Recovery is not a dirty word or learn from my mistakes.

Today begins a recovery week on my training schedule.  In the past I never had recovery weeks or days.  I never crossed trained as part of recovery.  Basically I ran because I was a runner.  I was hardcore and taking breaks and slowing down was for wimps.  Which I definitely was not.  I was logging 50-60 miles a week on an ongoing basis.  That's great if you are training for a marathon, but, I wasn't.  I didn't need to be training so hard, but, I was a runner and well runners run, don't they?  However, all that running came with at a cost.  I almost tore my Achilles tendon  Had it not been for a doctor that gave me a wake up call I may not be able to run today.  He gave me two choice stop running & heal or continue to run and tear it completely and require surgery, then you won't be able to run again.  In case you are wondering I went chose option A.   It took me getting to the point of not really having a choice to make me take some time to recover.  Learn from my mistake.  God designed our bodies to be active and move, but, he also designed us to take rest.  He himself even rested.

You may be asking yourself what does she mean recovery.  Well if you are the typically fitness enthusiast who goes to the gym 4-5 times/week and works out for an hour or less, as long as you are not stressing the same muscle group more than every 48 hours you are getting adequate recovery.  In other words don't work out the same muscle group on back to back days.  If however you are one of the slightly insane (I include myself in this category) that enjoys training for endurance events (i.e. half/ full marathons or 100 mile bike rides) you need a bit more structure to your recovery.  Now recovery & rest are not necessarily the same thing but they are not mutually exclusive either.  Typically a recovery consist of active rest.  You are still working out but you are not stressing the muscles.  You might cross train in a compatible method (i.e. water jogging or an elliptical machine) or you may simple temper your workouts by slowing down your pace and cutting back on time or distance.  I'm a train for time not distance sort (but that is for another blog currently forming in my mind).    so back to recovery weeks.  So you run slower and shorter.  The object is to be moving but not presenting the body with anything it can not easily endure.  Ask yourself could I easily speed up my pace or continue to run even further, does this run feel like a piece of cake, like I'm hardly working at all?  Then you are recovering.

When do you have a recovery week?  You should take a recovery week immediately following a major event/race or an extremely long  (i.e. added miles) or stressful week of training (i.e. a lot of speed work, etc). It is also a good idea to go into "recovery mode when nursing a cold.   A cold doesn't mean you have to stop training.  So long as you are not running a fever and you feel up to it you can go run, but, it is a good idea to use the recovery workout model for these types of workouts.

In short by taking recovery weeks and/or days you can help stay injuries, improve physical fitness/ endurance,  keep from getting burned out and most importantly make it to the finish line on race day.    So don't think of recovery as a dirty word and it is most definitely not wimpy to take recovery weeks.

Running Safely

Just in case you've not figured out from previous blog posts, I like to run.  I am a runner.  I officially accept that title as of this mornings run.  Dont ask me what was so special about this morning change in my mind how i view myself but it happened.  I no longer consider myself a walker or a jogger.  Don't get me wrong I do walk & I do jog.  However, I am a runner. 

I live in the country.  I run on country roads.  I don't get to go out and run absent mindedly.  I must always pay attention.  Here are some things that I do to keep myself safe.  If you want to be a safe runner you should too.  Please run responsibly. 

1) I always leave a map or detailed instructions on my route.  I include my departure time & the time I expect to return. 

2) I never run the same exact rout at the same exact time in the same week or on the same day of the week.  Why well lets just say the military taught me that if someone is going to to do something bad to you and they know your routine it makes it easier for them to do it.  So I mix it up.  Plus it better for your running, too.

3) Keep your music volume low.  I do wear ear bud but keep my music volume low so I can still hear cars/animals that may be approaching from behind me.  I wear buds because I ran a couple of times without them and I think the dogs were more annoyed by having to hear my music than having me run through "their" territory. 

4) I always run facing traffic.  This allows me to see approaching motorist on my side of the road well before they get to me.  I can't tell you how often I see runners ignoring this basic safety procedure. 

