20,000 Leagues of Running (comments welcome)

[Scootin'By]

This week was a super weird week. To start off, I ran my long run from last week on Monday (which pushed everything else back). Then there were two days in office (versus my usual zero). And to top it off, the weather was crazy! Oh well, I survived.

Tuesday I had to go downtown unexpectedly to fill in for my boss at a meeting. This meant, no time for a run, but I did get to bike from Union Station to Dupont and back (that's legit cross training, even if I wasn't going very fast). Also, I LOVE the DC bike lanes!

Wednesday, I had originally thought I could squeeze a run in at lunch, but my day just filled up and I couldn't get outside. I was really upset about this and starting to feel down. My daughter had her chorus recital that night and walking outside afterwards it was just so nice, I decided to go for my run when I got home at 8pm. Put on my lighted harness and ran 4 miles in the dark. After this I both felt much better and slept fantastic!

Thursday, cross training. I managed to get both core and legs in. Was a little stiff the next day, but in a good way.

Friday was hot as all Hades. I ran with a T&D of 69+64 for a total of 133. This is probably not that hot for the summer, but it's JANUARY! And on top of that, when I walked the dog Monday morning, it was 12F, so there was an increase of 57 degrees in just a few days. It was NOT pleasant running and I think I've sworn off Springtime Surprise as a result (okay, that's probably not true, but nothing longer than a 10k). I tried to slow down, but I don't think I really managed that very well, because I had a LOT of walking. I ending up stopping early, just north of 4 miles. It was too hot, I was completely gassed, and I was out of water. I'm not looking forward to summer!



Me looking like I just swam the English channel after a 40 minute run in a T&D of 133.

Saturday, nothing, too busy with life.

Sunday, I got out for my long run on schedule (hurray!). It was back to a regular-ish temperature of 45 with a slight drizzle, so my coat zipper went up and down and my visor went on and off. For some reason, this run was a hard one to start. The first maybe two miles felt like a slog, while the last two miles felt like a breeze (the middle three were somewhere in the middle). I had a birthdaycake Gu at 45 minutes and drank the last of my water around mile 6.5 (more water bottles are obviously are needed).

At 7 miles total, this is my longest run to date and I feel really good about it. With that said, I put in an extra good stretch afterwards and I plan to do some more before bed. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Final Thoughts:
I've been struggling with something lately. I started running a few years ago for stress relief and general heart health. I really like the feeling of accomplishment you get after a good run. I've also been borderline overweight for 20+ years. I sorta settled into a weight I was comfortable with and managed to maintain for the last 7ish years. Sometime after Thanksgiving my weight started to creep up and I've been having trouble getting it down again to where I'm happy. I cut out diet sodas, I've tried to cut back on snacking, but it's been really slow to come down. It's probably because of my age, lack of good sleep, and only kinda trying halfheartedly to actually eat better, but still, it's frustrating! Going on these runs has been nice because I can look at the calories afterwards and think, "Lookat that! I just burned a half day's calories." This takes some of the fun and accomplishment out of a long run, so I'm trying not to focus on it too much. I'm also trying not to think about how many calories are in a Gu or a protein drink because honestly, I know my body needs that energy to do what it's doing. But damn it's hard.

Alright, thanks for listening, see you all soon

 

[superchime]

Our weather here was wild this week too. It's hard when the warm temps come out of nowhere and you don't have time to adapt to them.

Congrats on 7 miles! That's fantastic!

And I hear you on the weight creep! It's so frustrating. I'm trying to focus on eating better now that coast to coast is over.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

I'm also trying to eat better. My meals are good, it's the snacking that gets me!

 

[Scootin'By]

And I hear you on the weight creep! It's so frustrating.

Super frustrating! Ugh. I would love to go back in time and smack myself for everything I ate when I was a teenager and took for granted.

My meals are good, it's the snacking that gets me!

Right?! Like, how do you get through the afternoon without snacking? The only way I've found that's consistent is to book it full of meetings. Course, then you're sitting all afternoon which isn't great either. Harrumph!

 

[avondale]

Friday was hot as all Hades. I ran with a T&D of 69+64 for a total of 133. This is probably not that hot for the summer, but it's JANUARY! And on top of that, when I walked the dog Monday morning, it was 12F, so there was an increase of 57 degrees in just a few days. It was NOT pleasant running and I think I've sworn off Springtime Surprise as a result (okay, that's probably not true, but nothing longer than a 10k).

Oh, yes. I don't race if the T+D is supposed to get over 120 and preferably not over 100. But to put it in perspective, you will gradually adjust to summer via spring, so it won't be quite so bad.

Sometime after Thanksgiving my weight started to creep up and I've been having trouble getting it down again to where I'm happy. I cut out diet sodas, I've tried to cut back on snacking, but it's been really slow to come down. It's probably because of my age, lack of good sleep, and only kinda trying halfheartedly to actually eat better, but still, it's frustrating! Going on these runs has been nice because I can look at the calories afterwards and think, "Lookat that! I just burned a half day's calories." This takes some of the fun and accomplishment out of a long run, so I'm trying not to focus on it too much. I'm also trying not to think about how many calories are in a Gu or a protein drink because honestly, I know my body needs that energy to do what it's doing. But damn it's hard.

