Post-Run Self Care

(I know that, for the next little while, my posts are going to be a lot about compartment syndrome and what things look like as I get back into running. This is partially because right now that's just my life, but it's also because I've met a few people during this whole debacle who had lots of questions about diagnosis and treatment, and I want to be able to give them information about post-op life, too.)

These days, I have to be sure to take care of my body after I run. I want to avoid injury as best I can, but I think it's actually more mental at this point. I am hyper-aware of every ache and I'm paranoid I'm going to get injured again, even though the chance of having a recurrence of compartment syndrome is very slim. My biggest fear is that the pain will return and it'll turn out I didn't have CS after all. So, to get some peace of mind, my post-run regimen has changed.

Before, I'd finish a run, do a couple half-assed stretches, and hop in the shower.

 Not anymore. This is what post-run self care looks like now.

1. Calf stretches immediately after my run is done, before even getting home. 30 seconds on each calf, 3x each.

I usually do these on a curb after a five-minute cool-down.

2. At home, I elevate with ice and TENS stimulation for 10-20 minutes. My PT told me icing for more than 10 minutes doesn't really do anything, but my TENS unit defaults to 20 minutes so I just go with it usually.

4. Then, after my shower, I massage my calves when I put on lotion. Sometimes I'll use Icy Hot, but I don't really know if that does anything.

5. If I'm feeling like maybe I did a little too much and my calves are sore, I'll do some towel stretches:

My PT recommended these stretches and they're awesome because they can be done in front of the TV.

These little changes, done consistently, should keep my calves in good shape and hopefully prevent any other kinds of muscular issues from arising. (Compartment syndrome is not a muscular issue but avoiding cramps and knots of all kinds is key to my mental recovery at this point!)

I am committed to being a more well-rounded athlete to support my running this time around, and this post-run regimen is part of that!

ABK

Weekly Workouts 9/26-10/2

Monday: I have a love/hate relationship with PopSugar and the way it talks about fitness. There's a lot of garbage about cleanses and losing weight on their website, but their workouts are really great for small spaces and limited gear. I found this link to 13 5-Minute Workout Videos and they are exactly what I need for Mondays.

I only did the videos pictured above because I wanted to focus on my core and stretching, but the leg workouts look really good, too.

Tuesday: W/U .3 @ 9:40; 1 mile @ 8:10; 4x800 @ 8:19. Elizabeth and I did some speed work at the park. My plan was do mile repeats, but after the first I knew I had to adjust the plan. Whatever horrific cold I had a couple weeks ago has finally caught up with Elizabeth, and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. She didn't ask me to adjust the plan, but I could tell by her wheezing that it was for the best; I really didn't want her to keel over!

The change in color gradation was so cool! I love cloudy sunsets.

We ended up finishing the workout by doing half-mile repeats. We kept a really good pace and I felt pretty strong, but I probably rested more between them than I should have. Technology worked for us today, so that's a bonus.

Wednesday: We played around on the Blogilates website and chose a few videos to target our legs, abs, back, and arms. It's been awhile since we've done Blogilates so it was a nice change to come back to!

Thursday: The day before a race I usually rest, but I just felt like running. Elizabeth and I did a moderate 4 miles. My legs felt great, but the humidity is still really taking a lot of effort out of me. Even with a walk break around 3 miles, we were able to keep our pace sub-10, so I was happy!

It left me feeling both physically ready for Friday's race and nervous about the weather conditions.

Friday: Howl at the Moon 5k! This was a night race and the course was almost completely unlit. I had a great race - more details to come in the recap this week - and had zero calf pain! Downward dog is working!

Saturday: Rest! We slept in, then drove up to see my family for a not-really-but-kind-of Rosh Hashanah dinner.

Sunday: 9 miles with Elizabeth. I was absolutely exhausted. My legs felt okay but my body was just dragging. We kept a very slow pace and took some consistent walk breaks every mile or so.

I'm actually surprised our paces aren't more varied! It felt like we were all over the place.

It felt cool at the start (75 degrees) but the 89% humidity caught up with us, I guess. Can we have fall weather yet?!

