T25 Total Body Circuit and it's baaaack

Welcome back to my life KT Tape. You really are miraculous.  Calf strains have nothing on me.

Friday night was my third day of T25.  Total Body Circuit on slate.  I did a little bit of strength training earlier in the day, but mostly just hobbled around and tried to ease the horrible cramped pain in my left calf.  I was nervous to do the T25 workout, but threw on some Pro Compression sleeves and went for it.

Barefoot.

I did some research on the best shoes for T25/Insanity, and I know this is a big discussion.  Shaun T himself recommended the barefoot approach, or minimalist shoes.  I had done my first two days in clean Wave Rider 15s I had in my treadmill room, and I think that play a part in my calf tightness.  I really loved being barefoot as opposed to the clunky shoes.  I am considering getting a pair of minimalist toe shoes, just to prevent slipping around, but the yoga mat and my rug on the floor seemed to work well.

The Total Body Circuit was an absolute killer.  I had to stick with the modifier in several points.  Part of me was being over cautious on the calf front, but mainly it was just a butt kicker.

Injured… T25 Day 2

I have to have the most injury prone body on the planet.  I was definitely feeling the effects of my first T25 workout.  All of the jumping, squatting, and lateral movements did a number on my calves and hip.  For someone who can run long, run fairly fast for races, and lifts weights and core trains on a regular basis WHY does this happen?  UGH.

Well, last night I did Speed 1.0.  I wore my Pro Compression sleeves thinking that would be a benefit to my legs.  I made it through my T25 workout no problem.  Then I hit my tready for some easy miles.  My warm up mile was complete and it hit the speed button to increase for a while, and with the first step my calf muscle pulled.  I tried to just run it out for maybe a minute.  No such luck.  I hobbled off and immediately used The Stick and foam rolled.  I spent the rest of the night on the couch with some ice and compression sleeves on.

I’ve struggled with calf issues in the past.  I don’t think it’s a major strain, but it’s a nice, unhappy pull.  I’m really frustrated at the moment.  T25 day 3 calls for the Total Body Circuit.  I’m guessing the calf isn’t going to be ready to handle that tonight, so I might swap out and do Total Abs instead.

Blessings in Disguise

I am so incredibly proud of the things I’ve accomplished this year.  I wish I didn’t have the lingering feeling of failure.  I hate feeling it, but buried beneath the half marathon PR and medals, there it is.  It makes its way out every once and awhile, when I least expect it.  That stupid marathon that should have been… It used to eat at me continually.  I would search races around the country within reach to still attempt to train and sign up for.  I considered running 26.2 miles around town just do say I freakin’ did it.  I’ve realized now how completely ridiculous that would be, and how to just straight up GET OVER what didn’t happen this year, reflect on what DID, and look forward to the year ahead.

So, this morning at 5am and 30 degrees, mid run, I finally compiled a list of POSITIVE things that came out of my training experience, and reasons why I’m thankful for the “failure”.

•        MOST IMPORTANTLY by NOT running the marathon, I HEALED and didn’t do serious, long-term injury to my hip.
•        I conquered my fear of long runs.  I gained so much confidence by doing those long runs.  I was pretty darn nervous the night before my first 20 miler.  Knowing that I’ve see that 2 as the front digit on my watch definitely gives me confidence as I start my 2014 training cycle.  It’s nothing to be feared.
•       I got what I really wanted.  I really, really wanted a 1:45 half marathon in 2013.  I was hoping to get it in June before I started marathon training.  I didn’t get it, but by not running the marathon, I was able to pick up the Omaha half and get my 1:44.
•      I gained speed and strength.  I felt pretty weak going into the Sioux Falls half, I had taken time off, and was doing no major strength training in my healing efforts.  I was SO SORE for a solid week after this race, but it was like my muscles rebuilding and gearing up for bigger and better.  I’m really proud of the paces I ran my recent 15K and 10K in.
•     I have more mental strength and determination than ever before.  Last year, I would never in a billion years dream of running at 4am or running when it was 29 degrees out.  This morning, I got out of my warm bed and ventured out with no real goal other than 7 miles.  No reason to HAVE to.  Nothing to train for.  I’ve learned how to take the pressure off of myself.  That is HUGE. 

    This morning I came to accept what didn’t happen this year, and embrace the positive things that did.  I reflect back on the whole Sioux Falls weekend in general, the circumstances surrounding the weekend, the heat… it wasn’t supposed to happen.  It just wasn’t my time.  But, I was supposed to try.  I was supposed to register, train, and focus on a marathon.  Every situation brings something to our lives, be it a lesson, a success, a failure, a blessing… The standard “everything happens for a reason” quote really does always ring true.

 Something random from me for the day... my new coffee flavor is Dunkin' Donuts Apple Pie.  PLEASE TRY THIS!  It's sooooo good!  I go on coffee hiatuses over the summer months, and when I come back, I come back strong!

