Hurt Myself. (Again)

Yesterday morning was one of those mornings where you really don't want to get out of bed.  You are so deeply asleep when the alarm goes off at 4 that you really want to just turn over.

But I've turned over a new leaf, and after Easter's gluttony was over I promised myself that I'd get back on track with my diet and exercise.

So I dragged myself out of bed.  I procrastinated as long as possible, but finally hit the road only 5 minutes late, wearing my new shoes for only the second time.  I walked my typical quarterish mile warm-up, and broke into a (slow) run.  About half a mile later, I felt a pain in my right butt.  It actually felt kind of like the sciatica I had when I was preggo - a shooting nerve pain - but it was originating in my butt and radiating down my hamstring.  I immediately started walking and turned for home.

I've been taking ibuprofen and I foam rolled last night, but I'm still feeling a lingering, almost burning knotted sensation in my hamstring, maybe 6 inches above my knee.

This. BLOWS.

On the DNS

This is a comment that I wrote in response to this post over at Steve in a Speedo's blog. Steve's blogs is one of my favorites to read, and he almost always offers great uplifting advice, but I didn't quite agree with this one, and couldn't keep my mouth shut!


I know I'm really late commenting here (really behind in my blog reading!) but I just have to say something about your heirarchy of DFL better than DNF better than DNS.

Sometimes shit happens and a DNS is still the right decision.

I DNS'd 3 races this season. I've never DNF'd or DFL'd, and this was my first experience with the DNS. I'd like to tell you what happened:

I had a whole season of winter half marathons planned. I was really excited about it. I signed up for everything months in advance hoping to save money. I have no history of injury. My hope was to get faster through better experience at the distance. I was fully trained, coming off a 10 mile PR, and ready to go when I hurt my right knee on an 11 mile training run. I started and finished my next 3 races on the hurt knee over a period of 3 months with the knee never getting better (arguably getting worse every time I raced), despite the appointment with the orthopedic doc, the PT, and the meds he prescribed.

Then I found out I was pregnant.

Maybe I would have gone ahead and started those last 3 races if that hadn't happened. I'm not sure we'll ever know the answer to that. But I do know that once I was no longer just stubbornly hurting my own body, but potentially impacting someone else's, it just seemed like I was being an idiot.

This ended up being a blessing in disguise. I read one of your posts about ART, and I found a doc in my area that practices it. Under his guidance, I have been able to run/walk through week 34 of pregnancy pain free, and will probably be able to come back from the injury completely post-partum. But would that be the case if I hadn't made the decision to DNS?

Don't get me wrong. DNSing sucks. Big time. I beat myself up mentally for it. But sometimes shit happens, and sometimes it happens for the better, even if you can't see it right then.

I know that the reason you say DNSing is worse than DNF or DFL is because the DNSer didn't even get out there - didn't even try. But there is a place for the DNS too, and it is worth noting that probably most people who DNS aren't doing it lightly, and deserve the support of the community as much as the others who didn't make it to the finish line.

Thanks for listening!
Amber

14 Weeks

Posting this 2 days late, but I was in Chicago, whatareyagonnado?

Cravings:
Not really. Except french fries. And them only when I'm thinking about them.

Aversions:
Still some types of chocolate, and still not wanting to eat all the time.

Other symptoms:
Tired and a bit moody.

Things bugging me:
Yes.

And, P turned into a friggin' caveman while I was gone. He did NOTHING that I asked him to do. And I am very annoyed. Oh, and he called me fat. Idiot.

Current weight: 135

Had some trouble with food in Chicago, I think because of all the eating out. I mean, when I'm not preggers and on a work trip, I am usually sick of eating out by the time I get home, this time all that was just magnified. By Wednesday lunch, I just couldn't make myself eat, so I skipped it, and that seemed to restore some balance for me.

Have had 4 devastatingly bad headaches this week. I wake up with them, have to take Tylenol for them, which sort of helps but doesn't solve. Not a fan of these headaches - hope they are a phase that will be over soon.

Non-preggo stuff:
Was in Chicago all week for work. Knee bothered me on Wednesday just from walking. What bothers me most is that I didn't think I was walking too much, and it pisses me off that the knee is still such a limiter.

