An Unexpected Injury (Wait... Aren't They All?)

Since starting my OTF classes and registering for all of these races I have been feeling really good about my fitness level, the way I feel mentally and physically, and my prospects of becoming healthier and faster in the future. My training took a turn for the worse, however, this past Wednesday. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with it or not, but we did deadlifts and squats during our OTF workout that morning - already making my back a bit sore. When I got to work I was still feeling a bit drained, rather than my normal, energized feeling after a workout. This may have been due to continued recovery from the weekend's half marathon along with this first workout since the race. In any case, I was one hour into the three hour psych group I facilitate at work when we went on our first break. I stood up from my chair and turned to my left to sit the legal pad and papers I had in my hands down on the chair before walking into my office and - SNAP! Something caught in my lower back and it was definitely uncomfortable and even somewhat painful. I walked slowly to unlock the door to let my patient's out into the courtyard and headed back over towards my office, all while cringing and playing out my physical impression of a 90 year-old-woman (although that latter part was not by choice). I began to feel nauseous and light-headed, and knew that if I didn't sit down soon the possibility of passing out and injuring myself further was very real. I literally laid down, on the laminate flooring, all the while donning a dress and heels while concerned co-workers asked me what had happened. I was hardly able to move, and began feeling anxious and concerned that I may have done something irreparable to myself (Notice how our minds always go to the worst case scenario? I seriously thought, just in those few moments, about having chronic pain for the rest of my life, needing pain management, never being able to run again, and all of those other ridiculous things that active people think of when injury strikes). The long and short of it is, I was able to get into a chiropractor right away, who determined that I had a compressed nerve (aka pinched nerve). He even did some x-rays to rule out anything more serious. That day alone I had a short lower back massage, an adjustment to my back, a topical pain medication that was supposed to help (but didn't), and was sent home with some exercises to do and to consider medication for inflammation, and to expect to return the following day. The next day came and went and I was still not feeling any better despite another round with the chiropractor, 800 mg of Ibuprofen and completing the stretches I was given. My biggest concern was being able to work out on Friday morning, followed by The Waterfront Challenge obstacle course 5k that I had signed up for on Saturday evening. The doctor said to give it another day of rest and to come back in on Saturday. I had previously scheduled a massage with my regular gal for Friday afternoon, so I kept that appointment hoping it might help. She focused mainly on the small of my back and my right glute, which she said was really tight. I left there feeling decent, but not great, and woke up on Saturday morning in even more consistent pain than I had been the day prior. Friday, I could at least walk around and get some relief after having stretched some after sitting for long periods of time. Saturday brought just a constant ache in my lower back, which was not helped at all by walking. I went back to the chiropractor at 10:45 that morning and told him what was going on. He was still concerned that I was not feeling better, did another round of the tens unit on my lower back, another adjustment, strongly advised again The Waterfront Challenge later that evening, and voiced a pre-emptive plan to contact my PCP if things still were not improved by the middle of next week. So.... I stumbled out of there with conflicting thoughts about whether I should, or should not, run the race. On one hand, the race was paid for, it was a fairly short course, it had a great medal, and I REALLY WANTED TO DO IT. On the other hand I didn't want to injure myself any further - although I was told by the Doc that I probably wouldn't injure it further, but that the healing time may be prolonged if I didn't just give it a rest, and while I may not feel anymore pain or discomfort during or after the race, the next day could prove to be brutal and why would I take that chance? Well, because I'm a hard-core athlete that's why. I went home and popped some more OTC anti-inflammatories, consistently did my stretches, sat with an ice-pack whenever I could, took a walk (and admittedly a small jog) around the block to test things out, and ultimately decided to do the race. I was pretty pumped up when I decided I was definitely in, and I think the adrenaline that was pumping through my body helped with the lack of discomfort I felt through the entire race. It was a stifling hot race (90 degrees, even at 6:45 p.m.) but I was just happy that I was going to be going through with it, albeit taking it a little easier than I normally would. The M.C. counted down the 6:45 wave and off we went. Had it not been so hot it would have been a fairly easy course. Lots of short, steep hills through the waterfront, climbing over flat beds and cars, hopping through and then carrying tires around part of the course, push-ups, lunges (okay, okay, so this was the one thing I didn't do as we were carrying water-filled PVC pipe on our shoulders and I didn't want to strain myself), and then finally down a large, inflatable, water slide to the finish. It was a great time. My official finishing time was 44:06 with Jim coming in just 10-15 seconds slower. He says that compared to last year he killed his time - probably due to the awesome workouts we've been getting at OTF. For the remainder of the evening, which mainly consisted of dinner and watching TV in bed, I felt good. Just prior to bed I took another round of meds, including half a muscle relaxer, and laid on the ice pack to reduce any additional inflammation I may have. In the morning - oddly enough - I felt great. I'd say 80% better than I had the previous morning. I'm not sure if that's the way my body would have healed regardless, or if getting out and getting some movement/exercise through the race helped, or what. But regardless, 25 hours after the end of the race I am still feeling fantastic. A little sore, which is to be expected after a race such as this, but as far as my lower back goes I'm walking again like the 37 year old fit woman that I am, I'm no longer having to take 10-15 seconds after standing up from a sitting position to stretch out my back with a scowl on my face. And I must say... I'm definitely happy that I went through with it, even against Doctors orders. Sometimes (well, most of the time) I think that we know our bodies better than the "professionals" do and know what we are capable of. Funny thing is, prior to the race last night I even had the thought that maybe the race would do me some good - physically - and so I just went for it. If I had any concern (or at least, more concern than I did) that I would have majorly injured myself or made things worse, I probably wouldn't have done the race. But... I was confident (and a little stubborn, I admit) that I could complete it AND possibly feel better. I'm glad I did. Next up, another round of OTF in the morning, and the possibility of a Warrior Dash sign up in September.

