Merry Christmas to Me!

So....it's been practically 12 weeks since I've had a "real" run.....this afternoon J and I went to the gym.  I decided that, since it's Christmas and all ;)...I'd give a treadmill run a whirl.

It felt great!

I did a little over 3 miles....warmed up with 5 minutes of walking at a 4.0 pace, then ran 5 minutes at a 6.0 pace.  I backed it down for 5 minutes at a 4.0 pace again....and marveled at how great my ankle felt.

Then, i decided to be crazy....i did 5 more minutes at a 6.0 pace....and then cranked it up to 8.0.  I did some intervals there for a while....and still felt great.

After a total of 36 minutes, I hopped off for some strength training.

I wanted to run more....but decided I shouldn't push my luck.

It was a great Christmas present :).

It's crazy, though, how sore my legs are! Ha! I feel like a big ol' wimp :).  I cant wait to build back up to my old levels of fitness...and then some :).

Bring it, 2011! :)

Posted by Rachelyn via Blogaway

Cross training is the name of the game

So, I've been a good little patient.

I've been cooperative and have been heeding the advice from my PT (for the most part :)).

I've been resting.

I've been stretching.

Cross-training.

Icing.

Popping pills (ugh, I try not to do much of that though).

Going in for ultrasound treatments.

And....resting some more.

I haven't gone on a REAL run since Sunday, September 26th.

(Did I mention that "real" run was a PR marathon!? ;) 26.2 in roughly 3 hours and 53 minutes, baby! When I'm feeling down about not being able to run...I just repeat that fact over and over to myself in my head. Makes me remember I'm not really a failure :))

Whoops, I guess I also ran on Saturday, October 2nd, a mere six days after that marathon. I did do a "little" 5k...Run the Woods (an Easter Seals fundraiser)...and did get 2nd in my age group. Meh....

But, I don't really consider running 3.1 miles much of a run to me right now. It's just a tease!!

So, for all intents and purposes...it's been EIGHT FULL WEEKS since I've been on a REAL run. WOW!!!! That is some crazy, crazy, crazy stuff....coming from someone who ran 3 marathons in 12 months.

I have been gaining weight...which is NOT fun...and some days I am in denial about it (until I looked at a picture of myself taken Friday night and realized I really need to get things back in check. Good grief, Rachel.). I need to be better about adjusting my diet due to decreased activity...but I haven't been very good at that.

Sigh.

Spinning classes....namely, 5:15 am "hour of power" spinning classes...have been saving me. I've gone a few times over the past few weeks...and I feel like they give me the cardio/sweat fest I crave. I don't necessarily think they are great on my Achilles, but it's definitely not like running. And I'm "careful" ;).

I went to a Zumba class yesterday...it was a fundraiser for Easter Seals put on by some students at Heartland Community College. It was a lot of fun! Also, though, maybe not the wisest choice healing-wise. That hard floor was a bit rough on joints. It was a 2-hour "event"; I was a bit late and participated for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. I felt really silly...I am SO not coordinated. But, it was fun!

I haven't been swimming in the past 2 weeks. I swam/pool jogged so much over the past 2 months or so that I felt as if I was going to sprout gills ;). I am not really a big fan of swimming. It's SO good for you, though, I should probably get back at it.

I would love to schedule marathon 4...but I can't yet. Darn you, Achilles!

Dude....

My body needs to RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all for now.

I GOT TO GO ON A RUN!

Ok, in all actuallity....what I did last night can really barely "count" as "a run" ;). But, hey, after 3 weeks (who can believe it?!) of NOT RUNNING...I will take what I can get!

Yesterday I saw my PT, David, over at the SEC. He did some ultrasound therapy on my achilles and inspected things, etc. He decided by the end of the examination that I should try running that evening.

He said it should be on a treadmill, as it had more "give" than the pavement. So, I made mental plans immediately to go to the gym the second I got off of work. He instructed me to do 5 minutes of running at a 5-6 mile-per-hour pace, followed by 2-3 minutes of walking. He told me to repeat this interval so I completed it a total of 3 times.

