Have I said yet how hard it is getting back in shape?

Run #2 (Jan 2) :

“Long Run” #1 (Jan 5) :

I will shamelessly go on the record saying I (naively) didn’t think a month off would be completely detrimental to my fitness. I envisioned myself hopping right back out for double digits and seamlessly transitioning right back into hard training, maybe just SLIGHTLY slower than before.

Apparently, not the case.

Spending all of December after CIM with beer & cookie marathons did a serious number on my endurance and fitness. SHOCKER!! For an injury-forced break I’d normally have done some low-impact cross training to get my heart rate up over comatose level every once in a while, but with the skin sutures requiring clean healing, sweat was kind of out of the picture.

Which was fine. Health is most important. I knew my leg would be better afterwards and really didn’t want to be bothered with a staph infection, so I happily soaked up my newly minted free time and embraced Zero Month.

But boy am I paying for it now.

It sucks and it hurts and I hate how even the most compression’y of the compression leaves room for something to jiggle. I hate how uncoordinated and awkward I feel – like a baby horse learning to walk. … with three legs. … on ice. … blind and deaf.

But with all the pain and extra focus required (to avoid bad habits), each run seems purposeful. Everyday I feel myself getting stronger – still a long way from where I was pre-injury, but on a smart and steady path there.

And the real benefit of being totally, completely, fatass out-of-shape?

Reopening a world of constant improvement. Where PDRs (personal distance record) are reset and expectations attainably low. Progress is obvious and undeniable – from running my work loop without stopping, to eventually double digits, to the first race back. Feeling the gradual increase of ease and decrease in exploding kill-me-now lung burn.

In distance running, at least after the beginning initiation, that obvious sense of accomplishment gets squeezed and hard to come by. Shaving seconds off tempo pace, maybe a few minutes from a race PR – the “glass ceiling” is pretty quick to hit and can become frustratingly monotonous.

After five marathons, I found that sense of improvement again when I started going to the track. New workouts, new times to break, obvious gains. Those confidence-boosting workouts spurred an inspired training cycle, and I’m hoping this “start from scratch” approach will do the same.

Yesterday K and I got to run together again, the first time since before CIM. It felt good to be back in a Saturday Long Run routine, and ease back into harder running. We covered eight miles, with the last two “hard”.

(No idea how fast or slow “hard” is, since I made K promise beforehand not to tell me any paces no matter how I begged, and like a good runfriend she obeyed.)

I decided to run “wireless” the first two weeks back, knowing that getting wrapped up in numbers would be defeating, frustrating, and unnecessary for an institutionalized headcase runner. I wanted to get back into stride based on feel, measuring success by things like “no walk breaks!” and “didn’t feel like an elephant!” and “looking less and less like the Phoebe run everyday!!”

I’m prepared to be horrified by what I see when I finally strap Garmin back on this week, but vow to measure myself only against me now, not the me of 2012 or anyone else.

If “easy” is 10:+ and tempos are old MGP, so be it. ACCEPTING IT. There’s only up to go from there, and I’m ready to put the work in to see just how high that will be.

So here’s the summary : I’m back running, PAIN AND STITCH-FREE, and am excited to someday stop feeling like a herded buffalo disguised in Oiselle & Brooks. Eugene Half training starts in three weeks, I plan on running at least two races with “K” in the name before then, and am not looking at reuniting with 26.2 until fall earliest.

Sarah OUaL

Zero Month is (finally) coming to a close, and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with how I handled it. Sure it took daily reminders that “this is GOOD for you” and “you’ll be STRONGER in 2013” and “just let the fatness happen”, but reveling in full laziness and soaking up all the butter and booze it came with was more fun than expected.

Well, mostly.

Fun when I forgot about my rapidly growing double chin to load up on Christmas cookies or hit up another fried-food-and-beer gathering after work. Fun when I ignored visions of the pain of getting back in shape and slept in every morning. Fun having a wide-open schedule and the freedom to make plans on the fly. Fun having time for friends and family and sleep and Christmas Ale to my heart & liver’s content.

