Week 10: Run 2

Run 30 minutes

Run stats:
Distance: 2.50 miles
Pace: 12:00/mile

Run Review: Well, we will never run on treadmills again. I hate treadmills!! (and so does J) My lower legs never warmed up. My run never felt "right". And it was sooo boring. I like talking to J during our run; that's one of the best parts! While on the treadmill, there's no way we could talk (way too loud).

Anyway, my shins kinda hurt. Honestly...they've kinda hurt since Monday's run. I've been icing them 3x/day and stretching my calves like crazy! But now they kinda hurt when I'm walking; not a lot, but its definitely there.

So here's the plan. I'm running the 5K tomorrow. It will be fine. I hope. If it doesn't go well, I'm taking at least a week off from running. I'll elliptical or bike for a week. I'm totally bummed as I'm sure that is how it's gonna go. I love running so much now. I don't want to stop. I feel like I just started! But I don't want a stress fracture (or two), because then I would be out for even longer (and I'm sure have worse pain!)

On a brighter note...I'm running a 5K tomorrow! My first 5K! Here are my goals:

1. Primary Goal: Finish (this one I just added due to my "injury")
2. Secondary Goal: Run the whole way (this used to be my "primary" goal)
3. Secret Goal: Finish in close to 30 minutes (this one seems to be less realistic than a week ago...)

Anyway I'll update hopefully tomorrow (well sometime on New Year's Day, we are running at midnight tomorrow). I was unable to post the pictures I promised last night because it took me 5 hours to get home from work last night (yes, 12 whole miles! Portland snow storm :) so I went to bed almost immediately when I got home. My goal for the new year, post some pics!

Week 10: Run 1

Run 30 minutes

Run stats:
Distance: 2.71 miles
Pace: 11:05/mile

Run Review: @#!@&!!!!! That's what I was muttering under my breath pretty much every step of this run, plus the walk home. This was definitely the worst run ever. Was it the distance? I mean 30 minutes of running straight without walking can be intimidating... NOPE! That was the least of my problems.

My shins hurt SOOOO bad. They can typically be a little sore when we start up, but within 2 minutes, everything is usually warmed up. Not this time. They hurt THE WHOLE TIME!! In fact, the pain may have even gotten worse! I was so angry and frustrated. I want to run this 5K on Friday so bad. I ran through the pain, which was probably stupid of me, but I just want to keep running. I'm a PT, I should be telling myself to stop so I don't hurt myself worse, and have to take even more time off!

So what went wrong? Here's a list I made in my head while trying to distract myself from the horrendous pain:

1. Lack of ice for my shins over the weekend.
2. Lack of stretching my calves over several weeks.
3. Five+ hour car ride. We got back about 30 minutes before we went out for the run.
4. Fast food for lunch. We hadn't eaten anything all day, except from the drive-thru.
5. Inadequate water. Does Dr. Pepper count?
6. Christmas Treats.

I took an ice bath after the run because my entire right leg was painful (my hip as well as my shin). This helped to at least numb the pain. The worst part of the bath was getting in. After I was in about 30 seconds, though, the burning from the ice went away. I had to keep my toes out, though. They just can't handle that kind of cold for some reason.

My leg soreness (except my shin pain) is much better today, so the ice bath probably helped that. My shins were still really sore when I woke up. I iced them before I headed into work, and I managed to rub out most of the soreness using soft tissue mobilization techniques (boy were my shins lumpy!) I'm also planning on icing during lunch (with the ice massage technique) and when I get home tonight. I'm also gonna have J massage my calves, so they loosen up a bit (which I think will help my shins, too).

At this point, I'm still gun-ho about running the 5K on Friday. I hope to feel better during my run on Wednesday, so that I don't feel guilty about running my 5K. Regardless, I'll probably take it easy next week, and see if I can't get my shins to calm down a bit. I might also see if we can run on some better surfaces. Maybe concrete wasn't the BEST choice... :(

P.S. On a brighter note, we took some pictures of where we ran last Saturday, so I'll try to put those up while I'm icing my shins tonight!

