GATE RIVER RUN
April 2011
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Achilles Injury #2
So it's hard to believe that it's been three and a half months since my last entry...and my first bout with the achilles! Of course, being the ever-so-slightly-in-denial-of-the-extent-of-my-injury runner that I was, I did not rest 100% and kept trying to "retrain" my achilles! I ran shorter distances, or slower runs, or a combination of both, but returned much too quickly. This was after only about a 2 week sabbatical, which was all I was willing to endure. The result, which was no surprise to anyone OTHER than me was that I reinsured it immediately, and couldn't even run three feet! Finally, I had to succumb to the enemy known as myself and commit to resting this bugger for at least 2 full months. This mentally killed me to consider, because I couldn't imagine not being able to enjoy my favorite past-time, mental / spiritual release, as well as physical activity! It was like a huge piece of my livelihood was being taken; almost like being stricken with a handicap! I decided that I was NOT willing to sacrifice my wellness and fitness altogether. I am very aware that since passing the "40 marker" my metabolism shifts quickly when I don't engage in cardio activity regularly. My muscle tone doesn't sustain like it once did, either, and I shortly feel very "soft". I thought back to 10 years ago when I worked out 6 days a week, doing a combination of interval training, step aerobics classes and spinning. As much as I strongly prefer the outdoors, I bit the bullet and joined the local YMCA, which offers zumba, kickboxing, spinning, as well as a full weight and equipment room and heated pool. I also see this as an opportunity to get out of the house in a town where I literally no no one other than my colleagues, having only moved here 3 months ago! REturning to spin class was actually easier than I thought it would be and I discovered a VERY challenging instructor, which makes the class quite enjoyable. After about 2 or 3 weeks, I also decided to try out zumba, which I did once or twice a few years ago. The Puerto Rican instructor is vivacious and enthusiastic, and prepares intense dance workouts with salsa / reggae music...and I found a new infatuation with Zumba! As luck would have it, a week later I fell in the shower and cracked three ribs....no, you really can't make this stuff up! I was really depressed to be injured yet AGAIN after just finding enjoyable cardio that doesn't put the impact on the achilles that running does...REALLY??? Out of commission AGAIN? Yep...another 2 weeks of non-activity. It really started feeling like a conspiracy lol. But after 2 weeks, I returned to Zumba full throttle and have gotten very good at it. Thanks to a colleague, I also discovered what has become like a new birth in my life...a 365 acre nature preserve that runs along the beach and has multiple trails to run....for MILES! The trails are mostly formed out of hard sand and crushed seashells...they are well shaded and wooded, and I found that running on this surface is not at all hard on my achilles. This is now my favorite spot to spend Saturday and Sunday mornings. I started with just 3 miles each time, but am back up to 5-6 miles at a time, with NO problems or injury thus far. Trail running is peaceful and so much more enjoyable than the road...what a bonus...give it a try!!!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Ruptured Achilles: Runner Injury #1
I guess like many runners I had begun taking for granted that as long as certain very basic things were in place, I didn't have to worry about injuries! I buy the right shoes, had my pronation evaluated at a running store, on the machine, etc, increase my distance in small, widespread intervals, and focus on form when running: body upright, back straight with a very slight bend forward (but never far enough for knees over feet), regulate breathing, cadence, etc. My inconsistencies, however, are hydration and stretching...the worst of which being stretching!
About a month or so ago I wore out my Ravennas and thought I'd give the new Cadence a try, as I am a mostly neutral shoe wearer (or LIGHT support), and an avid BROOKS wearer. They felt pretty good, although certainly not the "running on marshmallow pads" feeling that the Ravenna gave me. A few times, after running my normal 5-6 miles, I had some discomfort in my arch, or in the morning, pain in the back of my heel, and a hard time walking for the first half hour or so. This continued for a few weeks, but I wrote it off to "occupational hazard" and didn't pay much attention. I also didn't stretch after running, really, at all.
A couple of weeks ago I went for a nice 8 mile run on the Suncoast Trail while visiting out of town, and had stiffness and pain in my calf along with some arch discomfort. The next morning, painful heel again. It was then that I decided the Cadence (two months later) was not really the shoe for me, and I bought 2 more pairs of Ravennas to rotate between, in order to get more wear out of them. From the first run, I was ecstatic to be back in "the perfect shoe"!
This week, after 6 miles in my new Ravennas, I woke with an inordinate amount of pain in my heel, which lasted longer than usual. When I started my run, I went about 3 feet and had to stop. At home, stretching and rolling my foot around, there was a lot of snapping and clicking. It was then that I realized, after some research, that I had ruptured my achilles! All that "running past the pain" and ignoring the initial symptoms finally caught up.