5) Be sure that you are seen.  I don't say this as a oo look at me I'm out running & getting in shape type of be seen  but, a wear reflective clothing and try to run after sun up.  However, that is not always ways to do especially as we go into the fall and the sun rises later & later.  So, wear reflective clothing.  If you are running on roads with motorized traffic this is an imperative.  I wear the Amphipod Xinglet Reflective Visibility Vest.  It looks kind of like those harnesses you see on kids at amusement parks attached to tethers so the parents can reel their kids in when they try to wonder off.  However this has no tether and it is better than a typical vest in that it is adjustable both around the waist and over the shoulders.  It says on the package that once you have it one its like you are wearing nothing.  While I fortunately didn't feel like the emperor in his new clothes I didn't feel like I had any additional layers on.   I also knew I was scene because passing vehicles were acknowledging me in spite of the early morning hour & the low laying clouds (uh, I mean fog).  Sorry Dad, I couldn't resist.

6) Be aware of your surrounding.  Don't ever get so wrapped up in your running that you lose track of were you are or what is going on around you.   Make eye contact with drivers.  I even take it another step and wave to them.  This lets them know I see them plus they get a nice friendly wave ontheir way to where ever they are going (most likely work).  I kind of see it as a ministry of sorts.

7)  Get out of the way.  If I'm on the road & two vehicles are passing I get off the road.  Yes I may have to stop running briefly depending on the terrain on the road side/ shoulder.  

Always remember that the road is for motorist and you are in their domain so run respectfully and above all else arrive home safely.  Run Responsibly. 

The Doctor will see me, when?

I have not blogged for a while.  Not really much to blog about.  My doc says not to increase my mileage so I haven't.  I actually decreased my total weekly mileage.  I even tried cycling, lets just say my knee hurts way less while running than my posterior on a bike seat.  So the bike is back in the garage.  Speaking of sore knees.  It has improved & I went for a follow up with my doc.  He wants to get an MRI but appreciates my wanting to not have any procedure I don't need so he's going to send me to an Orthopedist. 

Okay right now I am waiting.  Waiting to get in to see an Ortho Dr.  I'm hoping & praying he can tell what is wrong without the use of enormous tubes filled with gigantic magnets that move my hydrogen atom out of alignment and then track them as they move back into place and use a computer to create a visual image of said data.  In other words I'd like to avoid the MRI.  I have a thing about someone moving my hydrogen atoms around.  Just call me crazy but it seems sort of well dangerous.  What it my hydrogen atoms revolt and refuse to go back what happens then?  

Okay I've had an MRI before and I know it is painless but still so is an xray and they still put a giant lead bib on you.  Plus xrays take much less time and don't require being placed in giant metal tubes for 45 minutes to an hour.  If that isn't bad enough then you have to be "really still."  I'm the mom of a 2 & 4 year old I don't know what "really still" means anymore. besides surely laying in one position for an hour one is going to have an itch, a cough, a sneeze, a hiccup after all the body has a away to letting you down when you need it to cooperate the most. 

All that said I still am waiting to hear back about an appointment to see if the afore mentioned trauma will have to be endured or if some simple poking, twisting and others manipulating of  my sore knee will do the trick. 

Disclaimer:  If you find this blog post to be boring, annoying or otherwise irritating you may leave this page by simply clicking the small gray box at the top of your screen that contains an x.  thank you for your patience and endurance.

Would you like some dewormer with that?

Okay, we all come to a point in a past time realize we've crossed the line from casual hobby to a full blown endeavor.   That moment for me occurred the other day.   At the suggestion of my brother (runner extraordinary & avid fitness buff) I went to get some horse liniment.   Yes he said horse liniment.  I am skeptical but since I know that he knows he stuff I comply.  So there I am at Rural King (the local answer to Tractor Supply Company) in New Castle.  I'm attempting to procure said item without the assistance of store employees in hopes that I can escape with out having to actually make eye contact, have a conversation or otherwise engage store employees about the nature of my purchase.  No such luck.

