It is no secret that since my running had to take a back seat while I worked on healing and re-training my hip(s) to work differently, more efficiently, and better after my right hip suffered a hip labrum tear in 2015 and my left hip’s hip flexor basically ended up paralyzed in early 2017…my body’s old nutrition/fueling while working out/running has stopped working.
When I came back from the hip labrum tear, I had immediately gone back to using Gu as my primary source of fuel. But my stomach didn’t like it at all. I did some research online and found Tailwind…which worked at first, but soon left me feeling sick and with stomach cramps. Back to the drawing board and those crazy internet searches. U-Can was next. I heard amazing things about it. I bought a sample pack and…this really upset my stomach to the point I was near puking on a 20 mile run before the Kauai Marathon last year. I reached out to some friends at running stores and distance running groups and did a quick trial on a few different fuels. Sword, Skratch, huma (chia) gel…all of which did absolutely nothing to help my body feel energized during a distance effort. In fact, I almost threw the huma gel back up because of the chia texture. I was throwing out a Hail Mary and had someone introduce me to Hammer.
I didn’t have long to test Hammer in the field before heading to Hawaii…but I did what I could. Hammer gels and the Hammer Heed (which is a powder that gets mixed in the water). They worked well enough for sure…and while I struggled with the marathon (mostly due crazy mountains and hella heat), it got me through.
After that, I was running shorter distances and had no need for the endurance fuel at the time. Then the hip flexor thing happened on January 1 (NO JOKE), and I was out for over 2 months with that. Training for a couple of upcoming half marathons finally kicked in with me way under mileage…until last weekend, when I finally did double-digit miles – 10 miles with some hills!
Lo and behold…just after that, as I’m gearing up for half marathons this summer and prepping for Chicago Marathon training to kick in around the end of June/early July…my favorite electrolyte drink company, nuun, releases their own version of endurance fuel. And without any hesitation…I ordered it.
Why was I so quick to jump on the order? Well, for one thing, I am a nuun ambassador. So, it’s always nice to try products that I support anyway. AND I have been a user of the nuun electrolyte tablets since 2012. The nuun Energy Cherry Limeade will forever be in my fuel belt when I run half and full marathons. And, the now defunct, nuun Active Kona Cola (can we bring this one back?!), was my absolute favorite flavor they created. I gave up drinking sodas back in 2013 when marathon training began…and it was the perfect supplement. With such great success with nuun (all products, except the nuun All Dayflavors, which I no longer see on the Web site, so may be defunct now too, are gluten free), I figured I could justify purchasing the new nuun Performance and give it a try. I ordered them the day they were released…no hesitation.
They offer the new nuun Performance in two flavors and two different forms. Both powdered. The flavors are Blueberry Strawberry and Orange Mango. You can either order these in a box that contains 12 sachets, or in a 10 ounce pouch (that makes 32 8 ounce servings). The sachets retail for $24 and the pouch is $20. So it’s just preference. But as I travel for most of my races, it was easier for me to spend the extra $4 for the ability to toss a sachet or two in my luggage than have to pack an entire pouch or measure it out into baggies and hope that they don’g explode with the change in air pressure on planes.
I tested the nuun Performance out on my 8 mile run yesterday. I know that isn’t really that long of a run, but with 2 weekends and 3 races in my future, I didn’t feel that I needed to run 11 miles with the group. But, I figured if I fueled halfway through, it would give me some idea of what to expect. The real trial will happen this coming Sunday as I run the Disney World Dark Side Half Marathon.
So…how did it go?
I decided to try the nuun Performance Orange Mango first. In 2 cups of water, I mixed the powder from the sachet and let it dissolve. Into my fuel belt bottle it went and I was set to try it out on my run. It was a rather warm morning too, so I figured this would go a long way on telling me how I react to it. I set out on my run, and shortly after hitting that 4 mile mark…I tried it out.
How do you use nuun Performance? This endurance supplement was created for you to drink during intense or long workouts (>90 minutes) to stay hydrated and perform your best. It was formulated using the newest science on how your system performs under stress. nuun formulated a precise combination of electrolyte + carbohydrate ingredients, in quantities to be fully absorbed, for improved hydration and reduced stomach distress as compared to other leading sports drinks. Also, being in powdered form allows you to make exactly as much as you need each time. What’s even more important to me is the ingredients. nuun Performance uses only clean ingredients, such as dried fruit powder, not fruit flavor + fillers. And it is certified non-GMO!
So, how did it go? Did it work for me? In a sense…YES!
The nuun Performance is light, both in texture and flavor. You would think you simply dropped one of those tablets for their Active/Energy/Vitamins varieties into the water. The flavor was also light, which I appreciated, simply because I don’t like to be overwhelmed with flavors while I’m running (especially long distances), but I like to have a break from plain water. This did it. The powder dissolved perfectly and didn’t have that chalky flavor other performance powders I tried have. I was impressed. And the best part…no stomach issues!! Not a single one. I was beyond impressed and hope that this continues to hold as I build in more endurance races into my schedule and begin training hardcore for my go at the Chicago Marathon this fall.
Let’s discuss the ingredients in nuun Perfomance. Check out the screen cap of the nutrition and ingredients for this amazing endurance fuel:
Here is a list of nuun Performance active ingredients:
sodium: 380 mg
potassium: 200-210 mg
magnesium: 20 mg
calcium: 15 mg
chloride: 80 mg
15 grams of carbohydrates
And…here is a helpful table of guidelines for use of this new, amazing product!
It is, honestly, impossible to run long distances without fueling your body at some point during the activity. While there are a lot of options out there, I was very impressed with the new nuun Performance. I have a sensitive stomach, especially during intense activity, but this was gentle and light and…perfect if you ask me. I can’t wait to use it more and more during my training.
If you’re looking for new fuel options or are just starting to seek out endurance fuel…give the new nuun Performance a try.
Wow, I’m behind on posts in the weeks leading up to the races I have coming up. Trust me when I say…I’ve been busy!
When I left you about a month ago…I was getting back to running, easing my mileage back up, adding in some speed work and hills, etc. Right? Right. Not all at once, mind you. That would be Looney Tunes.
So…basically my easing back into things started with a race weekend. As you know from the previous blog, I ran (not raced) the Rodes City Run 10K with my friend Matthew. It was a good way to train, and I learned that small, climbing hills and even the 10K distance were a challenge for this now endurance-less distance runner. My endurance was shot. Gone. Kaput.
I knew this needed to change. I just wasn’t sure exactly how to go about it, especially on my own. That being said…I made a promise to not give up and to keep on going!
The following weekend, after Rodes, I was up to 7 miles for my long run (my PT wanted me to increase my long run each week by 1 mile). Not only was I the milk maid for the #KDFMarathon training run (this simply means I provide the bottles of TruMoo in coolers for those doing the training run. As we know, chocolate milk has been proven to be one of the most amazing recovery drinks around due to the protein:carb ratio). I’m lactose intolerant and don’t handle dairy well at all, so I can’t use this method…but a lot of these runners look forward to that little reward at the end. The run, however, was starting at SWAGS South. And this meant…we were running Iroquois. I guess I was about to test this hip flexor out against the hills of Iroquois Park. It was an all-female cast of characters for the KDF Race Ambassadors that day too!
Talk about trial-by-fire. My running partner, Matthew, joined me and while everyone else was going 10 that day…we were hitting up 7. It was nice to have company, because…once again…I had to do my own thing. I just hoped no one followed me as I did it, because that would really screw up the mileage. There were 2 options that day for those doing the entire 10. Run to the top of the park (recommended for the marathon runners) or run past that hill and go around the base to some other road. I didn’t pay that close of attention because Matthew and I were doing neither. We ended up running to the water stop at the base of the giant hill leading to the top of Iroquois. We grabbed some water…and then continued on around the base, turning the opposite way of the half marathon runners and going more toward the amphitheater. We didn’t quite make it there before needing to turn around, so we just sort of turned into a lot, found a path, and ended up way off where we needed to be to get back. Garmins paused and we crossed through the grass to the main road and got back to the run. The hills did slow me down, but it was probably the best way to get back to running on hills. There is no getting around them in Iroquois. I was tired as we finished up…but as I was the Milk Maid…I needed to wait around for the chocolate milk to be gone.
Which I ended up icing the last 5 bottles because it was after noon…and I had a 2:30 pm Louisville City FC match to get to. First kick. And it was a draw. No purple smoke that day. But we had gorgeous weather. And I got a sunburn. Life was good. Well, maybe not the sunburn part…
Well, that following weekend would be my first real test. And here’s why. I wasn’t allowed to jump from 7 miles up to 10 because…well…obviously injuries happen to me. A lot. And the whole point was to ease the mileage back up there. The challenge, however, was that there was no training run on tap. Why not? Well…two reasons…
Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon in Lexington, Ky, and the Papa John’s 10 Miler in Louisville, Ky. Most of my fellow local runners and ambassadors were taking part in either RTB (and my coach was providing the pacers), or doing the last leg of the Triple Crown of Running with the Papa John’s 10 Miler (aka: my favorite local race…and I couldn’t do it this year BOO!). My running partner, Matthew, was out of town on a family trip. So…there was me, myself, and I.
And on a morning in the low 40s…it was not easy for me to haul my butt out of my nice warm bed, do all my physical therapy exercises and stretching and get myself out the door to run by myself for 8 miles. I don’t mind running alone. I don’t. I do it all the time. I just prefer to run with people. It takes my mind off all the mental stuff. And it’s that mental stuff that tends to mess with me. So the sun was long up before I finished up the stretches and stuff and made myself get out on the road.
The first three miles were awful…and that was the flat part of the course I was running. All that being said, I found my stride when the hills came into play. And these are some pretty tough hills. I wasn’t worried about speed or time…just the miles…but I felt so amazing for those last five miles. And when all was said and done, I finished up in just over an hour. And I felt good at the end. I showered. My roommate made an great recovery breakfast for me. And the weekend was now officially on.
Did I happen to mention that a few other things happened that weekend that sort of altered the way my weekends as of late were rolling? As a side…I started prepping healthy and vegan meals for friends of mine. I love doing this stuff. The problem was, my little side business was growing faster than I could keep up with. I was spending Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday morning in my tiny little kitchen. And there was more stress than letting the cooking relax me like it had been. So, due to upcoming races and out-of-town trips, I cancelled service through May so that I could come up with a better way of doing this for people, that wouldn’t take up all of my spare time and still allow me the opportunity to help others. I’m still working on that. But for the first time in 2 months, I didn’t have to jump right into the kitchen to meal prep meals that I wasn’t going to even eat. That was also part of the issue. I was cooking for everyone else and letting my own food prep and nutrition slide. That wasn’t the point of this. So I needed to take a step back and figure it all out. It’s a work in progress.
