a little bit of sunshine

I missed running so much!!! On Sunday I went for a run and it hurt. It was slower than I've gone in months and I felt discouraged.  When I got home the husband and I talked about alternate plans in case I was going to have to put this marathon dream on hold. I cried a little but was okay with knowing that it'll happen eventually.

Today was a great day! I handed in a huge university assignment, signed and sealed report cards, and competed an enormous survey that I had to do about each of my students! I feel like I can breathe again. As an added bonus, the sun was out and it was +4 degrees out!!

All of this made for a fantastic run! I was a little worried about keeping up with the group and how my knee would feel but it all worked out great. It was actually my fastest tempo run yet :)

p.s. I got the shirt!! It's so comfy, I love it and I'm a huge dork!

Stats:
34:22 min.
3.95 miles
8:41 min/mile
182 bpm

Back out there.

I got the okay from physio and chiro's to do a short run today. I decided it would just be way too hard to run with my group and then stop early and come back so I ran with a group who are training for the Manitoba Half Marathon.

We did 4.5 miles and it was a lot colder than I expected! The pace was also a lot slower than I'm used. I tried to just let go of stress, relax and enjoy the run. There are some really nice people in that group and the run was quite pleasant.

That being said, the footing was terrible!! There was about 2 inches of snow in most places and really bumpy ruts. My knee hurt throughout the run but that kind of run would be hard on knees and ankles, regardless.

Now it's time to sit in my chair, ice my knee, and get some university work done. I can't wait to hear how my group did on their 16 mile run today! Way to go guys!

Stats:
55 min.
4.5 miles
12.6 min/mile
151 bpm

Gotta have it!

I think I must buy this t-shirt!!! Now how can I convince my husband that this is essential running gear. We just made a pact this week about not spending unnecessary $$$!

To trash or not to trash???

Since I last wrote I've been very busy seeing my physio therapist and my chiropractor. I really believe these people should work together but it seems like they often contradict each other.

The physiotherapist used ultrasound, tenz, heat and ice. She also suggested that my new shoes possibly have more arch support than more old shoes which could have aggravated my IT band. After looking at my new shoes, she thinks that they may have more support than the old ones, but still not enough. She's suggesting resting my legs for the rest of the week, icing, stretching and going back for another appointment on Monday. She's also suggesting orthotics for my shoes, all of my shoes.

I've been seeing my chiropractor regularly since winter last year when my back got all out of whack. Today was my regular appointment and in light of this new injury he adjusted me and did a lot of work on my hip. He recommended I ice it tonight, take a short rest from running and come back in 3 days for another appointment. He DID NOT recommend orthotics and suggested I go back to my old shoes.

Now I'm left feeling confused!! I respect both of these people as professionals but I don't know what to do!!!

Here's my plan so far:
Ice and stretch daily.
Keep taking the Naproxin.
Back to the chiropractor on Saturday.
Rest until Sunday.
Attempt 4 miles on Sunday and see how it goes.
Wear my old shoes on long runs until I get this IT thing figured out.

With all this shoe stuff going on I decided to take a better look at my shoe closet. Here's what I found.

These are my first "real" running shoes. I am aware that they have different coloured laces. They were to support people with intellectual disabilities and I liked them that way!!!

These shoes have carried my through my 1st through 3rd half marathon. They climbed the hills of Treherne Manitoba and ran on ice and snow all winter long.

These are my pretty new Asics that I had hoped would be on my feet at the finish line of the Fargo full marathon but I guess we'll see about that?

Back to putting my feet up, icing, and working on my university assignment :(

Anyone out there feel strongly about physio vs. chiro???

Good news and bad news.

Bad News:
This morning I went out on what was supposed to be a 14.5 mile run, my longest run yet. My knee started hurting before we left the Running Room parking lot. I thought it would probably loosen up and kept on running. The slower pace was a nice change from what we have been doing.
My knee, however, did not loosen up. It was getting worse with each step. At around 5 miles I decided that I would not be completing my run with the group. With a little confirmation and push from my running buddies, I turned back at 6 miles. In total I ran 7.5 miles today and pretty much every step hurt.
After a brief stop at home I prepared to sit for the estimated 3 hours at the Pan Am clinic. Luckily it only took 1.5 hours to find out.....

I have Iliotibial band syndrome.

ITBS is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hipfemur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed.

There are a number of factors that could have led to this.
1)increased mileage.
2)running on stiff legs after last Sunday.
3)first session back on the hill since before Christmas.