As soon as I got off of work, I headed over to Four Seasons 2. I hopped on a treadmill and walked 5 minutes to warm up (at a 3 mph pace). I then upped the mph to 6 (so a 10 minute/mile pace. Painfully slow ;) ). Almost immediately I felt some mild-moderate pain in my right Achilles.

Darn it all.

I pushed through it...it truly wasn't severe, just a nagging mild-moderate pain.

5 minutes walking ("warm up")
5 minutes running.
2 minutes walking.
5 minutes running.
2 minutes walking.
5 minutes running.
2 minutes walking.

...for a grand total of 26 minutes. I ended up going for 2.05 miles.

It wasn't pretty.

It wasn't comfortable.

My mind screamed "faster! faster! faster!"

But...

That little taste of my much-loved friend running brought a bit of joy to my day.

(I should add that I got up at 4:30am to go to a 5:15am "hour of power" spinning class at the gym yesterday, too :). So, I did get a "real" workout in on top of the baby-running-adventure :) ).

I popped some ibuprofin to hopefully bring down some swelling last night.

The Achilles is "creaking" again today.

Ugh.

We'll see....

Praying for healing...and doing my best to follow the doctors' and PT's instructions and work hard to work through this.

Oh, Marathon 4...I want to register for you...but I must have patience...

Little hiatus

Well...my doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon went well. The doctor I saw was very nice...and I think was a little amused by me/my apparent craziness. After hearing me rattle on and on about my history/symptoms/what I've been doing about things lately...he says, "So you are a runner." I responded, "Well I try." He replied, "You run when it hurts. That means you're a real runner." Well, pin a rose on my nose ;). The fact that that statement gave me a little delight probably means I have some sort of issues ;).

So, the worst pain lately has been the suspected Achilles tendinitis. Turns out, my PT friends Jamie and Jillian were correct and I am indeed presenting with Achilles tendinitis (which, if you've never experienced this, is SUPER painful. We're talking...I was wearing flip flops even in the cold because I couldn't stand to have anything pressing on the back of my ankle/heel). The doctor prescribed methylprednisolone, a steroid. I took six pills Wednesday night after filling the script with my good friend Lynden at CVS in Normal :), five pills yesterday, and will take four today (have taken one so far). Boy oh boy. Yesterday I had an awful headache that I am "blaming" on the drugs, but who knows. Of course "headache" is a potential side effect of the drugs...but headaches are side effects of pretty much EVERY drug I feel like! So, who knows if it's related at all or not ;). However....the pain in my Achilles is extremely diminished. So, that's awesome! It was hurting just to take a step!

I have to wait to run until I am completely pain-free...and then wait two days past the feeling of being pain-free. So, could be over a week. So far, I'm surviving ;).

I went out for a run on Tuesday night...I received a text from my good friend Ashley who told me she had just gone out and run five miles for the first time EVER in her life! I was SUPER proud of her...but it also made me really jealous (ok, that is an awful, awful thing to admit...but it is true!) and I thought to myself, "Why CAN'T I just go out for a nice little five-mile jog?" SO, I hurried home from work, quickly changed into running gear and hit the road. It felt great (mentally)...but my body felt awful. My form had to be completely heinous-looking. I truly hope that no one I knew saw me out there running! Not pretty at all. But, it got the job done :). It had been NINE days since the previous run....

Here's my running performance in the past few weeks:
1. Sunday, September 26--Quad Cities Marathon: 3:53:51 finishing time...8:56 pace....227/695 finishers....58/256 women......12/49 in my division...and a PR!!! :) :)
2. Saturday, October 2--Run the Woods: 25:46.1 finishing time....8:19 pace.....51/184 runners and 2nd in my age group (I would like to point out that this was 26 seconds faster than my Run the Woods time last year...which is impressive in my mind because last year I ran the race the weekend before the Chicago Marathon...and this year I ran it the weekend AFTER the Quad Cities Marathon, following knee issues and in the midst of some pretty painful Achilles tendinitis! Woot!)
3. Tuesday, October 12--I ran five miles at a 10 min/mile pace (UGH!) just to keep my sanity and to "say goodbye" to running for a while until my body is fixed.

