“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” -C.S. Lewis
Soooo this is what 5 weeks of healing looks like....
Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Aqua-Noodling
"Maybe strong is just what you have left when you've used up all your weak."
12/18/11
It's something about the water but, I feel like now that I've started swimming and I'm in a slightly better place mentally my foot is slowly getting better.
Aquatic Fitness Adventures
12/18/11
So today I crutched back to the pool. It's not that my foot doesn't hurt. But it hurts constantly anyways so I might as well do something. And actually, compared to how much it used to hurt it actually feels a lot better after swimming. I think it's because swimming helps to flush all of that swelling out of my foot. And yeah, O.K. it makes me feel a bit better about myself. Less, you know, useless.
I've developed a kind of system when it comes to what I do for my "workout". I do 10 minutes of either aquajogging with old lady aquabelt and then rest for 5. During those 5 minutes I don't move my legs but float and use only my arms to do laps. Repeat, repeat as many times as my foot can stand. It's not like it used to be, but I'll take it. All of the employees already know who I am and what I did to my foot so they all talk with me while I'm aqua jogging so it's not too terribly boring actually. In reality, I'm so exercise devoid that nothing is going to seem boring at this time. I feel pretty lucky that I get to do anything. So I'm not complaining. Right now, I get just as excited to go doggie-paddle for 45 minutes as I used to to to go on a 45 minute run.
The best part though, is always the kids that are there. They don't look at me like I'm weird because I walk into a pool on crutches or because I aquajog slower than an 80-year old woman. The best was a little boy who asked me why I needed a belt. I told him it was because my foot was broken so I couldn't swim very well and I was afraid of sinking without it. After I got in we made eye contact and he goes "You're not sinking!" I yelled back "I told you I would float" and he said "no...you just told me you wouldn't sink.....It's basically like you're in a floating wheelchair right now." I just laughed and told him he had a good point. He stayed in the pool with his friends for a bit, playing games and telling me how many points they got from games that didn't seem to have a legitimate point system. (3,000 just for swimming down and back with one flipper on? Really?)
12/19/11
Today I found that while the young crazy kids go to the pool in the afternoon as I did yesterday, its the older in-shape women that show up on weekday mornings. No big deal or anything but this morning I was invited to join the "joints in motion class". Guess I look like someone who could use some water aerobics.
I did get an excellent tip though. The "Joints in Motion" instructor suggested that I use a noodle instead of an aqua jogging belt. I figured I had nothing to lose really, so I tried it. Sitting on a noodle, it turns out works much, much, better actually than aqua jogging with the belt. Don't get me wrong it isn't better as in less pathetic....it's better...as in easier. Today then was a mixture of aqua jogging and aqua noodling and doggie paddling. Epic, I know.
So here's how I adjusted yesterday's workout...15 minutes of aqua jogging to start out with. 5 min rest, 10 minutes of light, EASY, kicking, 5 minute rest, 15 minutes of aqua noodling. All said and done I'm up to being in the water for about 40 minutes at a time. Eventually either my foot starts to ache or I get to nervous that it's going to get hurt. I know, I KNOW that swimming is non-impact and can't make my stress fracture worse but that doesn't make it less scary. If we're being honest here I'm so scared that it'll hurt that after I get in I still panic for the first 30 seconds or so.
Then after my workout I sat in the hot tub while all of the "Joints in Motion" ladies asked about my foot and warned me to be careful on the ice with my crutches. It was kind of like having a conversation with your grandma except I had like 3 of them all talking to me at the same time.
12/19/11
Today I found that while the young crazy kids go to the pool in the afternoon as I did yesterday, its the older in-shape women that show up on weekday mornings. No big deal or anything but this morning I was invited to join the "joints in motion class". Guess I look like someone who could use some water aerobics.
I did get an excellent tip though. The "Joints in Motion" instructor suggested that I use a noodle instead of an aqua jogging belt. I figured I had nothing to lose really, so I tried it. Sitting on a noodle, it turns out works much, much, better actually than aqua jogging with the belt. Don't get me wrong it isn't better as in less pathetic....it's better...as in easier. Today then was a mixture of aqua jogging and aqua noodling and doggie paddling. Epic, I know.