In hindsight, I cannot believe I wore my old Ravennas for several weeks after wearing out the insole, which was the catalyst of this injury, I'm sure. I also cannot believe I even TRIED the Cadence when I LOVE the Ravennas as much as I do; and that I kept running with them after almost immediately knowing they were truly not the shoe for me.
I had my stride re=evaluated at JRC and found out I DO overpronate a bit to the inside of my foot, although I land right in the middle. A completely neutral shoe, or one with MORE than very light support, does not work for my stride.
The REAL bummer is that I am off for 8 weeks for summer break and had a major running training regime scheduled for myself with my 2 new pairs of Ravennas. Instead, I cannot run AT ALL for at least (from what my professional running friends tell me) a couple of weeks. I CANNOT/WILL NOT, however, simply sit completely laid up, so I have begun eccentric calf stretches (15 reps 1-2 times per day), icing in the evening, and 60 minutes of jogging on the elliptical each day in order to keep my leg muscles in shape so that when I CAN finally return to what I love, it will NOT be like starting over.
Note to self, and my fellow runners: Once you have the perfect shoe, do NOT change for any reason; running shoes wear out in about THREE months, so replace right away, STRETCH well after every run, and do NOT ignore pain and discomfort!
About a month or so ago I wore out my Ravennas and thought I'd give the new Cadence a try, as I am a mostly neutral shoe wearer (or LIGHT support), and an avid BROOKS wearer. They felt pretty good, although certainly not the "running on marshmallow pads" feeling that the Ravenna gave me. A few times, after running my normal 5-6 miles, I had some discomfort in my arch, or in the morning, pain in the back of my heel, and a hard time walking for the first half hour or so. This continued for a few weeks, but I wrote it off to "occupational hazard" and didn't pay much attention. I also didn't stretch after running, really, at all.
A couple of weeks ago I went for a nice 8 mile run on the Suncoast Trail while visiting out of town, and had stiffness and pain in my calf along with some arch discomfort. The next morning, painful heel again. It was then that I decided the Cadence (two months later) was not really the shoe for me, and I bought 2 more pairs of Ravennas to rotate between, in order to get more wear out of them. From the first run, I was ecstatic to be back in "the perfect shoe"!
This week, after 6 miles in my new Ravennas, I woke with an inordinate amount of pain in my heel, which lasted longer than usual. When I started my run, I went about 3 feet and had to stop. At home, stretching and rolling my foot around, there was a lot of snapping and clicking. It was then that I realized, after some research, that I had ruptured my achilles! All that "running past the pain" and ignoring the initial symptoms finally caught up.
In hindsight, I cannot believe I wore my old Ravennas for several weeks after wearing out the insole, which was the catalyst of this injury, I'm sure. I also cannot believe I even TRIED the Cadence when I LOVE the Ravennas as much as I do; and that I kept running with them after almost immediately knowing they were truly not the shoe for me.
I had my stride re=evaluated at JRC and found out I DO overpronate a bit to the inside of my foot, although I land right in the middle. A completely neutral shoe, or one with MORE than very light support, does not work for my stride.
The REAL bummer is that I am off for 8 weeks for summer break and had a major running training regime scheduled for myself with my 2 new pairs of Ravennas. Instead, I cannot run AT ALL for at least (from what my professional running friends tell me) a couple of weeks. I CANNOT/WILL NOT, however, simply sit completely laid up, so I have begun eccentric calf stretches (15 reps 1-2 times per day), icing in the evening, and 60 minutes of jogging on the elliptical each day in order to keep my leg muscles in shape so that when I CAN finally return to what I love, it will NOT be like starting over.
Note to self, and my fellow runners: Once you have the perfect shoe, do NOT change for any reason; running shoes wear out in about THREE months, so replace right away, STRETCH well after every run, and do NOT ignore pain and discomfort!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
What will YOU settle for?
Not long ago, I had to clear the cobwebs off my blog and share an updated posting to Obsessed Runner. In it, I humbly acknowledged my succumbing to human "sloughness" when it came to my training, over about an 8 month period of time. Not surprisingly, I was also very unhappy that I had allowed a softening of the body, a loss of lean muscle mass, definition and muscle tone, not to mention stamina and general well being in the absence of my formerly regularly disciplined habit of running.
Now, three months later, I can proudly say.....I am back...back, better, stronger and faster... and with a new attitude towards this wonderful "pastime", obsession, lifestyle I have come to embrace in an even more appreciative light.