This week I got in all my workouts as scheduled and felt really good! This was a solid one!

ABK

Giving Yoga Another Try

I have a confession to make that I think most runners will identify with but fitness types might sneer at. I really don't like yoga.

I know it's good for me and would help improve my running, but I just get so bored! This week, though, I worked my legs pretty hard and my back, calves, and hamstrings have been knotted up. I pushed through the discomfort on my run Wednesday night (which was awesome and fast and chilly and perfect), but decided that the price I had to pay for pushing the pace was giving yoga another try.

Mile 3 was the bridge; I kept my pace peppy! I was playing around with my Apple watch and using it as a remote to take pictures after my run...What do we call this pose? Awkward lady in the park?

I googled Yoga for Runners and the first video I clicked ended up being the perfect one for me. I love the instructor's voice and the flow really focused on stretching your hamstrings and IT band and improving posture. And it was only 20 minutes! And at the end she was so soothing and all "stay in Savasana as long as you like, just lie there, just relax" and I am all about naps so I was all over that.

I liked that some of the poses were more like stretches - like the runner's lunge - instead of just poses. The instructor was easy to follow and not too over-the-top with the "feel the energy of your body and the entire world coming together" and all that jazz. So in short, maybe I can try yoga again now; maybe I didn't like it for so long because I never found an instructor I cared to listen to!

I think I usually get bored because I don't feel like yoga is a workout, but I need to wrap my head around the fact that stretching and resting are parts of any good training plan; not every workout needs to leave me sweaty and spent, right?

Guess which pose is my favorite.

So, as I aim to improve as an athlete and incorporate cross-training this year, I think I'll give yoga another try...at least once every other week to start, and I'll see where it goes from there!

Do you like yoga?
What's a popular style of fitness you don't like?

ABK

The IT Band Debate

It's amazing how much stress - even when we're not aware that we're dealing with it - can affect our workouts. Every run this week was a dogged internal battle of pure will. Just getting out of the house was a struggle.

To make it worse, a sharp pain in the outside of my knee interrupted the middle of Wednesday's run. My IT band was not happy, and neither was I.

I was torn about how to take care of this. I've been diligent about my leg raises and was sure that I'd been doing enough to prevent a recurrence of this old (old old old) injury. I haven't had IT band pain in years!

Usually, runners rely on foam rolling to cure their IT band pain. It's a joke among athletes that rolling the IT band hurts so good and it's usual to scream during the massage.

However, a couple recent articles suggest that rolling the IT band can actually exacerbate the issue. The IT band doesn't get tight (these articles claim); it simply gets pulled out of sync with your leg movements and needs to be rested and balanced by strengthening your hips and fixing your stride, among other things.

I had this in mind when I rolled on Wednesday night and practiced a little Pigeon Pose. I had it in mind when I rolled Thursday (twice). I didn't want to be doing more damage, but in the past foam rolling has always been so helpful!

Super happy after my run!

Today's run helped make up my mind. I had no pain at all; in fact, I felt so good I tacked on some extra mileage! My pace was steady and everything felt right. I haven't had a run that smooth in weeks!

I guess I had better make sure to foam roll more consistently, because it definitely seemed to make a difference.

Oh, and one final thing. Shortly after finishing my run I received this text:

 

I guess 64 is pretty cold by Florida standards!

Where do you stand on the IT band treatment debate?

 What do you do to prevent injury?

Has your IT band ever given you trouble?

ABK

Link Dump

I've been absolutely hoarding running and fitness articles. I'm truly the worst. I see all these great links come across Facebook and Twitter, and I bookmark them for later. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!

And this isn't even the entire list!

Anyway, I finally got a chance to read some. Here are a few that are definitely worth the bookmark.

Stretches & Exercises

Hip Strengthening Exercises: this article has some great, simple exercises for hips. I try to keep my hips strong to keep my IT Band from acting up, and it really helps. I've got a collection of these links, because I'm always looking for more and better exercises for my hips. See also: The Best IT Band Routine EVER.

Yoga Stretches for Recovery: A nice video of a 10-minute yoga routine for post-run recovery.