Running in a Winter Wonderland

Ok, well, to be honest, run/walking. With more walking than running.

So, on Friday, H-town was slated to get snow. My little weather bug in my iTouchy said 100%. Now, that takes balls. Any weather bug predicting *anything* 100% in Texas is a brave little mofo. But sure enough, it was right.

My area was one of the last to start snowing. I anxiously awaited the little white flakes while reading facebook statuses and twitter reports all morning about the heavy snow in other parts of town. You see, I wanted to go for a run in the snow.

Finally, around 12:30, I decided i couldn't wait any longer (due to my eating schedule), so I changed my clothes and got ready to run even though there was no snow yet. But when I walked outside, it was snowing!!!

I drove over to the little neighborhood crushed granite path because I wanted to try my Vibrams on it. I was the *only* person there. It was great! The snow kept coming down heavier and heavier while I laughed and ran and walked and chased snowflakes and tried to catch them on my tongue.

It was a beautiful run. It was a fun run. My knee didn't hurt at all, though my legs and feet were freezing!! (I wore 4 layers on top - it was about 30 degrees and I wore a compression shirt, long sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt with built in mitten thingys, and windbreaker. I also wore a hat and gloves. My hands were toasty warm, as was my core. Only from the waist down was I cold. Probably could have easily gone with one less layer over core and hands if I was running the whole thing.) The Vibrams worked just fine on the crushed granite. Occasionally I'd feel something, but it was a totally run-able surface for me.

Sometimes you just need a fun run, you know? For a Texan, snow'll do it!

Vibrams, and a short run

So, I've been injured, right? And I was thinking: this has all happened since I got the new shoes. I was wearing Brooks Glycerin 5's, and loving everything. Then they killed that line, and I'm in Glycerin 7's, and first I think I have plantar fasciitis. Then I'm running a nice 11 miler, and boom, I have patellofemoral syndrome. All within a few months of switching shoes. What is up with that? How is that ok?

And I had been listening to Pheidippidations, where Steve Runner has been all high on barefoot running, and I was thinking, you know, at least my feet don't change once a year. If I ran barefoot, I wouldn't be playing Russian roulette annually with injuries to my legs. Then I read Born to Run. And I was sold. Screw you guys, I'm at least trying barefoot running.

Except that I'm a total wuss. I can't possibly run barefoot. I'm going to get a ginormous thorn in my foot or something and limp home.

But I had been reading about Vibram Five-Fingered shoes on running and tri blogs. They are supposed to give the "barefoot experience", but with a little protection. So Saturday I made the trip up to Luke's Locker to pick up a pair of Vibram Sprints.

They feel a little funny at first. I was embarassed as I tried to seperate my toes to each go into their own little pocket, but once I got them on, I rather liked them. I also figured, if they didn't work for running, they'd be great beach or water socks, or for wearing around the house/yard, or even transition wear before a tri. So what the hell, I bought them.

I put them on in the car and wore them home, then prevailed on Preston to go for a little run. Now, I am still injured, and this was my very first run back, annnnnd I was going to run in the Vibrams, so I did C25K Week 1, Day 1 to be completely safe. We walked over to the park so I could run in the grass along the bayou.

There was definitely an instant change in my gait. My heel strike migrated forward to more of a midfoot/forefoot strike. I was very aware of the ground. I could feel everything, the tiniest nuances of the terrain, the variations in the grass. At one point I noticed a strange vibration in my right toes, and when I looked down I had one of those giant pine needles in between my toes. It was grazing the ground even when my feet were in the air, so I was feeling the vibration. It felt kind of...amazing, actually.

At one point I looked down, and I was pushing a 7:30 pace. Effortlessly.

I was only running 1 minute at a time. The swimming is definitely keeping my cardio system in shape, because I wasn't winding at all. My knee didn't hurt at all... until the 6th minute of running.

But it was a start.

I didn't feel as sore as I expected yesterday. I keep reading that barefoot running will make you feel your muscles in different places. Make you sore. I felt a little in my calves, but nothing that would really qualify as sore. The knee didn't feel any worse that it normally (at least for the last 4 weeks) does, so I guess this is ok.

