The Price We Pay...

The Price We Runners Pay To Run Injury Free:

Ice Baths ---The WORST torture possible when it comes to running (in my opinion)

Foam Rollers

Sticks

Weird looking compression sleeves on various parts of our bodies

Drinking disgusting looking shakes and smoothies

Standing on our head gargling peanut butter

Lots of $$$ on running shoes every month or two

Funny looking colorful tape on various parts of our bodies (we are surely setting fashion trends)

Massages...the NON-Fluffy kind

Stretching with ropes and other odd objects

Sitting on Ice packs

Physical Therapy

and for some of us,

Graston Therapy (as I mentioned in my last post) that gives you oh so sexy black and blue stripes on your legs and other various body parts.  Thank Goodness it isn't bikini season, right?   And, hey people, it is JUST a leg with shorts here so don't go getting too "Oh my, did you see the sleazy picture Amanda posted?!" Ha!

Painful?  Yes.  Does it work?  I think so.  For me it does.  My bruises hurt but as far as my body as a whole, I feel much better AFTER the adjustment and Graston on various places...hip, IT band, and back. I've also had it on my pelvis, hamstring, and feet.

My 13 hilly miles on Sunday after my harder 7 and Graston on Saturday was much easier than I would have expected before my visit to the doc. I do plan on continuing this if needed.  But for long term solutions to the IT band and hip issues I need to get my form straightened out.  My feet turn out a bit when I run.  Or a lot. I'm really trying to be more conscious of keeping them landing facing forward and not out like a duck.  We'll see how that goes.  Old habits are hard to break but my Chi Running book is convincing me that it IS possible.  So bring on the second of four 20 milers this Sunday. Oh, and by then I'll have some new Brooks PureFlows2 to join me.  New shoes are a MUCH more enjoyable price to pay for a healthy running body.

I'd say all these fun little  runner things we do to keep ourselves RUNNING are worth it.  We might seem a little strange to the outside world of people who don't run, but hey, at least we have other runners who "get" us.  I do think Graston might be a little extreme even for a lot of us runners out there though. Whatever it takes. It's a price this runner is willing to pay.  

What's the weirdest (to the outside world) or most painful "price" you've paid in the name of running?  Honestly, I'll take Graston over an ice bath any day!  I'm done with the ice baths for...well...hopefully forever!

Amanda

Preventative Care to Avoid Injury and Marathon Training Week ? (I have no idea what week I'm on)

I'm almost certain that I will wake up with heavy bruising all along my left leg and up into my hip area. In fact, I just might be noticeably bruised as I type.  Ah, Graston therapy...gotta love it!  Torture devices scraping away at scar tissue all in the name of increasing blood flow and helping with healing.  But it works so I keep going back for more.

Graston tools used to scrape my IT Band and Hip today.  OUCH!

I really need to remember to keep up with my body maintenance BEFORE I start noticing things falling apart.  You know, that little thing called preventative care?  Being proactive.  Yup, I suppose we could all be better at that.  But today's trip to the sports chiropractor was actually just in time.  The first part of my marathon training has all been easy running and building a base but the last two weeks of gradually adding some quality workouts has definitely had its wear and tear on my body even though it is still mostly easy paces.  As the mileage increases and the quality workouts are more plentiful, my body has started to say: 

"Hey lady!  You think you're going to get away without any work on core, strength, or proper replacement of shoes and still come out of this thing injury free?!  Ha! You better take your head out of la-la rainbows and butterflies land and start taking better care of me or I'll have to knock you down.  And we all know how much we don't like injury."

As painful as it was to get some Graston on my left IT band and hip, I'm glad I did.  Getting adjusted always helps too.  And it was all just in time for my workout today that I was looking forward to all week:

8 miles:  8:14; 7:18; 7:21; 7:29; 15 sec stretch on my left leg; 7:13; 7:24; 7:24; 8:37  

Overall, this workout was fun.  Moderate effort. And a confidence builder.  I had a bit of a hard time finding a 7:20 pace (body wanted to go faster or slower) but I found my zone for the most part.  No rain and a nice 40 degrees made for perfect running weather.