Hamstring Exercises: Many women face injury from weak hamstrings. These are some great, simple exercises to keep your hammies healthy and happy!

The New Core Curriculum: Ah, a core curriculum I can get behind 100%! Your core is NOT just your abs, and it's so important to have core strength to keep you upright and in perfect posture during your runs. This video is easy-to-follow and effective!

Running Tips & Tricks

 26 Tips to Run Your Best Marathon: Obviously I haven't run one yet, but I want my first to be amazing. These are helpful, if not a teeny bit overwhelming.

8 Things Runners Should Know About Coffee: Ah, my favorite beverage, my perfect pre-race pipe-cleaner. This short read is super interesting!

5 Mental Barriers, Smashed!: The mental part of running is so important, especially when facing new, longer distances. I've become much stronger mentally this year, but I still have improvements to make.

Run the Tangents: Nothing is worse than running an extra half mile at the end of a long, grueling race. I'm so bad at running tangents; this article helps.

The Magic of Mantras: Relentless Forward Progress. I Can Do Hard Things. Transcend. Each running mantra helps me at a different point in my training, and science supports their use! Here are some of the best from some of the most talented runners around.

Dear First Time Marathoner: From Runladylike's blog...so useful and apropos to my current mindset!

In other news, this week I did T25 and a three mile fun run on Wednesday, after doing four fast-ish miles on Tuesday. Ouch! I'm resting today. I need to remember not to push it, and just to have fun!

I've loved this store ever since my sister worked there years ago.

Afterward I used the opportunity to spend half my gift card from my MIL. I'll do a review on the item I bought sometime soon! Here's a hint: I've been wanting one since Ragnar, and it's freaking amazing.

Share a must-read link in the comments!
Have you read any of these articles? What are your thoughts?

ABK

A Long Run

So the official word on my foot is that the tendon is bruised. (This is great news!) I've been given exceptionally strong NSAIDs, and being the terrible patient that I am, I figured that if I wasn't feeling pain and could lace my shoe accordingly, I was good to run.

Today I woke up just knowing I would get my 15-miler in. It was just one of those wonderful doubt-free mornings. (I think getting the news that my foot wasn't fractured or badly injured really made me extra-excited to run today.)

I kept a nice even pace, and the first half of the run flew by. By mile 10 I was a little achy and in need of some distraction, but I never once though of cutting the run short.

Thank goodness for compression socks!

I had some tingling and aches in my toes, and my hips felt it a little bit. But I completed the 15 miles in 2:26:xx, with an average pace faster than my half marathon PR, so I was beyond pleased. I walked for fuel at 3.5, 7, and 10.5 miles, and took a little walk at 13.5 to wiggle my toes a bit.

I felt energized the entire way, and had no problems with breathing; my legs felt a little heavy toward the end of course, but I forced myself to pick up the pace in the last mile because I was so ready to be done!

Hurts so good?

Besides this milestone of the LSD being my longest run ever, I also took my first-ever ice bath! (Kind of.) I know studies show ice baths are mostly mental, but I think my feet definitely appreciated it. I foam-rolled, then used a tennis ball on the soles of my feet. Besides some twinges in my right hip, I'm feeling great!

This feels muuuch better! (Just ignore that pile of running shoes in the corner...Also, remind me to never give a thumbs-up ever again.)

I'm definitely looking forward to a rest day, though.

Do you have any runs or races this weekend?
What was your farthest long run in training? In a race?
How do you recover after a run leaves you achy?

ABK

California...So Far

If I waited to do an update upon returning, I know the post would be novel-length and photo-heavy. So instead, I'm popping in after a very full day to update you all on the beginning of our trip!

We're staying with my brother-in-law, Scott, while we're here. While he was at work on Wednesday, Matt and I stopped in a park to get a run in. This was supposed to be a 5-miler for me, but these Florida legs are not accustomed to hills of any kind!

Cresting one of many hills...It was way steeper than it looks!

We called the run after three miles at a pretty pathetically slow pace. I would have been disappointed, but today I was able to do the five miles as planned, so I redeemed myself.

I took a short break to climb a tree and chase a squirrel.