Bourbon Derby Half Marathon

Since I hadn't completed any long runs since the KDF HM in late-April, I was concerned about the Bourbon Derby. Lack of long-distance training coupled with June weather made for a race that, during the hour long drive to Paris, KY, I was not looking forward to. Jim and I had to wake at 4:45 to leave the house by 5:15 to make it to the race location, pick up our packets, prepare for the start, and head off for our second HM of the year. It was a brisk fifty degrees and low-to-no-humidity morning which, as anyone from Kentucky knows, is a rarity for mid-June. The race was set to begin at 7:30, which made the prospect of a hot race even less likely. The air-horn went off right on time and the HM participants (from what I hear there were only about 250 of us) took off. I hadn't looked much into this race prior to, or after signing up, so I wasn't sure what to expect as far as the shape of the course and the elevation. Jim had told me that there seemed to be some rolling hills but that it didn't look too bad. Well.... rolling hills was an understatement since it was hardly anything but ascents and descents throughout the entire race. I had decided ahead of time that I was going to go with my run a mile, walk one minute routine that had worked so well for me during KDF, which actually ended up being not too difficult to do even despite the hills. Up until earlier this year I had tended to walk up hills - deeming them too intimidating and taking up too much energy to put forth the effort, but since I have been working on endurance, stamina, and intervals at Orange Theory Fitness (OTF) for the past month, the hills actually weren't that bad. My heart rate and breathing seemed to stay pretty normal throughout, and for the first 7-9 miles the only thing that was really bothering me were my sore hamstrings, but that was due to the M-W-F workouts at OTF. It wasn't until mile 7 or so that I started to break away from the one mile run, one minute walk routine, as it began to get a little warmer and the hills were starting to get to me. I had broken away from Jim between miles 5-6 as he was uber-tired from a Tough Mudder the weekend before as well as his own OTF workouts that week. As I made my way to the turn around at mile 8.5, I came back down towards the finish and passed Jim yelling out to him, "One hour and thirty minutes at 8.65 (miles)." I hadn't really been keeping track of what my mileage and time meant in terms of possibly having a PR since I was sure I would not considering the hilly course and lack of training. As I did the math, however, I figured that I could at least get in one of my top four HM finishes - as long as I came in under 2:27. I was okay with that. When I hit mile 10 I started to feel the fatigue coming on and by mile 11 my feet started to feel the effects of the pounded pavement. When I got to mile 11 I checked the Garmin and noticed that I had only clocked about 10.5 miles and was a bit concerned that my mileage was so far off from what the road markers were telling me. I thought maybe it was a fluke as I've been one or two tenths of a mile off during races before, but never by a whole half-mile. As I made my way to mile 12 I checked again and, sure enough, I was still a half mile short per the Garmin. At this point a few things crossed my mind: one being that I could quite possibly finish the race in less than 13.1 miles which would mean less time on the course which would feel fabulous at this point. The second is that the mileage would be made up closer to the end of the race and I would have to mentally prepare that I really did have the mileage on the Garmin left to run rather than the mileage per the markers on the side of the road. Third was that I could also have a PR on my hands, which was very quickly followed by the realization that if that were the case I would not be able to (ethically anyway), count it as a PR given that the course was .5 miles short. As I crest that last hill I could hear the cheers at the finish line and see where the runners took their last right hand turn to make their way down the chute. A