So here's how I adjusted yesterday's workout...15 minutes of aqua jogging to start out with. 5 min rest, 10 minutes of light, EASY, kicking, 5 minute rest, 15 minutes of aqua noodling. All said and done I'm up to being in the water for about 40 minutes at a time. Eventually either my foot starts to ache or I get to nervous that it's going to get hurt. I know, I KNOW that swimming is non-impact and can't make my stress fracture worse but that doesn't make it less scary. If we're being honest here I'm so scared that it'll hurt that after I get in I still panic for the first 30 seconds or so.
Then after my workout I sat in the hot tub while all of the "Joints in Motion" ladies asked about my foot and warned me to be careful on the ice with my crutches. It was kind of like having a conversation with your grandma except I had like 3 of them all talking to me at the same time.
It's something about the water but, I feel like now that I've started swimming and I'm in a slightly better place mentally my foot is slowly getting better.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Cross Training Snob
"If you're going to make it, your desire for your dreams has to be greater than your fear of failure."
Let's be honest here. It's not something that I'm proud of but sometimes during those 90 minute pool workouts I used to chuckle at the old ladies doing their water aerobics. I'd get all proud of myself when I saw people who had to kickboard in between laps because they needed to rest. And people who aqua jogged? please.
I admit it: I'm a cross training snob. I tend to think that no other form of exercise can come close to what running does for you. And when I do cross train, I'm very hardcore about it.Anything that is not either excessive or extravagant is simply not worth it. As much as I hate to admit it, I scoff at people who are not the same way.
Today, however, that attitude dissipated a little bit. I am now one of those aqua-belt wearing, slow moving, water-treading people that I always laughed at. But, the fact that past Katie would have laughed at present Katie had she of known what I looked like aqua-jogging today is really not the point. The point is that I did something. I know, I know it's not really a good adventure but again, it's better than nothing.
Crutching to the pool from the locker room was only a little bit embarrassing. I guess it would have been a lot worse but I was so afraid of falling on my face, or worse, my heel, that I didn't really notice all of the people staring at the little crippled girl who came to do an old lady workout.
I sat on the edge of the pool for about 5 minutes daring myself to get in. In that time I told the lifeguard on duty what had happened to my foot, put on the belt, put my feet in the water, imagined getting in the water, and chickened out multiple times. Finally made myself slide into the water. Arms flailing, feet not working, basically hyperventilating from fear, I started my aqua-run. To keep the least amount of pressure on my foot I did wear one of the unfortunate looking belts to help keep me afloat.
So I kicked and sputtered and doggie-paddled my way through right around 30 minutes. At first it was really hard to deal with. My tendons all freaked out and couldn't quite decide if they should hurt or go with the flow of things. Eventually things got under control and my legs started figuring out what was going on.
I...well...I started out too fast. Even in aqua-jogging I guess I still do that. But my foot wasn't ready to go full speed ahead in the pool yet. So I took is slowly. I jogged for 10 minutes and then let my feet rest and swam using only my arms and then jogged again. So I went for 30 minutes. I could have done more but I figured 30 on the first day was probably enough. I'm still too afraid that it'll be sore. I found some sort of slow rhythm about 15 minutes in that worked pretty well. I shuffled back and forth in the pool telling myself that it really wasn't that pathetic looking.
It taught me something, I guess. Mostly it taught me not to be a snot about cross training. Also that everyone's got to start somewhere. And for me right here, right now, aquajogging at about a quarter of a mile an hour is a perfectly O.K. starting place. It's going to be a long and slow process for me. At first I despised this, but I've decided to be patient and roll with it.
The good news is that maybe because of the endorphins, maybe because of the water, maybe because of the movement, maybe because of the Aleve....my foot has started to feel a little bit stronger. Maybe now it can finally start to heal.
Let's be honest here. It's not something that I'm proud of but sometimes during those 90 minute pool workouts I used to chuckle at the old ladies doing their water aerobics. I'd get all proud of myself when I saw people who had to kickboard in between laps because they needed to rest. And people who aqua jogged? please.
I admit it: I'm a cross training snob. I tend to think that no other form of exercise can come close to what running does for you. And when I do cross train, I'm very hardcore about it.Anything that is not either excessive or extravagant is simply not worth it. As much as I hate to admit it, I scoff at people who are not the same way.