My roommate and I did FINALLY get patio furniture for the balcony. She hung up some lights and now…I just want to have people over to kick back outside, eat some food, drink some wine, relax, and just talk.
Doesn’t it look amazing? I’m so happy with it. Since putting it all up, we’ve been dining al fresco pretty much every night for dinner. When it hasn’t been too chilly out. And I think that only happened once.
Let me fan-girl rave here, as well, about something I found and wanted to share with all you ice cream lovers.
Nada Moo.
That’s a coconut milk ice cream. It’s completely dairy free. And it is made from real ingredients. None of that low calorie, low nutrition, chemical-laden crap (Halo Top and Arctic Zero, I’m looking at you) that people actually buy. If you’re worried about calories to that extent, maybe you just shouldn’t eat ice cream. If you’ve found a happy, balanced lifestyle…a serving (1/2 cup) of Nada Moo will astound you. It’s the creamiest, most amazing non-dairy ice cream I have ever had. And I’ve pretty much had them all. Locally, I’ve only been able to find a few of the flavors. Vanilla…Ahhh is the only one I can find that I have yet to try. Otherwise I have indulged in, and enjoyed, Gotta Do Chocolate, Lotta Mint Chip, Cookies and Crème, That Snickerdoodle Dough, and Mmm…Maple Pecan. If you live in the Louisville area and spot any other flavor…please alert me!
Which now brings us to this past week. I got up to meet at Senaca Park for the training run for the half marathon. I was supposed to do 9. The group for th half was doing 10. I figured, if I felt good, and the hills didn’t kill me, I could do my first double-digit run since the Disneyland Light Side Half Marathon (which I did injured, as you recall). The running gods were with me. Matthew and I took on the hills of Cherokee Park and did, for me, the entire route as it was mapped out ahead of time for the training run. And these runs have been going on since Rebel Challenge weekend when I was in California. I walked around for most of these runs, showing up in the cold just to suffer longer than most as I was not allowed to run. This run felt so good and gave me the mental boost I needed. Double digits. And now…taper.
It was an all-female cast of KDF Ambassador characters that morning too. And I also ended up being overdressed, despite the 39° start. When I finished about an hour and a half later…I was dying in the sunlight. It heated up quickly. I was wishing I had gone with shorts at that point.
And this past month, I’ve gotten back into a training plan using my coach, incorporated strides after my easy paces, stuck to my assigned paces, and yes…have done 1 round of fartleks, and 2 rounds of 4x400s as far as my speed work goes. So, yes…I am incorporating it. Speed work and I are still…not friends. In fact, I normally wake up those days not feeling well because it does just wind me up. And I have yet to have speed work day go smoothly. But, at least I’m out there getting it done, right?
Oh…and with the free time I have at the moment…I also snuck in a bit more “ME TIME” by going to the movie theater to see Beauty & The Beast. And it was a beautiful, amazing movie. And I’m glad, after putting it on the back burner and never having a moment to just go see it…that I finally made time.
Tapering because I have 2 weekends in a row of half marathons coming up. I think I’m running 8 with the group this weekend. And that’s it. That’s what I’ve been up to. Pretty boring, right?
Stay tuned…I’m sure there is more to come. But I need to foam roll and get some sleep…because it’s another wake up at the ass crack of dawn morning with body pump and some cardio after. But, hey, I’m getting stronger and faster and better…and that’s only for the better.
Okay…you’ll have to forgive me. I’m a bit of a Hamilfan (for those of you not “in the know”…that means I’m a fan of the musical Hamilton. So…the start of this blog is going to be a bit of an homage to the musical. If you know the music…you’ll get it. If you don’t…keep reading and then go check it out. It will change your life.
[ME]
You’re a runner. Of course! I’m a runner
God, I wish there was a race!
Then we could prove to everyone
That we’ve got a fast race pace…
[RUNNER]
Can I buy you a drink?
[ME]
That would be nice.
[RUNNER]
While we’re talking, let me offer you some free advice.
Train slow.
[ME]
What?
[RUNNER]
Run more.
[ME]
Ha.
[RUNNER]
Don’t let an injury set you back or make you sore.
[ME]
You can’t be serious.
[RUNNER]
Then let me reassert…
[ME]
Yes.
[RUNNER]
Always run hard and you’ll end up hurt.
*END SCENE*
~*~*~
Did I lose you? I hope not, because what I am about to say is actually rather important. I just sometimes have a hard time getting to the heart of the matter.
For the better part of the beginning of 2017, I was injured…again…
And…for once it had nothing to do with the amount or intensity of my runs. Well…not exactly. When I went home for Christmas, I continued with my training schedule…except the neighborhood where my parents live is hella hilly. I mean, you literally can’t NOT run hills when you are there. So, for pretty much the entire few days I was there, my runs were full of hills. And my left hip flexor started to complain at me on the last morning I ran there. I shrugged it of and boarded my plane back to the Louisville area. I took my usual rest days, and went out for my morning runs, which during my warmups, I would note a slight twinging in my left leg, but nothing that was crippling. My cadence and my pace seemed off for me though. Some stretches and rolling and I was on the road to Columbus, Ohio for my New Years celebration at my friend, Jenn’s.
I know, I’ve pretty much gone over this before, but I am making a point…so, please…don’t tune out yet…
It was after a 14 mile run that I started to feel some pain in my left hip (the one opposite the one that suffered a labrum tear last year. I hobbled through the rest of the day, took some Aleve with dinner that night, and felt a little better in the morning. I managed to get through my 6 miles of speed work (I thought to do it at Jenn’s because her neighborhood is SO flat it is great for speed work), but didn’t quite hit the pace. I missed it…just barely. Upon returning home, I managed one more 6 mile run before it all went to hell. My hip was not happy on that run and the following morning, a cross-training day, I found that I couldn’t even do my physical therapy exercises. Sadly, my orthopedic doctor couldn’t see me before I jetted off to Disneyland for a 10K and half marathon race. I survived those, although I still don’t know how I managed those times, but I think it was sheer stubbornness and the unwillingness to stop because I knew if I did, I’d never start running again. That and my orthopedic doctor’s magic cocktail of 2 Tylenol & 2 Ibuprofen…3 times a day. And KT Tape and ACE Bandages.
We all know what happened from there, but as the wait to see the orthopedic doctor took forever, and then the actual getting back to some semblance of running (first by not limping, then on the Alter-G, and then on roads…with very low mileage and with a super easy pace for me)…I decided I needed to go back and reflect on the one and only year where I wasn’t injured. At all.
2013.
When I was training for my first full marathon.
I went back to my training journals. This is why I keep a paper training log. Because it gives me immediate access to the things I was doing that kept me uninjured and running strong, if nothing else.
I had become a member of a Distance Runner group, which, after the Boston Marathon bombings, branched off into a great group of runners who were seeking to qualify to Boston. I hoped to do it sometime, so I joined. These Boston Qualify Seeking Distance Runners, as I said, were fantastic people and runners, most of which I still speak to and am in touch with today. But as we all geared up to train for our BQ attempts, it became a matter of how fast can you run your runs. And while the pace of my weekday runs started to speed up, even on easy days, my long runs were much slower. Like WAY slower. I put a lot of quality speed into my speed work days (fartleks, tempo, intervals), posting pics of my Garmin with the best of them on the group. But while they were all rocking out long runs at or near their race pace, I was running with a group that trained a little more deliberately. I never really posted the Garmin shot on my long runs, and would often find myself wishing I could post training runs as fast as they were. They were going to be so ready for Boston. But, this was also my first marathon…so I didn’t expect the magic to happen that quickly. I stuck to my plan, kept training with the more deliberate group, and got through June through October without hitches. AND…get this…there were times I was doing a long run on Saturday and then another one on Sunday. My legs never felt tired or like I was doing too much, because the paces I did these runs was so much slower than I would have run if I had been on my own.
Part of doing the back-to-back long runs was that I had signed up for the inaugural Dopey Challenge at Disney World…and I figured that was good practice. Part of it was just loving to be able to run with people. My friends were slaughtering their long runs…and I was just sort of cruising through them. Weekend after weekend.
And I was never injured.
What has occurred to me as I reflected on my best year of running and racing was…
Most runners, including myself, train too hard, too often.
We all get wrapped up in those numbers, how they might look on social media, to our peers, to people who *gasp* run faster than us already. No quality runner that I know judges their fellow runners by their training and race paces. But, to runners, those numbers are our Bible. And, we’re all guilty of the comparison game. I know I am. We love showing off our good runs, but what about the average…or not so good ones? Why was I so frustrated and embarrassed with my slow runs on those long run days?
Little did I know, I was training smart and training properly. Low-intensity training allows an athlete to gain fitness without overstressing the body. Doing too much high-intensity training can cause your body to not be able to absorb all the stress being applied to it and turn it into fitness. If you fatigue your body too much, too often, you run the risk of compromising your performance, your workouts, and possibly leading to injury. The entire point of the long run is not to bust it out at race pace, but to get your endurance up, get you used to being on your feet for a long amount of time.
In fact, most of my long runs going into the Chicago Marathon were done at a slow pace. There were a few weeks where certain miles were to be done at marathon pace…and I managed to rock those out. And come the beginning of October…I lined up at the start line of the Chicago Marathon…ran strong…ran far…
…AND QUALIFIED FOR BOSTON.
My first marathon. My first BQ. And I did it because I didn’t race all of my runs. Speed work and quality runs are important, yes…but make them something you do once a week…and run those other runs at a much more deliberate and easy pace. You shouldn’t be embarrassed to train slow. In fact, I do believe it was training like this that got me to that start line safely, uninjured, and feeling strong and prepared.
Yes, high-intensity training is very important to training as well, but a relatively little amount goes a long way. Here is one case where more is definitely not better. There is no need to unnecessarily tax your body when you should be taking it easy. I know…it sounds counterintuitive, especially in running when the entire goal is to reach the finish line in the fastest time you can, but…honestly…proper training means getting through the slow, the fast, the easy and the hard. But you have to hit on every spectrum to become a better, more efficient, and…uninjured runner.
I have been sidelined every year since 2013’s Chicago Marathon. I also attempted to run way more marathons in a year than was good for my body…but that’s another story. That being said, after this last round with my hip flexor in January…I’m making a more conscious effort to train smarter. Some of it is fear. Not fear that someone will judge my training pace as being too little. But fear of ending up with a worse injury…something that isn’t as easy to work around or get through.
