around in my obturators and iliacus through a sheet, or the chiropractor doing it through tights. :cool:
I like StrengthTape for my feet, ankles and legs, SpiderTech Gentle for the delicate skin on the anterior shoulders, KinesioTex Gold for the posterior shoulders. Got a whole stable in my medicine cabinet.
Taping hairy parts ... unlike white athletic tape (which men definitely shave before applying), I don't think the adhesive on kinesiology tape is strong enough to pull hair off? I make sure my legs are freshly shaved before I tape, just for better adhesion, and I think I'd do the same taping a hairy man's shoulders. But seven to nine days (which is how long StrengthTape typically lasts) is plenty of time for hair to grow up underneath the tape on my legs, and it doesn't yank it off.
RnR, hooray for aggressive, goal-oriented rehab plans and the most stable pelvis in your race!!
Good luck with all that, RnR. I can't even imagine how a glute would be taped. I don't know much about taping, obviously! Not sure I want to know. ;-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
Oak I am glad to hear you say that. I was worried that he was pushing me pretty hard, but they all keep commenting that I am pretty strong and need to be pushed a bit. He is doing stuff I recognize from when I had PT years ago for and IT band issue like monsters and clam shell, but I have been cheating when I was doing those exercises at home and his form corrections are kicking my butt, literally. My glutes are sore today. The only thing that is really new, new is that stability pad.
So I did get to run today. They told me I could if I halved my distance, no hills and no sprints. So our rail trail is pretty clear of snow and I went and did a very easy 5 milers this morning. Aside from my glutes being sore I felt pretty good. The PT said I should do the clam shells and monsters at home, but I am so sore today. Maybe I will do them later and just cut my sets down.
I started to get a little freaked out about lost trail time until my husband reminded me that if you are an East Coaster...everyone's trails are snowed in. That did make me feel better. If we lived someplace that we could cross country ski, or ski mo I would just switch to that, but our trails just get crappy. Deep frozen foot prints. Very tough to run on. Not too many people with snow shoes around here to pack the trails dowm
Glad you've been able to run a little. Sounds like miserable conditions out there, and more coming in tomorrow.
Got any tips for doing the clamshells? I've always wondered about the hip and knee angles, but my PT never corrected me. I know how much difference that kind of stuff makes - like how the figure 4 stretch is so much deeper when the contralateral knee is at 90° -
So I dragged myself out of bed and ran that half this morning. Ironic thing, half the reason I signed up is because DH and his cousin had made a noon lunch date, so I knew whatever I did I'd have to get it done early-ish, but cousin had to cancel after I'd already signed up for the race. Anyway, conditions were pretty good, 45° and overcast, very little rain, there was wind but it was mostly a crosswind, the only negative about the weather was the unavoidable puddles, so my feet got wet right away. Another 2d place in AG, which I really was not expecting, the fast gals had come out for this race in the past, but not so many of them today. :cool:
I still cannot understand drinking beer at 9 a.m. when you're going into hypothermia ... but there were plenty of people taking the free beer on offer after the finish ...
Good job, Oak. Yeah, beer at 45 degrees and rainy, after running 13 miles does not seem like a recipe for recovery. A few years ago when I was running in the early spring, it seemed I only ran on days I wouldn't ride, as in 45 degrees and rainy.
Way to go, Oak!!
Beer makes you not care that it's 45 and crappy. :p
I do not get the beer at 9am thing either. Actually not even after a race. Blech.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
So clamshells. I always did them propped up on my elbow with my knees folded 90 degrees to my hips and my feet 90 degrees to my knees. He has me do them lying all the way down on my side. Head on my outstretched arm and leaning in. Not holding on to anything. Knees at more like a 120 degree angle, feet more forward and heels flexed hard. Made a big difference.
Same with the monster walks. Slight change in form and ouchy.
Thanks. I'll try them.
Great job, Oak! I could not have run in that cold.
I did a 3-mile run today in sunshine and wind, temp around 58-61. Quite nice! Trying to work back to where a 5K distance is easier again; I've been so erratic in my running lately that it's still a bit of a struggle.
Nice, Emily!
Really, what we had yesterday was the kind of weather that it's tough to motivate for a training run, but near perfect for a hard effort once you're out there. Probably a good thing I ran the race on that level, too, because sticking to the training book and doing 15 miles easy pace, I might have sat around procrastinating until the sun came out again this morning. :p
So more tales from the PT front.