So, just 34.3 miles in the past 3 weeks...when I am used to doing that many miles (give or take a few here or there) in one week!

So...goodbye for a few days (hopefully not WEEKS), dear running! Hope to see you SOON! :)

Maybe I'll have to figure out some sort of other hobby/vice to keep myself occupied ;).

done

So, I finally called and made a doctor's appointment for next Wednesday....the first step in taking ownership of my health and my stupid knee that turned into my knee....thigh...and most lately my achilles tendon (all on the right leg). Orthopedic physician, here I come!

I'm pretty apprehensive about the appointment....I hope things don't seem too dire. I am sure they won't be....

I'm a sensationalist, I think ;). Tend to worry about the worst possible outcome and have really bad initial reactions to new news/bad news/etc. So....hopefully I am just worried and worked up about nothing.

In the weeks leading up to the marathon, I was literally sick to my stomach many days and actually had many nights where I didn't sleep much. I actually bought some over-the-counter sleeping pills! What in the world is wrong with me?! I am a freaking mess.

So, Mr. Doctor...I apologize in advance. You're going to be treating a psychotic loose cannon ;). Good luck with that one! I promise not to cry in your office.

Unless you tell me I'm done running forever, then I make no promises.

In the meantime, I need to woman up and make some other positive changes. I need to concentrate on healthy eating (I suck lately) and weight training. I have definitely fallen off BOTH of those wagons in a major way.

In the now-almost-two-years that I've been gluten free (medically necessary), I've made the big mistake of eating whatever I could that was gluten free. Oh wow, Grocery Store A has a new brand of yummy gluten free cookies!? Well, I HAVE to buy them and try them! Never mind the fact that I would seldom buy crap like that pre-diagnosis. I took NOT being able to eat many things that I loved as liberty to eat ANYTHING else that I COULD eat and WANTED to eat. I know I've even blogged about that before....but never made a change.

Changes....hm. I'm not the biggest fan of change. Maybe my kiddos with Autism/Asperger's are rubbing off on me ;). I like predictibility....having control...having constants. Speaking of which, we had a bomb dropped on us at work today that has the potential to shake things up there a bit. Naturally I had a bad (internal, thankfully! And, in my car...but solo!) reaction to this "news"...but the more I process it and begin to understand the reasons why I might be feeling the way I am....the more it begins to at least be a little more clear. A little. But that's a story for another time, and not the internet ;).

Anyway......tomorrow is a new day. I am getting my hair colored/cut after work. Maybe I need to do something drastic.

But wait, I hate change!

We'll see.

It could be time for something.....

Quad Cities Marathon

I have officially completed my 3rd marathon in 12 months...and it feels amazing! :) When I crossed that finish line in Moline, IL...I was literally feeling "on top of the world." It was one of the best feelings in the world....

Quick wrap-up of highlights...

My Top Ten Moments of the 2010 Quad Cities Marathon (in no particular order):

10. Spending the night with my sister and her husband and all getting ready together with Megan and Jeremy in the morning :). Only other runners can understand and appreciate pre-race morning "rituals" ;).

9. Seeing a good friend from college, Rachel Annen. Rachel participated in the relay event and ran the second leg of the relay. I saw her around mile 7 or so and we ran together for a mile or so, including part of the course along the Mississippi in Davenport and part of the Centennial Bridge from Davenport, IA to Moline, IL. I got to see her brand-new engagement ring, as well! Congratulations to Rachel and Ryan!

8. Running around Arsenal Island (which felt a LOT longer/bigger than I ever realized!). This island is a military base. Dozens of military personnel in uniform were cheering the runners on as we made our way around the island. It literally brought tears to my eyes as I thought about how really meaningless what we runners were doing was compared to the sacrifices each of them had made and were willing to make to serve our country. Nodding and smiling in thanks as they cheered seemed silly. It was pretty amazing, really. And, the arsenal definitely provided a scenic route!