Today, however, that attitude dissipated a little bit. I am now one of those aqua-belt wearing, slow moving, water-treading people that I always laughed at. But, the fact that past Katie would have laughed at present Katie had she of known what I looked like aqua-jogging today is really not the point. The point is that I did something. I know, I know it's not really a good adventure but again, it's better than nothing.
Crutching to the pool from the locker room was only a little bit embarrassing. I guess it would have been a lot worse but I was so afraid of falling on my face, or worse, my heel, that I didn't really notice all of the people staring at the little crippled girl who came to do an old lady workout.
I sat on the edge of the pool for about 5 minutes daring myself to get in. In that time I told the lifeguard on duty what had happened to my foot, put on the belt, put my feet in the water, imagined getting in the water, and chickened out multiple times. Finally made myself slide into the water. Arms flailing, feet not working, basically hyperventilating from fear, I started my aqua-run. To keep the least amount of pressure on my foot I did wear one of the unfortunate looking belts to help keep me afloat.
So I kicked and sputtered and doggie-paddled my way through right around 30 minutes. At first it was really hard to deal with. My tendons all freaked out and couldn't quite decide if they should hurt or go with the flow of things. Eventually things got under control and my legs started figuring out what was going on.
I...well...I started out too fast. Even in aqua-jogging I guess I still do that. But my foot wasn't ready to go full speed ahead in the pool yet. So I took is slowly. I jogged for 10 minutes and then let my feet rest and swam using only my arms and then jogged again. So I went for 30 minutes. I could have done more but I figured 30 on the first day was probably enough. I'm still too afraid that it'll be sore. I found some sort of slow rhythm about 15 minutes in that worked pretty well. I shuffled back and forth in the pool telling myself that it really wasn't that pathetic looking.
It taught me something, I guess. Mostly it taught me not to be a snot about cross training. Also that everyone's got to start somewhere. And for me right here, right now, aquajogging at about a quarter of a mile an hour is a perfectly O.K. starting place. It's going to be a long and slow process for me. At first I despised this, but I've decided to be patient and roll with it.
The good news is that maybe because of the endorphins, maybe because of the water, maybe because of the movement, maybe because of the Aleve....my foot has started to feel a little bit stronger. Maybe now it can finally start to heal.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Four Weeks of Eating Calcium
"Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn't you - all of the expectations, all of the beliefs - and becoming who you are." - Rachel Naomi Remen
Am I ready to be healed? Has this whole journey thing been long enough to be healed? Is this process over with?
I will have my answer...by Monday afternoon I will have seen my doctor and I will potentially be rid of the crutches...hooray! Today actually was the four week mark from when my foot originally broke. Can you believe it? Can it really have been four weeks on those awful crutches? Can it really have been four weeks since the last time I ran? Four weeks of willing myself to heal should do it, doncha think?
There's more though. I have to make sure that I'm healthy enough to run. I have to be ABSOLUTELY sure that I'm not going to be racing this spring and all of a sudden have my hip fracture, or fall during a race and break my kneecap, or whatever else. As much as it pains me to say this, after a difficult week this week, I've decided that even if my heel is better I'm still not running until we take a good long look at my bones and make sure that they're O.K. As I've said before, your heel bone shouldn't fracture in only the span of a week. It just shouldn't happen. I need to know why.
But here are all of the things that I HAVE been doing. Whenever I drink coffee or tea I automatically add milk or almond milk. I've been drinking a LOT of almond milk. What most people don't know is that it actually has TWICE the calcium content of regular milk. Pretty awesome huh? I also take my calcium supplements twice a day. That's a heck of a lot of calcium. I generally aim for 1500mg every day (this includes what I get from supplements). Most people don't realize how much calcium we actually need on a day to day basis. The truth is that minimally you should be getting 1000mg per day. I'm aiming for 500mg more for well, obvious reasons.
Calcium Rich Foods:
Yogurt: Sometimes as high as 210mg per servings
Sardines: seriously have 500 mg of calcium per serving. I'm pretty sure this is only because when you eat sardines you're eating the fish's bones. ew.
Tofu: 510mg per serving.
Figs: 506 mg per serving.....weird right?
Fun Facts:
-Calcium and vitamin C work together. This mineral can be properly absorbed in your stomach if you have optimum levels of acid ph.