I'm going again this afternoon!

Facebook is the Devil

And perhaps an injury update.

I just saw that my estranged sister has a Facebook profile. I really don't know how I feel... scratch that, I feel strangely disgusted. Wtf? Is this shit normal?

On the injury front: I haven't run since the stupid injury. I went to an orthopedic doctor who said it is Patellofemoral syndrome. And to stay off it.

Well, I've stayed off it. But I'm pretty close to the end of my rope. I am running next week. Even if it is C25K D1W1, I'm freaking running. I can't stand it any more!

Scabs and granola

In attempt to deal with my "injury", I'm staying away from running. (Yes, the knee still hurts. No, I haven't gone to the doc, but I think I may break soon and make an appt.)

In an effort not to balloon to the size of a whale while I can't run, I'm focusing on any type of exercise that doesn't disturb my knee. So far:
Monday: core
Tuesday: swim, 1 hour
Wednesday: bike, 30 minutes

Not sure the knee liked the bike. It didn't hurt while I was on the thing, but seems a little grumpy now.

Blasted knee.

Oh, and the chafe scabs on my ass itch. And my granola bar sharted chocolate all over my lap. Happy freaking hump day.

Injured

When I started off my 11 miler with Fit on Saturday it was about 45 degrees. I was cold. I started running, and my right leg felt a little twingy, but I couldn't feel much because of the cold, and I figured I was just warming up and it'd work itself out.

By 5 miles in, I knew something was wrong, but I was still running alright.

Soon after, we hit the hills. My injury doesn't like hills (apparently). A searing pain was shooting from knee to hip with every step. I have never been more grateful for walk breaks in my life. Not even in the marathon. By this point, though, I was halfway into the run. Turing back would have been just as far as going forward, so I kept running.

At mile 8, I got separated from my group at an intersection. I tried to stretch. Stretching hurt.

When I started running again, it was clear to me that I was on my last leg, literally. I stopped at 8.25, for good, and started the long walk home.

Shortly thereafter, a group ran by. They asked how I was, and I told the truth. We figured out how I could cut maybe a mile off the run, and one lady asked me if I'd like her to double back and check on me after she learned that I couldn't call anyone (because P was at work). I said yes, please! I was feeling kinda scared, and a lot of defeated.

And so I walked. I was cold, since I wasn't running any more. But I kept walking. I walked past a lake that had steam rising in the cold. The sun was shining and it was beautiful. I walked over a little wooden bridge. I walked past a bigger lake where there was a big blue heron silhouetted in the rising sun. He was beautiful. There is also a dam where I've always wanted to take pictured because the egrets stand in the rushing water. They were beautiful.

Soon after, I saw another member of Fit, not dressed out, walking towards me. They had sent him to pick me up, and he gave me a ride back.

I spent the rest of the day resting, stretching, icing, taking ibuprofen, etc. The radiating pain from the hip stopped on Sunday, but the knee is still clearly screwed up. It hurts *behind* the knee. Like, actually on the back of my leg. Especially when going down stairs...

UGH!!!

LAME!!

I'm lame, that is.

I've done it again. I went for a nice long bike ride yesterday, and managed to hurt myself right in front of my house before my bike had moved a foot. That's right. I clipped in my left foot, felt unsteady, like I might fall over, pushed down on the pedal, failed to get my ass onto the seat, and promptly fell over, like a moron. Preston looked over his shoulder and screamed (I shit you not), "What the hell happened this time??" *sigh*

I had this interesting little vampiresque two-holed little bloody wound on my right knee, on the inside, top-ish area.

I rode my bike anyways, darnit. (Probably interesting to watch me talk to myself while I mounted the second time.)

When I got back home, I took Aleve. The knee started to stiffen up. About an hour later, I crouched down and cried out in pain. Cried out again when I tried to get up out of the crouch.

Fine. I screwed my knee up.