This week was a cut back from last week's mileage and no long run with this week.  The rest of the week looks like:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 7 miles Easy
Wednesday: 10 miles.  First 5 easy; 6:56; 7:10; 6:59; 2 easy
Thursday: left leg giving me some warnings so cut back. Was going to take day off but then did only 3.5 recovery pace.
Friday: 10 miles easy
Sat: 8 (listed above)
Sunday: 13 easy

I'm really loving keeping things simple and going with the flow here.  Happy to be in a good happy place with running and to be feeling strong.  Glad for a coach to give me workouts so I don't have to think too much.  And thankful for a gradual build up with my training.  I'm not super hungry for a specific time in this marathon and I have no desire to race any races as part of the marathon training. I'm sure there will be another season in life when I'm in that mindset but for now I'm just enjoying this process of having something to work on. Quietly content. And it is fun feeling stronger, getting faster, keeping the weight on, having that tired feeling at the end of the day...all while being excited every day to RUN!

Oh, and in a couple of days I'll have a new pair of these:

Brooks PureFlows 2

What are some important things you try to remember to include in training as preventative care so that you can stay injury free?  For me, I try to get more regular adjustments, keep my shoes updated, be conscious of my form, and try to remember at least SOME core and strength work even if it is a fairly lame attempt.

Amanda
Follow Runninghood on Facebook

New Year Thoughts and Making Resolutions or Goals That Stick

It's 2013.  I'm already loving this year and I couldn't be happier for a fresh start.  Funny how we are with new years.  As if we somehow get a reset on life when really it is just another day after the days before.  I think that's why there are many people out there that are so anti-resolutions.  But I say, hey, whatever works to give us a fresh perspective on our life.  Yes, we make goals throughout the year and we can always make changes in our world but there is something about the new year, the fresh calendar, the month of January that just says CLEAN SLATE! And what's the harm in setting resolutions anyway?  Even if we don't end up keeping all of them.  At least we are working towards something...trying to make positive changes and be proactive, right?  Goals...resolutions...same thing to me.

So, how can we make resolutions that stick?  Lasting ones?  Ones that we can have success with so that we don't find ourselves fizzling out 2 weeks down the road of 2013? 

• Keep it simple. Don't set resolutions and goals that are so big you burn out the first week.
• Start small. Baby steps.  Don't expect things to just happen overnight.  
• Make your goals meaningful to you.  Your goals don't have to be popular or trendy or even accepted by anyone other than YOU. 
• Celebrate success no matter how small it is.
• Love ourselves along the way and expect to hit some walls...anything worth working towards is worth pushing past the sticky spots.  It won't all be smooth sailing ahead.  As with anything in life, there will be the moving ahead, the staying still, and the taking a few steps back.  
• Enjoy the process.  By all means, have fun!  Let's not take ourselves so seriously...let's remember to enjoy the ride.  

Some brief thoughts for myself for 2013:

• Love More
• Judge less
• Laugh often
• Let things go so that I can fully enjoy the present moments
• Be open to change
• Live my life the way I would want my "life story" to be read
• Get rid of guilt...it is worthless
• Face Fear head on 
• Enjoy the process
• Keep running fun and remember why I do it...to stay healthy, connect with my best self, and stay goal driven in all areas of my life
• Model love, forgiveness, acceptance for my kids
• Be the kind of friend I want my friends to be to me

And some of my morning reflections over coffee:

In remembering to have the same love, grace and patience for ourselves as we do for the people that mean the most to us, we might need to take a step back and see things from another angle.  Chances are, if we are too hard on ourselves, it is likely that we are equally as hard on those we love most.  Let's take some pressure off in 2013...embrace a little more grace, love, and the imperfections that lead to learning.  

What are some simple goals, resolutions or things you want to focus on for the new year?  

What will you do this year to love yourself more fully?  

How will you go easier on YOU and still push yourself to be the best YOU you can be?  For me, this is easy...stop with the guilt over everything I'm not doing and CELEBRATE the things I am doing!

Happy 2013! 

Amanda 

Follow Runninghood on Facebook