Winter Running Thread

[emily_in_nc]

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.

[OakLeaf]

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.

[rocknrollgirl]

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!

[emily_in_nc]

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.

[OakLeaf]

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!

[rocknrollgirl]

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.

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.

[rocknrollgirl]

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!

[Catrin]

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!

[OakLeaf]

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.

[rocknrollgirl]

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.

[OakLeaf]

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. Made a difference I could tell right away though, looking forward to tomorrow's run.

[Catrin]

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!

[rocknrollgirl]

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.

[emily_in_nc]

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.

[OakLeaf]

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.