Yesterday's session included adding lunges onto the stability pad. They did add another exercise, an extension with a straight leg. That was no bueno, so I stopped. I did wonder briefly yesterday that they were pushing me too hard, but I trust they know what they are doing. Aside from muscle fatigue, nothing hurts from an ut oh stand point while I am doing it. Just sore muscles day after. And the PT does pay 100% attention while I am updating him. For example when he asked me yesterday how I was feeling and if I ran over the w/e and how did it feel he was very attentive. So I must trust.
So perhaps on the other side of this I will be much stronger ( and have a really nice butt from all of these exercises). The question is, does a period of less running in the middle of training derail the train, or sink the ship as it were. Before the hammie cried stop, we were almost up to time and distance necessary for our upcoming May 1st trail race. The last time we did this race in 2013, most of our long training runs were around 2 hours. Hopefully between that good solid 2 month training block and what I can put in after my leg feels better will be enough to have a decent race. And by that I just mean enjoy the race without having to worry every 2 mins if my hamstring is going to hold up.
Worst case scenario, I can change my distance up until the day before the race if I have to and drop down. I have already found another trail half about 6 weeks after the May 1st race in case I do have to drop down and feel like I still want to run a longer race before summer.
And onward we trudge. Keep on running ladies! We have bitter cold coming so I will have some chilly stories for later in the week!
RnR, I am thinking that the base you've already built up will carry you through this period of less running. I know that has been the case for me for cycling at least. May 1 is still a ways off!
It's super chilly and crazy windy here in Central Florida, with three cold fronts coming through in two days (how is that possible??), but I keep telling myself that most everyone else has it worse, so I try not to be too bitter. :D
Sounds good, RnR.
What does the PT say about maintaining your overall running fitness? Is there other cardio you can do, to keep that end of it up? Most of what I've read, is that when someone's well-trained before having to take a break, it comes back pretty quickly.
Hang in there!
I will ask at PT today. I know I can ride the trainer, maybe elliptical? I have not really brought it up, since I am allowed to "run". I did another easy 5 miles yesterday. Felt ok. It is hard to tell I am so sore from doing the lunges! It is the w/e long run that has me worried.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
I am going to try a trail run this weekend. Stick to the flatter trails and keep it under an hour. It is the flat part of this formula that has me worried.But I will stay the course. If I am this sore from doing the rehab work, obviously there were weaknesses in the chain.
So i went to PT Wed, and they were not at all worried about my soreness. They said awesome because it is muscular and not structural, They worked me hard, and stretched my well and then the chiro did some voodoo magic on my foot with a metal too called Graston technique. When I woke up yesterday morning, no leg pain. hmmmm.....I waited all day for it. No pain. First day i have been blissfully unaware of it in 2 weeks. Ran yesterday ( in the 20 degree weather), no issues.
Could it be the voodoo magic? Or is all of the rehab coming together? I am going to call for more voodoo today. It is excruciatingly painful, but if it works like that, count me in!
Graston is awesome, it CAN be too much in the hands of someone less experience! My chiro uses that on me from time to time. All Active Release techniques (tool or hands) can be excruciating but usually only during the application, as you found out. Sounds like you've a good one! There are still a few out there that think it must leave bruising and residual pain/soreness to be effective but that's just not true.
Sounds like the voodoo magic was the perfect followup - hope you continue to feel better!
Nice!!
I've never had Graston done, but I had gua sha once, which is a TCM technique that's supposed to be the inspiration for Graston. Left some crazy marks, but no residual soreness. My experience with a lot of deep tissue work is that the amount of soreness that lingers for more than a day after treatment, really depends on the condition the muscle and fascia were in before. It's not necessarily the oldest stuff, either (that's usually the least painful, because it's so shut off, until it really starts functioning close to normally, when it can hurt). I pretty much always get stippled bruising if I roll my ITBs with a spiky stick, but they're never sore more than a day, even when a bodyworker gets into them super deep. Last week my suboccipitals were crazy tight, and they were sore for four or five days after my LMT released them, which is extremely unusual.
But for sure too, different practitioners have different approaches to a patient's pain tolerance. My chiropractor in Florida seems to have a very keen sense of it - there are newspaper photos on his wall, of him treating an NBA star, and the athlete grimacing. He can take me near my limit, but so far never past it. Then there are patients I overhear, who either have very limited pain tolerance, or are already in so much pain that anything additional is nearly too much, and he's only taking them to their limit. My northern chiropractor, on the other hand - I've never had an LMT who hasn't commented on my pain tolerance, but there were a couple of times when she was into my infraspinati, that I was literally holding back tears. Holey moley. I have a very high opinion of both of their skill, their understanding of fascial relationships and their ability to release adhesions, but they just have a different set of expectations from their patients.