 

Overnight Success

A few months ago we had a mandatory division meeting at work. Our VP read a blurb to us from Jon Gordon's blog. I listened to every word she read, and of course, my mind related every single word to running. (Yeah I focused on the work part too… ) I posted the segment on Instagram, and immediately had a flood of other runners ask if they could re-post. I’m sharing it again, and relating it back to my running… 

“You work really hard for 10 years.” Ok, more like a year…
 
“You show up every day. You do the work. You see yourself as an artist dedicated to your craft with a desire to get better.”  Every day… 5 AM. Cross training, weight training, core training. Every workout has a purpose, and that desire to get better is more like a FIRE. I WILL get faster and stronger!

“You try new things.” Lots of new Mizunos! Pro Compression. Foam rolling. Stretching. TEMPO runs! 

“You fail.” Many a failed workout. And that stinger…one failed marathon attempt…
 
“You improve.” Oh my gosh, YES! I PR’ed my last half, I ran a 1:10 15K, I’ve gotten faster, stronger, and SMARTER just within one crazy year! And I’m very proud of that.

“You grow.” I’ve learned a lot of tough lessons, accepted things for what they are, and I’ve grown up! 

“You face countless challenges and tons of rejection that make you doubt yourself and cause you to want to quit. But you don’t.” HIP INJURY. 

“You keep working hard, you stay positive and persevere through it all with resilience, determination, and a lot of hope and faith.” Some days I didn’t stay so positive. I got pretty down on myself. But ultimately I did keep working hard. Really hard actually. I was just SMARTER about it. I was determined to get back out there and run faster and better than ever. And I DID! I am proud of the PR I accomplished in Omaha. I had a friend ask how I managed a 4 minute PR. I said train for a marathon, not be able to do it, get a big chip on your shoulder, and go crazy. Very scientific. 

“Then you make it.” 

Every runner, or athlete, out there knows there is no such thing as an overnight success. And when it really comes down to it… why would you want to be? Shouldn’t the journey and the chase EXCITE you?! What motivation would you have to put in the work if you could really just go to bed one night, and wake up the next morning and run a BQ race without ever putting in a single, sucky training mile? If success really happened overnight, would we do the rest of the time? We all want to “make it” and be a “success” but I think it’s more about the road, the journey to the success than it is the actual spot at the top of the mountain.

Lessons learned the hard way…

It’s been about a month and a half since I was in full blown marathon training mode and ended up straining my hip flexor, bringing training to a screeching, bawling, stop… I didn’t come a brain surgeon or Bill Gates in this last month and a half, but I pride myself in how much SMARTER I’ve become. My injury was 100% due to overtraining, and not taking proper recovery steps. There have been many times where I’ve said “if I could just go back in time…” The more I think about it, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t change anything about the last month and a half and how it all went down. This marathon was not meant to be. It was supposed to simply be a lesson. Lesson learned. The hard way. 

#1. Stretching is a PRIORITY now. I was terrible about stretching before getting hurt. I rarely stretched after a run, and before heading out would be a couple quick toe touches and I’d call it good. BAD. All of my training is done in the mornings, weekdays it’s before work. Sitting in an office chair for 8 hours after a run without stretching is a recipe for disaster. Every single run now is followed by a foam rolling session and stretches. Even if it’s just one mile, foam and stretch. I read online it is beneficial to roll first and then stretch. I don’t know that it matters, I have found this order works best for me, so I’m sticking to it. 

#2. Understand the term “overtraining.” I don’t know if this is in Webster or not, but I did not understand the meaning. I was doing it. I don’t feel like I was overtraining in the mileage sense. I was following a novice training plan, and truthfully some weeks didn’t feel like I was running enough. I was over doing everything else. Obsessively. I wouldn’t dream of missing my core training class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon. The world would end if for some reason I couldn’t make it to class. Monday nights were a required spin night. Which is fine, cross training is good, and spin is probably my favorite form. Weightlifting needs to be done with some sense. I did not use sense, I kept increasing my leg extension weight, while not equally increasing leg curl and abductor and adductor. Unbalanced muscles = troubles. If I would have cooled the jets on all this other junk and focused on miles and stretching and REST…some of my pains would have been avoided. 

#3. KT Tape. Seriously. Miracle tape. 

#4. Take the pressure off. I would beat myself up over a missed run or missed workout. I picked a pretty condensed training plan based on the time I had before the race, so every day seemed absolutely vital. I know now to start training plenty ahead of time to allow for more flexibility if life occurs and heaven forbid I have to miss a run. Don't take anything too seriously ;)

"Bandaid the problem"... aka KT Tape

After my hip flexor strain, I was desperate for any solution other than the prescribed “no running for two weeks” option. I know, I know, you are supposed to heal an injury rather than just bandaid the problem. I took a whole 5 days off of running. FIVE. After the miserable 5 days of walks and really easy and boring elliptical minutes, I headed back to Google for another option… 

Enter my new love… KT Tape. 

