Injury - it keeps going and going (part 2)

A little over 2 years ago I started struggling with some knee pain that just got worse and worse, no matter what I did.  I ended up going to a Dr. (again) who told me (again) that I just couldn't run for a while.  I gave that a try, but it just wasn't helping, so I begged for a referral to a Physical Therapist.  I got one for several months out.  It ended up being almost six months from the time when my knee pain was near unbearable and affecting my life greatly, even waking me up at night, to the time when the pain was small enough I could run 5K again with only minimal pain.  It was a miserable time in my life and due to stress unrelated to running, but stressors that I usually managed with running, I plunged into the deepest depression of my life.  I won't go into the details of the darkness I experienced at that time, but I will tell you I learned some very important lessons from it all.

One lesson I learned pertaining to running, is that I LOVE it, and want to keep doing it as much and as long as I can.  The other important lesson that I learned is that my time is limited.  There are so many things that could happen that would make it so I could never run again.  That could be a sudden accident, or it could be a slow injury that I never bounce back from.  This realization has made me appreciate running so much more, and I've decided to do everything I can to keep running for as long as I can.

Fast forward to this past summer, the right knee pain hasn't completely gone away, and on top of that my LEFT knee decided it was its turn to give me trouble.  I tried to ignore it a little bit, but decided that wasn't a good idea to ignore pain again. So, I decided to "train" away my injury instead of the ever recommended R.I.C.E.  (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).  I was okay with the I.C.E part, but not the R...don't get me wrong though, I love rice!

Anyway, for my "training", I kept up my PT from the old Dr., decreased my miles, moved off the hills and onto a track, increased biking to compensate for lost aerobic activity, and slowly started building up as my knee allowed.  It was enough.  I did much better with the reduced running than the non-running and it was great to feel like I was involved in my recovery instead of sitting on the side-lines.  

I also made an appointment with my Dr. who gave me a referral for a Physical Therapist.  Again, I got involved, I called a whole bunch of PT offices until I found someone who specialized (at least a little) in runners.  She's helped me identify and fix some of the issues and felt I was progressing so well that she "graduated me" and put me on a home program.  

The greatest part, while I was recovering from this injury I trained for 5 races (2020 style - virtual): a 5K, two 10Ks, and 2 half marathons.  The craziest part is as I'm recovery and strengthening my weak areas that are causing me injuries something else is happening that I still don't understand.  I'm faster!  At almost 40 years old, I'm faster than I've ever been.  In the last 6 months, I've been able to get new PRs on every distance I've tried (10K, 5 mile, 10 mile, and 1/2 marathon), except the 5K.  My mind is totally blown by this, but I'm continuing to recover and learn more about how to avoid injury so I can keep running in the future.  If a side benefit of all this is that I become not only injury-free but a better runner overall, I'll totally take it.

I'm not completely healed from either my right knee pain or my left, but every week (even while training) I'm getting a little stronger and I'm hoping all this will land me once again to a marathon starting and finish line.  Due to injuries over the years, it's been a long 4 years away from that very challenging (at least for me) race.  Can't wait to be there again!

Injury - It keeps going and going and going

 This will likely be the first of many posts on injury.  I've dealt with running-related injuries my entire life.  I remember in my early teens, even though, I was only running 10 - 15 miles a week, I'd often have major pain in my shins and ankles.  My mom would try and massage them (good lady!) and give me ankle strengthening exercises to try, but the reality was that I was in pain, and if I didn't run the pain was reduced.  I think it was around that time that I went to a Dr. and got orthotics...but neither my parents nor I remember those details clearly.

When I was a junior in High School I was talking to a friend who told me about cross-country.  Coming from a not running family, I honestly had no idea there was such a sport and I was amazed and told her, "I run 3 miles all the time."  I started training with the High School team that summer and it was a blast until it wasn't.  I was quickly injured and had to stop running with the team or even by myself as much. Other things become a priority (work mostly) and in the fall my friend asked if I was still injured.  I told her I wasn't, but that I hadn't practiced and I wouldn't be any good at that point.  So, I never ran a race, not one.  Still one of my High School regrets.  I didn't understand at the time that injury was COMMON for runners and especially with the lack of training that I had and the limited knowledge of my coach, it was bound to happen.

The stories could continue on and on.  It took me a while to learn that if I wanted to stay injury-free, I could only run 3 days a week.  Then I learned that I had to go at my own pace.  Of course, if I try and go at a much faster pace my lungs and muscles start streaming before the injury has a chance to develop, but if I run a much slower pace than I'm used to my injuries flair up again in a matter of a few weeks.  I've also learned that I have to do strength workouts, learned little adjustments to my gait to prevent injury, found shoes that work better for me, on and on...all to stay not injured.