(In case you weren’t aware those are the only things higher than working out on my priorities pyramid, which for your viewing pleasure (and to break up this word-heavy post) I made this little diagram to illustrate… )

I will admit there were some embarrassing “I HAVEN’T WORKED OUT IN ___ DAYS!!” meltdowns here and there, usually following a cookie binge or having to last-minute scramble for a new outfit because Hiii Muffin Top is not on the menu for tonight’s party, but I managed to keep my shit together (for the most part) the rest of the time.

What may have gone forgotten or maybe I never really talked about it, is that Zero Month was about more than physical healing. Yes the tib-strain needed rest, and the pre-melanoma sutures needed time to fuse non-sweaty skin back together. But more than anything else I’ve learned, my soul and head needed a break.

Honestly, it took a while to feel like I MISSED running. I’d lost the joy training used to provide – hard work that used to invigorate and motivate me slowly became just… WORK – and the easy “fun” runs required being forced into my Brooks and drug out the door.

Burnout, party of one!

I desperately want need that hunger (fat joke) back before jumping into another big goal year. I’ve said it before and you can put it on my grave, I’m not a “happy runner”, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy my workouts. There’s an obvious difference between giddy smiling through every step and masochistically looking forward to a puke-inducing interval sesh, but it’s not to say one camp “LOVES” running more.

I know the love of the sport still burns inside me, it just needed some time to rekindle. Stifle a flame and it’ll slowly peter out. Breathe fresh air into it and you’ll set the trees above ablaze with an alarmingly aggressive bonfire and have the fire department at your door.

confession– this is a real Corntown photo but I wasn’t there. stole it from L’s facebook

With the green light to return to running just around the corner, I’ve shifted my focus to attempt reviving that flame; from wallowing in the bummer ending to 2012 to reliving the great lessons and successes from the year. Falling in love with speed workouts, discovering my long-lost competitive spirit, and realizing a hidden well of untapped talent thanks to my fast and encouraging friends. Letting myself honestly admit how far I’ve come since my Sub4 days and how I’ve grown as a runner.

And dreaming of all that’s left to be discovered.

I’m feeling that itch to lace up again, drawing up plans, visioning cresting big hills (without wanting to throw myself off the edge), and daring to claim big dreams.

2013 is going to be a good year. I’m not sure where my goals stand or how this start-from-scratch return to running might shape them, but I’m excited to see what comes. Long, short, fast, or… faster.

Better go dust off the Garmin…

Sarah OUaL

CIM Training – Week #9

Su – 13.2mi Long Beach Half – the “controversial” 4+min PR

M – Rest/travel.

T – 5 easy/shakeout, few hills. Good, SLOW, pain-free 5 miler in before the conference.

altitude also makes me crazy but is good for pain-free running!

W – Rest/travel. Drove to yoga pretty excited about it, found out they changed the schedule and I missed it. Dicks didn’t even call me.

Th – 6mi (3-3-1 Tempo attempt) 3mi warmup felt good, and I kept reminding myself that last week I told a friend “I’d punch a baby to run a tempo.” Hit a 7:16 and 7:12 before pulling up and surrendering to the returned pain. Turns out running fast = tib stressor. Back to square one.

F – Rest, pity party.

Sa – 7.5mi, 2.5mi walk (hindsight : 10mi loop route not good idea) Figured since running fast seemed to be causing the problem, I could run a lot of miles really slowly (~9min pace) and it’d be fine. That theory worked for about 6 miles, and eventually I told K to go on without me and I walked/hobbled back to the car. Long Run & Recovery FAIL.

= 32 miles, still injured

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I officially put myself on the DL yesterday. While I don’t feel my tibialis issue getting any WORSE, it’s definitely not getting any better. Just when I feel progress is being made, I go out and test it, push a little too far, and wind up right where I was before and all bent out of shape about it.

Patience what?

I don’t want to deal with a nagging “minor” injury the rest of training, so I’m shutting down and going zero miles this week.

I’ll crosstrain on whatever torture device allows me to sweat pain-free and spend lots of time with my yoga mat, taking advantage of this low-impact time to heal up and “reset” my whole body, not just my aching leg. The Compex machine is going to be permanently attached to my body and I’ll probably wind up with the ProCompression logo embedded on my leg.

compression socks healing my muscles while beer heals my heart

I know the “hay” I’ve put in the barn won’t spontaneously combust taking time off. Yes, a week of no running gives me anxiety out my ears, but I have to trust this is the right thing to do.