The first awakening to the new obsessed runner in me was the work it took to rebuild my endurance, even on what I used to call my "substantial" regular 3- 3.5 mile run! In seeing and not being willing to settle for being out of shape, I focused hard and trained harder in preparation for my second attempt at the USA 15K Championship known as the Gate River Run.! My first attempt was a year ago, before my "lapse". This is a very challenging race, as the 9.3 mile run crosses 2 bridges, one of which is very difficult and comes at the last mile of the race. My first time in 2011...1:50. THIS year, I was pleasantly surprised that, despite my "sobattical" from running, with my determination and training, I finished in a very respectable 1:38 ! The best part? I did the run non-stop, making it more than just a PR...but also the longest distance I have ever run without a recovery break. I decided that day that if I could do that, I needed to set my discipline limits higher and demand more from myself on a regular basis. It's not about making excuses, or the ailments, or the things we let stand in our way...it's about what we are willing to settle for in and FOR ourselves.
Two quotes I have recently read: "I have chosen this sport, this lifestyle, and this outlet because I believe in the life lessons and principles it teaches through natural consequences. I believe in the law of the harvest – in running, as in life, you reap what you sow. Similarly, I choose to run because I believe in testing oneself and that in so doing a better self will emerge." (Jacob Puzey, Flotrail Magazine)
Your Body On a 30 Minute Run" (Women's Health Magazine, April 2012
"In the first few minutes:
Ok..go ahead and say it, "But what about your knees? What about
arthritis? Running is BAD!!" Obesity is BAD. It can kill you...it has a direct causal relationship with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer...and it will kill you fast and young! If you run in the proper shoes for your stride, focus on running posture and regulate cadence and form, chances are you will have many decades of amazing health and vitality (and running) long before the time that you MIGHT have some discomfort in your knees and joints.....neither of which will kill you!
I wouldn't want anyone to take up running for any reason other than that they fell in love with it and wanted a better life...in every way...but if you do take it up for your health's sake...good for you!
Now, three months later, I can proudly say.....I am back...back, better, stronger and faster... and with a new attitude towards this wonderful "pastime", obsession, lifestyle I have come to embrace in an even more appreciative light.
The first awakening to the new obsessed runner in me was the work it took to rebuild my endurance, even on what I used to call my "substantial" regular 3- 3.5 mile run! In seeing and not being willing to settle for being out of shape, I focused hard and trained harder in preparation for my second attempt at the USA 15K Championship known as the Gate River Run.! My first attempt was a year ago, before my "lapse". This is a very challenging race, as the 9.3 mile run crosses 2 bridges, one of which is very difficult and comes at the last mile of the race. My first time in 2011...1:50. THIS year, I was pleasantly surprised that, despite my "sobattical" from running, with my determination and training, I finished in a very respectable 1:38 ! The best part? I did the run non-stop, making it more than just a PR...but also the longest distance I have ever run without a recovery break. I decided that day that if I could do that, I needed to set my discipline limits higher and demand more from myself on a regular basis. It's not about making excuses, or the ailments, or the things we let stand in our way...it's about what we are willing to settle for in and FOR ourselves.
Two quotes I have recently read: "I have chosen this sport, this lifestyle, and this outlet because I believe in the life lessons and principles it teaches through natural consequences. I believe in the law of the harvest – in running, as in life, you reap what you sow. Similarly, I choose to run because I believe in testing oneself and that in so doing a better self will emerge." (Jacob Puzey, Flotrail Magazine)
Your Body On a 30 Minute Run" (Women's Health Magazine, April 2012
"In the first few minutes:
- muscles start burning ATP then ADP energy, breakdown glycogen & pull glucose from your blood and your body releases lactic acid
- in the next few, your heart rate increases and blood flows to the muscles and intake more O2.
- you begin to "torch" calories at a rate of 100 per mile!
- within 10 minutes you begin burning fat
- after 30 minutes, your brain has triggered the hormone dopamine and you feel energized!
Ok..go ahead and say it, "But what about your knees? What about
arthritis? Running is BAD!!" Obesity is BAD. It can kill you...it has a direct causal relationship with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer...and it will kill you fast and young! If you run in the proper shoes for your stride, focus on running posture and regulate cadence and form, chances are you will have many decades of amazing health and vitality (and running) long before the time that you MIGHT have some discomfort in your knees and joints.....neither of which will kill you!
I wouldn't want anyone to take up running for any reason other than that they fell in love with it and wanted a better life...in every way...but if you do take it up for your health's sake...good for you!
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