Poo.
So I went for more voodoo magic yesterday. Woke up feeling great. Planned on braving the cold and heading to our local trails to try so flat trail running. I seem to be fine on the rail trail, so I thought, why not. My husband went with me and we planned on running the first bit together and him taking off onto the harder trails.
I was fine on the double track, but as soon as we turned off on the single track my glute started barking. The problem area is where the hamstring inserts. The trail was not hilly by any stretch, but not flat like the rail trail. We popped out on the double track after a few miles and hubs went his way and I took the easy way back to the car. By this time I was feeling frustrated and a bit sorry for myself. I KNOW it is silly. Intellectually I know it is ridiculous to be upset and frustrated over running. For heaven's sake I do not have cancer. But emotionally, boo hoo.
So I had to wait about 40 mins for Chris to come back and by that time my blood sugar had dropped and I was not only feeling sorry for myself, but I was down right crotchety. Needless to say there were tears and apologies ( on my part) shortly after we got home. It is hard to go out and watch him have such a great run and I am feeling frustrated. I know that makes me sound awful. I am really not awful....I swear. If and when I try the trails again, 2 cars:) I will stick to the rail trail for now.
Oh well. Pity Party is over. And onward we trudge.
It's okay to be frustrated! Some people having it worse, doesn't make things any better for you. It stinks being injured, it extra triple stinks being injured and cold and hypoglycemic and getting your abandonment feelings triggered.
Keep healing.
Day off for me. Yesterday the DC was about knuckle deep in my right glute medius, yikes. Didn't really realize how much that was involved in throwing my hip off, all the stuff we've been working on with the QL and the psoas and the obliques, the glutes are in there too. And having him do my adductors, even through tights, was definitely awkward. :o Made a difference I could tell right away though, looking forward to tomorrow's run.
Hang in there everyone! Keep healing Rocknrollgirl, it will come, and I think you did great with everything that happened!
Oakleaf hope you have a great day tomorrow, it sounds like the DC found exactly what he needed to find!
Thanks everyone for not making me feel like a big baby.
So today is another day. Got up, did 35 mins on the trainer, did all my at home exercises. I even ordered a stability pad to use at home. Lifted, did lots of core, so I am feeling less mopey. The good news is, the discomfort from yesterday did not radiate through my hamstring, it stayed very centralized. I think that is good. Back to PT tomorrow! I will try an easy flat run before I go.
You are not a big baby at all, RnR. As hard as you've trained, your frustration is completely justified IMO. Glad you're feeling a bit more upbeat and hope the PT goes well tomorrow.
Between one thing and another (including a very sore left shin from a long, hilly walk -- yes, there are hills in Florida, at least in Lake County!), I have not run since sometime last week, and tomorrow looks like a perfect day for a ride, so Tuesday it is likely to be.
So, maybe running those two half marathons wasn't such a great idea ...
I'm not well recovered this week. I had my HRM on at yoga yesterday, and noticed my HR was way higher than it normally is in savasana. I'm sore in unaccustomed places (a good thing I think, changes resulting from the bodywork) and really thinking of taking a pass on tomorrow's scheduled workout and just doing slow distance instead. Plus, we've got houseguests coming in this afternoon, which adds to the mental stress and scheduling difficulty. Wish I'd realized it earlier - the training plan lists Sunday's workout as skippable, not tomorrow's. But, I'm not going to push through tomorrow, not going to risk overtraining when I've still got nine weeks to go. See how I feel in the morning.
Plus, my running watch is acting weird. Worst case, the old, super heavy one still works fine. But I'd rather not have to deal with glitchy tech right now.
Feel better Oakleaf!
^^^ Ditto!Quote:
Originally Posted by Catrin
Got out for a nice little 3 miler today, slowly getting the pace back (10:02 min/mile today) after too many layoffs due to injuries, sickness, weather, travel, and other priorities. We had a gorgeous day for it, breezy, sunny, and not too warm (70-72F) as the humidity was blessedly low for Florida. I'll take it!
When in doubt, leave it out. I wish i could go back and skip the couple of workouts that pushed me over the edge. Take it easy....Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
I have learned this the hard way, so many times... I am better than I used to be, but still. It doesn't matter what sport it is, just say no.
I say this as I head off to the doctor after not heeding my own advice!
Seriously, I want to smack myself in the head. I think it is part of the reason I am so frustrated. With myself. I think part of the problem, my problem at least, it that when I veer off the path, it is slow and insidious. I do not always recognize that it is happening, until it is too late. So I made a big old not in my training log.
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.