I Was Lapped!

Hello!

I hope you are all recovering from a nice weekend!  We were very busy, and just about every minute was spent together as a family.  

Yesterday, I hit the pool for another workout and this time, Jesse had me swim longer intervals.  Starting with 300's {i.e. 12 lengths}, my arms sure were tired after those were over!  

Workout of the day:


10 minute warm-up
4 x 300 {1:30 rest}
2 minutes rest
4 x 75 - last length FAST! {1:00 rest}
2 minutes rest
4 x 25 FAST!
Cool down

The craziest part about the whole workout was that I was consistently being lapped by another female swimmer!  Now, I have never said I was a swimmer and I freely admit that I'm not very fast..BUT, this chick was flying!!  She showed up with her swim cap, Speedo suit, goggles and pool shoes and she looked very official.  I felt like I was standing still when she passed me in the water.  She even knew how to do flip turns!  For a brief second, the competitive beast came out of me and I tried to keep pace for a lap, but that only lasted a few strokes and she was gone.  Oh well...I tried and the whole time I kept telling myself..."I am doing this for running...I am doing this for running."  The whole experience was interesting to say the least!    

After the workout, I was starved.  I made myself a delicious turkey and cheese sandwich on Wegman's Marathon bread.  This bread is filled with whole grains, flax seed, cranberries, carrots, bananas, and pumpkin seeds.  On the side, I had pickles and grapes.

 
Last night, our friends {Jolene and Sib} came over for an impromptu cookout and I will post more on the menu for that dinner tomorrow.  

This morning, I met Lauretta for a yoga session at The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem.

  
Yoga really makes my Achilles feel good.  Heck...it makes the whole body feel good!  

I even took my new water bottle that was given to me by one of my students.   

Laurel, the instructor, is a runner and she incorporates stretches into her routines that are good for sore running muscles.  I learned today that Triangle pose is particularly good for the IT band.  As Lauretta and I were walking out, we were discussing how good yoga makes us feel, especially the final relaxation portion of the session.    


We then hit Lauretta's favorite coffee spot {The Wise Bean} for a quick cup before I had to head home to meet my daughter.  

This afternoon, I went to my second physical therapy visit for the Achilles tendonitis that I have been suffering with for over a month now.  Since my visit last Thursday, I have been religiously doing the stretches and icing that John {my PT} prescribed.  I have to say, the stretches kind of aggravate the tendonitis.  I told this to John and he wants me to still continue to ice and stretch and we will reevaluate my potential running start date when I see him again on Thursday.  It's all very frustrating.  

So for now, I am still busting through with the swimming.  Thursday is looking like another yoga day as well.   


Ok, I'm off to make dinner.  I hope you are enjoying your Monday!


Tracy




 

Swimming Workout and a Diagnosis

Hello!  

I waited to post today for a few reasons.  First, I went over to the community center for another pool workout.  I've been cross training for a little bit in hopes that my Achilles tendonitis will heal.  If you missed the posts about my injury, you can catch two of them below:

Achilles Tendonitis and a Trail Run 

Two Days in a Row 

Anyway, I hit the pool armed with my vintage Ironman.

And, once again...the pool wasn't crowded and my lane neighbor {Jim} was there too.  

I did the same workout as Saturday, however I extended the long interval in the middle from 200 yards to 400 yards, plus I got after the last lengths of each of the 75s.  It felt really good...and, NO TOE CRAMPS!!  


Here's the workout, courtesy of Jesse:

10 minute warm-up

10 x 50 yards {10 seconds rest in between each}

2 minutes rest

5 x 75 yards {45 seconds rest in between each} 

2 minutes rest

Swim for as long as possible: today -- 400 yards!

2 minutes rest

10 x 50 yards {10 seconds rest in between each}

Cool down

I am beginning to think that swimming isn't so bad!  


Later in the morning, I had a doctor appointment with a local orthopedic surgeon.  I've gone to him before since he is a runner himself, and he understands running-related injuries.  After a few x-rays and some probing, he diagnosed my issue as Achilles tendonitis {which I knew already}, but I wanted it confirmed.  