few yards from that chute, I hauled ass and sprinted faster than I have ever ran in my life to get across that finish line as quickly as I could, making my official finishing time a swift 2:20:18. I grabbed myself a cold electrolyte drink and looked back towards the finish line to see if I could spot Jim. I walked back down towards the last turn and saw that he had just crested that last hill and was making his way towards the finish. I ran alongside of him around the corner and down the chute once more, breaking away just prior to the finish line - not wanting to possibly throw off my own finishing time by crossing twice. At some point I checked the Garmin after finishing and noted my mileage at 12.64 miles. I even checked with a few other runners who also wore Garmin's to see if theirs came up short and, sure enough, they did. All in all, it would have been nice to have another PR this year - especially for the same distance as my last PR a month and a half ago, and I guess technically if anyone were to look up my time on the KDF and the Bourbon Derby then THIS race would be considered my PR. But because I know in my heart and in my mind that I didn't complete the full distance (through no fault of my own) I cannot claim it. I figure that considering my splits for the course I would have come in at approximately 2:26:30, which would have made for my fourth best time I believe (out of 22 half marathons) and I still feel pretty good about that. Hills and heat have never been my friend - or any runner's for that matter - but my workouts at OTF have completely changed at least the hill part for me, and I can tell that I'm getting stronger, more confident, and able to conquer my nemesis like I never have before. Up next: More OTF and the Waterfront Challenge 5k obstacle race next week. I can't wait!

OTF = Great Workout Program

It's been almost four weeks since I started working out at Orange Theory Fitness, and I feel great. Except for the few days I had to take off for a stomach bug after coming back from Cancun, I've kept up three workouts per week, and am curious to see how this has helped my running - specifically my 22nd half marathon coming up this weekend. The workouts have been challenging and have kept me interested, and I feel that I have great energy and sleep better at night. Although I haven't been doing any real long-distance running, it will be interesting to experience how the intervals, and pushing myself on the nearly-three mile runs we get in as part of our workouts at OTF, will affect my race, if at all. One thing that has continued to stay the same though, is my diet :( I'll be "good" for 2-3 days and then I'll start craving bad foods (McDonalds, sweets, etc.) and then before I know it I'll have 2-4 days of making horrible choices. It seems I'm always hungry, though, regardless of what I eat (Protein shakes, oatmeal, etc that are supposed to be filling). Sometimes I feel like I'm eating out of boredom, or out of anticipatory hunger (i.e. When I leave the hospital at 3:00 and have patient's in the office until 6:30, I will sometimes eat something even if I'm not hungry so that I'm not starving at 5:00). I did subscribe to Nature Box, and received my first package of 10 all-natural snacks last week and those have been pretty good. And I'm still logging my food intake into My Fitness Pal, but although I have the percentages of carbs/fats/proteins split up to what I'd like them to be, I have yet to eat enough protein or as few carbs as I would like. What can I say - I'm a pasta, potato and white bread kinda girl. I have a Garmin Vivofit coming in the mail tomorrow, and although I know that it's a bit gimmicky and I could probably find another way to keep track of all the things that it does, I was still interested to get one and see if it helps to get me motivated to do more on a daily basis. Although getting up to walk around is kind of hard when you're a psych therapist running a three hour group a day and then having to do another 1-2 hours worth of charting beyond that - none of which can be done while up walking around. So... my journey continues.