I was lucky. This time around, my hip labrum wasn’t the issue, although I fretted for a month that it was. You have to keep your body moving forward, but turn down that intensity. Seriously, you’ll reap serious benefits and rewards simply by slowing down.
Trust me…I’m the poster child for this, apparently!
And those training paces that you used to brag about on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media…forget about it. Those numbers shouldn’t be bragging rights or your sense of worth in the running community. The running community is awesome because it embraces everyone, all shapes, sizes and paces. These times, distances, paces…these are your records of your progress. You shouldn’t feel like you need to post only your best, fastest times for those who follow you on social media, or make excuses for runs that you deem as too slow. Nope…these numbers are much more valuable and important than that. It’s fine if you want to share your stats…I’m not condoning that. Lord knows, I’ve done my share in the past. But…do NOT base your self-worth as a runner on these numbers. Don’t run hard every time you run. Don’t try to overdo what you are capable of doing. And NEVER PR a training run. Save that for race day. If you PR a training run, you’re not training right!
In the end…running to much, running too hard…is running your body into the ground. And, I, for one, am tired of injury after injury.
So, to my speedy friends who I could keep up with or even outrun at times, my apologies…because I am stepping my long runs down this training season. My long runs will be quality, long slow distances. As they should be. Some might have miles at race pace…but for the most part, I’m returning to how I trained for Chicago the first time around…as I gear up to run Chicago again this October.
This is NOT easy for me to do. My legs know one speed…fast…especially when I’m on my own. So, I do hope to find some people to hold me back and keep me accountable this summer as I work through my training and get to that start line, once again feeling confident and prepared.
Like I said…sometimes moving forward means looking back.
Maybe there really is magic in those easy, deliberate paced runs.
I ask you to consider this the next time you put that Garmin on and head out the door for an “easy” run.
“Always enjoy yourself. Don’t be upset if you don’t win, you’ve won by simply not giving up.” – Unknown
Life has been crazy, crazy, crazy busy this past week, which is why this post is almost a week late. Because most of the exciting stuff was covered in the previous blog, I will sum up this past week and what all went on in my transformation from injured runner to…the Comeback Kid…
On Monday, my physical therapy session was cancelled with Daniel. Which kind of sucked as I had wanted to talk about the ankle pain I was having. But he was running a fever, and I really am a huge germophobe.
So, he wasn’t coming in and I didn’t have to show up, since my therapist was out of the office. Instead, I went to work and sent him an e-mail regarding the situation. He messaged me back on Wednesday and said that he would look at my ankle on Thursday when I came in for my physical therapy session.
That meant a lot of waiting…and a lot of NOT running. Again. Because…honestly…the last thing I wanted to do was aggravate something else and be sidelined more. It seems like a never-ending battle. Anyway…I’m not very good at being patient or waiting.
That being said, when I finally did go in on Thursday, the first thing he did was ask about my ankle and have me take off my shoe so he could look at it, manipulate it, and basically bang the crap out of it to see if it was anything to be concerned about. When that meant I sat there going…no…nope…that doesn’t hurt…that’s weird…hahaha….nope…it’s fine…
Yeah…I think he was wondering if it was all in my head. It’s not. It wasn’t then, and it still isn’t now. But, as he told me, it’s not a stress fracture, because I wouldn’t be able to walk…so it was just some natural aches that come with starting to run again after NOT running for so long. He then had me warm up on a bike and do some dynamic lunges and moves before taking me outside into the cold air in my shorts and all and having me run around the building.
Why was I running around the building? So he could watch my form and see if I was babying my hip by putting more pressure on the other leg (that is the sort of shit that brought me my first (and only) stress fracture in my leg…and the last thing I want is to end up in Bootsie again!)…but he said that my form looked great from every angle he viewed me from. Only thing was my high cadence, but that’s normal for me.
So…he cleared me to do the Anthem 5K that Saturday (as I was up to 3.5 to 4 miles of running every other day), as long as the hip continued to feel good. So, we made one more appointment for a week and a half out…and I was done.
I wrote up a blog on the Anthem “5K”…that you can read if you missed out on that exciting adventure. The best part of that day was that I got to hang out with Melissa and Paul before the race…saw Tammy at the start of the race…and ran comfortably at a 7:29 average for the race. Without pain. At all. And without feeling like I was pushing myself harder than I should. Which says a lot about me maintaining my fitness level even without running in the equation. So YAY! But, I wasn’t supposed to race that one. I was supposed to run it…so…that wasn’t exactly fun to tell my PT over e-mail. He helped a little by putting things into perspective…about thinking long term. So…my mindset is starting to fall that way. I have goals I want to achieve…and being Gimpy McGimpster is not part of those plans.
Ever meet someone by chance and wonder how it was that you’d never met before and why you haven’t been friends for life? That’s Melissa and me!
Into the next week I went. The cold weather gave way to some mild mornings in the 50s. They were rainy…and windy…but I was in my shorts and loving it. I was doing short 4 mile outings and reminding myself to ease it back. This worked better on the windier of mornings (like 40 mph gusts will mess with you regardless!)…hey…I’m a work in progress. I’ll get the hang of it. By the weekend, the bitter cold weather returned. I was NOT happy. It seems like we get gorgeous weather during the week…but on the weekends, it is determined to freeze us out. I wasn’t running as far as…anyone at the training run. I was doing 5 miles as a natural progression to the Rodes 10K this coming Saturday. So…I was definitely the ambassador, and training run attendee doing their own thing.
My fellow, freezing #KDFMarathon Ambassadors: Melissa, Me, Dawn, and Jack
I’ve been doing a lot of cross-training on gym machines and at spin class. I know…I need to swim more…but swimming is just not fun for me. Or relaxing. So…I am working on that. But, despite the cold temps this week, I’ve gone out on a 5 mile run yesterday morning and felt good. I dialed back the speed and focused a lot more on form. My roommate pointed out that my feet were really pounding the pavement when I’m running these days. Soft feet. That’s what I’m working on now. Another good reason to NOT wear headphones while running. You can tune into your body and that is so important. The run felt good and I finished it feeling tired (hey, I started at 3:30 am), but proud of myself.
Today was my final PT session with Daniel. Yep…officially released! OFF THE CHAIN! I couldn’t be happier. My session today started with a warm-up on the bike before he had me doing my lunge matrix and then running through all the dynamic warm-up stuff he’s assigned to me in the past. And then….he had me doing these giant plyometric jumps before taking off at a run. All that went well…so he had me fill out final paperwork and I was discharged with the understanding that should anything flare back up…I am to call and they’ll fit me in.
And that, my friends, is a good, happy thing!
So…this weekend I am treating the Rodes 10K as a training run…and NOT…I repeat NOT running it hard. I have enlisted my running partner, Matthew, to help keep my pace back. We’ll just have a nice 6 mile conversation. The goal is to finish without any pain. I am really looking forward to this.
Going forward, I get to add some speed and hill work back into my training each week, but nothing monumental. Just some basic strides and a few small climbs. So, that’s progress. I also get to increase my long run by one mile each week leading into my races in April…so that’s also a good thing. I’m feeling good. I’m happy. I’m making my (hopefully final) comeback!
And there it is, friends. Stick with me. I’m sure there is more to this adventure!
Me after finishing the Anthem 5K (*COUGH*) Fitness Classic – Louisville, Kentucky
Race: Anthem 5K Fitness Classic
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Date: March 4, 2017
Time: 21:55*
Ugh! Asterisk time. I hate having to put that little thing near a time on a race…but it’s only fair because I can’t call this a PR. Not even close to one. Seems that the Anthem 5K was actually the Anthem 4.7K.
I. AM. NOT. JOKING.
Granted, I wasn’t on tap for a PR time…but I wasn’t pushing myself through this race either. Still, I know a lot of people who were thrilled with their HUGE PR times, and I wonder if they just didn’t bother, or didn’t care, to check their watches. I never even got to 3 miles…and others didn’t either. Those who were, like me, cognizant of this fact, were rather angry, rather than celebrating PRs that were not PRs. I mean, most (not all, I admit to that) runners do wear some sort of GPS watch and that, right there, is an instant snapshot of your race. It might not be 100% accurate on the time…but the distance…that’s usually pretty spot on. My Garmin never even beeped a third time before I crossed the finish line. So, I wasn’t putting it out there that I had a HUGE PR (not that this would have been HUGE even if it was a PR pace)…but still…
OH…did I forget to mention that in all of this…I was told to run a race?
Yep. This soon. Already. As in…yesterday.
Because my physical therapist thought that it would be a good mental boost for me. I was really leery…because of every race that runs in Louisville…the Anthem 5K is my least favorite. It’s crowded. It’s hard to find parking. And this year…the LMPD, apparently, used last year’s course map and cut 944 feet off the race course. So, it wasn’t even a 5K. And, I’m sorry, I paid almost $50 for registration for this race…I want to get my money’s worth. This race should have been 3.1 miles. NOT 2.93…NOT 3.2…but an accurate and exact 3.1. And it wasn’t.
Anyway…enough of my grousing. Let’s move on, shall we? Where was I?
Ah yes…I was racing. Kinda. The deal with my physical therapist was that I should and could do the Anthem 5K because, he felt, it could be the mental boost I needed because, let’s face it, I have played it overly cautious with my comebacks because…just as I start falling into a rhythm…something else on me breaks or falls apart or however you look at it. It’s the proverbial shit hitting the fan at times, and I’m sort of done with that. So…my PT felt that it would be good for me, as long as I didn’t all-out run it, to actually sign up and participate in my least favorite local race.
And that, my dear friends, is how I ended up with a race bib for the Anthem 5 (4.7)K Fitness Classic.
I registered for the race on Thursday afternoon, after I had seen Daniel that morning for my physical therapy session. After he checked out my ankle (the opposite ankle was giving me some issues) he had me do a dynamic warmup and then took me outside to run so he could take a look at my form and make sure I wasn’t compensating. He said everything looked great and that the only thing he noticed was my high cadence, which is normal for me. And then he said…to give the 5K a go on Saturday. So, I registered…coughing up $50 I didn’t really have to run a race I really didn’t like. Easy come, easy go.
Friday, my bib number was listed on the site and after work (we were trying to make up time due to the Sting concert that happened Tuesday night and the big storms that went through the midwest delayed the return drive long enough that it would eat into personal time if I took a lunch). SO…right after work, it was over the river to Slugger Field. Packet pick-up was a breeze. It was easy to remember my bib number…6061…and I was at the very end of the table due to my late registration. But we were in and out of there in no time. No problems. No issues. Back over the river…a quick stop at the grocery store for some supplies (I am batch cooking good, healthy, real food for people) and then…home.