I can not after several minutes of walking up and down several isles find anything remotely related.  So I begin the walk to find a store employee, ask for the item I'm searching for only to find it was in the very section I had been looking.  She promptly gets on her walkie talkie and speaks to another individual working in that department.  "Great" I think now two people are involved.  So much for getting out of here undetected.   So we walk over to the section for animal supplies.  We meet up with the guy from that department.  Who in his eagerness to be helpful proceeds to tell me where on the shelf the horse liniment is.  He then goes even further in his quest to be overly helpful.  "and over here is the dewormer and down here are all the treats."  To which I simply reply "thanks"  I'll just look at the liniments."   Hoping secretly to not have to go into any further explanation.  But alas no.  Said super employee goes on to once again insist that "the dewormer and treats are down here and you will want o get some of these"  Leaving me no out.  "Uh well you see I'm a runner.  I have a knee injury & it was suggested to me to try some horse liniment to help with pain & healing"  As I'm thinking OK great now here comes the barrage of questions about my crazy treatment plan.  But no much to my surprise.  Employee number one jumps to my rescue with "Oh yeah, that's a really great idea.  That stuff is great.  but you probably don't need a dewormer do you?'  My response "uh well hopefully no."  So I choose my potion and thank them for their help and head to the register to make my purchase thankful that this experience is over and secretly thinking to myself.  If my brother (it was his idea) was here right now he'd be on the floor in stitches/   Thanks TJ.  

Oh and by the way in case you are curious this stuff does help.  I haven't been able to run in about a week and a half but I have applied it when my knee starts to ache and shortly after the cool menthol sensations sets in the ache goes away.  Can hardly wait to try it on run.  Perhaps later today I'll take it for a test drive.  Although I prefer to run first thing in the morning Tim's work schedule has precluded that for today so maybe after breakfast.  me & the kids will sneak out for a short little tun to ease back into things.  Of course that will depend on my being able to get the stroller out of the garage and that folks is an entirely different post. 

The Untitled Post

Yes I know, simply by putting "The Untitled Post" I've given this post a title. I also know that its not a very clever title either.  The problem was not lack of imagination or creativity the truth is that this post has been sitting in my internal outbox (aka my brain) for a few days now and I simply couldn't decided what to title it.  I mulled over the following "Pain equals waiting to heal"  or "Temporary Set back" or "Waiting on the Lord: a real life experience with living out Isaiah 40:31"  or I had several others that elude me at this early hour. 

Simply put I'm injured and can't continue to train.  I am allowed to still exercise and I do.  However, I've been advised to not increase mileage, stop when it hurts, etc. I am frustrated.   I've rediscovered the joy I once found in running and now I can't/shouldn't run until I'm better.   Right now its easy because it hurts.  I'm reminded that somethign is in fact wrong inside, however, on those days when the pain is less I find it extrremely challenging to not push myself for improvements.   Its hard for me.  I 'm competitive my nature.  I compete daily with myself.  I try to run just a bit father or faster or both. 

My doctor sent me to Physical Therapy in hope that they could help me repair.   At the time I felt it was a good decision.  However, since I started pphysical therapy a couple weeks ago my knee seems to hurt more than before I went.  Not that I"m blaming that I know it could simply be coincidental.  However, I've noticed that change and I'm old enough to know that if I want to continue to be able to participate in an activity that I really enjoy then I must must must rest now and allow my body to mend and repair. After all I have goals for my running.  My first is to complete another half marathon in the fall and fund raise for LLS.  Another goal is a full marathon before I turn 41.  Why?  I hate to say it less I sound crazy but I feel its a sort of calling on my life.   I run for Jesus.  I run for those that can't but wish they could.  I run because I am able to and in that I find strength to do those things that I'd rather not do at all.  I run because it makes me feel as though I've done something good for myself, I am taking care of myself and in turn taking care of my family.  Is it a ministry?  Not yet.  But it could be.  The Lord has shown me a lot of stuff during my runs.  It may sound strange but it is a part of my daily quiet time, my praise time, my time to spend with my King.  He runs with me.  I run with him.  Right now I'm having to learn to wait on Him to repair me.  To strengthen me.  So that I might run & not grow weary, walk and not faint.  So that I can get stronger, better, and be more efficient and do what he has called me to do.  Why I am not 100% certain but I do know He has something in the works.  So I wait, wonder and hope that soon the pain goes away so I can once again run.    I know that this work he has started in me he will complete.  So I wait knowing that "those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, They shall raise up like Eagles. They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk & not faint."   So for those that follow my running post to FaceBook and twitter.  Don't be disappointed if you dont' see them as regularly as in the past or if my times seem to be slowing (most likely I'm walking rather than running).  I'm still working toward my goals just once again at a much slower pace.  ;-)