The good news is that the injury will return to normal with rest and physical therapy.  The bad news...he wants me to take off from running for 2-3 weeks.  Ugh!  That means 2-3 more weeks of swimming, biking, and cross-training.  Fortunately though, yoga is ok!  

Right now, I'm a little bummed...but I know that I am good shape and by cross-training, hopefully I will maintain my fitness levels.  The way I look at it...I will be running again by mid-June.  That's not too far away, right?  


Well, I will keep you posted on my cross-training progress.  I may go for a bike ride on Thursday {which isn't pretty}.  I am not the most coordinated person on two wheels...but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.  


Enjoy your day!


Tracy

A Plant Planting Kind of Day

Good afternoon!

It's been a busy day so far and it all started out with a run.  I will admit...I cheated.  I was going to take at least five days off and with today being day five, I just couldn't help myself.  What could it hurt?  Since I'm going to the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday, I thought I would give it a try.  I only ran an easy three miles, but I still had the same pain in my Achilles area and it didn't feel like it got any better.  We'll see what tomorrow brings...

Today I set out to get some flowers.  I love planting plants and flowers in pots and baskets because it makes my house look so pretty.  I bought my hanging baskets yesterday so I wanted to make the rounds and pick up some herbs and other types of foliage plants.  My stop at Lowe's was relatively successful...

I bought sweet basil, purple basil, lemon thyme and sweet mint.  This year, I decided to place them in pots, rather than in my garden.

I also bought some foliage for the planter on my front porch.  It doesn't look like much now, but these babies grow huge and the pot will overflow with lush greens, reds and purples.

Finally, I love these hanging baskets.  I had the same thing on my front porch last year and they were gorgeous.  This area gets the perfect amount of sunlight vs. shade, so they will grow huge and healthy!

I always replace the plastic pots the baskets come in with these moss-lined baskets because I love the natural look.  


Of course, Willsey approved.  I just hope he stays out of my herbs!  

He looks kind of silly in the picture...


For tonight...my parents are coming over for a little Memorial Day dinner.  We are sans children this weekend so it has been extremely quiet and calm.  Have a great day!


Tracy

You Don't Lose As Much As You Think!

Good morning!

I'm really tired of saying, thinking, and writing about my most recent injury…Achilles tendonitis.  If you follow my blog on a daily basis, I’m sure you are too.  Starting Wednesday, I decided to give myself a rest from running and take at least five days off to see how it feels.  I also scheduled a doctor appointment for this coming Tuesday with the same orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed my IT band issues back in February.  I want this baby gone and healed ASAP.  Can you tell I’m impatient?  That I'm insanely addicted to this sport, once again?

So, as I was thinking about my little deviation from running, I began to wonder about fitness level loss.  Through research, I found a plethora of articles on this subject and I included a few good websites that contain this exact information. 

First, some of the articles I found are written by, or cited advice of the infamous coach, Dr. Jack Daniels. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Coach Daniels several times in back college while competing at the Division III national level.  At the time, he headed SUNY Cortland's program, where he perennially had athletes attend the national meets both in cross-country and track.     

Coach Daniels wrote an article titled 7 Tips for Taking Time Off.  Here, he recommends logging injuries in a journal by including when and how the injury began, therapies used, and how long it took to heal.  His theory is that a log will help runners handle similar injuries in the future.

Daniels suggests planning solid breaks from running.  Whether it is a break for a long period of time or shorter ones broken apart throughout the year, the body needs rest…injury or no injury.  This concept reminds me of the breaks we used to have in high school or college.  Since most distance runners run and compete year-round, it is common to take a week off after each season to regroup, as well as prepare for the start of the next season.  

I also found a good blog post by Coach Joe English of Portland, Oregon, where he is the managing editor for Running Advice and News.  He included a snapshot from Daniels' book that outlined approximately how much cardiovascular fitness one would lose from down time.  These are the given sample values:

Up to 5 days — no loss
7 days off — 0.6%
14 days off — 2.7%
21 days off — 4.8%
28 days off (one month) — 6.9%
56 days (two months) — 15.3%

Judging from these numbers, I think I will be fine.  It’s funny, as most of you are aware, runners work so hard to gain strength and lower times, so losing any of what was built is a disappointment and a downer. 