-Too much calcium can be toxic
-Calcium is naturally found in stalactites.
-People need extremely regulated calcium level because our brains rely on it. If the level is too high or too low, our nervous system gets “nervous”
The best way that I do it is by taking supplements called "viactives" which are semi-not disgusting chewable vitamins that have 500mg of calcium a pop. They're not exactly like eating candy...but they could be much, much worse. Just don't get the chocolate ones. Get the caramel ones.
Also, as I said I've been drinking tons and tons of almond milk...500 mg per cup!!! I am ALL OVER this bone rebuilding stuff.
The only thing, nutritionally, that I'm still lacking in is getting enough protein. I don't really eat meat as it is, and I haven't really done much (besides the milk thing) to improve my protein intake. I can't be expected to concentrate on both calcium annnnd protein right? haha. But I'm working on it...it's a slow, sure process.
This weekend may have been my last walk on crutches. My misshapen calf may soon get itself back into shape. I may soon get to walk again. I may soon get to run again.
Am I ready to be healed? Has this whole journey thing been long enough to be healed? Is this process over with?
I will have my answer...by Monday afternoon I will have seen my doctor and I will potentially be rid of the crutches...hooray! Today actually was the four week mark from when my foot originally broke. Can you believe it? Can it really have been four weeks on those awful crutches? Can it really have been four weeks since the last time I ran? Four weeks of willing myself to heal should do it, doncha think?
There's more though. I have to make sure that I'm healthy enough to run. I have to be ABSOLUTELY sure that I'm not going to be racing this spring and all of a sudden have my hip fracture, or fall during a race and break my kneecap, or whatever else. As much as it pains me to say this, after a difficult week this week, I've decided that even if my heel is better I'm still not running until we take a good long look at my bones and make sure that they're O.K. As I've said before, your heel bone shouldn't fracture in only the span of a week. It just shouldn't happen. I need to know why.
But here are all of the things that I HAVE been doing. Whenever I drink coffee or tea I automatically add milk or almond milk. I've been drinking a LOT of almond milk. What most people don't know is that it actually has TWICE the calcium content of regular milk. Pretty awesome huh? I also take my calcium supplements twice a day. That's a heck of a lot of calcium. I generally aim for 1500mg every day (this includes what I get from supplements). Most people don't realize how much calcium we actually need on a day to day basis. The truth is that minimally you should be getting 1000mg per day. I'm aiming for 500mg more for well, obvious reasons.
Calcium Rich Foods:
Yogurt: Sometimes as high as 210mg per servings
Sardines: seriously have 500 mg of calcium per serving. I'm pretty sure this is only because when you eat sardines you're eating the fish's bones. ew.
Tofu: 510mg per serving.
Figs: 506 mg per serving.....weird right?
Fun Facts:
-Calcium and vitamin C work together. This mineral can be properly absorbed in your stomach if you have optimum levels of acid ph.
-Too much calcium can be toxic
-Calcium is naturally found in stalactites.
-People need extremely regulated calcium level because our brains rely on it. If the level is too high or too low, our nervous system gets “nervous”
The best way that I do it is by taking supplements called "viactives" which are semi-not disgusting chewable vitamins that have 500mg of calcium a pop. They're not exactly like eating candy...but they could be much, much worse. Just don't get the chocolate ones. Get the caramel ones.
Also, as I said I've been drinking tons and tons of almond milk...500 mg per cup!!! I am ALL OVER this bone rebuilding stuff.
The only thing, nutritionally, that I'm still lacking in is getting enough protein. I don't really eat meat as it is, and I haven't really done much (besides the milk thing) to improve my protein intake. I can't be expected to concentrate on both calcium annnnd protein right? haha. But I'm working on it...it's a slow, sure process.
This weekend may have been my last walk on crutches. My misshapen calf may soon get itself back into shape. I may soon get to walk again. I may soon get to run again.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Broken
"You don't throw a whole life away just because he's banged up a little" -Seabiscuit
Broken Foot. Broken Hearted
I hate my foot.
So I officially got the xray results yesterday. And let me tell you it goes above and beyond the duty of being a stress fracture. I mean, sure it used to be a stress fracture but now it's just a fracture really. The beast starts at the back of my heal (calcaneus bone) and goes about half way through.