“I know showing up not 100% healthy will be even more detrimental than stepping back now. Let the body heal… you’ve still got this. Period end of story”

(from my Believe I Am journal)

* Any past-injured’s want to tell me happy tales of coming back faster and stronger than ever after taking some time off? Or send me some magical healing potion so I don’t really have to go to my sweatbox nasty gym this week?

Sarah OUaL

After the Long Run/Race Sunday, I took a day off from running to let my aggravated achilles/ankle rest.  Instead, Emily and I opted for some OpSD recapping and future Sweat Scheming on the ellipticals.

(sorry you have to wait a little longer for those recaps. no really, you do. and I am sorry.)

Tuesday and Wednesday I went out for easy recovery miles.  I mean EASY.  Cotton tshirt and loose ponytail easy.  Garmin-less easy, because I didn’t want to know JUST how slow “easy” was. 

And because I forgot to charge him.

As much as I missed my normal routine of ass-kicking at the track/hills/tempo runs, I knew this was the smart thing to do and I’m proud of myself for sticking to my “Get Well” plan.  The stretching, sticking, and rest helped a billion.  I’m still on high-alert for any looming pain, but it seems I’m almost in the clear.

Thank F’ing Heaven.

So, before we leave the injury topic altogether and move on to the actual weekend & race recap, I thought I’d touch on a few subjects either that I failed to mention in my last post, or were brought to my attention by you lovely people.

Off we go.

*

(exact comments MAY have been altered. author’s names have not, in a blatant exercise of my literary power and the fact that I haven’t said “it’s my blog and I can do what I want!” in a while.)

Losing Lindy : So you like that torture device thing you call The Stick.  Should I get one?

YES.  It’s terrific.  Just make sure you’re normal-stretching, too, and not letting the sadist in you have all the fun.  I bought this one at my local RoadRunner Sports for ~$25.

Anchorsaweightraining : Stick/foam roll THEN stretch.  blah blah doctory-sounding-things, it’ll work better.

Aye aye, thank you for the tip.  You’re really smart.  Please use smaller words next time.

Easa : YOU QUIT DOING YOGA, DUMBASS, AND THAT IS WHY YOU HURT. DOWN DOG THIS INSTANT!

You’re right.  I lost my yogi card and have no excuse other than I’ve been too lazy to make time for practice during the high-mileage (for me) weeks.  I’ll spend some QT with my mat soon, pinky prom.

Life of Blyss : Quit copying me! I had shin pain from tight calves!

True story, a few weeks ago I had some shin pain that was cured with extra calf stretching as well.  Apparently tight calves can make many things go to shit.  And I’m dumb for not learning the “STRETCHING IS GOOD JUST DO IT” lesson the first time.

p.s. I sent you a lock of hair and vial of blood for our twinkie friendship necklaces.  Please reciprocate.  ASAP.  xoxo.

Chacha : How much did you run in your Kinvaras last week? I’m calling 4mm-love bluff.

Why weren’t you here helping me get dressed for my workouts??  I did wear them twice as much as I usually do.  Two hard tracks, a 6 mile tempo, and the 5k with cool down.  BUSTED.  A little too heavy on the fast runs last week, OUaL.

Backgrounder : I wear the lightweight, 4mm drop (the difference between the heel height and forefoot height) Saucony Kinvara 2 for my speed workouts, typically once or twice a week.  All other runs are done in the more stable (but still neutral), 10mm Brooks Launch.  Running  with the lower heel-toe offset works the calves more, hence the gradual buildup of tightness.  I’ll continue running in both shoes, but with more limitations on the Kinvaras and a more stringent stretching regime.  See?  Learning things.

Everyone that said they like their feet rubbed :

You’re gross.  And if that means you don’t have gross runners feet, I hate you even more.

*

Anything else to chime in with before we leave the injury/pain/ouchie discussion forever and always?  I don’t want to talk about anti-inflammatories or icing or unplanned rest days ever ever again.