After the run, we went to Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier and walked around. There's a ton to see! I love that the beaches have areas filled with vertical ropes and parallel bars - Californians seem to really love working out on the beach.

Mountains right beside the beach? Yes, please!

Self-serve yogurt...I got lemon and the original tart flavor. Matt got salted caramel popcorn yogurt!

Enjoying the beach together.

Finally, we walked along the Santa Monica promenade and watched some entertaining buskers. The best was a six year old Korean boy playing drums like a pro. I was super impressed.

We literally walked five hours straight yesterday. I'm shocked I was able to run today. (I wore my compression socks to bed.)

Sunset at Santa Monica Pier.

Rivaling Florida for gorgeous-points.

(Videos and pictures of the day are on Instagram!)

Today was super full. We got to Hermosa Beach early and rented Matt a longboard. He skated behind me while I tackled my five mile run.

What a good husband! He doesn't like to run two days in a row, but didn't want me to run alone in an unknown place!

The boardwalk that spans these beaches is 22 miles long; I ran into Manhattan Beach, then turned back.

Gorgeous beach on one side...

The run was much flatter (but not flat) and breezier, and the run felt perfect.

...Gorgeous houses on the other! (I am super excited about my new running shorts.)

We hung out on the beach for awhile and watched the volleyball tournament that was going on.

Stretching on the sand was great...doing planks on the sand was BRUTAL.

This photo makes me happy.

After the beach, we went to LACMA, the LA County Museum of Art. You may have seen the outdoor display in No Strings Attached. 

This is art, apparently.

I love getting to see original art by my favorite artists, especially Chagall, Matisse, Magritte, Pollock, Warhol, and Degas.

I look terrible, but I couldn't resist posting a pic of me beside a genuine Degas...We don't have a lot of art in Florida.

We also saw lots of contemporary art, like this awesome installment by Chris Burden:

My feet are absolutely exhausted! I'm glad my runs for the week are over for awhile!

Have you ever been to CA?
Do you like to rest on vacation, or go-go-go? I like to rest, but Matt loves sight-seeing and being active.
What style/time period of art do you like best?

ABK

Gear Report: Strength & Stretch Edition

I promised you awkward pictures, and if there's anything I'll deliver on, it's awkwardness.

A little history before we get to the meat of this post, and the real reason you're all here. My knees began hurting after the 2011 NDN Half. This isn't surprising, considering my lack of preparation. I had never walked 13.1 miles, let alone run. (I don't think I'd ever walked more than six, unless you count rotations around the classroom or speedwalking Busch Gardens.)

After much research regarding where my knee pain was located, what times of day it was better/worse, etc, I self-diagnosed my problem as ITBS. I began going to the gym with M and focused on hip abductors and adductors, which really helped. Strengthening my hips, core, and glutes has really made a difference. I'm not very good at sticking with these exercises, and if I go a few days without doing them - especially if I've increased my mileage - I can feel the difference almost immediately.

Taking those two weeks off and then running six miles (including a race) on my first day back left my knees achy. Barely a mile into my short run last night with M, my knees were killing me and slowing me down. So, I've decided to do my stretches and strengthening exercises, and recruited M to take photos. The lengths we go to for education, yes?

1. Begin with a flat loop resistance band. I got mine at Sports Authority for $9. It's a medium strength band because I'm a weakling but I like to challenge myself.

I should have kids just so I can embarrass them by making posts like this.

2. Lie on your side with the band looped around both legs at the center point of your calves. Keep your resting leg slightly bent/relaxed, and keep the active leg straight. Raise and lower your active leg in a slow and controlled motion. I usually do two sets of 12 reps per side.

It's not a real workout tutorial without a cheesy grin.

Repeat for the other side as well. (These are just glorified leg-lifts, but do the same as the hip ab/adductor machines at the gym.)

3. Lower your active leg, stomping on the band (which you've now moved closer to your ankle). Lift and lower the leg that was resting in a slow, controlled motion. (This exercise sucks but helps your inner thighs. I hate it and rarely do this one.)

Hard to explain...Hopefully this photo is enough, because I quit after one rep.