If you just looked at your foot and tried to figure it out, it basically goes from the back of my heel and then horizontally across my foot about 2 inches or so. I mean, this thing is one beast of a fracture.
Which leads me to my next question. How?...HOW did this happen so fast? Don't stress fractures take time to develop? Can't people run on them for months before they get bad? I mean....in the course of a 2 and 1/2 miles I lost my ability not just to run, but to walk. I ran the first mile perfectly fine. There was the ache in the back of my ankle sure, but I still ran it in 5:52. It gradually got worse and worse until I blacked out at the 4k. In two and a half miles I went from being able to run to constant pain. Bones aren't supposed to fracture that quickly just from running.
The conclusions mean that I am completely non-weight bearing for 6 weeks. Then I can start walking. Walking. I can't even walk. I'm in a boot AND crutches. I have strong legs. But they're not strong enough to not be exhausted between only having one to stand on and holding up a boot with the other.
What's strange is I can't even be sad about not running. I have to focus on things like how I'm going to shower, how I'm going to get dressed. I have to buy new clothes because i can't wear pants because the boot squishes them into my foot and it hurts. I have to worry about the fact that I can't sleep more than 3 hours at a time before I wake up in pain.
But luckily I never go anywhere without a plan. Are you ready for it?
2 weeks-go for first swim and sign up for a yoga class.
4-6 weeks go on first walk.
6- 8 weeks go on first bike ride.
8-16 week-biking biking biking. Begin training for late spring century ride
16 weeks-start running. slowly. Maybe.
I'm considering just taking the next six months off to heal. Based on my string of injuries I'd say that the problem is a little deeper than just a 2 inch stress fracture. I want to make sure that when I do start running there will be no more of this.
If you did your math 16 weeks=4 months which puts us in the middle of march. Now technically that's smack dab in the beginning of outdoor track season. So I could do it. Technically. Even if I do start running...well running is a far cry from racing which is a far cry from racing fast. I'm not completely ruling out track but what I've slowly come to accept is that I have to do what's best for me. Not my coach, not my team, not my ego. I need to take care of my leg..and there's a lot more to that then just not running for 6 weeks.
I feel better thinking about this. At least a century ride gives me something to shoot for so I still have a purpose. The other part of my plan does include track. Just not racing. I love my team. so much and I can't leave them simply because my leg hurts. Just because I'm sad doesn't mean that I won't be there for them when they need me. So I'll still be going out for track (running or not). Worst case scenario I'll just ride my bike with them on all of their training runs.
So there it is...the best that I can come up with. For now I need to focus on sleeping and eating and getting stronger. Running will happen in it's own time.
Broken Foot. Broken Hearted
I hate my foot.
So I officially got the xray results yesterday. And let me tell you it goes above and beyond the duty of being a stress fracture. I mean, sure it used to be a stress fracture but now it's just a fracture really. The beast starts at the back of my heal (calcaneus bone) and goes about half way through.
If you just looked at your foot and tried to figure it out, it basically goes from the back of my heel and then horizontally across my foot about 2 inches or so. I mean, this thing is one beast of a fracture.
Which leads me to my next question. How?...HOW did this happen so fast? Don't stress fractures take time to develop? Can't people run on them for months before they get bad? I mean....in the course of a 2 and 1/2 miles I lost my ability not just to run, but to walk. I ran the first mile perfectly fine. There was the ache in the back of my ankle sure, but I still ran it in 5:52. It gradually got worse and worse until I blacked out at the 4k. In two and a half miles I went from being able to run to constant pain. Bones aren't supposed to fracture that quickly just from running.
The conclusions mean that I am completely non-weight bearing for 6 weeks. Then I can start walking. Walking. I can't even walk. I'm in a boot AND crutches. I have strong legs. But they're not strong enough to not be exhausted between only having one to stand on and holding up a boot with the other.
What's strange is I can't even be sad about not running. I have to focus on things like how I'm going to shower, how I'm going to get dressed. I have to buy new clothes because i can't wear pants because the boot squishes them into my foot and it hurts. I have to worry about the fact that I can't sleep more than 3 hours at a time before I wake up in pain.
But luckily I never go anywhere without a plan. Are you ready for it?