Dinner…a gluten-free and vegan BBQ Ranch Pizza.
Night before a race = pizza.
Always.
Forever.
I keep trying to find something else that works, but pizza seems to be the key. So much for my plan to cut back on pizza.
I never really sat down that night. I went from cooking up lentils and making sauce and baking potatoes to…my PT exercises and stretches. AND…foam rolling for a brief moment. I had every intention of going to bed early too. That didn’t happen. I had to have my foot taped (the right foot that had the whole plantar flare-up back in the early fall). So, I got to bed just before 10:00 pm.
AND…I set my alarm for 3:30 am. Why? Because I needed to run through all my PT stuff prior to heading out for the race. My roommate was getting up at 6:15, and these take me close to 2 hours if I do everything I am supposed to do. So, I got up and bundled up, headed outside to do my dynamic warm-ups, my marches, my lunges, my steps, my lunge matrix, my hops and jumps…before heading inside for the resistance band stuff, the hip stretches and exercises, and even some work on the BOSU. I finished up at 5:30 am. I was tired. I made tea.
I packed my breakfast to go. I did that because I didn’t have a banana (I usually always eat a banana 30 minutes before a race) and with all my PT stuff, I never really had time to dart out to the grocery store and get one. My local Kroger usually has bananas that aren’t ripe enough anyway. So, I packed my Freedom Foods Rainbow Rocks cereal (think Fruity Pebbles made from real ingredients and not LOADED down with sugar) in a baggy, packed coffee cups for after the race, got protein bars ready for AFTER the race, and the roomie was up and eating some cereal soon after that. We were out the door just slightly ahead of schedule. It was freezing cold outside. Thankfully, the windows hadn’t frosted over. So, we made our trek over the river to downtown Louisville, where we ended up parking randomly in a street lot as the rest of the road was blocked off for the race. Thankfully, there were a few spots left. We paid the substantial $15 fee for the “convenience” to park there, then began walking down toward Market Street. I had an Ambassador meet-up at 7:40 am at the Jimmy John’s. Except…it was still REALLY early. So…yeah…
Melissa and me freezing before the Anthem 5K!
I was miserable and cold. The sunrise was gorgeous. But I was more focused on finding a spot where something (like a building) could act as a windbreak. This race is ALWAYS cold. I swear.As meet-up time came…I was still all by myself in front of the Jimmy John’s. But not more than a moment later, I see my amazing friend (and fellow #KDFMarathon Ambassador), Melissa and her husband, Paul, coming our way. They had already had a hell of a morning…had just picked up their race bibs…and Cathy was already pinning Melissa’s bib on her. This has become a trend. HA! I actually had a gift for Melissa…which I handed over while she was being pinned. Here’s the thing…Melissa and I are basically the Injury Crew (she’s been dealing with knee issues since The Light Side…and I’ve been dealing with the hip issue since…the beginning of the year). Anyway…when I purchased mine, I knew, as a fellow injured runner, how sometimes you just need a little motivation. She’s amazing…and she’s going to do amazing things. We waited for a few minutes, but none of the other ambassadors showed up. So…with needing to the start line and into the corrals (that no one really enforced)…we took the picture. And for being as cold and miserable as we were, the picture was super cute!
And being super cute is what is important, friends!!
We trekked to the start line…and as I was standing in Corral B…I get spotted by my good friend, Tammy. We sort of hung together while her boyfriend, Dean, moved up with all the fast elite types. Because…he’s fast and elite. Tammy knows what it’s like to have goods and bads and ups and downs, as she has been dealing with it for awhile. It was so good to see her and run with her through the start gate. I lost her after that.
So…one thing I dislike about Anthem is how crowded this race is. Honestly, you never get out of the pack. And I think that’s one reason that when I went out…I went out way faster than I intended to run. The good thing was, the hip didn’t flare up on me or twinge or anything. So…as I don’t check my watch for pace while running, I thought it felt comfortable and just went with it. I maintained. Honestly. My splits are pretty much the same. The first mile was amazing…it made me feel good, even if I was dodging a few people and maneuvering over some rather rough pavement at times.
Mile 2, however, was where the issues began. Leading into it I was feeling good. And, honestly, when I run, I get tunnel-vision. I rarely notice anything around me. Well, I’m just doing my thing and as we come around a corner, there is Mile 2. Okay. Wow. I noted the time on the clock on the mile marker had just hit 14 minutes. In order for that to happen, I would have had to blast off a 6-something minute mile and, honestly, this body is not up to that right now. And as I ran beyond it, I noted that my Garmin hadn’t beeped at me yet either to indicate the 2nd mile. So…I glanced at my watch. The top. For the mileage. And I was only at 1.88 miles. So, the marker had to be at least 0.15 miles off. I had hoped that it was an oversite and it would correct itself as the race goes on. Sometimes this happens. BUT…not this time. I rounded the corner and made the long slog down Main Street, taking it upon myself to glance at my watch after the 2 mile beep happened. I still hoped for a course correction in miles,but as I kept going, and when I could finally see that Finish Line…I hadn’t even gotten my third beep to mark a third mile. I hustled into the finish line…stopped my Garmin, and checked.
2.96 miles after crossing the finish line. Not even 3 miles. And there were a lot of angry people at that finish line. Every fast, elite, and finisher who gave a damn was pretty much discontent and having a little bitch session. I waited for Cathy, who was walking down to meet me and called her over to say, “The course was short! It wasn’t even 3 miles.” I double-checked with some runners who looked unhappy and they were, “It was WAY short and I’m pissed.” My friend Amber and her husband felt the same way.
Seemed like everyone PR’d that day…because they PR’d on a short course. I knew it before I crossed the finish line. I think everyone else did too.
Was I on pace for a new PR? Nope. But…I might have beaten my 2013 time…which would have been cool. But we’ll never know now. The race people went back to measure the course and did find that they were 944 feet off. They said that the Louisville Metro Police Department had barricades up in the wrong place as they used last year’s course map. Regardless…this is a HUGE race here…it always kicks off the Triple Crown of Running. You’d think they could get it right.
Like I said, when you pay as much money as this 5K race asks, you expect a little more in the end. Needless to say, this might have been my last Anthem 5K. Unless I get the Triple Crown bug again…but I’m happy just churning out the 10K and 10 miler, to be honest.
So…the official results of the Anthem 5K (4.7K) Fitness Classic are that I finished in 21:55. No new PR…not even on pace to set one. Even with the course mishap. I was 515/5315 finishers overall. I was the 91/3037 for women finishers. And I was 19/412 in my age division. I’m pretty proud, considering I’m still nursing an injury.
I will say this…I was able to run a pace that I haven’t seen since December, and have it feel comfortable. This hip never once twinged at me while I was running. I felt good and like I could hold that pace forever. To me…I count all of that as a win. PRs aren’t what I run for anymore. I run because I can…because it makes me feel alive…because it makes me feel good. Finishing this race was a mental boost that I needed. Daniel was right. So, in the end…I take with me the fact that I ran my heart out and I overcame another setback on my running journey. And that means more to me than the length of a course or the time on the clock.
Me heading into the finish line of the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic – Louisville, Kentucky
It has been one month since I started seeing my physical therapist, Daniel, twice a week. And…yes…there has been major progress since that initial meeting.
I mean…I started off not being able to walk without a limp…run more than 1 step…and pretty much being unable to do a one-legged squat or pretty much anything involving any sort of stress on my left leg. Gimpy yet again.
But over the weeks, Daniel has entrusted me to more and more dynamic movements to get this hip flexor back into working order. And…for the most part it has been paying off. For one thing, I can jump and hop without anything more than a twinge…and even then, that’s a rare thing.
I have been churning it out on the Alter-G treadmill. The first time he had me on there, he had me at 80% of my body weight. When I went back to see him on Tuesday morning this past week, he put me back on the Alter-G for another 25 minute session. He said to start at 90% of my body weight and if that feels okay…boost it to 95% of my body weight. I started off slow, getting my stride, focusing on form…and after the first 15 minutes, I took it from 90% up to 95% as he said. The pain didn’t climb…it only twinged a few times at me. And I was bored at the slower pace, so I boosted that…so that could have had something to do with it.
Sorry…treadmills bore me! Even really cool anti-gravity treadmills. So, I tend to go faster just to get it done.
After I polished off that run, Daniel said that he felt comfortable giving me the go-ahead to run outside. OUTSIDE!!! OUT-FREAKIN-SIDE!
The angels sang and the birds chirped and life was good. I was pretty excited. Daniel cleared me to run OUTSIDE every-other-day for no more than 3 miles. Thursday would be my first attempt. The thing was…after my run on Tuesday, I was pretty sore on Wednesday. I wasn’t exactly sure if I could get the run done on Thursday. I also started to feel crappy. Thank you seasonal allergies…in February. We had a stretch of weather in the 70s and all the trees started to bud…pollen…pollen everywhere. UGH. I was miserable. So, I got some Benadryl…and curled up in my bed at 8 pm…not looking forward to Thursday morning at all.
But when it came around, I actually only hurt a little bit. Nothing big. And I was able to get through all my dynamic warmups without a problem. So…I went for it. I did my 25-ish minutes of running…stopping when I got to 3 miles. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t fast. There was a lot of me thinking about my stride. I could tell I wanted to baby the left hip and would do an occasional limp-run. And at the end of the run, while I felt good, my right ankle was a little sore, which did mean I was compensating. That was frustrating. But…the run went…better than I expected!
I rested the rest of the day and prepared to see my PT on Friday morning. The first thing he did was ask how I was. I told him I was sore and what I gathered from my run. He had me walk the length of the room and said that my limp was gone when I walked…which is BIG!! I’ve been limping around since January 1st. WOOHOO! So, he had me run through some of my lunges and stair work. And then he hand me on the BOSU for some dynamic stuff. And I got a light massage on the hip flexor to see if that helped any with the soreness. And it did. I went into the weekend feeling better.
And then the weather changed again. From 70s down to the 30s. No joke. I was freezing at the Norton Sports Health Training Program run. Most people were running 7 or 14 miles. I was doing 3. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one in shorts. In fact, my fellow ambassador, Reggie, won for the most under-dressed that day. Poor guy!! Special shout-out to my warm friend, Jack, who helped keep me warm as my body pretty much locked up and didn’t want to move during the warm-ups. I was TOTALLY okay with that! I HATE being cold. HATE. The cold does bad things to my body.
