It’s All In My Hips… Here I Go Again

So my new doc diagnosed me with illiotibial band syndrome in the right knee and snapping hip syndrome in the left hip. And he is not a runner. I’ve been going to his PTs for a while now. At first they just kept stretching me out, massaging my IT band, and telling me to foam roll. Ok. I’ve done this before. Where is the problem? Why am a tight? What is going wrong? Where is my imbalance? I thought you couldn’t stretch the IT band. It isn’t a muscle… I would have stopped going, but the massage was so nice and my deductible has been met… And what else could or would I do but go crazy?

Then during a recent session another PT overheard my issues and gave me some additional stretches to do. He said they were good for runners. Ok, why isn’t this guy my PT? No one working with me seems to  have a clue about running…  The next session he notices me running on the treadmill, stops over, and crouches down. He notices my right leg doing a funny wobble/rotation. He says I have weak hips and they aren’t supporting my upper leg muscles properly. Ok! Lets strengthen them! So now I am doing some strengthening with an exercise band. The crazy part is how much these moves are felt in my trouble spots. Two of the moves are basically opposites of each other and I feel one in my left hip/groin and one aggravates my right IT band insertion point. It feels like the answer. Here I go again…

Tags: crazy, ITBS, knee pain, Running, short-term goals

All I Can Do

So I didn’t run TNF Endurance Challenge on September 19. And I didn’t write about it either. I didn’t think about it much. Or, I didn’t let myself think about it much. It was too hard. I can’t explain how hard. My eyes are welling up now that I am allowing myself to think through this. I probably could have an all out cry if I let myself. It has been supressed. I will dream about it soon. As usual. Running. I once had a dream I was running on a spongy pine needle forest trail for miles. I just kept running. Floating almost. That was my whole dream. And it was long. My legs just kept turning over, pulling me along, whizzing past rows of forest pines. I felt my feet hit the forest floor, I saw the brown pine-needled ground give under my feet, I smelled the decay and heard my breathing. It was wonderful.  

So I took a month off from the whole ordeal. No running, no yoga, no stretching, no doctor. No writing. I didn’t let it consume me. I hid it all. I didn’t wake up wishing I was at the race. I kept busy. I had to. I didn’t talk about it. I forgot about it. Mostly. I was actually able to. And that was weird. I knew I had to. That was just the way it was. Then I did what I knew I had to do next – find a new doctor and a new PT. I still didn’t run, I didn’t do a thing but schedule an appointment. One step at a time.

Tags: ITBS, nature, Running, The North Face, trail, trail running, trails, yoga

And I’m Registered! But Not so Fast…

Well, I am finally registered for TNF Endurance Challenge Half Marathon in September…but only half of me really believes I can do this. My latest run, an 11 mile loop from the house to the county park and back, had me at a walk/run after mile six and calling for a ride home after mile 8 due to pain. ITBS. Major letdown. I have been doing SO WELL! The dog wasn’t even tired yet. I wasn’t even tired yet!

I knew I wasn’t 100 percent going into the run, having not fully recovered from my previous long run which included horrendous surprise hills… But I didn’t expect it to hit with such force. It was all-out pain, not just the twinge, and in both knees. It wasn’t overuse, six miles should have been a piece of cake.  Too much pavement too fast? Was it bad to jump from three to six pavement miles in FiveFingers? Now what?

But I couldn’t not register. What would motivate me to get back into the game? This week its back to Pilates and Yoga with a vengeance. I still plan on hitting the race trails on Sunday, see how I feel out there, see what happens. It is softer than pavement, should feel like running on clouds. Peace.

Tags: FiveFingers, half marathon, ITBS, knee pain, motivation, race, race training, Running, The North Face, VFF, yoga

One Week Until TNF Endurance Challenge Registration!