2 weeks-go for first swim and sign up for a yoga class.
4-6 weeks go on first walk.
6- 8 weeks go on first bike ride.
8-16 week-biking biking biking. Begin training for late spring century ride
16 weeks-start running. slowly. Maybe.
I'm considering just taking the next six months off to heal. Based on my string of injuries I'd say that the problem is a little deeper than just a 2 inch stress fracture. I want to make sure that when I do start running there will be no more of this.
If you did your math 16 weeks=4 months which puts us in the middle of march. Now technically that's smack dab in the beginning of outdoor track season. So I could do it. Technically. Even if I do start running...well running is a far cry from racing which is a far cry from racing fast. I'm not completely ruling out track but what I've slowly come to accept is that I have to do what's best for me. Not my coach, not my team, not my ego. I need to take care of my leg..and there's a lot more to that then just not running for 6 weeks.
I feel better thinking about this. At least a century ride gives me something to shoot for so I still have a purpose. The other part of my plan does include track. Just not racing. I love my team. so much and I can't leave them simply because my leg hurts. Just because I'm sad doesn't mean that I won't be there for them when they need me. So I'll still be going out for track (running or not). Worst case scenario I'll just ride my bike with them on all of their training runs.
So there it is...the best that I can come up with. For now I need to focus on sleeping and eating and getting stronger. Running will happen in it's own time.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
In the Long Run
"You won't realize the distance you've run until you take a look around & realize how far you've been."
First long run back. So I'm going about 50 minutes today. As I head onto a pathway in the woods, with my music blaring I suddenly see a set of eyes staring out at me from the trees. Of course my immediate, irrational thought was "bear". (in Wisconsin? Come on, Katie). But as I stopped and paused my music what it really was, was a huge horse. Now, I love horses, so obviously I'm not afraid of them. Still though, it was 6 in the morning and I was alone and the last thing I expected to see on a path in rural Wisconsin was a horse. So what did I do? Jump on it and ride bareback into town? No, I turned and ran the opposite way. Chicken.
Second long run back. It's been hot all week and by 2 minutes in I'm soaking wet. I don't think I'll ever run in anything but a sportsbra again its SO hot. My ipod is broken. On this run today however, I realize that I don't need an ipod. Sometimes there's just something about running in silence. I listen to the rhythm of my feet and my breath and somewhere along the road I make up my own song to run to. It was only a few days before that I hadn't run with a watch or music. I mean I am starting over. I might as well start from square one. No music, no time, just me and the sound of my feet.
My runs are getting longer. So now I'm actually starting to get tired on them. I'm up to an hour. My next one I head back to my old high school bike trail and crank out the run. To my own surprise I actually start out at sub-7 minute pace. At the 2.5 mile mark I'm able to stop and gather myself and pull the reins a bit. But overall I'm sweaty and exhausted and I just covered about 7.5 miles in 55 minutes.
And finally yesterday was the best one. I did the first 3 miles relatively relaxed. Once I reached mile 4 I was still feeling really good and was going a bit to fast. So I decided to tempo it instead. Each mile I even brought my pace lower and lower until by the end I ran the last 7-8 minutes at about 6min/mile pace.
By some miracle it seems like I'm running healthy again. I never expected that I would get better so fast. Interestingly enough, once I gave up on being bitter about running so little and forgot about running to win and because I "had to" was when I started getting better. Coincidence? I'd like to think not. My leg couldn't heal until my mind was. Once I started appreciating running and loving it for what it is, my leg slowly followed my heart on this path of recovery. I never would have believed it those weeks ago when I was doing 1 minute on/1 minute off barefoot around a high school football field. But still, here I am.
It's been a long journey for me this summer, back into running. But one, I think that I had to take in order to get where I am now. I love it now more than ever. All I have to remember is that we run because we love it and for no other reason.
First long run back. So I'm going about 50 minutes today. As I head onto a pathway in the woods, with my music blaring I suddenly see a set of eyes staring out at me from the trees. Of course my immediate, irrational thought was "bear". (in Wisconsin? Come on, Katie). But as I stopped and paused my music what it really was, was a huge horse. Now, I love horses, so obviously I'm not afraid of them. Still though, it was 6 in the morning and I was alone and the last thing I expected to see on a path in rural Wisconsin was a horse. So what did I do? Jump on it and ride bareback into town? No, I turned and ran the opposite way. Chicken.