4. Phew, I'm tired from all that resistance work! Time to stretch!

Always stretch with a spotter. Preferably a spotter that matches your shirt and foam roller.

Foam rollers are awesome. I got mine at Target for about $25. It came with a DVD I never use because Runner's World has so many great videos. Next time I buy one of these, I'll go for the black one, which has a higher density. But this green Gaiam is good for a beginner like me.

Rollers are great for all-over body massage. They allow you to use your own body weight to work out knots and tight muscles. I seriously don't know why it took me so long to buy one!

This is a thumbs-up, not a boob-grab.

As someone whose major issue is the IT-band, I spend most of my rolling time like this. You simply balance as much pressure as you can stand on the roller, and roll hip-to-knee for about 30 seconds at a time. Three full minutes of rolling is optimal.

I take calf-massages very seriously.

Rolling your calves is nice because it doubles as a core exercise. So does rolling your quads, which we can't forget, of course:

"Drop and give me twenty!" he chirped adorably.

I also like to do planks for core work, and I got a giant stability ball I'll take some photos of next time. But I think for now, this is enough embarrassment.

Remember to do all exercises purposefully. If you're rushing through them you risk injury, and you're not getting the full benefit of the routine. Remember, too, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. New runners rarely know how important cross-training and strengthening exercises are...until they get injured. If I had been smart about my habits when I first began running, I wouldn't be dealing with knee pain two years after my original injury.

So be consistent, spend a few minutes a day where it counts, and enjoy your run! Good luck!

ABK

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Disaster Run

Yesterday, I experienced a bad run. Funnily enough, I didn't internalize any guilt over it, as I usually do, perhaps because I knew my fitness and ability weren't to blame. On the contrary, I even feel a little proud of this disaster.

I got new running shoes the other night...not really on a whim, but without having my strides re-evaluated like I'd planned. But really, I don't need new shoes yet; I just really want a pair. I ran these around the indoor track at the store and they felt wonderful. So, I bought them. Itching to try them out, I took them for a test Monday.

But here's where I went wrong. My run was a 3.5 miler (or so I thought), and the shoes gave me shin splints within the first 1/8 of a mile. But did I turn around and put my Nikes back on? Nope. I went for the full run, thinking, "Oh hey, maybe they'll get better."

Right. Here's the thing. My "3.5" miles was really 4.3. I didn't map it out beforehand, figuring I'd turn around and just run the same course back when Nike+ told me I'd hit my halfway point. But when that time came, I was on a loop, and I thought (wrongly, again), "Oh hey, this is a circle, so I'm halfway through and completing it would be the same as turning around." Except that the end of the "loop" was actually an extra .80 miles. Duh. I knew "half" the loop was .87, but somehow forgot that I'd have to complete the circle, thereby doubling it. (I know this makes little sense, but this particular path is shaped like an archer's bow, and I ran the curved part first, forgetting to add in the straight shot back.)

Basically, I had to walk some of this run because 1) LEG PAIN and 2) 4.3 miles was not on the menu. I nearly called M to pick me up. Well, I paused some of the Nike+ during walks, so it wouldn't affect my overall pace, but I did end up not pausing it for some, and then I ran the last 400 meters. Then I turned the thing off. Then I walked home. In socks. That's right: I took off the damn shoes and shuffled home in socks.

What a disaster.

But, here's the thing. I learned something from this. I've learned that if shoes don't feel right, I shouldn't be wearing them, even if I loved them in the store and even if the brand is one I'm loyal to. (These weren't Nikes, but another beloved brand.)

And why am I kind of proud of this embarrassingly bad run? For one thing, I pushed myself harder than I have in a really long time. Last fall  I ran a few 4-milers and felt really strong and proud, but since then I've been capping myself around two or three. I've been doing this simply because my resolution to run "consistently", to me, meant not pushing the distance. But lately I've been feeling antsy and full of energy. I went out Monday craving a long, hard run that left me panting and sore. Well, I definitely got it. I stretched, iced, and took ibuprofen. Oh, and also:

Yes folks, I rolling-pinned my legs. (This was an experiment based on "The Stick", which I'll get to in just a second.)