Just one more week until I register for the North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon! Things are going well. Not perfect, but well. I had a mild ITBS flare up last weekend, I believe due to the unprecedented inclination and number of “hills” I encountered on the cross-country ski trail I chose to run… I can’t count how many times I looked up and thought you’ve got to be kidding me… But I dealt with it by resting and stretching when needed to keep things in line and pain at bay. Every trail I train on seems to be tougher than the last, which may actually be a good thing.  Felt great the next day.

Next Sunday will be 11 “flat” miles through the neighborhood, or “neighborhoods” I guess it will be, in order to give my hips and knee a “break”. The halfway point has me looping through the county park which contains some decent hills (I wouldn’t want my hip flexors and quads to think I am neglecting them would I).  The week after that I head back to race territory for training on the correct terrain. Then our trip to the Smokies!  That will be fun a fun run – and then taper!

The only things I am really struggling with at this point are my calves always feeling tired within a mile of heading out, especially on pavement (this makes me crazy – I’ve been running in VFFs for nearly a year now), and my diet. Not sure I am getting enough protein into it. So I’m working on both of those, but no complaints! Happy running and safe training everyone!

Tags: half marathon, ITBS, knee pain, race training, Running, short-term goals, The North Face, trail, trail running

Midwest Trails In Pictures

Tags: nature, photos, Running, trail running, trails

CamelBak Octane XCT: First Look

Front View

My  last trail run proved I needed to upgrade my water and gear carrying capacity – my slim 1 liter CamelBak doesn’t hold more than water and a car key. After a bit of research I decided to try the CamelBak Octane XCT. It holds up to 2 liters of water and will fit a travel dog bowl, energy chews, phone, keys, sunglasses, rain layer, blister tape, travel sized bug spray, and even more if needed.   

So far the pack appears to be a winner. A few comments following my first run with the pack (nine miles):  

• I am a 5′ 2″ 110 lb woman; the pack fit great and was very adjustable.
• Even full, it did not feel heavy.
• There are tons of places to stash gear, including three pockets, a gear bungee, and loops.
• The shoulder straps are nice and wide to disperse weight and meshy for breathability, but a bit scratchy on my bare shoulders. I don’t usually run in sleeves, so I’ll either have to tough this out or wear a tank with wider straps. Come winter, obviously, this won’t be an issue.
• The waist strap helped the pack feel light.
• The wait strap stash pockets aren’t as easily accessible as I had hoped nor do they reach as far around as I expected. Getting the snacks and phone in and out was a bit tough mid-run.
• Adjusting the straps and waist was very easy mid-run, though not necessary; the pack didn’t slip at all.
• It is  low profile, meshy, and breathable. The weather did happen to be gorgeous, so I cannot yet account for breathability during the hottest of days. 
• It is highly reflective and quite stylish! 

A second and more complete review will follow at the end of summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  

Front View

Reservoir Pouch

Main Pouch

Right Stash Pouch

Left Stash Pouch

Gear Bungee

Back View

Tags: CamelBak, gear review, Running, running gear, trail running

A Saturday Full Moon Four-Miler?

I was reminded today that the local Full Moon Four-Miler is on Saturday. Running in the dark under a full moon to a finish line corralling you into a music and beer tent… How can I say no? Not to mention I’ve been feeling great lately, so I would love a shot at crushing last year’s time. And it would be a great pre-race race.

However, I have a tough trail run the following morning - eight miles of rugged kettles and moraines… Can both be done?  I really have to weigh this one. I am finally ready to run again following last Sunday’s trail run. Three days plus of needed rest means I tore myself up, and next Sunday will be no different.  So a four-miler the night before? After along day of harvest and market? And it would be a late night at that… Sunday needs to be an early morning to beat the heat…

Common sense leans me towards no… so I am going with no? Yes, I cannot do this. Big sigh. Big frown. Good luck to all those who do! Happy running!

Tags: race, Running, trail running

Two Weeks to Registration & Yoga for Runners DVD Review

It is exactly two weeks until my personal registration deadline for The North Face Endurance Challenge. August 19 is when the fee jumps. I am feeling great and am on track to take that leap of faith. I am still recovering from last Sunday’s run, but at least today it has gone from pain and soreness to less noticable and dull achiness.  Still no sign of ITBS since and even my piriformis muscle has calmed down! As far as I can tell, Yoga for Runners: The Essentials by Christine Felstead has been my saving grace.