Cancelled workout for this morning. (Damnit - never the way I want to start a week.) Actually am having a little trouble walking this morning. Really pissed off. At myself. About being a spaz. About missing workouts. About stoopid injuries. Really frustrated. Have my first tri in less than 3 weeks! MUST learn to not fall over when mounting bike before then!! MUST have fixed knee by then, and not fixed by not working out and losing all fitness. ARGH!!!

Crash

Well, I kept saying that I was a spaz on the bike. Yesterday I totally proved it with my first crash. I'm a little embarrassed, but suffice to say that I'm escaped with only some (deep) bruises, a little road rash, and one big scab. Pretty lucky.

Still trying to decide what to do today (off work). I was going to do a brick and maybe some lifting and core work. My knees and quads are pretty bruised up (and I've gotta say, a little painful), though, so I'm thinking maybe just lifting...

I've been in Minneapolis for the past several days, and didn't do formal workouts, though I did do *tons* of walking. Need to get back on tri track.

Stoopid Coccyx

I forgot to mention in my earlier blog that when I woke up this morning, my coccyx was pissed. Just like that. I went to bed last night fine, and woke up this morning feeling like Preston had pushed me out of the bed and I had landed directly on my ass. Only on my ass. My arms and feet must have been stuck in the covers or something. And the carpet must have magically disappeared because it feels like I would have landed on concrete.

But I've had no falls. I biked on Monday, but not yesterday. I did Core II last night -- did Core II hurt my coccyx??

It didn't hurt to run.

It did hurt directly after the run, if you know what I mean.

It doesn't hurt to stand.

It does hurt to sit (which I do 10 hours per day at work - not counting hour commutes to and from).

WTF???

Back Anatomy

Last Thursday I starting having a pain in my back. It feels rather like a crick in my neck, but it is much wider-reaching. I suspect that it is my trapezuis muscle on the left side - the pain definitely attaches to my scapula on the bottom and runs all the way up to the base of my head. When I turn my head it hurts in my neck and near my scapla. And when I say hurts I mean *hurts*. Hurts to the extent that I've finally bought my first ever bottle of Aleve. Which is *awesome*, by the way. It didn't hurt during my 5K, probably because running doesn't have to involve much head-turning. It also didn't really bother me at tae bo this morning. But man, sitting at this desk sucks.

Foooooood!

Well, I told you how I was bad this weekend. I ended up counting the 3 full food off days. And my weight showed it this morning: up a pound. I weigh every day. I know that many people prefer not to do this, but I record my weight in my Exercise Log, and it is good because I can see the bigger picture and daily trends. As long as my weight is trending down, I don't get all bent out of shape the way I would if I weighed only once a week and one week I was up. There are lots of daily factors that can cause your weight to go up one day.

With that said, I feel bad about this morning's weight because I was bad this weekend, and so I suspect that it is a real gain, not one of those factors. The weekend is gone, and I enjoyed it, but this week I need to be good. Very good. And work out hard. I was good yesterday: 1550 cal. and 1 hr. 20 min. of exercise (I speed-walked on a break at work and biked when I got home). Now I need to be good for today.

Here is the typical food on a work day (M-Th):
7-8am: Instant Breakfast - 300 cal, fish oil 10 cal, green tea for day 10 cal
8-9am: Dannon Light n Fit Smoothie - 60 cal
11am: Pringles pack - 100 cal
1pm: Amy's cheese burrito - 300 cal, banana - 100 cal, calcium supplement - 20 cal
4pm: Carrots - 30 cal
6pm: Dinner - 300-500 cal
Dessert: 100-200 cal

Total: 1330-1630 cal

And no, I will not give up me dessert lest I lose my will to live.

I started the diet trying to hit 1200 cal/day, and did for about a month, then I upped it to 1200-1500 range so that I could eat more, and continued to lose weight. I recently upped in again to 1300-1600 (although you can see that sometimes I hit 1630), and am hoping to remain in this range for awhile. First goal weight is 135. I'm 3-5 pounds up, depending on what you think of this morning's weight. Ultimate goal is 125-130 range.

Ah, and just a quick mention: I felt tweaking in my left shin yesterday and this morning. I'm afraid the shin splints might be back... took Advil this morning and may scratch tomorrow morning's run if I don't feel improvement today.