So, after the really weird warm-up session, I shed my long pants to reveal my compression shorts (the ones I bought at Disneyland) and went out with the group, managing 1.5 miles one way (with hills, which I was supposed to be avoiding, but I swear, we ran downtown last time we started at the U of L Row House. UGH. So, while everyone else went on…I had to turn around. Which sucked…but I was definitely following instructions. The last mile was pretty much straight into the howling wind the entire time. When I hit 3 miles, I was right where I started. and I got into the car to warm-up.
And once again, my right ankle was being cranky with me. And it stayed that way the rest of the weekend. I vowed that I was NOT going to run again until I saw Daniel…which should have been today, but my appointment was canceled as he was running a fever and staying home. I see him Thursday morning and will discuss it with him then.
My allergies are clearing up, finally…so that’s good. And I’m feeling better. But…mentally this continues to be a tough pill to swallow. I still have a few meltdowns throughout the week…even when I do get to run.
I start to fret over all the small things, every pain, every twinge…and I focus on what COULD happen. So…to help me stay focused, I made a purchase over at Momentum Jewelry…this wrap:
EVERYTHING you want is on the other side of fear.
THAT…pretty much sums up what I need to focus on these days. It’s like my physical therapist said…there is this area where I won’t be doing enough for my recovery…and then there is doing too much…and there is all this middle-ground. And I’m right on this line…and I just need to push a little more. And that’s what we’re doing.
Eventually.
Once I get this stride, limp-run, Bambi-leg thing fixed.
And that’s is my first month working toward a comeback. MAJOR progress…I’ll take it!
There is a good possibility that I will be back to running on the streets in as little as three (3) weeks. Yep. That is how confident my physical therapist is with my progression. That being said, he really put me through the wringer this past week.
My appointments were later in the week…Wednesday and Friday. Due to his schedule this time. Next time…it’s all me. I have a Sting concert to attend and all…
But I digress.
That being said, it gave me the whole first part of the week to work on the marches and all the lunges he assigned me to work on at home. And here I thought I was totally done with homework. Let me tell you…my quads were burning. I tend to do my PT stuff twice a day. So, that was a whole heap of lunges.
This is, legit, one of the lunge moves I am to do to help strengthen the hip and get that hip flexor firing properly. He also added a new resistance band move for the left hip as well…in addition to the other stuff I was doing. OH…and the lunge matrix. Five lunges with each leg in basically every direction possible. It is beyond hellish.
Told you…lunge hell. If I don’t have the best looking ass at the end of this I will be highly disappointed.
On Friday…it got a little more real. After going through the stretches, exercises, and adding some fun new plyometric lunges and leaps with the BOSU to help with not only the push-off but also landing. It’s a great exercise, and I luckily own a BOSU ball, so I can do this one at home. Outside. I’m in a 2nd floor apartment after all. HA!
So, then my PT had a little heart-to-heart with me. For real. He said I was coming along great…and my pain was minimal these days. So…he wanted to know how I would feel if he told me to go outside and run 3 miles. Just go. Right then. And run.
So, he asked me why I felt that way…and I told him that I was nervous about it hurting again, or doing further damage. And that I don’t want to take any more steps back. He said that I was ready to get on the Alter-G treadmill…and he wanted me to pick a pace I felt comfortable with and see if I could run for about 25 minutes on it.
He had to kick someone off of it, but he got me all zipped in and I got started…
So…this wasn’t a fix. Not at all. In fact…I still had some twinging in my left hip flexor while doing this…and I was running with a slight limp. He pointed that out immediately. So, he told me to attempt to even it out as I was going, and I could keep going for the 10-25 minutes as long as the twinge didn’t escalate. It didn’t. So I managed 2.83 miles at a 8:34 pace for 25 minutes. It wasn’t perfect…but look at that smile! I WAS FINALLY RUNNING! It had been a full month since that had even happened.
This week, I think I’ll be doing a lot of work on the Alter-G. He had me at 80% of my body weight on Friday…and I think he’ll move me to 90% this week or next…and then…I’m on the road…IF all things go well.
That being said, I showed up for the training run for the Norton Sports Health Training Program for the Kentucky Derby Marathon/miniMarathon…and I was able to do some of the jumping jacks and other dynamic warm-ups that I had to phone-in before. So, I do think the process is working. It’s just slow. But I’ll take any improvement at this rate. I took a short walk, went and got my taxes done, and then met back up with my fellow Ambassadors at Big Four Burgers + Fries for a social. It was the best way to spend my Saturday for sure.
Looking forward to moving forward some more this week. But now…I’m off to officially cook my first Gordon Ramsay meal…Mushrooms on Toast for dinner!! Yes…his class…his recipe…me cooking it. Wish me luck. I’ll need it…it involves bacon. Not for me. For my roommate. Mine is minus the bacon. Chef Ramsay has his hands full with this gluten-free vegetarian!!
You know…there are so many times that I give up on myself. Those little moments of weakness when, despite doing everything I am supposed to, I get frustrated and impatient with progress…or the lack thereof.
And I break down…I melt down…I just…fall apart.
This past weekend was extremely hard. I was the very back of the pack on the training run…on my slow walk from Swags to Iroquois Park…and as the half marathon group lapped me…I turned around and walked back. I tried to stay positive, even doing an Instagram Story and keeping it lighthearted. But the fact of the matter was, for months, since signing up for the Mercedes-Benz Half Marathon…it has all I’ve been looking forward to doing. And I wasn’t even going to do it for time. But, when I went in to see my physical therapist on the Tuesday leading into race weekend, I inquired as to whether I could just go and walk the 13.1 miles. And my amazing, and very patient therapist looked at me like…
Like…come on! It was a logical question, yes? Right? Yeah…I probably deserved the, “Really?! You crazy!” look that he gave me. But, I figured I’d ask.
On Tuesday, he gave me a resistance band to add to the hip stretch that he had me doing for 6 minutes a day. I did it religiously. Like…this stretch was my church, for real. So I have this red band that loops around my ankles and I side-step normally, with toes out, and with toes in…2 times each set…and…in addition…I have this fun leg movement that I have to do to sort of activate the hip flexor. It’s not easy. I have to do this toe tap/leg-lift thing 20 times 2 times a day. My leg gets tired. But…I do this. Because I want to get better. And, I’m pretty freakin’ obsessive about my PT stuff. Always have been.
On Thursday, I went back. And my physical therapist started me off with a simple walk. He said that I was still limping, but at this point, he wasn’t sure how much of that was just habit. SO…we were going to focus on getting rid of that limp. AND…in addition, he stepped it up with me. First he had me step up onto the stairs, using my bad hip to pull up, not the opposite foot to push off. This was hard…but it did prove that the hip was still pretty tender when asked to control the entire movement of my body. He had me step up and down. Then we moved onto lunges with the stair. Up the step. And down the step. A little sore, but I managed it. And then…he decided to see how my body could handle marching. He got out a metronome…yes…that metronome is back…and set it for 140 bpm. He had me march in place, which, I did…and it didn’t hurt. Which shocked me. So, he moved the experiment a step further and had me march to the beat. And I managed that too, without any pain.
And my physical therapist said that he was shocked that didn’t bother me…and that meant I was further along than he even expected. YAY! After that, he gave my injured hip a bit of a massage, and realized that the tender points were definitely more on the flexor and not as much the TFL like he originally thought.
So, I continue to be a mystery. I went out for my walk with the other KDF Marathon/miniMarathon peeps on Saturday. And…like I said…I walked. I kept a smile though and was given a lot of encouragement from people who passed me either heading out or returning. Sometimes it’s not easy to wear that smile but I do it. It’s usually when I get home that I fall apart a little…
That is a pretty accurate reenactment. No joke.
Anyway…I am, as always, very thankful for everyone who continues to lift me up, support me, and believe in me. Because, when I’m ready to give up…that helps me to keep going. It helps me get off the sofa and stretch, or march, or go outside in the 28 degree weather simply to do lunges on stairs.
Instead of doing the Mercedes-Benz Half Marathon, as planned, I brought the chocolate milk to the training run, and spent some time with these amazing people, who are helping our dear Melissa, through her own injury recovery…because I am a part of a group of amazing people…and this is just a handful of them! And this is what we do. We lift up and support others…ambassadors or not.
Anyway…I’ve been working on that not limping thing. And if I manage to get that corrected, my physical therapist said that he’ll put me on the Alter-G treadmill so that I can do some running. Crossing my fingers. Because news like that makes me SO happy!
Yeah…I never thought I’d be this happy to be able to get on a treadmill!
But the Alter-G Treadmill is magic. It is. And I hope that I can start doing some actual training with the help of the magic of the Anti-Gravity treadmill! My next PT session is Wednesday…so we’ll see what he thinks. But I have to say, someone at my office said to me as I was walking down the hall, “You’re walking really good today!”
Well…it finally happened. As most of you who read my blog know…just after the New Year…heading into the Disneyland Light Side Rebel Challenge…my left hip…the *OTHER* hip from my hip labrum tear that basically took me out of commission for a year, began acting up. I repeat…this is THE OTHER hip. I did the smart thing for the most part. The instant it started to bother me, I didn’t run. In fact, I didn’t even continue the dynamic warmups and plyometrics I have been doing for an entire year for the right hip. I wasn’t going to mess around. It was the week leading into my trip to California, so I called my orthopedic doctor.
And he was booked. So, I was told he would call me before I left on my trip. I called 2 times in that week…and never got my call back. When I was on my way to Los Angeles, I called from the Phoenix airport and they pulled him out of an appointment to talk to me.
He said from what I was describing, it sounded like a hip flexor strain. He said to take a cocktail of Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Two pills of each…three times a day as needed. This began immediately…
So the two days leading up to the first race (the Light Side 10K)…I was starting to feel a little less sore and slightly better about the situation. My previous physical therapist sent me a wrap I could do with two ACE Bandages as well to help the hip flexor while I raced as well…to at least get me through. The 10K went okay. I actually felt good through the entire thing…but as the day went on and I walked around Disneyland, walking turned to limping and my over-the-counter drug cocktail was not helping me at all. When you wake up on the morning of a half marathon with a limp…you freak out. Or at least I do.
The positive side is…I finished…and I didn’t totally crash and burn. In fact, my finish times for both races were respectable. Although, I wasn’t running these for time due to the hip. It just came down to the fact that once I got going, I was afraid to stop. Stopping might mean I wouldn’t start again. I was *VERY* sore for the rest of the day after the half marathon. I limped pretty much through the rest of my Disneyland adventure. But, I didn’t complain. I just went and enjoyed myself.