Good News:
1) It was caught VERY early which could increase the rate of recovery.
2) I was able to run the Hypo Half pain free.
3) There should be time to recover and catch up to my group for Fargo.
4) I can use this rest week to get a ton of university and school work done!

In the mean time I will be taking some lovely anti-inflamitory meds, icing my knee, and staying off of my feet.

This is the delicious breakfast that Graeme made me while I sat at the table and put my feet up. Thank you babe!


Stats:
1:19 minutes
7.38 miles
10:47 min/mile
161 bpm (lowest in a while!)
-27

Thank you Katy Perry!

Yesterday I did NOT want to run! It was report card writing day at school which means I still go into work but there are no students and I get to work on writing my report cards all day. By noon the thrill had worn off and I was just plain bored. I did end up getting a lot done, including my report cards.

When I got home I needed to eat. My choice of pre-run snack is a half peanut butter and jam sandwhich on whole grain bread. They're usually super dry and a little hard to get down but the bonus is they don't feel like they're coming back up when you're running an hour later.

After a snack and a mini break in front of the tv I finally got ready and headed out. My plan was to run about 5 miles but other than that I had no plan for pace or route. I turned my music up loud and started running!

In the summer I do a lot of running at the lake by myself. I always bring music when I run by myself but due to the cold and lack of light I have not run by myself very often this winter. Well...thanks to Katy Perry, Kanye West and even a little Snoop Dog, I had a great run!!

I felt fast, light and I even smiled a little while I was running! This was a very welcome change after weeks of checking my watch for pace and focusing on my form while huffing and puffing along.


Stats:
49:45 min.
5.26 miles
9:28 min/mile
174 bpm
-23

Hypo Half Race Reflections

I know this is a little late and it's been a while since I've blogged. The truth is that this week running, university and report card writing got the better of me. My friends will attest that I am just a little distracted and I am forgetting EVERYTHING! But I guess better late than never.


Saturday afternoon I prepared everything I would need for the race. I chatted with my running buddy Joanne about what we would be wearing, bringing and race day strategies.  I actually got a really good night's sleep and woke up feeling great!


Joanne picked me up at 8:00 and we headed out for Fort Whyte. After some debate about how many layers to wear (it was -27 degrees with the wind) we were ready to line up for the race.


Well, the first 2 or 3 miles felt really great. I was keeping up with the pace, even going a little faster than we had talked about. 


At around mile 3 I started to lose my group, not in the good way either. They were slowly getting further and further ahead of me. Everything felt fine, no pain, I wasn't out of breath. I just could not get my body to go any faster. It didn't take long to get bored, tired and a little bit discouraged.


By mile 5 the necks of all of my water bottles had all frozen. What a mean trick! I could see the water inside but couldn't get to it! 


At mile 6 I knew the halfway point was coming up and that my parents would be waiting for me. I was so excited to see them! They had a big sign that said "Run Connie Run!" They were cheering for me and as I ran past them I heard my mom shout after me "I love you Connie!" I was laughing with joy as I continued on.


At mile 7 I finally got my ipod turned on and my mood improved somewhat. Having music makes running by yourself easier and I tried to let it distract me. 


I think it was somewhere around mile 8 that I turned down Grant heading east. Suddenly the weather felt beautiful. I increased my pace and even took my mitts off. That's when I saw my husband and 2 sisters standing on the side of the road with a big sign that said "We Love (it was actually a heart) Connie" Again, my spirits were lifted and I ran on with a big smile on my face! Sadly, after crossing the street I found myself running directly into a very strong and cold wind. I struggled to get my mitts back on and this time when I passed my family (they had crossed the street to cheer on the other side too!) all I could do was grunt and keep shuffling along.


Well, around this time is when my whole game plan went out the window. I felt like I was getting further and further behind. My pace kept getting slower, I was out of water and too cold to eat sport beans. I also decided that to try and make up time I would not take any more walk breaks.


I don't really remember much after that except that the last couple of miles felt REALLY long! As I came up the the finish line I saw my running buddies and parents cheering for me and was really happy that it was done!


I finished in 2:12. It was a cold and hard but definitely character building. I can't thank my family enough for their support this winter and standing out in the cold to cheer for me. Graeme, for putting up with my Saturday night curfews. My running buddies for all of their words of wisdom and encouragement. Joanne for being so committed to our group, listening to me babble on and on, and pushing me when I needed it! 
Wow, sorry this just got so cheesy!


Stats:
2:12 min.
13.1 miles
10:11 min/mile
185 bpm
1545 calories
-27

You should seriously run this race, for the breakfast alone!