Hills, hills, and more hills

 Hill workout, hill repeats, hill training, it comes by many names, but when it comes down to it, it's the same grueling workout.  You vs. the hill...again and again.  I've managed to avoid hill workouts most of my running "career?", but every once in a while, they pop up and I feel obligated to run them.  This week was one of those times.

The training plan I'm following (Smart Marathon Training - totally recommend) suggested finding the tallest hill in town and having that be your "proving ground".  Ha!  The author obviously doesn't live in MY TOWN.  There are hills around here that are easily a mile long.  I don't think he meant for this to be mile hill repeats.  So, I selected a medium-sized hill and plotted out the steepest 1/4 mile section of it to be "my hill".  Here we go.

On the menu this week was a mile warm-up, 6 hills (1/4 mile up, 1/4 mile down), and a mile cool-down.  5 miles...no biggie...right?  It was so much of a no biggie that I ended up stalling for almost an hour before I realized it was now or never and got out there.  And do you know what?  It was grueling.  At the top of each hill, I was dying and very grateful to turn around and go downhill.  Only to find myself at the bottom staring up again.  Grueling, I tell you!  I ended up eye-balling and cut the hill into thirds and would just focus on that 1/3 of the hill and that made it easier.  Up and down and up and down.  1 hill, 2 hills, 3 hills, and then 3 left, 2 left, and 1 left.  Finished!  I did my cool-down mile and went home happy about what I had accomplished...and knowing that hill and I will meet again...next week (agh!).

Later this week I had a 7-mile tempo run.  I have a course that I pretty much love and can easily pace myself on, so I headed on to that.  It was going well and then I got to the hardest part...a giant hill.  Where I usually do my best on it and get through it okay, this time I looked at that hill will fresh eyes.  Ha, I thought!  Only 1!  I can totally do that.  I charged the hill much like I had a few days earlier, although a little slower, but with much more confidence.   I had one smaller hill at the end of my run and approached it with much the same attitude.

That giant hill mile was one of the fastest times I had on that particular mile.  Thanks hill workout!  I thought you were just there to beat me up and wear me out, not to give me strength and confidence for later.  You have my respect now...and hopefully, I won't drag my feet to get out there next week...maybe.

Oh, and on a side note, my hamstrings are still screaming from those hills 4 days later.  I'm trying to lengthen my stride a little bit on the uphills so they are less impactful on my knees, and apparently, my lazy hamstrings aren't big fans of that.  You'll adjust my friends.  You'll adjust.

How about you?  Do you do hill workouts or do usually avoid them like I do?  If you run them, what does your version look like?  What helps you get up that hill over and over again?  I'd love to hear your stories too!

Initial Thoughts

 I'm not really sure why I'm starting this blog.  I feel like it's something that will help me to get out some of my thoughts, but hopefully help and inspire others as well.  The truth is, I love running.  I always have.  The family I grew up in wasn't really a sports family, so I discovered athletics at a little older age.  When I was 11 or 12 I started hanging around with a group of girls that were TOTALLY into sports and they became my people.  We, with all the neighborhood boys, spent our days playing: basketball, football, hockey, tennis, you name it, we did it.  I also got involved with Jr. League basketball and flag-football teams.  Fun times!  There was something about sports that I totally loved.  I love the exhilaration of running up and down a field or court, beating as many people there as I could, and just feeling like I could keep going forever.  What I didn't like was my hand-eye coordination was a little lacking. With practice, I overcame some of that, but not a lot.

Around that same time, I noticed runners out "jogging" every once in a while and so I decided I could give that a try.  I pushed myself a little further each time until I could run to the end of my neighborhood and back, which just so happened to be 3 miles.  That was the beginning.  Looking back now, I realize my love for other sports stemmed from my love for running.  Running has become a way of life for me, but it was very gradual...a story for another time.

So, why the blog?  Here's the truth.  I spend more time thinking about running than anyone around me actually wants to hear about running, so I think this will be a good outlet.  I don't have many runner friends right now and I can see people's eyes glaze over when I've been talking about running for too long.  If you're an enthusiastic runner or even passionate about another subject, you know what I'm talking about.  This way I can talk about running, either just to myself or to readers who know what they are getting themselves into.  You've been warned!  If you are interested in talking about running, talk away.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, suggest topics for posts, or let me know if you'd be willing to be a guest blogger.  So, with that, welcome to my blog.  I run a lot, but even more, I think about running, and I want to talk about it...with anyone (or no one) who will listen.