The DVD is broken down into chapters, which I believe is essential for yoga DVDs of this nature, because it allows you to target certain trouble spots and create  your own workout. The moves are basic, yet tough. Finding proper form is easy because the voice instruction is so detailed and thorough that if you listen, you will get there. And you will know it – because you’ll feel it. But don’t worry, the voiceover is soothing and full of essential reminders (soften the face, drop the shoulders, breathe).

The Hamstrings and Hips sections of this DVD are the ones I use regularly and I find them invaluable. It has been amazing to watch myself transform and improve each practice. I went from shaking and collapsing on lunges to being able to hold them longer and steadier than some of the performers! Now I find myself pausing the DVD to hold the poses longer and get more out of them. After each session I feel taller, leaner, looser, stronger, and ready to run! I have hopes for a follow-up DVD, one that goes a bit deeper, introduces new poses, and has a section for the abs… Happy running!

Tags: half marathon, ITBS, piriformis, Running, short-term goals, The North Face, yoga

My First & Only Hike/Bike Trail Experience

So I did a training run last Sunday on some trails near race territory. The trails happened to be hike/bike trails and I didn’t think much of it – until I got there and noticed the lot was packed - and I was the only one on foot. Nervous and new to the one-way system that keeps runners counter-clockwise to avoid be ran over by bikers, I set out on the most crazy yet beautiful ten-mile trail run of my life.

The completely wooded and winding trail was 18 inches wide on average. Mountain bikers whizzed by sporadically, shouting “Runner up! Two more behind me!” I pushed my headband off my ears and tried like heck to catch the sound of whizzing of bike wheels and flashes of neon jerseys in enough time to hop off the trail and prevent a major crash and burn. My eyes were in constant search of the next safe place to hop to; there were many angels on this trail, I am certain. I was glad to be called a runner, not a hiker or jogger.

The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the trails were adventurous. There were limbs to duck under, logs to hop over, ridges above swamps to fall off of, and thorns, thorns, thorns.  I didn’t make the complete ten-mile run, I switched over to a run/walk at mile six and a complete walk at mile eight.

I must say that I will never run a shared trail again. Not that I have anything against mountain bikers, in fact I learned that they are some of the friendliest, most down-to-earth athletes out there, like the hippies of bikers (I was asked if I needed bug spray, cheered on, and even asked if I wanted to share a watermelon when I returned to the parking lot). It’s just not worth the stress.

But it was amazing. And every time I get out of my office chair, my calves and hips remind me just how amazing it was. Talking with a runner/biker in the parking lot on my way out I learned that there is a run/ski only trailhead across the street. That’s where I’ll be next Sunday with my new Camelbak – one with pockets big enough to carry a travel-sized Off.

Tags: nature, Running, trail, trail running, VFF

Trail Running While Bushwacking Fun in Theory

On a recent northern Wisconsin camping trip, my sister and I set out on a bit of a trail running adventure. We headed out with the dogs to try a couple of trails mentioned briefly in our camping guide. The first one we stopped at followed the Peshtigo. We set out down a narrow, windy, and overgrown path (not the best combination, especially with two energetic mutts) and immediately began hopping thorns and downed trees on what was supposed to be a three-mile loop. Now, I enjoy a hard-core trail run; I don’t mind scraped calves and switchbacks, and I actually enjoy jumping logs, but when the trail has so many side trails that you don’t know which trail is the real trail and you end up dead-ending at water’s edge over and over, you begin to feel a bit like you are in the ground-hog day of trail runs and you just want out. So, that’s what we did. The heroic-explorer-adventurer feeling wore off quickly and it was probably best. The rumbling of “forest trucks” we kept hearing over the bridge through the trees were actually rolls of thunder out of an extremely dark western sky.

Tags: camping, nature, Running, trail running