Second long run back. It's been hot all week and by 2 minutes in I'm soaking wet. I don't think I'll ever run in anything but a sportsbra again its SO hot. My ipod is broken. On this run today however, I realize that I don't need an ipod. Sometimes there's just something about running in silence. I listen to the rhythm of my feet and my breath and somewhere along the road I make up my own song to run to. It was only a few days before that I hadn't run with a watch or music. I mean I am starting over. I might as well start from square one. No music, no time, just me and the sound of my feet.
My runs are getting longer. So now I'm actually starting to get tired on them. I'm up to an hour. My next one I head back to my old high school bike trail and crank out the run. To my own surprise I actually start out at sub-7 minute pace. At the 2.5 mile mark I'm able to stop and gather myself and pull the reins a bit. But overall I'm sweaty and exhausted and I just covered about 7.5 miles in 55 minutes.
And finally yesterday was the best one. I did the first 3 miles relatively relaxed. Once I reached mile 4 I was still feeling really good and was going a bit to fast. So I decided to tempo it instead. Each mile I even brought my pace lower and lower until by the end I ran the last 7-8 minutes at about 6min/mile pace.
By some miracle it seems like I'm running healthy again. I never expected that I would get better so fast. Interestingly enough, once I gave up on being bitter about running so little and forgot about running to win and because I "had to" was when I started getting better. Coincidence? I'd like to think not. My leg couldn't heal until my mind was. Once I started appreciating running and loving it for what it is, my leg slowly followed my heart on this path of recovery. I never would have believed it those weeks ago when I was doing 1 minute on/1 minute off barefoot around a high school football field. But still, here I am.
It's been a long journey for me this summer, back into running. But one, I think that I had to take in order to get where I am now. I love it now more than ever. All I have to remember is that we run because we love it and for no other reason.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Adventures in Physical Therapy-ASTYM
Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. -Hippocrates
So the newest thing at the best physical therapy clinic on the planet is a process called ASTYM. ASTYM stands for "a stimulation” of the body’s healing response, which results in the remodeling/resorption of scar tissue and the regeneration of degenerated tendons. " according to the website.
Let's be honest. I'm really willing to try anything at this point. I'm ready to cut my IT band in half...But before I do anything too drastic I gave some alternative massage a try. The idea origionated after one particularly dreadful experience on the Alter-G My leg was done "hurting" but in reality I hadn't done any type of weight-bearing activity in weeks. Everything from my toes to my butt was tight and sore, as though I was being punished by my body for shocking it into running again. My evil IT band saw my weakness as an opportunity to strike again and immediately after the run became so tight that instead of PF syndrome coming back my biggest worry turned to re-developing IT band syndrome instead!
After one of the therapists heard that he asked me if I'd be up for trying something a little different, but that may help more than just stretching alone. That's how I was introduced to ASTYM. I've had massages and ultrasounds and stimulation therapy and ice and heat and even deep tissue massages. But this was something very different from anything else I've ever tried.
ASTYM is a little scary at first. It consists of plastic tools which kind of resemble those things you use in the winter to scrape ice off your car. Only instead of scraping ice they're used to fix your degenerative tendons. In my case they're used to iron-out a few stubborn bumps in your IT band so that my knee moves up and down like it's supposed to instead of diagonally.
The therapist starts out but putting coco butter on the affected area. Treatment that fixes my IT band AND my dry over-chlorinated skin? yes please.
Next he (or she) runs the plastic ice-scraper things up and down your legs. It's not necessarily "painful" but it does feel kind of strange. The areas that have scar tissue or degeneration feel kind of bumpy when the tools go over them. So in theory this stimulation, in connection with stretching and strengthening exercises (HIP EXERCISES!!!) is supposed to make the healing process super speedy.
I give this technique two thumbs way up. Though I was skeptical at first I haven't had any pain while running since my first treatment with ASTYM. I would most defiantly recommend it to anyone who's combating any sort of tendon or muscle issue.
Healing, is a strange and complicated process. It takes a lot of patience and hard work and rest all at the same time. Sometimes, when none of that works you may want to try ironing out your tendons with a windshield scraper.
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