Week 9: Run 3

Run 14 minutes
Walk 1 minutes
Repeat 2 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.72 miles
Pace: 11:02/mile

Run Review: It was cold, but we felt ok during the run. (Maybe the cold helped?) It was probably about 15-20°, but we still saw three other runners out. Runners are very friendly, which I love. The run itself was also really beautiful. I need to take some pictures while we're here of the path. If it's one thing my blog is thus far lacking, it is pictures! I acknowledge that. My New Years resolution will be for more pictures on my blog. (Easy enough, right?!)

Our 5K is fast approaching...Good news, bad news: We're going snowboarding tomorrow. My brother was so excited about taking us up to the mountain (one of his favorite things to do), and I was excited to try snowboarding for the second time ever...This morning it hit me, "We're running a 5K race on Friday...I hope we don't get too sore from snowboarding!!!" It'll probably be ok, but I know the last time I snowboarded I was completely sore all over my body for several days, and that was 10 years ago. I'm a little older now, which isn't easy on the muscles. Hopefully our running will help rid our bodies of all the lactic acid we build up tomorrow. I think our next run will be on Monday morning, before we leave for home again. Maybe an ice bath will help? Or does being outside on the mountain count as an ice bath of its own?

Update: We didn't end up going snowboarding. We chickened out. Also, my brother was planning a whole day of it...Yeah, we're not that "leet".

Week 9: Run 2

Run 14 minutes
Walk 1 minutes
Repeat 2 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.63 miles
Pace: 11:25/mile

Run Review: In the end, I felt great. I haven't really had a bad running day in a long while (*fingers crossed* don't wanna jinx myself!) After the first five minutes, though, I decided my calf cramp was not, in fact, going away, so we stopped for a minute to stretch it out (which helped immensely). Unfortunately, I didn't think to stop my watch during the run and wasted 1 minute of doing nothing during our run. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but I'm not too surprised we didn't make it as far today as we did on Monday. Still a pretty respectable time, if I do say so myself; at least in comparison to our other runs!

It was foggy all day yesterday, which made breathing a little cumbersome, but it turned out alright. It was also kinda of chilly outside (~32-34°) but there weren't any slick spots, fortunately!

I have to work today (12/24 i.e. Christmas Eve), but tomorrow (Christmas Day) J and I will be driving down to Sunriver to spend Christmas with my Dad and Step-Mom. While we're there, we hope to get at least 1 run in. There are many bike paths to choose from, so I'm not worried about where to run. What I do worry about is the quality of the ground (i.e. slickness). I don't need any bruises on my rear; I would like to continue using it for sitting thank you very much! I'll update on how it goes when we get back!

Week 9: Run 1

Run 14 minutes
Walk 1 minutes
Repeat 2 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.71 miles
Pace: 11:05/mile

Run Review: Well, we just went for a run yesterday, so today didn't feel "great" at the beginning, but we warmed up! My calves were pretty crampy the first mile or so, and my shins definitely hurt... :( I was also breathing heavy-er than I had previous to our run yesterday; but we made it. Next week is looking a bit daunting... 30 minutes straight?! Now that's a big jump! Yikes!

P.S. We'll probably be ok...probably.

Week 8: Run 3

Run 13 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 2 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.63 miles
Pace: 11:25/mile

Run Review: Well, our planned final "Week 8" run was supposed to take place last Friday. Unfortunately, some stressful events occurred last week, which forced my ulcer to become symptomatic. I was bed bound Friday and Saturday, and although I didn't feel 100% this morning, I opted to complete our final run for the week today. And...it was pretty great. I had no abdominal pain throughout the run! Both J and I were feeling our lazy weekend; our breathing wasn't too easy. But we managed to keep an even pace, and ran about the same pace as our last few runs! :)

Week 8: Run 2

Run 13 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 2 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.63 miles
Pace: 11:25/mile

Run Review: This run was AWESOME! (Mostly because I had the worst day ever, but how great is it that all I wanted to do when I got home was go out for a run? Much healthier than eating a large carton of ice cream, huh?) I felt quicker today. My shins hurt a bit, but not too bad. I was definitely sore after the run. Is it weird that I missed being sore (from my swimming years)?!