Have you taken a look at the thread about "The Next Level" book that I started? I don't know if you're of the age, but a lovely side effect of perimenopause is that it's harder to lose weight! I definitely have that, too.

 

[nancipants]

Oh, yes. I don't race if the T+D is supposed to get over 120 and preferably not over 100.

I would never race.

 

[Scootin'By]

Have you taken a look at the thread about "The Next Level" book that I started? I don't know if you're of the age, but a lovely side effect of perimenopause is that it's harder to lose weight! I definitely have that, too.

I haven't checked out that thread yet, but I will now.

I don't know about perimenopause, but apparently andropause is a thing. New aging fear unlocked!

 

[Scootin'By]

I little late this week, but you know what they say ....

This week was actually just another good week of training. Tuesday I did 4.5 miles at a nice easy tempo and felt good. Thursday I did about 4.7 miles and again, felt good again. Sunday I did my long run of 7.5 miles (longest yet!) and I think I did really good. The back half had more walking, but it never got more than once per mile. I also did really well on hydration and protein and energy. So, it was good! Side note: it's going to be sort of sad when I no longer get those "longest run" alerts. It won't happen any time soon, but at some point it will.

Speaking of hydration, last week on my 7 mile run I didn't have enough water with me, so I bought another 2-pack of hydration flasks. Most people would call then water bottles, but I'm a runner who paid $25 for these two small 8 ounce bottles, so they're obviously fancy hydration flasks. These once are nice too because they don't clip onto the belt they sort of slide over it, so no bounce at all. All told I can now carry about 30 ounces of liquid. Good enough for the winter, but not nearly enough for when it gets warmer.

Okay, QOTD. I've been having this nagging soreness in my right thigh. It's not exactly a charlie horse, more like a deep tissue bruise. It's been bothering me off and on for about a week. Running doesn't seem to aggravate it, it's just kind of always there. How much longer do I give it before I go into the walk-in clinic? I've been putting it off because I don't want them to tell me to stop running LOL

ETA: This is a rest week (per @DopeyBadger recommendation). Two maintenance runs of 3 miles and a "long run" of 6.2 in a friendly 10k on Sunday.

 

[GollyGadget]

This is probably bad advice, but unless it gets worse or impacts your form I would not go to the walk-in clinic. In my experience, they're likely just to tell you to rest until it feels better.

However, if it's bothering you, you might consider seeing a PT. I find they are much better suited to help understand the root cause and how to address it.

 

[nancipants]

Side note: it's going to be sort of sad when I no longer get those "longest run" alerts. It won't happen any time soon, but at some point it will.

Now you know why people sign up for marathons.

 

[avondale]

I've been having this nagging soreness in my right thigh. It's not exactly a charlie horse, more like a deep tissue bruise. It's been bothering me off and on for about a week. Running doesn't seem to aggravate it, it's just kind of always there. How much longer do I give it before I go into the walk-in clinic? I've been putting it off because I don't want them to tell me to stop running LOL

When you say right thigh, do you mean quad, hamstring, side of the leg, etc?

I would suggest purposeful stretching and/or foam rolling for a week or so - make it a goal for the week to really get this in. See how it reacts to that. Also, just waiting for a bit longer might allow it to resolve.

 

[Scootin'By]

When you say right thigh, do you mean quad, hamstring, side of the leg, etc?

Looking at a biology diagram, I'd say it was the lower Rectus Femoris. I don't know what that is in English, but it's the muscle that does down the front of the thigh and connect to the knee. The pain is just above the knee.

I would suggest purposeful stretching and/or foam rolling for a week or so -

I've never tried foam rolling before. Is there a good place you can point me for beginners?

@GollyGadget I scheduled a PT appointment after my run yesterday (it was hurting more than it had before). It's two weeks away though. Grrr. I was supposed to run a 10k this Sunday, but I think that might be out. We'll see how a short run goes on Friday.

 

[superchime]

I am a big fan of PT early and often! I hope your issue is an easy fix!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

The pain is just above the knee.

I am a big fan of PT early and often! I hope your issue is an easy fix!

Agreed - a good PT should be able to give you exercises to strengthen whatever muscles aren't doing their job properly

In my own experience and what I've heard from other people, knee-area pain rarely comes from your knees but instead actually originates from a problem somewhere else in the chain. I was running with knee bands for years because of knee pain before I finally went to PT, and after a few months of biweekly sessions, I haven't needed them since! So prospects are good as long as you do the exercises they give you

 

[avondale]

So, this video is literally "what's my knee pain?":

This should help you narrow down things.

but it's the muscle that does down the front of the thigh and connect to the knee. The pain is just above the knee.

Unfortunately the most likely thing for this is patellofemoral syndrome, like what I've been dealing with.

Sounds like you're relatively inexperienced in the whole physical therapy sort of thing, so it really probably would be a good idea to see a real physical therapist to get you diagnosed and started on a plan. Probably targeted strength training and stretching will help you out pretty quickly.

 

[Scootin'By]

So, this video is literally "what's my knee pain?":

This should help you narrow down things.