The following Monday, I called my orthopedic doctor’s office to get an appointment. And…the earliest one they had was 3 weeks out. February 1. I took it. And for three weeks, I went to spin class (spinning doesn’t anger the hip) and worked on a few machines unless they bothered me. But I had to stop going to Body Pump. Too many squats and lunges and the last thing I wanted to do was do something to further damage/injure myself.
February 1 rolled around…and into the doctor’s office I went. I knew X-Rays were happening, but I wasn’t sure if there was going to be more after that. I was prepared to hear the word, “MRI” from my doctor, but after examining the X-Rays and noting that there were no fractures, and the ball/socket and hip labrum looked good in that hip…(to which here was much rejoicing)…
Seriously…when he said the labrum looked good, I started crying out of relief. That was what I had it built up in my head to be. And, while I understand that X-Rays are not perfect…and it could be this and just not showing up…I needed to hear those words. I was diagnosed with a hip flexor strain and given a prescription anti-inflammatory and told to go to physical therapy…again. I was sent back to the place I went to for my other hip, but my therapist had left to go back to school. So, I was put with the guy who took her spot, and he is also a running coach…so that’s awesome yes? At least he’ll understand that runner mentality. That started on Friday.
Of course…for starters…it was all about initial assessment. He asked me about the problem I was having…and had me run through a bunch of different drills just to assess where I was having difficulty. This is always interesting. I swear…I confuse the hell out of every single one of my therapists. I do nothing normal. He initially thought it was a stress fracture, but immediately ruled that out. After a lot of moving me around, bending me, and twisting me…and a lot of confused looks…and even having to go and consult the Human Anatomy Atlas…(NO JOKE!)…I was pretty much feeling like…
But after a little reading and looking over hip issues and why when he turned my leg outward I was in pain…he narrowed it down to the hip flexor being an issue, but it was being caused by my tensor fasciae latae (TFL). It’s a helper muscle. It activates hip flexors and glutes and all that stuff…but mine, it seems, doesn’t want to help. I guess it’s on strike. Who knows. Either way…it makes me walk with a limp and not be able to do anything high impact. Sometimes…walking up stairs hurts…so…there is that. I have a stretch I now get to do for 6 minutes a day. Next week…we’ll add some strengthening exercises and eventually…he’ll get me on the Alter-G treadmill (which I have used before)…progressing from all runs on that to some outside and some on the Alter-G…to easing back into just being outside.
Needless to say…I’m optimistic…but a bit…concerned. I can’t do anything normally and the last time I puzzled my physical therapist, I was being treated for the wrong thing. So…yeah…part of me is ready to get this show on the road, and the other part is just…not loving this at all. I don’t have time to muck around and test this and that. I simply just do not want to go through that again.
That being said, I’m making the most of all this and doing my best to stay positive. Which means, I have a meltdown at least 3 times a week. Mostly on Friday night and on Saturday. As a #KDFMarathon Ambassador, I have been turning up to the training runs and just walking for a little while. I don’t do the mileage…I just walk until I feel like I’ve done enough. This past week I was on my own…and my mind was left to focus on the hip and I cried a few times. My fellow ambassadors have been so uplifting though and have kept me laughing. In fact, my biggest joy this past Saturday happened during the initial warmup before we all took off to run/walk. Dynamic stretches that included jumping jacks were going on. As I am not allowed to jump, I simply waved my hands up and down.
Paul, one of the ambassadors, said, “For all of you beginners out there, follow Karen for a lower-impact version of these exercises.” I laughed so hard at that. The hugs, the blankets, the words of encouragement, when they check on me…I am so lucky to be a part of this group…even if they are all doing jumping jacks and I’m simply flapping my arms like a flightless bird.
So…yeah…this sucks. It does. And I’m mad. And disappointed. And afraid of making other people mad and disappointed. There are times that I don’t feel like I’m worth of wearing that KDF Marathon Ambassador shirt…but then…I have people around me who remind me…that I really am one of them. And my struggle…is their struggle too.
So…
…if you see me on the street…walking by myself…talking to myself…maybe even trying not to cry…have pity…(sort of quoting Hamilton there, HA!)…I’m just working through all this stuff again.
Hugs are always welcome. Keep me smiling friends…I’m going through this all over again…
♪♫…But no, I’m not leaving, even though I’m bleeding Even though this nightmare makes me wish I was dreaming Even though I hate it, I’m gonna take it Until I win ‘Cause I’m a comeback, I’m a comeback kid Don’t know why bad things happened, but they did I don’t think I deserve the hurt I get, but I’m made for it It’s not the end, no, it’s not the end I’m a comeback kid Down for a minute, I’ll get up again Looks like I’m breaking, but it’s just a bend; it’s not over yet ‘Cause in the end I’m a comeback, I’m a comeback kid…♫♪
Oh yes…you know what?? It was only a matter of time before Disney lured me back to the other coast. So often, for convenience, you see my Run Disney posts from Disney World. Let’s face it…Florida is a lot easier to get to than California. But…I have a goal. An achievable goal. And that is to run ALL the Disney Races. So, you know, eventually I had to return to Disneyland. I hadn’t been here in over 3 years (I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2013).
It was good to be back. The whole thing, however, was unraveling from the very start. Let me start at the beginning…
After getting back from my trip to Birmingham to visit my family over Christmas, I realized my OTHER…note that I say…OTHER hip was starting to twinge at me. I had to run a lot of hills in my parents’ neighborhood…there is no avoiding them…so I chalked it up to that and went about my training…with very little slowing me down. Over the New Year, I did my last training run of 14 miles ahead of my taper for the Star Wars Light Side Half while in Columbus, Ohio. It was after this run that the hip really started to get angry at me. In fact, that day, I was hobbling around and this started to concern me. I felt better the next morning though, a Monday, and went out for my speed work. I did that fine, just slightly missing my assigned pace. Drove back to Indiana, did grocery shopping, and felt okay. Got up on Tuesday and went for a run. The hip twinged a few times, but I slowed down and got it done. I felt fine afterwards. And then…on Wednesday, I got up to do my run and stretches ahead of my spin class and…I couldn’t get through my one legged squats without cringing. I went out and started my dynamic warmups and had to stop. I sat outside and cried. The left hip was not happy. I went to spin…and it did fine there…but running wasn’t happening. It was rough from there on out.
I contacted my former physical therapist, and asked her opionion on what the issue might be. She gave me a few stretches to do…and Cathy researched, figuring it had to be my hip flexor and not the labrum as the pain was presenting itself differently. I wasn’t so sure, but went with it, adding some hip flexor stretches to my routine, in lieu of the dynamic stretches and plyometrics. I went to spin 2 more times…but other than that, I rested this hip.
I even put in a call to my orthopedic doctor, but he was booked solid through after I was already leaving for this race series. I was told he would call and go over things I could do. When I didn’t hear from him Friday or Monday, my panic mode kicked in. I called Tuesday, leaving a message that I was leaving on Thursday morning. No word.
But this craziness doesn’t stop there. Wednesday night rolls around and the third on this trip, my friend and Cathy’s sister, Amanda, comes over. You see, we paid for her to come on this adventure with us. She always wanted to see California, and figured this would be a fun way to do it. Girl’s trip…WOOHOO!! She was pretty excited leading up to it…and we stayed up a bit that night discussing what we would be doing, while I prepped breakfast for the morning before the early airport journey. Then, we crashed out.
Apparently, around 1 am, Cathy said her sister knocked on her door and said that she was sick. Cathy got up and got her some of my tea…it’s SO good on the stomach…and that didn’t help her stomach issues. At about 3:30 am, Cathy heard me watching my Instagram story…and knocked on my door. She asked if I had anything that could help Amanda out. All I had were Rolaids, so we tried that.
No go. When I got up with my alarm at 5 am to stretch and then get breakfast ready, it was apparent that Amanda was not coming with us. So…Cathy and I made breakfast, and Amanda called her husband to take her home. He said this was probably brought on by anxiety…which is weird, because Amanda has traveled further than California with us before with no issues. I’ve never seen her as a nervous traveler. So…who knows.
Cathy and I packed up our stuff and her mom picked us up to go to the airport. We checked in and walked the terminals until it was time to line up for boarding. We got settled on our flight out of Louisville to Phoenix, Arizona. Cathy, thankfully, slept for about 3 of those hours. When we landed, I called my orthopedic doctor’s office and talked to the receptionist. I explained that I was told he would call before I left, and here I was, on my way to a race weekend with 2 distances on tap, a sore hip, and no answers. She actually went and got him out of a room to talk to me. After listening to the symptoms, he said it sounded like a hip flexor strain and that a cocktail of Tylenol and Ibuprofen would help with that. I thanked him and said that, more than likely, I’d be making an appointment with him after this weekend. But now I at least had a plan.
In-N-Out Burger immediately upon landing in California. Cathy had a burger & fries done animal style and I just had plain fries (they are gluten-free at In-N-Out Burger!
The flight from Phoenix to Burbank, California was short and sweet. We disembarked in the rain and chilly weather. It was warmer in Louisville than it was in Los Angeles that day. Go figure. We got our rental car and headed out to grab lunch at In-N-Out Burger (their fries are gluten free…so my lunch was fries. Healthy, I know!). And then, it was onto the hotel to check in and then…yep…head over to Downtown Disney and enter into the Disneyland Hotel for the expo. This did involve going through security to get into Downtown Disney, and then a downhill descent into a parking garage to get my race bib. I was in the first corral and one of the lower numbers, so it was pretty easy-going. With that, we walked back up and into the hotel proper to duck into the Exhibition Hall and to take in the rest of the expo…as well as pick up my t-shirts. I was determined not to spend a fortune at the expo, so Cathy kept me away from the Garmin table. HA! But, as it was, I was already needing to spend over $100 on compression shorts, a recommendation from my former physical therapist after seeing my post about the hip flexor strain on Facebook. So…that happened. I went to get in line for the official merchandise, but was told it was over a 2 hour wait. I had other things to do, so I texted my friend, Melissa, who was coming in for the races the following day to see if she could pick them up if the line wasn’t crazy. She agreed to do just that. So, with my new compression shorts and a couple of new (and needed) BondiBands for my running costumes, we left the expo and went to return things to the hotel room. The rest of that night is a blur. I don’t even think we ate dinner. I stretched, iced, foam rolled and went to bed.
