runrunkitkat

Perhaps the best explanation for my recent emotional roller coaster is this knee injury that has created chaos in my small world.  I kinda didn’t know what to do with myself, not being able to run.  Thankfully, I’ve finally jumped through the hoops in the process to get in to see a doctor, so hopefully my appointment tomorrow will be a good one….meaning, she won’t tell me to stop running for 6 weeks

In the meantime, I’ve tried to be extra conscious of my activities and have avoided running.  On solid surfaces, that is.  I have spent many hours in the pool since Friday doing some super boring water jogging.    

Seriously, other than the fight that happened between two swimmers sharing a lane, I think I could’ve shut my eyes and taken a nap while in the pool. No new scenery.  Just moving at a snail’s pace, going back and forth, back and forth….

It really makes me appreciate running.

I just want to keep up my endurance to the best of my ability and right now, water jogging seems to be my best option.  It’s a good low-impact substitute but even though it’s a decent workout, I don’t get quite the same intensity as I do from running.  So I’ve started doing pilates too, just to keep my muscles toned and limber.  

Good news is that the knee does feel much better than it did a week ago, but until I’m medically advised to do otherwise, I’ll still be jogging in my swimsuit.

As a runner, today is like SuperBowl Sunday is for football fans.  It’s Boston Marathon Monday.  The most heralded event in distance running.  The granddaddy of marathons.  The big B.

I got up early to watch the last half of the elite race.  There’s been a lot of hype built up around the U.S. runners, Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall, both of whom I really admire.  And since a U.S. woman has not won Boston since 1985— for Kara to win it would be a huge moment for every female runner in America.

And maybe it was the fact that I can’t run right now, or maybe just the joy that overwhelmed me as Kara led the pack to the finish, but I cried.  Watching a running event.  On tv.  How silly or lame is that?  

And then I sighed as she dropped back and crossed the finish line in 3rd place.  Still a huge achievement, but when they showed her husband comforting her, I completely lost it.  Again, with the crying….what is with me?  

It’s been a dream of mine to run Boston someday, and I felt like this would be a good year to qualify for 2010 or 2011.  Granted, the only full marathon I’ve ever finished ended badly and took me 6 hours. BUT, up until this stupid knee injury, I’d been feeling great during my training runs and improving my pace.  Excited to attempt the 26.2 again.  A 3:40 marathon would definitely require me to push myself, but it’s certainly a realistic goal.

Whatever happens, I fully expect to be running Boston sometime in the next 5 years.  I’d prefer sooner rather than later, but right now, that’s the unrealistic dream.

Well…..how do I put this mildly?   This sucks.

My frustrations with my leg problems have been building up to a boiling point.  I’m trying to stay optimistic and hopeful, but it’s hard.

If it’s not one thing hurting, it’s something else.  I guess it’s mostly just my left leg, but that doesn’t make matters any better.  Within the past few weeks, I’ve moved through a list injuries:

Quad/Shin- solved that, then my middle toe started feeling like it was broken.  I think the tendons were just super tight and wouldn’t let me bend my toe.  At all.  Trigger toe, perhaps?  After lots of taping and stretching, that problem has finally (almost) gone away.  On top of all that, my ankle has been a constant irritation and while it’s nothing that bothers me during a run, it bothers me the rest of the day.  But I can deal with that, no problem.

And now, the worst of them all—my knee.  It started out just hurting when I was done running, then started when I’d be in the middle of a run, then when I’d go up stairs, but now it hurts pretty much all the time.

I’m pretty sure it’s either my illiotibial band or the lateral collateral ligament, but I’ve never had problems with either of these, so I’m not sure which it is or what I did to injure it.

I’ve been icing. Elevating. Stretching. Glucosamine-ing like crazy.

I’m frustrated.

I knew training for this marathon would not be a breeze, but this has been hard.  Getting my mileage in and sticking to my training schedule has been relatively easy, but the injuries that have been building up have been difficult to deal with.

So I’m putting myself on the disabled list and getting an appointment with a doctor who can then refer me to a specialist.  The last thing I want is for this to get worse and not be able to run the marathon at all.  I think I can handle not having the strength and endurance to run my best pace and having to slow down.  As long as I get to run it.  I have two months to figure things out.

Until I know more, there’s no running, no biking, probably no elliptical.  This really is a downer.

Trying to stay optimistic is almost as hard as trying to walk up the stairs.

Hopefully my next post will be better

[Placing a smile on my face while crying inside.]

Well, this was a first.

I was out on a 6 mile run along the west side of Lake Union this morning, and two cops on their motorcycles were trying to catch speeding drivers on Westlake Avenue.  As I ran closer, one of them aimed his radar gun at me and yelled “slow down there, speedster—speed limit’s 30!”

Right. If I was running that fast, I’d be Usain Bolt.  And then some.

Regardless, it made me laugh and before that moment, I was having one of those ‘just get this over and done with’ runs.  I started to enjoy it a little more the last 4 miles.