Sarah OUaL

I have a major SweatySanDiego Hangover. Please excuse.

Up first on the weekend visitor/travel/run recap, a blanket statement to quickly cover a few important story-fillers :

Mix and match any sequence of the above photos and that’s pretty much the whole weekend.  #OpSD Success.  Please reference SweatOnceADay for further proof until I actually write about it.

*

In the meantime, I’ll talk (selfishly) about ME and MY RUNNING and MY BODY and MY RACES AND GOALS AND QUEST TO BECOMING A REAL RUNNER AND HOW I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR INJURIES MESSING THAT UP!

Remember this?

I was pretty sure my Achilles Tendon was half a sliver from crippling me for life.

Walking was not painful.  Over-flexing and stretching was, but not in the whole stretching-should-hurt-a-little! way.  Running felt like every step was a 90% chance something in my ankle/heel was going to snap in half.

 A lot of you weighed in with advice and suggestions, which kept my mind busy thinking maybe there was hope for an easy fix, and maybe my life was officially over and I needed to start looking into new hobbies.

Oh and Dave?  I still haven’t decided whether you were joking or not?  Don’t play with my “I like to go fast” heart :

 If you run at maxOUaL speed, the aerobic pain will mask the achilles pain.

So the threat of Sweat-cation Derailment pretty much ruined my entire Friday.  Within 12 seconds of fetching Emily from the airport and we were dissecting the situation with doctor stubborn runner intellect and devising a “Save-The-Long-Run” strategy to put to action.

First up : beach path test run. precautionary calf sleeves and pain tolerance on high alert.

After a few minutes it (ankle/achilles/heel) loosened up a bit.  And then it tightened again.  And then it loosened.  And tightened.  And then I stopped.  And went again.  Slower.  Maybe faster.  Ok, faster is better.  Actually, fast feels good.  Ok.

I bet I spent .09% of the 5 miles thinking about anything other than how it felt.  Surprising, given Em’s prompts of “HOW DOES IT FEEL” ever 4 steps.  I didn’t know how to describe or pinpoint the pain.  Will running more loosen it up or keep hurting it?  Will stretching help or hurt?  What about ice?  Foam roll?  Pain killers?  QUIT RUNNING FOREVER AND TAKE UP A PAIN-FREE SPORT????  WHY CAN’T YOU JUST TALK TO ME, STUPID ANKLE THING?!

I hate not knowing what to do.

So I iced.  Took a few anti-inflammatories.  Continued sticking until my lower half looked like I got hit repeatedly with a baseball bat 17″ plastic roller torture device.

Ummm, timeout.  Where did that giant knot in my calf come from?

After a brief consult to a few trusted sources, it became clear that the source of my ankle/achilles/heel problems could very very VERY well be stemming from my obnoxiously tight calves and the giant lump on the inside middle of it.

Heh, guess I haven’t been stretching as much as I should’ve been…

So Long Run/Race-eve was dedicated to a very painful recon mission against said knot.  I said a lot of bad words.  And did lots of hydrating (the ‘proper’ kind, not the Emily-and-Sarah-to-AA kind) to flush out all the evil lactic acid that had taken residence in my legs and was being ruthlessly “massaged” away.

Guess what?  It worked.

I’ll talk about the run/race in detail later, but I will confirm that Sunday’s 20.7 miles were ankle/achilles/heel pain-free.  I’ve still got some work to do to get it back to 100%, but I am SO SO SO SO SO SO x518 RELIEVED that it’s managed and on the mend.

And that’s the story of Injury Scare #1 of the 2012 racing season.  Hopefully there isn’t a sequel.

Sarah OUaL

Somewhat random but related question : Do you like your feet touched/rubbed/massaged?  

I find it terrible and prefer to never have anyone near the things that I rely on getting me places and through life.  Especially runners – we do so much extra abuse (hello callouses, black toenails, blood blisters, etc) to them that I just don’t want myself or anyone else to be subjected to that nastiness.  Similar to detailing your car’s tire treads.  Why would you use a toothbrush and pepperminty soap when a simple spray with the powerhose will do?