7. Feeling the community support. I would still run without spectators. I enjoy running for the sheer joy it brings me and the sense of personal accomplishment. However, it is a lot more exciting to run as spectators cheer on the crowd of runners :). It's really neat to run past families with little kids who are SO excited to put their little hands out to give the runners high-fives as they run past. It's energizing to listen to the local bands and musicians who play along the course. It's humbling to see the hundreds of volunteers who turn out for an event like this....the people giving out water, GU, and fruit along the course...the policemen/women stopping traffic...the women standing with sticks of vaseline (haha!!! I haven't needed to utilize this, but I am sure some people are very thankful for this! ;) )...the Palmer Chiropractic students who give adjustments after the race...the massage tent workers (I never wait in line for post-race massages, the lines are always WAY too long!)....the people cutting off chips and handing out medals at the finish...the people serving food at the finish....etc., etc. I made sure to say "thank you" to as many people as I could (especially the policemen blocking traffic!)...which I recognize is a small gesture, but it does mean something to some people based on their smiles.

6. Running the ENTIRE race. In my previous two marathons, I have had to walk at least a bit of the race. In Chicago, after about mile 11, I walked 30 seconds to a minute at many of the water stops. I had heard that this was a good strategy...to walk a bit at water stops to ensure you could get all of the water down and to give your muscles a little rest. "It is better to be in control of your body and walk a bit when you choose to as opposed to walking because you HAVE to," I was told. In Minnesota, I probably truly walked close to a mile as I neared the end. I had to stop and walk a few times after about mile 18. I truly "hit a wall." That was my most miserable marathon experience of the three (though still an amazing overall experience!). The course was hilly...it was HOT...and I started at too quick of a pace. At the Quad Cities marathon, though, I literally ran the ENTIRE thing. I never slowed to a walk, even at water stops. Right, wrong, or otherwise...I didn't even grab water at some of the stops (particularly the later ones toward the end). I just kept moving...

5. Having minimal pain. I'd be lying if I said I ran this marathon completely pain-free (ok....really...your body is in motion for approximately 4 hours...that's not going to always feel great! It's definitely not an easy feat!). In the weeks leading up to the marathon, I was experiencing lots of discomfort and pain in my right leg. It was mostly my right knee and right inner thigh. I employed the help and advice of many in the weeks leading up to the race. In fact, for the 17 days leading up to the marathon...I didn't run on land at all! If you know me, you know this almost killed me and turned me into a crazy person (well, a craziER person ;)). I did LOTS of running with a buoyancy belt in the pool...hours on end. It was boringboringboring, but apparently paid off. My knee did give me some discomfort throughout the race, but I pushed through it. I won't go into how I am feeling right now, a week after the fact ;)...let's just say I'm taking some time off.

4. Sharing a monumental occasion with my family....this was my sister Megan's second marathon (her first was the Quad Cities marathon last year!) and my husband Jeremy's first half marathon! I am SO proud of both of them!!!!!

3. Hearing an awesome band, The Funktastic Five, perform after the race! As Jeremy and I walked to our car from the "post-race party," the band started to play "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy"....which is probably our FAVORITE "wedding-song" to dance to at weddings, parties, etc. We turned and smiled at each other, paused...then turned around, sore legs and all, and hurried back to where the band was playing to take pictures and dance a bit (as much as our sore legs would allow ;)). This is the band that our good friends Aaron and Katie hired to perform at their wedding reception last May...they are really great!

2. Seeing my brother-in-law Danny with about 1/4 of a mile to go, then seeing Jeremy right after I crossed the finish, and seeing my parents a minute or so after crossing :). Seeing them all there meant the world to me. After we all got cleaned up, the six of us all went out for a post-race lunch at a family favorite, Red Robin, in Davenport. We missed Dan and Laura, though (they were both at school)!!! :(

1. Getting a PR....I finished the marathon in 3 hours, 53 minutes, 51 seconds. As I crossed that finish line, I could not stop smiling. This was approximately TEN minutes faster than Minneapolis in early June and approximately SEVEN minutes faster than Chicago last October! While I still have a long way to go before getting a Boston qualifying time (I need to get 3 hours, 40 minutes, 59 seconds for that....which means shaving 13 minutes off of the time I got in the Quad Cities)....I am still very happy with my Quad Cities performance.

Now...it's time to get back to work. Marathon Four is on the horizon!