Cathy and I in front of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center
Friday was all about Los Angeles…and we hit it hard! We woke up early and prepared a
breakfast from the stuff I had on hand. We had brought some of Annie May’s Sweet Cafe’s sandwich buns with us…so I loaded them up with some peanut butter I brought and placed some sliced banana on top. It was SO good. And it was just the right way to start off the day. We hauled down to the car, grabbed some coffee at a local place called Coffee Code, then we were making our way down to the California Science Center. We alotted plenty of time to get through morning traffic and it paid off, but we still arrived about 30 minutes before the place actually opened. That was okay, though, because what we were not aware of at the time was that the California Science Center was right next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which, for you runners out there, you will know as the place where Joan Benoit Samuelson crossed the finish line to win the very first Olympic Women’s Marathon! I was all about standing around and taking pictures (and doing videos) of this place. And that was a good way to kill some time. After a little stroll here and there, we entered the California Science Center and got ready to go see the Space Shuttle Endeavour. I think Cathy was determined to be the first there…and while we were the first on the escalator, we were definitely not first over to the shuttle…but they weren’t too busy at the time. We pretty much skipped much of the exhibit to jump right to the good part…the space shuttle. Although, we did pause to touch one of the wheels in the exhibit, because when you have the opportunity to touch something that has been in space, you touch it!! Space shuttles look fake to me, when I see them in person. It’s bizarre. That being said, Endeavour is beautiful…and the lengths that had to be taken to get her to California is still a fantastic story. We stayed and shopped and then went to seek out more of the center, taking a wrong turn, then turning around and discovering that in addition to the space shuttle, they had an Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini capsule as well. Three more points of interest…and we went and took in each and every one of them.
Me in front of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
From there…we made another long drive (seriously…how do those of you who live/work in LA survive…it takes hours to get places!) to make our lunch stop…Erin McKenna’s Bakery in LA. This is her third shop and I have, proudly, been to all 3. Love her stuff. We each got bagels for lunch with vegan cream cheese…and then a box of goodies to bring back to the hotel to have during the time we were staying. This included 2 scones, a doughnut and a cinnamon roll – all gluten free and vegan. And, yes, delicious! Our next stop was supposed to be Pressed Juicery in the same area for one of their Freezes…but the Pressed Juicery there was not a Freeze shop. So, with a little Google-fu…I found one that wasn’t too far away and we drove down there. We parked in a parking garage and went to go get our treats. I wish we had this in Louisville…it’s ice cream made simply from real juice and topped off with healthy goods. Seriously…we need this. We walked around while we ate and then went back to the car. Turns out the parking garage where we parked was for customers of a grocery store only. And we needed a receipt to get out. So, we had to go inside and buy some stuff, which worked out. I picked up some AMAZING kombucha (I am obsessed, but when you have tummy problems…it helps!), some water, and a few other goods. With receipt in hand, we were out and back on the road. This time, back to Burbank to hit up a boutique store called Pin-Up Girl Boutique. I
Pin-Up Girl Boutique dresses. I wanted to buy them all!
have friends in California who rave about it and my good friend Tawn actually sent suggestions of what she’d like to see Cathy and I try on. I was a bit more into this than Cathy was, but we tried it all on, and the sales people were lovely, and I really wanted to buy it all…but…it was only my first full day in California and I couldn’t drop $150 on a dress at that moment. I will be shopping there though! It took 2.5 hours to get from Burbank back to the hotel near Disneyland. It was late…and I had a race in the morning…so…dinner was an orange and a Glutino gluten-free toaster pastry. Not what I would usually have for dinner before a race…but it was all we had at the time and really all we had time for.
In the morning…it was time to do the…
Disneyland Star Wars Light Side 10K
Star Wars Light Side 10K
Race: Star Wars Light Side 10K
Place: Disneyland, Anaheim, California
Date: January 14, 2017
Time:50:13
Compression shorts…KT Tape…and ACE Bandages.
Welcome to my morning. I got up about 30 minutes before Cathy’s alarm was to go off, just to get myself ready. This meant doing my hip stretches that I found for hip flexor issues and the others I’d been doing for awhile. I also took my Tylenol/Ibuprofen cocktail my orthopedic doctor had mentioned…both the night before and that morning. Normally, it is not recommended to medicate before a race, but, dammit, I needed to get through 2 in 2 days…I was willing to do just about anything at this rate.
Cathy got up with the alarm and we ate a light breakfast, as we had extra large bananas (Walgreens only had King Kong sized bananas when we went there for ACE Bandages) to split on race mornings…so it was a basic nosh on dry cereal with some water. I went to change into my outfit for the day. Not the normal running gear as I was costuming as Rey, from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I wore my compression shorts though, and Cathy wrapped the ACE Bandages around my torso and left thigh, just as the video my former physical therapist sent to me. She secured it with the clips and put tape over those. My right foot (the one that the plantar flared up on a month or so prior) was taped and I put on the capris and the costume top I was using. My hair went into the standard pigtails and my new BondiBand I picked up at the expo went on my head. No compression for this one. The costume didn’t allow for it. But…despite the hip issues, this was the shorter of the races. I figured, while it would feel weird not to have compression sleeves on my legs, I could handle it for 1 race.
I got pinned up and we were out the door, stepping into the unseasonably cool California morning air, joining the myriad of other runners that morning at the crosswalk to step onto Disneyland property and enter into Downtown Disney. There was a security checkpoint to go through first. They searched bags if you had them and, some people, randomly, were sent through the metal detectors. I had no bags, so I was an easy pass. Cathy’s backpack is clear…and the security people LOVE that. Makes her journey through the checkpoints easier.
Paul (Boba Fett), Melissa (Maz), and Me (Rey)…because STAR WARS!
We strolled past a very crowded Starbucks and continued on toward the staging area. As we got to the other security checkpoint, my friend Melissa texted me and asked where I was. I told her I had just passed through Downtown Disney. She and her husband had just gotten into Downtown Disney…so they were on their way. I told her that Cathy and I would wait just past the checkpoint…and that’s what we did. We saw a LOT of BB-8 costumes…and a few Star Trek costumes too. HAHA!! Ah, the Trekkies are hillarious! Melissa arrived, dressed as Maz (also from Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and Paul (that’s her husband) was Boba Fett. We hugged and both she and I limped (her hip/knee had been a problem since her first marathon the weekend before…can you say BEAST MODE?!) over to the staging area. Of course…more pictures had to happen…last minute bathroom breaks…I had half a banana to eat…that sort of stuff. We did have to start thinking about heading to our corrals, though…so we walked together until I had to break off to head to Corral A. Melissa gave me a tight hug…told me not to even worry about my time and to just have some fun. And if she and Paul caught up to me if I had to walk it…they would join me. I love my friends. Seriously. I love them.
I got to my corral in time for some of the morning banter with our race emcees that morning. They were actually quite funny. And Disney spares no expense, for sure. I LOVED that so much of Corral A was in costume!! There were LOTS of Princess Leia’s…for obvious reasons. In fact, the first woman to finish was dressed as Princess Leia…which seems fitting, for sure. I was trying not to have a meltdown or panic attack due to my hip. I knew one of two things would happen. I would get to that start line and take a few steps and be able to go…or I would have to walk the 6.2 miles to the finish. Whichever it was, I was going to get to that finish line.
After the National Anthem was sang by a Disney cast member, the wheelchair race was sent off first. Only a few minutes later, the corral was discarding any mylar blankets or other clothing they brought to keep warm. No baked potatoes allowed across that start line…it would screw with the timing. The countdown was given…the fireworks went off…and Corral A was underway. I walked up to the start mat, then took a few tentative steps at a jog…then kept it conservative at the jog, realizing that while the hip twinged a few times, I could run. Not all out fast or anything…but I wasn’t struggling either. And so…the race was on.
Rey on Hoth
That being said, my intention to stop and use the photo ops along the way…went to the wayside. Once I got moving, I was afraid that if I stopped, the pain would settle and I wouldn’t get started again. So, I just ran…and prayed a little…that my ACE Bandage would hold…that my hip wouldn’t do something awful. Let’s remember…I had a half marathon looming the next morning. The goal was to just run this and still be able to walk around at the end of it. My friend Melissa had warned me about the one and only hill (you get sent through this tunnel thing…so down a hill…then through…then back up, but the rest of the course is flat. F-L-A-T. Which is infuriating to me, as I ROCK flat courses, and if the hip had been behaving…I probably would have kicked this course’s ass. UGH! Seriously, it feels like I can’t catch a break.
Rey in the trash compactor
That being said…I almost broke the don’t stop rule when I saw the life-size, moving around, BB-8 on the course for photo ops!! BB-8 is my FAVORITE…and I was SO tempted…but I knew stopping probably would have been worse…so I kept going, with very little pain at all. I ran the streets…through the parks…pushing on past the water stops. For a 10K, I don’t run with a fuel belt, but the cold air and my slower than usual pace meant I wasn’t really dehydrating myself. My first mile of this race was the slowest…my third…the fastest. I slowed it down between miles 4 and 5…but picked it up when I knew the last mile was ahead. I’m not talking breaking any speed records. I never got faster than a 7:38 pace (and that was mile 3)…but I wanted to finish strong. And I saw that finish line and just went for it. I could hear Cathy screaming at me from the cheer squad seats (she got in there somehow…I never know how she pulls these things off)…and powered over that finish line.
What really kept me going…the fact that I knew the medal for this race was BB-8. I
FINISHER of the Star Wars Light Side 10K
walked through the finisher’s area, getting my medal…a mylar blanket…a box of goodies and some water. And then…I made my way out to the staging area, where Cathy met me. She was going on-and-on about my time and how she was checking the tracking and going, “Well…she’s running…that’s good!” HA! They had some fun photo ops out, so while the lines were still short, we took advantage of those. Then…it was time to head back to the hotel. Our friend Tawn was coming in from Fresno that morning (she left SUPER early to get down there around 9 am)…and I was ready to shower and eat some real food. The problem was, the exit was blocked by racers. Okay…turned around…and tried to go through one of the hotels, but instead of asking someone, Cathy just kept turning corners out of the lobby, and then put us in an Emergency Exit area…where we got trapped. TRAPPED! Insert me starting to bitch about being cold and wanting a shower…and now being stuck. We finally got out, thanks to the help of some of the Disneyland employees…and after asking if we were okay or needed water, we were now on the road back to the hotel.
BB-8 Finisher’s Medal for the Disneyland Star Wars Light Side 10K
I showered. And then I rested a little while we awaited Tawn’s arrival. We had a reservation for a breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen. And Tawn arrived in time to change, do her makeup and for us to get to the restaurant, get pictures with Goofy, and get seated. It was the best way to kick off Day #1 of Disneyland adventures for sure.