Apparently if I would have gone to Instagram earlier and searched the hashtag runnersproblems, I would have seen this earlier. I’ve seen volleyball players wear it, and I had seen it on a runner or two at prior races, but it didn’t really dawn on me that this could help my hip flexor. The KT Tape official website has a video on how to apply almost anywhere. YouTube has several as well. 

Check out the WHAT IT IS section of the official KT Tape website..explains a lot..
 
I watched a few videos on hip flexor application, but I march to the beat of my own drum, and figured out what worked best for me, a pretty simple odd shaped X. The pain point is a good place to start like they indicate in the video. Two strips at a time does the trick for me. Obviously, depending on the area you may need more, or you can rip one in half. It’s not cheap stuff ($12.99 for 20 strips) BUT it’s worth every dime in my opinion. I’ve been wearing it on EVERY run for over a month now. I would say running wise, my hip is mostly healed, and I probably wouldn’t NEED to tape every run, but right now I’m almost afraid for the first run without it. KT Tape can be purchased online or at most sporting goods stores. I buy mine at our local Hibbett Sports. 


TIPS:
-Obviously make sure you are OK to be running, don’t use it as a bandaid unless you are sure you don’t have a major issue going on! (Do as I say, not as I did) 
-Use soap and water to clean the area of skin you will be applying the tape to. Dry thoroughly. 
-I read a tip online that I always follow, and that is to use hairspray. Spray the area of clean skin wear the tape will go before application. Let it dry, and then apply the tape. It helps it stay on especially if you get super sweaty. -Wear compression shorts or socks. If you tape your calves or shins, I would recommend wearing a compression sock or sleeve to help keep the tape in place. I wore compression shorts to help my hip tape stay, and it helped with support and circulation. 
-Do your research. Watch the instructional videos, make sure you are applying it correctly. It’s pretty expensive, and you want to make sure you are actually getting the full benefit of it. I’ve personally never been professionally taped, but it is my understanding at some races or race expos, KT Tape has a booth and they will actually tape you up. Sounds sweet.

The 26.2 that wasn't...the injury story

2013 was going to be my year.  My goal was three half marathons in three months.  Check.  Then my plan was finally tackling the 26.2 in September in Sioux Falls.  I questioned whether or not my body would hold up through training.  I've dealt with overuse injuries in the past.  Of course the good ol shin splints, foot issues, random muscle aches that leave me immobile.  But I found a novice plan online and went for it...

I signed up for the race in the middle of June.  Race day September 8th...  I was coming off a half marathon in Norfolk in the middle of June.  Distance wise, I had a base.  I felt recovered and ready to start the long runs.  In reality, it was a pretty crammed and condensed plan.  I obsessed over every weekend, ensuring that I had the ability to get the long run in.  Luckily, I was able to, for the most part.  

Setback number one came in July.  Second week, my scheduled vacation days from work, I got sick... I went to the doctor and finally get some antibiotics and the confirmation that I had strep throat.  Lovely.  I missed a 5K I had registered for just for fun, and also missed a longer run that week. 

August approached and I reached cloud nine!  My second 18 mile run my average pace was in the high 8s!  I was so thrilled, this felt EASY!  My marathon goal pace was a 9 minute mile.  I was holding this pace consistently in all of my long runs.  Then 20!  It felt amazing to say I'd ran 20 miles!  My pace was on point, everything felt great.  Then it all ended...

The week following my 20, I took my usual two days off running and got back into mileage on Tuesday.  The Saturday following was a scheduled 18.  I took off just like usual, but something didn't feel right.  My right hip starting nagging early.  Like mile 2 early... Instead of stopping, I kept going.  I went all the way down to my turnaround point, which was mile 7, and by this time I was in serious pain.  I kept stopping for walking and stretching breaks, thinking my hip would loosen up.  It didn't.  Ever.  I kept running with the intention now of just getting home.  I knew I wouldn't make my loop for 18, JUST GET HOME.  I made it back into town which was about 11 miles.  It was all over.  I started walking, phoneless, limping in extreme pain by this point... gimped roughly 3 miles back home, cutting through every side street and alley I could find to shorten the route.  I remember crying a couple different times out of pain and frustration.  By the time I made it home, I bawled...sobbed.. for a solid 20 minutes.  I knew whatever I had done to my hip, that was it.

I finally went to the doctor the following Friday, and fortunately did not have a fracture.  The pain continued to worsen throughout the week, especially sitting in my office chair at work.  He diagnosed it as a hip flexor strain.  Based on my recovery time, I would safely say there was no tear, just strain.  At the time, he said no running for two weeks.  And don't run a marathon.... I went back to work, bawled my eyes out to my co-workers, and tried to mentally cope with it all.

Hands down worst day ever...