An article titled Losing Running Fitness on the Runner’s Connect website stated that there is “little reduction in VO2max in a well-trained runner for the first ten days of non-activity.”  Well-trained means the runner trained consistently for a four to six month time period.  They put together a little chart that outlined reductions in fitness levels over a period of time using a 20 minute 5k runner as a guide.  Take a look:

To me, this is all very interesting, as well as enlightening.  Most runners are dedicated creatures so any time off can seem like it’s the end of the world.  Apparently not!  As always, the purpose of my blog is to share my experiences with you…so if any of this information can help ease the pain of not running, I will be a happy girl.

Make it a great Friday!

Tracy

PS.  In the next few days, I {hope} to attempt a swimming workout given to me by Jesse.  This {in itself} should be hilarious since I haven't been in a pool to swim actual laps in probably over two decades!  :)

Running Rest.

Morning!

In some recent posts, I talked about the Achilles tendonitis that has been plaguing my right heel.  In case you missed some of those posts, here they are:

Achilles Tendonitis and a Trail Run

Must Wear Shoes

Two Days in a Row 

It's been about a month since it started and it still hasn't subsided, so I decided to make an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon {the same one I saw for my IT band issues}.  My appointment is on Tuesday, but up until then, I decided to take some time off from running to rest and recover.  

I recently came across these words of wisdom.  The first part particularly stood out to me at this time...

I want to be able to run forever and to do that, I need to take care of my body now.  Even though it is really, really, {really} hard not to run, the rest and the days off are for the best.  I'm a certified WebMD junkie and the more I read, the more I find that Achilles tendonitis can become chronic.  That word scared the heck out of me so the time has come to slow down for a bit.  In addition, my running buddies {Lauretta and Jesse} are, or will be, out of town through the weekend so it's almost a sign for me NOT to run as well. 

Running has become my addiction, and I need to put it all into perspective.  A few days off now can lead to a healthier, stronger body in the long run.

What do you think...are you more apt to take rest days or days off when aches and pains arrive?  Or, do you tend to run through injuries regardless of how long they are present?      

Make it a great Thursday!

Tracy

 

Digging Deep with Massage

Happy Thursday!  Including today, I have exactly 14 days of school left.  But, who's counting? :)  I love this time of year because school is winding down, the anticipation of summer break is looming in everyone's minds, the weather becomes warmer and more inviting, and it is light at 6am for my early morning runs.  What more can I ask for?  

...ALMOST...

With these happy thoughts in my mind, I can get through anything...even my Achilles tendonitis.  Last night I visited my old friend {Laura} for neuromuscular massage therapy on that region, as well as my calf muscle.  Laura is well-known throughout the Lehigh Valley for having "hands of steel."  Many runners have been in the hands of Laura throughout the years and she even makes weekly visits to the staff of Runner's World/Rodale Press in Emmaus.  

For thirty minutes straight, she dug her thumbs into the heel and calf area of my right leg and...let me tell you...it was no picnic.  At one point, I told her that these visits weren't enjoyable.  She laughed and no offense was taken.  I'm pretty sure that wasn't the first time she heard such a comment.

This morning I went out for a run and it felt ok.  I think it was a little sore from last night's session, but I worked through it and finished five miles.  I was glad to get the run in despite the soreness and tenderness.     

Here's a little article that Laura wrote about running and massage.  She's been around the scene for a long time!

Transitioning from Winter to Spring Running 

Over the winter, Laura also helped me get through some tight IT band issues and the sessions with her worked wonders.  I highly suggest massage therapy to relieve the aches and pains associated with running.  It's worth it!

Have you ever tried neuromuscular massage therapy or any other form of massage therapy for running-related injuries?  Did it help?  

Enjoy your day!

Tracy

     

Must Wear Shoes.

TGIF!  

Yesterday's easy five mile run with Lauretta on the tow path was {as always} delightful. 

The weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and there weren't too many crazies on the path.  Bonus!  We chatted away about food, running, her moving adventures, blogging, etc, and before we knew it...we were done.  I also have this really horrible, debilitating fear of snakes and someone I know {I'm not mentioning any names} was teasing me about recently spotting a rattlesnake down there.  Still worried, I kept my eyes peeled for any visible trace of a creepy crawler.  Ugh...I hate this phobia! 