So anyway, I have no lingering pain today, although my ankles, feet, and calves were all stiff and sore yesterday. Although I feel up to a run today, and would actually really love to go, I'm going to take one more day to recover totally, mostly because my left ankle gave me some trouble toward the end of work. (Sometimes I wish I had a job that I could just sit at.)

I know I did a stupid thing. I'm sorry, body. But I'm glad I did it, and now I know what a gorgeous loop that archer's bow path really is (did I mention I'd never run this particular path before? Stupid) and I'll plan accordingly for the distance. But I do plan to run it again. It was just beautiful.

As for the rolling pin: "The Stick" is a plastic massager made for runners. You roll it over your muscles and apparently it's magical. Well, having done some asking-about regarding my usual knee pain, someone suggested it may be that my quads or Iliotibial band needs stretching/work. So I looked up how to handle that, and The Stick was recommended. Being cheap, I used my rolling pin instead. Boy did it work! It's not space-age plastic, but it made my legs feel amazing, and even through my hellish run, my knees gave me hardly any grief. (I used the rolling pin before the run, to prevent any muscle stiffness, and it seemed to work.)

I also looked up exercises that will strengthen hips and knees in order to prevent pain and injury. Here's the video:

When all is said and done, I learned something about myself, and about the art of buying new running shoes. Now...to return them (don't be skeptical; they look fine, I cleaned them, there's no wear or tear, and the store said they'd take them back) and have my stride evaluated. That's on the menu for tomorrow. Hopefully I have better luck this time around.

ABK

Good Stretches Look Awkward

Those who read this blog semi-regularly should know by now that my knees/hips/hamstrings/quads are my trouble areas. If you haven't gathered that already, then I have to question your reading comprehension.

Anyway, K is good for a great many things, and, once more proving her worth as a running buddy and friend, she shared some excellent stretches with me after a run last week that left my hamstrings burning. Having thanked her publicly for these magical moves, another friend requested I share. Because the jargon and official names of the stretches escape me, and because I'm a glutton for punishment and public humiliation, I've decided to post my own low-quality, embarrassing pictures for your amusement and instruction. (Anything in the name of education, right?)

Many of these stretches will look familiar to you. You'll likely go, "Oh yeah, I've done this one before, and looked a lot cuter while doing it, too." Kindly squelch sharing those kinds of thoughts, and bask in the result of these stretches: virtually pain-free runs!

Please note that my stretching buddies are Champ (the dog) and Archie (the bird), and they deserve as much attention as I do, if not more.

So...starting with the most awkward first...

Here I am in the starting position with Champ and Archie helping out. I am going to cross one knee over my body, turn in the opposite direction, and reach my arm out. The point is to feel the stretch mainly in your lower back.

This stretch is utterly painless for me, and I could stay in this position for minutes at a time. It just feels really good for my back.

At this point, Archie bit Champ's tail and sent him scurrying away. I then moved into the ultimate embarrassing stretch to do in public, especially in loose shorts:


The photo of the other leg won't upload correctly, so this is all you get of this beautifully elegant pose. (Actually, it's a shame because the other view is much clearer.) Hook one leg over the other, grasp the back of the "upright" leg, and pull. Make sure to pull your leg down toward your chest until you feel the stretch, but don't hurt yourself. As much as I kind of hate this stretch, it's a love-hate relationship, because it does wonders for my hamstrings and lower back.

That finally brings me to my new favorite stretch! New ready position needed:

You will need something to hold your balance, especially if you stretch this way after a grueling run that leaves you with noodle-legs. Also, I recommend definitely doing this stretch on a soft surface; your knees will thank you. Basically, you'll grab hold of something with one hand, grab your back ankle with the other, and pull your foot up toward your butt. Keep your back straight. The closer to your butt your knee goes, the more excellent the stretch.



















So there you have it. This post is brought to you by my total adoration of these stretches and my complete lack of shame. Obviously I like others, like the butterfly or the good old "sit down, fold a leg in, touch your toes" business, but let's be real, here: the more awkward a stretch looks, the better it feels! The existence and public posting of these photos is proof of that.

ABK