Back In The Swing Of Things

As my prior post states, I signed up for Orange Theory Fitness a few weeks ago and am really enjoying it. I get 8 sessions per month for the price I'm paying, but am planning on signing up for the 20-30 extra classes to try and get in 3 workouts a week. After initially signing up I had planned on waiting until after my vacation to Cancun to start. I didn't want to work out a full week and then take an entire week off in Mexico and essentially lose everything that I had gained. But after a friend of mine went to his first workout and raved about it, I decided to go ahead and start - my first class being two weeks ago yesterday. I must say, I normally loathe working out and, even worse than that, having to get up early to do so. But, the 6:15 a.m. class is the latest I can attend and still get to work on time, and so I opted to get my happy ass out of bed and get there for 4 sessions so far (Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday). This workout is unlike anything I've ever done, and I absolutely love it. I love that it's a group setting with a personal trainer guiding you on what to do so you're not just blindly going in there throwing some free weights around and getting bored. It truly is an interval workout and I've managed to burn approximately 500 calories and stay in the "orange zone" for anywhere from 12-25 minutes each workout. My mood has improved and my energy is way higher than it was prior to this. Plus, it feels like I can actually feel my body continuing to burn more calories throughout the day (one of the perks to this kind of workout. A few days prior to my Cancun trip I had already decided, vacation or not, that I would be continuing to do the workouts while out of the country. I felt THAT good! What was even better is that when Patrick (the 6:15 trainer) heard that we were going out of town he volunteered to email daily workouts to us. Saturday was a bust as it was the day that we traveled, and after taking a 5 hour nap starting at 5 p.m. and then opting to just stay in bed, the 12-hour slumber did us in but kept us nice and refreshed for Sunday's workout. It was raining off and on both Saturday and Sunday, so it was nice and muggy outside (albeit overcast)for our run up and down the strip with some set workouts from time to time. I forget now exactly what the first workout consisted of, but most of them included a warm up, slow jog, base pace run, a push-pace and finally an all-out before cooling down for some walking lunges and inverted push-ups. I took the Garmin with us and we were able to get in 3 miles that day - despite the heat and humidity. The next morning we opted to stay inside at the resort gym since it was still rainy and humid out - although this new location did nothing to help the sweat-swamp that would become our bodies. Another set of interval runs leading up to a faster pace, and some push-up burpees and squat-jumps made for a tough work-out. I have to admit though that one set of burpees was enough for me and I modified it with some tricep dips and kettleball curls. Monday afternoon saw the first real break in the clouds and rain, and an hour and a half of exposure gave me just enough sun to get slightly burned, so we decided to take a break from the workouts on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Since we would be traveling again on Saturday and re-acclimating to "normal" life on this long Memorial Day weekend, we wanted to make sure we prioritized another two workouts on Thursday and Friday. Basically, more of the same - 3 mile interval run with some push-ups, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, squats and all-out pace runs. This one was a bit more enjoyable as we worked together as a team (one of us doing one exercise while the other person did another). When Friday came along I thought my vacation partner was kidding when he read me the workout plan Patrick had sent.... More running of course, but also three sets of 50 lunges and 100 squats. Holy Sh*t, are you kidding me? I got through the run okay, and the first 50 lunges, but after 20 squats my legs were toast and I had to space them out a bit in sets of 20-25 in order to get them all in. After that first set, it was nearly impossible to run again but we managed another short shuffle before a cool-down walk and our second set. I managed another 50 lunges, and broke my squats up into four sets of 25 while doing some push-ups, bicep curls and tricep dips in between. Not only did this help break up the pain of these torturous exercises, but also the monotony of it all. We decided to get in a few more interval runs on the way back to the resort, and I even managed my last 50 lunges (broken up into two sets of 25), but I'll be damned if I was going to attempts another 100 squats. Um... no thanks. Today, I can honestly say that my ass and legs are killing me. Today also just happened to be the day that we had a two hour, and then one hour flight back home, so being cooped up on a plane with little opportunity to stretch hasn't helped. I can also say that I feel really good about keeping up the workouts while on vacation. I felt that the lounging around we did most of the day afterwards didn't come with nearly as much guilt as it would have had I NOT worked out first thing in the morning. Also, I wasn't as hungry and didn't snack as much as I normally would have. I think the work out, as well as the heat both, had something to do with this. And lastly, I can see from the pics from my trip that I have a ways to go before I'm happier with my bikini body. Not that I want to be one of those women who is ashamed of her figure - I'm certainly not. But I can definitely stand to gain more confidence about it and hope that keeping these workouts up and trying to eat right will get me going in that direction. Which, if there is one vice that could keep a "healthier me" from happening, it's poor eating habits. Now that I'm back home, I guess I have that change to look forward to as well.