Anyway, the weather behaved. I was sure it would pour on us, but hardly any moisture made its way down to us. Go figure!

Week 8: Run 1

Run 13 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 2 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.72 miles
Pace: 11:02/mile

Run Review: So great! 13 minutes? No problem! I totally picked up the pace at the end too! I didn't have pain during the run, and not too much afterward, either! (Some shin "warmness", but not really pain!) The temperature was a "balmy" 42°. (I had to take off my gloves and jacket!) And it managed not to rain on us. (Always a bonus in the Pacific Northwest!)

I am soooo excited for the 5K coming up December 31st/January 1st! There were definitely moments during the run when I thought to myself, "I would really like to be walking right now..." But I didn't, and I think I can make it through the whole 3.1 miles. Let the countdown begin!

Week 7: Run 3

Run 9 minutes
Walk 1 minutes
Repeat 3 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.64 miles
Pace: 11:22/mile

Run Review: I felt pretty good. I felt like I picked up the pace, too. (J agreed, but that might be because his run didn't feel that great.) I'm a little bit nervous about upping our running time to 13 minutes next week. It just seems like such a big jump from running only 9 minutes at a time, but I'm sure it will be ok!

This week was definitely an adventure weather-wise for us. Rain, sure, we're ready for it. But freezing temperatures? Without the wind-chill of Monday, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be. We were able to avoid the treadmill, anyway. Go us! Next week it should be back to regular old rain. (I kinda like running in the rain!)

Week 7: Run 2

Run 9 minutes
Walk 1 minutes
Repeat 3 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.59 miles
Pace: 11:35/mile

Run Review: I felt good! Maybe it helped that it was 26°, and I couldn't feel my extremities. Whatever it was, I had so much fun, and so did J.

Confession: I have a bit of a confession....So you know how my "calves" have been hurting for awhile. Well, I'm pretty sure it's actually "shin splints". Yes, the dreaded Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. I denied the truth for awhile, but after my shins was "burning" after the run on Monday, I was kind of clued in. I've been ice massaging them for the last 2 days, and stretching my calves like crazy. For today's run, I stretched my calves beforehand (and afterward!), and also taped my arches to prevent overpronation (which I'm not entirely positive I do). This seemed to stave off any pain (although it was really cold out there...).

I really don't want to stop running now. We've just gotten into such a good flow, and I'm afraid we'll never get back into the groove if we stop now. So the plan is to keep plugging along, and keep stretching my calves!!!

Week 7: Run 1

Run 9 minutes
Walk 1 minutes
Repeat 3 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.64 miles
Pace: 11:22/mile

Run Review: How did it feel? Hard to tell, since it was freezing!! It was about 26°, but the wind made it about 15°! Good thing we got J some new winter running clothes! They worked great, and we didn't have to slum it on the treadmill. :)

In other good news, the new sports bra I got is wonderful; what a difference some extra support makes. I'm not "well endowed" by any means, but it still made quite the impression (not literally). Here's a link to my new bra!

Week 6: Run 3

Run 9 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 2 times
Run additional 8 minutes
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.64 miles
Pace: 11:22/mile

Run Review: This run was a step up from "ok" but not quite "great". My calves were a little sore, but warmed up quickly. The weather was pretty chilly out, and it doesn't look like its gonna warm up next week. Good thing a local running store was having a sale this weekend, because J was sorely lacking in winter running gear. We fixed that, though! (Yay!)

Next week we step it up again, but we're totally ready! :)

First Run

Well, we've done it. We made a definitive plan. We will be running in Portland's "First Run & Walk" 5K for our very first race! It will be midnight 1/1/10. What a great way to ring in the New Year with our new found love/addiction! We haven't "signed up" yet, but we are definitely doing it! (I'm just waiting to see if we win our entry through a contest I entered :) The race starts just a few blocks from where we live, and should be a nice, gentle way to start our racing "career". I'm so excited! I can't wait! :)

Week 6: Run 2

Run 9 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 2 times
Run additional 8 minutes
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.59 miles
Pace: 11:35/mile

Run Review: Finally! I felt good again! No more post-Thanksgiving haze! I went into the run pain-free, which hasn't happened in the last few weeks! Although J didn't say he felt "great", he did say the tape has helped, so I'm happy with that. :) What was the difference for me? I was able to stretch my calves a couple times throughout the day. I also personally think the foam roller has helped keep me looser.