We spent the entire day at California Adventure…and that night, my friend Alison and her family drove down to meet us at the Pizza Press for my traditional gluten-free pizza before a race. She and her family are amazing, awesome, and just all around good people. It was a blast…and I’m glad I FINALLY got to meet her in person. And her son, Evan, who we nicknamed Mr. Incredible a few years ago. He really is incredible! We sadly did have to say our goodbyes though, because Sunday’s 3:00 am wake-up for a 5:30 am race
Tawn, Goofy, Me & Cathy at Goofy’s Kitchen!
was impending.
Oh…so my official results of the Disneyland Star Wars Light Side 10K are that I finished in 50:13. Not too bad given the circumstances!! I mean…FOR REAL! I was 296/11,606 finishers overall. I was the 33/6816 female to cross the finish line. And I was 5/1216 runners in my age division. This hips issue is driving me nuts. I can’t even fathom how much better I could have done had I been able to just go for it. Seriously…these results are both amazing…and frustrating at the same time! Given the circumstances…I will take it!!
The rest of the day was fun at Disneyland…but at the end of the day, the hip was done and my limp was starting to return. We turned in after the pizza stop and I took my last round of the Tylenol/Ibuprofen cocktail and turned in for the night. The following morning…did not go as smoothly…
My BB-8 running costume, modified for the cold weather (orange shirt underneath) for the Disneyland Light Side Half Marathon
Disneyland Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon
Race: Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon
Place: Disneyland, Anaheim, California
Date: January 15, 2017
Time:1:47:53
My alarm went off at 3 am. My friend Tawn was up and in the shower. She’s a Run Disney vet and is AWESOME at the routine. Wake up early…get out the door…do race…do the parks. She’s not a runner, but she comes out to cheer and to just…be there at the finish line. So, while she was in the bathroom, I got up to take that Tylenol/Ibuprofen cocktail and to stretch. I took a few steps toward the table I had things set out on…and knew that today I was in a whole heap of trouble. I was limping. I was limping bad. I was sore…and I had a 13.1 mile race ahead of me.
THIS. WAS. BAD.
I might have cried as I did my hip stretches and foam rolled. Cathy got up just before the alarm that morning, and we started to just roll through race morning prep. While Tawn did her makeup and hair, I got dressed and Cathy prepped some KT Tape to put across my hip flexor. We did that…and I pulled the compression shorts on over that…then she did the ACE Bandage wrap. Over that went my running shorts and then…the BB-8 running sparkle skirt I purchased SO long ago. Seriously…my hip was being held together with tape, bandages, and a lot of prayer. I was not in a good place, physically or mentally, on half marathon morning. Not one bit. But, I finished getting ready, having to modify the bra top costume due to the low 40 degree weather in Los Angeles that morning. I was NOT expecting these temps there. Luckily, I had a bright orange shirt with me and it became the base layer. I was layered everywhere…sports bra, t-shirt, BB-8 bra top on top…KT tape, compression shorts, ACE Bandages, shorts, and a skirt on the bottom half. And every step…a challenge. I ate my cereal to put something in my stomach and filled up my water bottles on my fuel belt with my nuun and water. I grabbed one of the Godzilla-sized bananas for pre-race eats and the three of us were out the door, pretty much right on time. I was not nervous like I was before the 10K. Walking was a challenge…so I was downright freaking out. I think I cried a few times on the way to the crosswalk to get over to Disneyland property and through security. I branched off to the NO LINE group and held my cell phone up over my head as we went through the metal detectors. Tawn and Cathy got through bag check quickly and we were making our way past the overrun Starbucks on the corner. There was another one further in that was never as busy…so we did joke about that a little. We got to the staging area, and I hadn’t heard from Melissa and Paul yet…so we just moved out of the way and listened to some of the music.
At this point…I think I had an all-out meltdown. Both Tawn and Cathy were quick to give me hugs and reassurance. The thing was…I was hurting. And a half marathon is NO JOKE!! Cathy said that it was possible that this race would be just like the last one…where I take a few steps and it’s all good. I hoped she was right. I dried my eyes…got more hugs…and they sent me off to get into my corral.
Same system as before. No Melissa or Paul to hug. I wasn’t sure if they’d pass me or if I’d see them that day…but I stepped up to Corral A and got inside. And I felt, very much, like I honestly didn’t belong there that morning. The race emcees were back for more fun this morning, and they kept the mood light. I was shivering, not completely from the cold…but my nerves were creeping in. I never get nervous before a race…but I knew that I was going into this at about 50%…and it scared the shit out of me.
The National Anthem was played beautifully by a band and soon the wheelchair racers were off. My corral ditched the mylar blankets or clothing keeping them warm and we all started to move up a bit more at the start line. When the countdown happened, the fireworks went off, I walked toward that start line and took a few tentative steps at a jog.
PAIN!! It was unpleasant pain from the start, but I was in the flow of runners, so I just pressed on, without pushing too much. I thought so hard about ducking to the side and just walking…but I didn’t. I kept my pace easy…and I just did what I could. Once again, though, my plan to stop for photos went out the window. Any stopping today would be the worst thing possible…because as I learned at the Boston Marathon…it hurts SO much worse to start back up. I hit the underpass hills again…and managed to navigate those and started through some of the parks. I paid no attention to time clocks…I was focusing in on my form as best as I could. I had to pass up the BB-8 photo op again…which sucked, since I was dressed as BB-8…but it was the only decision that made sense to me. Running this didn’t make sense…but I paid a HELL of a lot for this race challenge…it was happening even if I had to slow to a walk.
Me after finishing the Disneyland Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon and completing the Rebel Challenge
But then…something fantastic happened. As we came out of the park around Mile 4…I hear and see Cathy and Tawn, just screaming at me from the side of the route. It was amazing. Tawn recorded it and you can hear Cathy talking about how my form looked good and all that. I was hurting…but it wasn’t bad at this point. I could manage…even though I was wondering when I would have to drop to the side and take it to a walk.
We exited Disneyland soon after and hit the road. As I rounded the corner, I heard someone yell, “HEY! IT’S R2-D2.” Wrong droid!!! I am in orange…BB-8 is orange. R2-D2 is blue. SHEESH!! The cheerleaders that lined this portion of the course was uplifting and it did make me move a little bit faster as I went past them. Miles 5 & 6 ended up being my fastest, and also put me at a 10K time faster than the 10K I ran the morning before. Cathy had been tracking me as she and Tawn went to get coffee and explore some of Downtown Disney and this fact impressed her for sure.
But it started to get rough soon after this. Much of the crowds disappear at this point. But, there are plenty of people running with you. But…Mile 9 going into Mile 10…was the best. The 501st is out in all their gear. You have just this long line of Star Wars characters and it is just…fantastic. I mean, I’m running through and everyone is in character. There was a phenomenal Obi-Wan Kenobi on the corner…with an accent and all…and that was SO amazing to me. It was uplifting. But after I was past them…that was when the pain really started to rear it’s ugly head. My pace slowed way down for the last three miles…but at this point, I knew I was only 30 minutes at most away from a finish line. I gritted my teeth…cried…a little. Maybe a lot. And knew my right foot was blistering, which never happens, but I was now changing my stride to accommodate my hip. UGH. I started to really focus on each step, trying to to baby the hip, but trying to to push it too much either.
Disneyland Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon Finishers Medal (It has Princess Leia on it…ALL THE FEELS!)Disneyland Star Wars Rebel Challenge Medal for finishing the 10K on Saturday & the Half Marathon on Sunday!
I thought I had picked it up for the final mile, but that ended up being my slowest mile of the day. Go figure. I could hear that finish line, and when I saw it, determination and stubbornness took over and I ran it as hard as I dared and could manage. The announcer said, “It looks like we have a BB-8 coming in…Karen Brady!” That made me at least smile, so at least my finish picture isn’t ugly crying or something. I heard Cathy and Tawn just ahead of me as I limped past the photographers. Cathy called me over for a picture at the finish line which hobbled over for. They said that they would see me on the other side…and I went to get my finisher’s medal for the half marathon, my mylar blanket…and then my extra medal for completing the Star Wars Rebel Challenge! After that, the snack box and water were handed over and I exited the finish area to re-enter the staging area…and Tawn and Cathy were there to hug me and greet me. And I cried…again.
Top: The Schulyer Sisters – Eliza, Angelic…and Peggy – from Hamilton Bottom: Me, Cathy, Tawn…as Eliza, Angelica…and Peggy – NAILED IT!
We didn’t hang around much after this. I was hurting and we had Disneyland to properly explore that day. We decided to head back to the hotel so I could shower, we could eat breakfast (Cathy split the last of the sandwich buns and we split the donut 3 ways) before heading out for the rest of the day. We had a big day ahead of us…and while it was hard to move…I wanted to get the most out of my time with Tawn and my time at Disneyland. We even did a thing…by getting the names of the Schulyer Sisters from the musical Hamilton on our Mickey ears and posing in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle!! We are theater NERDS! Honestly, in order to even be able to move that day, I put on a pair of leggins, and had Cathy do the ACE Bandage wrap I wore during the races, and I put my BB-8 skirt back on…because…I needed to cover the ACE wrap.
This is how I was able to get around Disneyland. That and pain meds. And just being stubborn.
That being said, this pretty much meant I couldn’t pee all day. Luckily…I never really had to. And I managed a full day at the park…had a blast…and ate an incredible dinner that night at Cafe Orleans. Seriously…worth every painful step.
I guess some results are in order. The official race results of the Disneyland Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon are that I finished in 1:47:53. I was expecting 3 hours, so this was amazing to me. Seriously, even I can’t figure out how I pulled off that time. I was 422/12434 finishers overall. I was 57/7028 women to cross the finish line. And, I was 14/1253 in my age division. Not too bad under these very hostile circumstances. For real! It still pisses me off because this was SO FLAT…and I want to run it as hard and best as I can. Flat courses and I are BFFs. But my body has let me down again.
My orthopedic doctor was unable to see me until February 1. My hip is still…not good. All running is off…I’m walking, spinning, and just trying out other non-impact means of just keeping my endurance and fitness up until I can get some answers.
Product: nuun Performance – $20-24.00
Okay…you’ll have to forgive me. I’m a bit of a Hamilfan (for those of you not “in the know”…that means I’m a fan of the musical Hamilton. So…the start of this blog is going to be a bit of an homage to the musical. If you know the music…you’ll get it. If you don’t…keep reading and then go check it out. It will change your life.
The Celiathlete 