They didn’t clock me when I ran back by on the return trip, but I’m pretty sure I would’ve gotten pulled over if they had been

Important things I have recently learned:

1.  Do not have milk less than an hour before long runs.  This creates a two-part consequence:

• phlegm, phlegm, phlegm.  gross.
• serious stomach ache for at least 2 hours post-run

2.  Which reminds me, don’t eat peanut butter either before a run.  Peanut Butter burps are not good.

3.  Spending 30 minutes on the elliptical machine makes your feet go numb. 60 minutes makes your head go numb.  

4.  Sometimes if you put off what you could do today—until tomorrow—it’s okay. 

I woke up Saturday morning to not-so-pleasant weather and since we had weekend guests, I decided to not do my long run and play tour guide instead.  Plus, it gave my legs one more day to rest, so I could figure out if my problem was sore muscles or shinsplints.  

Good news! It’s not shinsplints.  What. A. Relief.  And I’m glad I decided to postpone my 12-mile run to Sunday, when the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  

Maybe it was the fact that my legs were fairly well rested, or maybe it was because I was on a tight schedule and had to get home and decorate a cake for a birthday party— but it was one of my better, faster runs.

I’ve recently grown fond of running along the Ballard/Fremont canal since I can run on the trail uninterrupted by stop lights for a good 8 miles.  Plus, running over the Ballard Bridge has awesome scenery of the Olympic Mountains and the marinas below.

12.1 miles, 1:40:05.  Good pace of 8:16, but there’s still room for improvement if I want to reach some of my running goals.  

…that does not come easily to me.

Well, i persevered through my 11 mile run this past weekend.  What started out as “ow. ow. oh dear, I don’t know if my quad can handle this.” gradually turned into “what a lovely day.  It’s been 8 miles and the soreness is finally going away.”  

I felt good when I was done (aside from the exhaustion and soreness of running 17 miles within the past 24 hours).  I got home and my husband had a cold bath ready—he’s so sweet—so I dumped in some ice and comforted my legs.  

We decided to walk around downtown that afternoon, and despite feeling like my legs didn’t quite know how to function, I felt fine.  It’s weird when your quads are sore, because it limits the restraint they normally have on how your knee bends and every once in a while, my leg just kinda ‘gave out’.  I had to really focus on keeping my lower leg working right and not hyperextending.   

Sunday, I pretty much didn’t do any activity all day.  My goal was to rest my legs as much as possible.  But by the time my Monday 3 mile run came, I began to feel like my biggest marathon training fears may have caught up with me.  

Maybe.  

As weird as it may sound, I’m not sure what’s going on with my lower leg.  I can’t tell if my tibialis posterior and peroneal muscles* are now sore from overcompensating for my quads, or if shinsplints are here to say hello.  I only ended up running 2 miles on the treadmill because of this.  

*i wish i didn’t know what these were called, but i’ve had too much shinsplint experience to be ignorant.

I didn’t want to do any further damage if it was in fact my shins.  So, I’ve been doing special stretches and exercises to combat the arrival of shinsplints.  Yesterday, instead of doing my scheduled 6 mile run, I spent 60 minutes on the elliptical.  And today I will be back there again for 30 minutes instead of doing my 3 mile run.  Tomorrow is a cross training day and my normal strength class, so I have yet to decided if I’ll attend that.  Maybe I’ll just do the arm exercises and forego the leg stuff…but then people will think I’m a slacker.  

It’s very difficult for me to refrain from trying to stick with my training schedule, but I REALLY REALLY do NOT want my marathon to be a disaster.  So I’m trying my best to force myself to take every preliminary step to avoid that.  I think I’ll be spending more time on the elliptical until I am 110% sure that my shins are okay.  It’s not the same as running, but I suppose it’s necessary.  

*sigh*  

Patience, Katie.  Patience.  And don’t be so obnoxiously stubborn.

Actually that title is a completely false statement, as I’m currently walking like someone whose shock absorbers are rusty and needing replaced.  I have zero spring in my step and I’m a wee bit sore {complete understatement}.  And it’s only Friday.

This new training plan, along with my weekly strength class has really worked my legs more than they’ve been worked in a long time.  I should count next time how many squats we do, but I’d bet it’s close to 200.  

And even though my quads are screaming at me, I know it’s a good pain.  My legs are stronger, my times have already improved, and the strengthening is great for injury prevention.  I just need to focus more on my stretching.  A LOT more.  And maybe get some deep tissue massages…..courtesy of the husband  (take note, honey).  

Today was a 6 mile pace day and I did my best to avoid steep downhills so that my quads are not totally shot for the 11 miles I have get to run tomorrow.  Despite their soreness, I held a great pace and am looking forward to a much slower and relaxed long run in the morning.  

Plus, spring has arrived!  About time, right?  Knowing it’s finally spring seems to make everything just a little better and I think maybe even subconsciously it gives me extra energy to get out and enjoy the new season.  I’m sure I’ll need that extra boost when I get up to 16+ mile runs.  Can’t wait