I have some additional news to report, but I'm going to start a new post for that. (I guess I'm a OCD blogger! :) See you soon!

Week 6: Run 1

Run 9 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 2 times
Run additional 8 minutes
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.64 miles
Pace: 11:22/mile

Run Review: Ok. So it didn't feel "good", but it also didn't feel "bad". It was "ok". My calves warmed up after the first run, so that helped. I also didn't feel exhausted like I did last Friday. J's knees were better today. I taped them with some cheap-o sports tape, but he thinks it helped, so we'll keep doing that for a couple more weeks. We lacked on our stretching and foam rolling this (Holiday) weekend, but we got back into the flow of things again today. One cool thing of note is that we ran 30 minutes with only 4 minutes of walking! That's only 13% walking!

The weather was also "ok"; it wasn't raining, but it was pretty chilly at 43°. (Although it did warm up considerably after we started running!)

Week 5: Run 3

Run 8 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.59 miles
Pace: 11:35/mile

Run Review: Well, today didn't feel "good", but it didn't feel as bad as Wednesday. My calves warmed up...eventually. Overall, though, I just felt exhausted. I wonder if it could have been that large meal last night...Thank you Thanksgiving dinner! :)

Just for good measure, we stopped by Voodoo Donuts for an after-run pit stop. If you ever visit Portland, it's definitely a spot to check out! They have some very creative donuts, and they taste pretty good, too! I had the Portland Cream Donut and bought a Dirty Donut for later. :) Mmmm.

Later, we stopped by a local running store to purchase a foam roller. I'm using it for my calves and hamstrings (and IT band for my own protection), and J will be using it for his IT band, which will hopefully stave off any more knee pain!

No more running or working out until Monday! See you then!

Week 5: Run 2

Run 8 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.56 miles
Pace: 11:44/mile

Run Review: I did not feel good. My calves were hurting the whole run. J also had a bad run; his knees hurt the whole time. The good news is, the pain did not change our distance! I just wish it hadn't have hurt so much! I got out of work earlier yesterday (the day before Thanksgiving) so we almost caught some sunlight during our run! Although it was still pretty dark, the weather behaved itself: no rain, minimal wind, not too cold. Now, if only my calves hadn't hurt so much!

After the run we did our yoga routine. Later, I had J rub my calves at the painful areas. He concurred that they felt "tight". I guess I have been somewhat lacking on my calf stretching... Shame on me.

New goal: Good calf stretching x 10 minutes every night.

There. Now I just have to do it!

Oh. And by the way... HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

Change of Plans

So remember yesterday, when I went on and on about my "plan" and the included "strength training"? (Reference this post.) Well, it didn't go exactly according to plan...

We were all dressed and ready to go when, *POW*, J remembered we were expecting a shipment from UPS, and it hadn't arrived yet! It was one of those deals where they say they'll deliver it sometime between 7am and 7pm. Well this particular package (which may or may not have included wine... ;) needed to be signed for.

"Well, hmm?," I said. "What about our workout?," all the time saying to myself, "Crap! I was just blogging about how good we were at sticking to our plan! I can't say that I'm going to do something and then back out! What would the Blog Gods do to me??"

We could split up, one of us going to the gym, one staying to wait for the delivery. But we're relative newlyweds! We can't be separated!! (i.e. J wouldn't do the exercises on his own, without my "expert" guidance! Translation: J wouldn't do them because he doesn't want to!)