Slackin'

Yeah, okay - I'll admit it. I haven't ran at all since the Derby Mini. And even though I have a 5k this weekend, an obstacle course race in a month an a half, and another half marathon a week after that, I have been completely slacking on this training stuff. This is exactly why I continuously sign up for races though - to keep my momentum going. I guess since I was taking it seriously and really putting some time and effort into the ultimate goal (PR during the Derby mini), I've now gotten into a bit of a slump since then. But now... it's time to saddle up once again. Beyond the running however, I'm also going to the Orange Theory facility tomorrow to talk to the reps there about what they offer and how for how much($). I've been wanting to get more into a routine of working out, and with summer (see: hot and humid) coming up, running outside is going to be nearly unbearable unless I force myself out on an early Saturday or Sunday morning. I was determined NOT to join just a regular gym though because, let's face it, I've never been very disciplined when it comes to keeping myself accountable. Plus, working out alone can get rather boring. I did look into cross fit at one time, but it's somewhat intimidating and I'm not crazy about those types of workouts. With this Orange Theory Fitness the idea is to keep your heart-rate functioning "in the orange" which is apparently your optimum cardio and fat-burning fitness level. You alternate between the treadmill, the rowing machine, and what looks like free-weights and other muscle-building exercises for a full hour. The cost seems reasonable, and they actually charge you if you miss a scheduled session. Plus I like that you're in there with 23 other people all doing the same thing, so there is a social aspect as well. Looking forward to it.

Mind Over Matter. Sometimes...