Unfortunately the most likely thing for this is patellofemoral syndrome, like what I've been dealing with.

Sounds like you're relatively inexperienced in the whole physical therapy sort of thing, so it really probably would be a good idea to see a real physical therapist to get you diagnosed and started on a plan. Probably targeted strength training and stretching will help you out pretty quickly.

This video was great. I think it might actually be quad tendonitis, but we'll see.

I've seen a PT specialist a few times, but not as often as I should have. I'm actually wondering if that has anything to do with it. I strained my meniscus about 5 years ago and didn't get any PT (stupid younger self).

I've been off running for a week now and the soreness is starting to get better. I'm tempted to try a short run later in the week if it continues on this trend, but I think I'll try to be smart and just rest. I'm scheduled to go skiing this weekend, so if there's snow (fingers crossed), I'd rather be able to do some than none.

And then next week, I've got my PT lined up. I'll let you all know how it goes!

Ugh. Not running sucks.

 

[Scootin'By]

Week 2 of No Running
This week was actually a lot better than last week sanity wise. I didn't feel as much cabin fever around not being able to run. Still sucked, but not as much. My leg definitely started to feel better and so I was sorely tempted (pun intended) o go running a few times, but I resisted and just stayed put.

To stay active I took a few extra long walks with my dog, I went to yoga one night, and then, the piece-de-resistance, I went cross-country skiing in the Adirondacks! I'm obsessed with cross-training, so I'm going to double down and say that this DEFINITELY counts as cross-training

The good news is that my knee doesn't hurt even after skiing. The sorta bad news is that I hurt everywhere else! Cross-country skiing definitely uses a whole different set of muscles and being out there for 5+ hours really made me sore. Nothing some stretching and Voltaren won't fix.


15F makes for a good day of skiing!

My physical therapy appointment is this week and I'm hoping for both clearance to run again and some exercises to prevent further injury. Cross your fingers and toes!

 

[superchime]

Oh yeah, that absolutely counts as cross training! I've never tried cross country skiing, but it looks like quite the workout and a great way to distract yourself from not running. Glad your knee let you have some fun!

Crossing all the things that you have a good visit PT visit!

 

[Scootin'By]

I've never tried cross country skiing, but it looks like quite the workout and a great way to distract yourself from not running.

It was so much fun! I used to downhill ski, but my anxiety is too high for that recently. With cross-country skiing there were no long lines, no worries about the chair lift breaking down, no steep hills to worry about careening down and no stupid fast people to worry about. I loved it!

 

[Scootin'By]

The good news: I got the okay to run! There's nothing torn, sprained, or ripped. The most probable cause of my knee pain is acute quad tendonitis. Oddly enough, this was probably not my quads fault, it was more likely caused by a weak hip muscle. So, PT twice a week for a month, some foam rolling and extra stretching before runs, then I should be better than new!

Spoiler: Random History

When I was very young, I was slightly duck footed. I still am when walking up stairs or if I'm extra tired. I was brought to a physical therapist once who told my mother that I didn't need leg braces and just needed to practice pointing my toes out. Mmm hmm, definitely, I just didn't want to walk normally. Fast forward decades and it turns out that this weak hip muscle is probably to blame. The weakness means that when my foot lands, my knee tries to turn inward to makeup for the weakness, which led to my quad tendonitis at the top of the knee.

The bad news: I'm not supposed to run more than 45 minutes yet. Ugh!

Running Update
Friday I went out for my first maintenance run in 2+ weeks. It felt a little weird to lace up the shoes, but it also felt right. I did some extra stretches that the PT specialist gave me and then went out into the drizzle. The first mile was okay, but I tweaked something about half way and had to stop and stretch. Took it easy for the most part and made it to 3.5 miles. My pace was terrible, a lot of walking, but I didn't re-hurt my knee, so, that's good news.

Sunday I wanted to take a long run, but not too long (see above). I started out slow and just kind of ran until I needed to stop, which wasn't as often as Friday, but was more often than 3 weeks ago. The pace definitely got worse as I ran, with a lot more walking in the back-half, but I still managed to average about 11 mins/mile). I got I ran 5 miles with no pain, so that's good news! Okay, so I did run 55 minutes, 10 minutes more than I was supposed to, but it's not my fault .... okay, it's totally my fault, but I'm a runner! Shhh, don't tell my PT specialist.

Counting Down until Parkway 10-miler
I've got 8 weeks until my 10 miler. I want to continue easing into it so that I don't re-hurt myself, but I need to work up the miles, so I've worked out a tentative schedule. I'm a little nervous looking at it because it's tight, no room for errors. If I'm able to stick to this mileage schedule, I can do it. It also assumes that my PT specialist (is that really the right name?!) allows me to increase my time and mileage every week. If not, there's going to be a whole lot more walking come my 10-miler.

8 Weeks - 5.5 miles
7 Weeks - 6.5 miles
6 Weeks - 7.5 miles
5 Weeks - 8.5 miles
4 Weeks - 6.5 miles
3 Weeks - 8.5 miles
2 Weeks - 9.5 miles
1 Weeks - 6 miles
Race Weekend