Since I am a PT, I knew exactly what to do in this situation: I turned to my trusted friend for support: Google. (It's not cheating is it?!) I searched for exercises we could perform in our limited condo space, that would still focus on the selected muscle groups. I found 2 exercises and added one of my own. These are what we ended up doing:

Wall Sits: Pretty self-explanatory. We did it with a pillow between our knees to incorporate more VMO action. 2 sets of 10 reps (holding each rep for 10 seconds). Slow motion.
Straight-Legged Bridging (best name I could think up!) Heels placed on couch, lift buttocks off ground, keeping knees and hips straight. Your shoulders should still be on the ground. We held each rep for 5 count. 2 sets of 5 reps.
Hip Abduction: Sidelying, with top hip slightly more forward than bottom hip. Lift top leg straight up into air, only about 45° up. 2 sets of 10 reps.

These exercises were tough, and definitely did their job. We might try to incorporate them into our regular routine!

To tie up all the loose ends: The shipment did arrive, although not during our workout. It arrived at about 7:30pm, outside the timeframe, but at least we got our wine!

The "New Plan"

If you have ever run across another "Newbie Runner" blog, or started running from "scratch" yourself, you are probably familiar with "The Couch-to-5K Running Plan". It's a straightforward, and more importantly, safe way to begin upping your running "time". And let me tell you, I am all about making sure my husband/running partner (we'll call him "J") and I don't injure, or otherwise burn ourselves out before we even get started in this new pursuit.

Why am I so obsessed with preventing injury? Well first of all, I like to avoid any unnecessary pain! (duh!) But it's also because I am a Physical Therapist, and I am very familiar with the kind of injuries that can derail a new runner before they really even get started (i.e. shin splints, stress fractures, patellafemoral pain, hamstring strain, etc.) So I am very diligent about doing everything right, and as a new runner that means starting slow. The plan J and I are following gradually increases running time, and indirectly distance, so that our bodies won't get burned out right away (which may or may not be how J and I have both started running programs in the past...morale of the story, we never made it past a week!)

Here's "my version" of "The-Couch-to-5K Plan" (mmm...math equations ;):

Week 1: Run 2 minutes + Walk 4 minutes x 5 = 30 minutes
Week 2: Run 3 minutes + Walk 3 minutes x 5 = 30 minutes
Week 3: Run 5 minutes + Walk 2.5 minutes x 4 = 30 minutes
Week 4: Run 7 minutes + Walk 3 minutes x 3 = 30 minutes
Week 5: Run 8 minutes + Walk 2 minutes x 3 = 30 minutes
Week 6: Run 9 minutes + Walk 2 minutes x 2 + 8 minutes = 30 minutes
Week 7: Run 9 minutes + Walk 1 minute x 3 = 30 minutes
Week 8: Run 13 minutes + Walk 2 minutes x 2 = 30 minutes
Week 9: Run 14 minutes + Walk 1 minute x 2 = 30 minutes
Week 10: Run 30 minutes + Walk 0 minutes x 1 = 30 minutes

(As previously noted, J and I are currently on Week 5.)

**Let me preface the rest of my "plan" by saying:
1. I am a new Physical Therapist. I graduated in August 2008, and was officially licensed about one year ago, December 2008.
2. Although I did some of my clinicals (as a student) in outpatient/sports therapy clinics, I currently work as a long-term inpatient therapist, so I may not be as up to date with "sports therapy".
Preface over**

Additionally, J and I are doing strength training on our "off" days (Tuesday and Thursday, currently) to build muscles that will hopefully prevent uneven stress on our joints and muscles. What we've been working on thus far (and will continue with tonight):

Quads: I make sure we focus mostly on the VMO, aka the innermost quad muscle. This will hopefully allow us to avoid patellafemoral pain (aka knee pain).
Glutes: In my brief foray into running mechanics research, I found this to be one of the most important muscles to build up for running. Aka: Buns of Steel :)
Shoulder retraction: (aka good posture muscles) I am a sloucher, and I am ashamed of it. I figured whilst performing these other strength training exercises, I could also try to improve my posture, you know, while I am around all those fancy machines!