The Kentucky Derby Mini (Half marathon) is what all of this training has been leading up to. So despite not having run for about a week (and a hot, slow 6-miler at that), I was still feeling decent about yesterday's 13.1 considering the spectacular race season I've had thus far, including substantial PR's in all of my races this year. My PR for this distance (2:22:25) was met a year and a half ago during the Big Hit Half Marathon, which is a very similar course to the KDF mini. With starting temps at 54 degrees and slightly breezy, I felt confident going in that I could pull off a new PR and set my sights on a goal finishing time of 2:15 or better. I decided to go with the same strategy for this race as I had done during the 10-miler, which was to run about a 10-minute pace and walk for one minute at each mile marker. The first 3-5 miles felt pretty good (10:08, 10:19, 10:13, 10:37, 10:07) and it was about this time that I started to wonder what mile markers we finally get into Churchill Downs. Since it had been a few years since I last ran this particular race, I couldn't quite remember if we ran through the track between 6-7, 7-8 or 8-9. I had also began doing my "math problems" it my head at this point. I've been doing this since I started racing in order to pass time, and I guess it's not anything hugely strategic, but more something that I do to help get me through. For instance, after 5 miles I'll tell myself "Okay, just a little less than half-way over." At 6.5 miles I tell myself "Okay, just have to do ONE MORE of what you just did." Anything after that and it's "Okay, less than half to go." I noticed at the 6 mile marker that I was running a little slower than I had for my 10k a month or so ago, but considering I still had 7 more miles to go I was okay with the slower time (10:22). At mile 7 (10:33) I started feeling a bit bloated with some slight GI issues. Turning the corner onto Central Avenue, the distance thus far told me that the horse track took place between miles 8 (10:16) and 9 (11:17). I'm actually surprised, looking back, that I completed mile 8 in as fast a time as I did considering the run through the tunnel to take us into the infield to run a loop consists of a pretty steep descent and ascent both in and out. During the descents my left knee started feeling it and I had to consciously slow way down. I also began feeling more of the GI issues at this point and considered a potty break. But because I was determined to finish with a new PR, and could feel myself getting tired, I thought I better not chance it. Mile 9, as you can see, WAS my slowest so far and I was definitely dragging at this point. My body was wearing out and I had to force myself to drink some water and took another GU despite my tummy feeling super blah. The temperature was also starting to heat up a bit. As I passed the 10-mile marker (11:18) I checked the Garmin to see that I was actually finishing up that first 10 one minute faster than I had completed the Papa John's 10-miler a month before. Again I began doing the math and figured that, even if I finished the last three miles at a 12:30 pace, I would still get a PR. My left knee tweaking and my body feeling the drain, I went along for the ride and incessantly checked the Garmin to make sure I wasn't falling below my goal pace. Mile 11 (11:45) was a bit of a blur, although I do recall telling myself "Just two more miles to go." At mile 12 (11:16) I was ready to just get this thing over with, and the crowd support gave me a little extra umph. Although I must admit, I was trying to determine how many more city block I had to go before the last turn towards the finish line, and when I realized that I forgot to include Floyd Street just prior to Preston, I said to myself "Fuck the PR." Of course, immediately after that I thought "Um....no. If you get to the finish line and miss that PR by just 30 seconds to a minute you are going to be so pissed at yourself." The way my butt was dragging, coupled with the fact that I had decided not to look down at my watch for the last mile so as not to evoke any anxiety in myself, made this possibility very real - and one that I didn't want to experience. Turning onto Preston and seeing the finish line up ahead, I finally did look down at the Garmin and saw that I had 3 minutes to beat my PR. Piece of cake. I continued down through the finishers chute, and even encouraged the crowd to cheer as I ran past them (They didn't. Bastards.) I finished that 13th mile in 10:35 and that last .1 (or .2 according to the Garmin) at a 9:12 pace, with an official finishing time of 2:20:38 - a 10:39 pace. Not bad, I think. Considering how well I did and how good I felt during all of the races this season, I am a bit surprised that I struggled a bit during the last 5k of this race. I think my training strategy from this point needs to be to do some 12 mile training runs just to get my body used to that last 3.1 miles, as well as to get my head in a better to place to know that I can do it. Although I do believe, even looking back, that those slow miles (9-12) were all that I could muster at that point - considering I had to conserve some energy for the end - finishing the 13th mile in the same pace that I finished the 4th mile tells me that I definitely did (and do) have it in me to push a little harder. My next half is the Bourbon Derby in June in Paris, KY. This should be interesting as I haven't done a summer-time half in a long time (if ever), and I worry a bit about the heat. Not concerned about any PR's with that one. I have a feeling that there will be some hills in there, and besides, I'm seriously considering doing 7 races in 7 weeks in the fall, including a 10k, the Bourbon Chase (15+ miles over a 20 hour period) and 5 half-marathons. This means my body will either be in prime shape for another PR, or will be giving out on me altogether. It will be interesting to find out that's for sure!

Tough Week

The last remaining updates I've had to do to the house in preparation for selling, coupled with 2 days of straight rain, as well as a topped-off week of having to take my dog in for emergency surgery to remove his right eye after another dog attacked him has REALLY hampered my training and I haven't ran since last Sunday. My body and mind are feeling it as I'm noticing my shoulders and neck tensing up - a sure sign that I am stressed out and I'm really thanking myself for having the forethought to schedule a massage a month ago for this coming Tuesday. I'm gonna need it. With all of this said however, I have planned a 6-miler tomorrow morning to maintain what I've gained thus far, as well as to release some of this tension I'm feeling. Gonna be a nice 65 degrees, so it should be a good run.