Lauretta and I are gearing up for our 6:30 am, eleven miler on Sunday.  Only she would meet me that early and I personally think it's a great way to begin my Mother's Day.  Thanks for the run today! 



On to the post...I've learned over the past few weeks that wearing either heels or flat soled ballet shoes to school or around the house isn't cutting it with my tendonitis.  The other day, I wore a pair of flats to school and by the end of the day, my Achilles was throbbing.  I decided at that moment that those types of shoes will be put on the back burner for a bit and I will wear "good for my feet" shoes until my tendonitis subsides.

When I'm not wearing running shoes, my choice of footwear are these fun {but not so attractive} pair of Dansko clogs.  

I did get them a few years ago, but they still are ultra-comfy and make my heel feel better when I wear them throughout the day.  I also wear them around the house at night since {Bodi, the trainer} told me not to walk around without shoes.  Being the good patient I am, I listen.  That, and I just want to run without pain!

Well then, I'm off to school now.  Have a great Friday!

Tracy

Two Days in a Row

The other day I posted about my Achilles tendonitis, my most recent "pain in the heel."  From what I'm reading, most websites suggest that runners who suffer from this type of tendonitis should either lessen their mileage or take some time off entirely.  Since I was going non-stop from the time I woke up until into the evening, yesterday I decided to take another day off from running.  That would be two days in a row.  

If I want to feel better, I need to listen to my body, sacrifice a few miles and rest.  I need to put it in my mind that two days won't kill me, and it certainly won't lessen my fitness level.

This morning I got back on the saddle and woke up pre-6am and ran five miles.  

I have to say, it felt pretty good!  Maybe a little rest does go a long way?  Bottom line, I need to tell myself that days off are OK.  In fact, they're necessary in my journey of healthy running. 

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Tracy   

Achilles Tendonitis and a Trail Run

Ugh…it never fails.  Just when training is going exactly the way it should be, something happens.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some fast stuff in spikes and because of that, I began to have pain on the back of my heel.  It really flared up after I did that 1,500 time trial last Tuesday.  I decided to take a few days off while at the beach, did yoga on Monday and ran on Tuesday evening while my daughter was at her dance class.  Granted, Tuesday’s run ended up being very productive…but the first 1.5 – 2 miles were utter hell!  Wednesday night’s run was awful.  I made it around the block and called it quits.   

I had a sneaky suspicion that I may have a slight case of tendonitis {Jesse did too}.  I had the classic symptoms: pain decreasing as the tendon got warmed up during a run, and pain upon rising out of bed in the morning and then subsiding once I walked around for a little bit.  

All was justified when I saw one of my husband’s athletic trainers on Wednesday night.  Achilles tendonitis is what I have and thank goodness, it’s not the end of the world.  I can still run, but he wants me to slightly decrease my mileage, apply nightly ice massages with water frozen in paper cups, stretch when the Achilles is warmed up {such as after a shower or after running for a bit}, and I need to periodically take some ibuprofen to lessen the inflammation.  I can do that…easy, peasy!  

Thursday night I attempted a flat, trail run with Jesse.  I want to do an upcoming story for Lehigh Valley Magazine on the various running and walking trails that are available here in our area, so we hit the Saucon Valley Rail Trail for 6 miles.

The verdict?  We started out slow {~8:00 pace} and gradually picked up the pace.  My heel hurt slightly in the beginning, but it was nothing compared to Wednesday’s run.  About half way through, we stopped to stretch per the trainer's instructions.  We hit the first three miles in 22:44, but our second half was faster, running 19:39.  Our fifth mile was ~6:25 and the final mile was run in 6:13.  Honestly, I felt pretty darn good with little pain.  

Again, I'm sure glad that Bodi {the trainer} didn’t tell me to stop running.  I’ve had various forms of tendonitis in the past and although it’s not pleasant, it’s curable and workable. 

Have you ever had any form of tendonitis?  If so, where? And what did you do to lessen the pain?

Have a great Saturday!

Tracy