Besides running 3 days/week and strength training 2 days/week, we are also stretching everyday. Yes. You read that right. Every. Single. Day. 7 days/week. Well, we try to at least. 6 days/week, minimally. And by "we", I mostly mean "me", but J at least does it with me after running! My opinion is that tight muscles = bad running mechanics = injury. Besides, stretching is such an easy thing to do, might as well make it a habit! I found a great yoga (stretch + strength) routine on Runner's World.com. (The video should be included in that link. Trust me, the pictures are not the easiest way to determine the correct form.) It gets all the important areas, including the piriformis (#4) and hamstrings (#6); please, watch the video for instruction!

So that's it. That's the plan. We are nearly to the halfway point of "The Couch-to-5K plan". Once we finish it, we'll start focusing more on mileage vs. time. I'm sure I'll be able to Google myself a good, "newer" plan. Until then, this is where we're at!

Week 5: Run 1 (of the "new plan")

Run 8 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times
30 minute "run"

Run stats:
Distance: 2.56 miles
Pace: 11:44/mile

Run Review: I felt good last night. I felt like I picked up the pace. (Which is not my focus at this point, since I'm starting this "adventure" by upping the amount of time I run first; but I just felt good.) The weather was pretty nice. It was about 50° and NOT raining, which is unusual for the Pacific Northwest this time of year :) There were a lot of runners out last night too, which helps keep me motivated. During last Friday's run, runners were scarce. I'm not sure whether that was due to the weather, or the fact that it was Friday night. Either way, it was good to see so many people out there.

**I'll post about my "new plan" in a separate post. I'm a sucker for organization (OCD?)

A Slight Change of Scenery

Ok, so I'm addicted to blogs. I stumble across one, read it in its entirety, then have to search for a new one. I move from subject to subject. I don't even KNOW these people, and yet, I can't stop reading!

So, I've decided to start my own blog. I don't know if anyone is ever going to read it, but I want in on the fun. It's fun to read what other people are doing in similar situations to your own. (At least it is for me! :) I imagine that it's just as much fun to write a blog of your own!

What subject am I going to examine? Well, I've just begun running, with the ultimate goal of running a marathon. (Well at least one.) I'm starting with a smaller goal, though: To run a 5K. On paper (or in text on a computer), it doesn't seem like such a large goal. But, if you take into consideration that I absolutely loathed running until about a month ago, its a giant step for me.

This brings me to the name I've given my blog. I may not have enjoyed running (hated it, actually), but I was a fairly active youngster. I was a competitive swimmer for twelve years. My swimming career ended during my last year of undergraduate studies. I was a long distance swimmer, actually, which you think would prepare me for any other endurance activity (running included). This was not the case. When I would swim, during training or races, I hardly even used my legs; they just kind of dragged behind me. So any activity requiring excessive use of my legs (ahem...running) did not come as naturally as you would think.

During the first 27 years of my life, I had never once received pleasure from running. That all ended about 1 month ago when I experienced the mythical "runner's high". I had come across an article in some magazine (can't for the life of me remember which one) that detailed how a non-runner could transform into a runner. What motivated me to attempt this, I do not know, but thus far I am very grateful it did! The "plan" was similar to many beginning runner plans. It started by having you run 1 minute, walk 4 minutes, and continue until you've reached 30 minutes. I subsequently lost the paper holding the "plan" and had to google search for a new one, which I actually like more. But it was during the first phase, with the first "plan" that I experienced my first "runner's high".

At this point in the "plan", I was only supposed to run for 2 minutes, but after the first 2 minutes, I still felt great. That had never happened to me while running, so I continued for another minute, and another, until I had been running for 5 minutes. At that time, 30 minutes had passed since the beginning of the session, so I stopped to avoid injury, but I was hooked. I've been running 3 days/week, 30 minutes/day, and it has been going great! I run with my husband (we're newlyweds!! :) which has been a great motivator!

In my swimming days, I would spend hours with my head submerged in water, following an endless black line. Now, I get to enjoy the beautiful scenery around my home, which is constantly changing. It is certainly a change of scenery.

I'll write more about my running schedule later. I may be new at this, but I'm sure I've written plenty for my first post (I'm a rambler! watch out!)