Post-running injury disorder.

As I've been making my way back from my hamstring injury in November, I've realized something about myself: I am, on the one hand, full of joy because I am running. On the other hand . . . I am full of fear . . . because I am running.

This is real.

I've been contemplating signing up for a 5K now that I'm able to run 5 miles comfortably. But, I haven't pulled the trigger. I just keep contemplating it.

And I keep talking myself out of signing up.

Why? Because I'm afraid of re-injury, sure. But why else? Because I'm -- and this is so vain I don't even like to admit it -- well, I'm afraid my race time will be too slow.

Now, before you jump all over me and say that slow is relative and my slow is someone else's fast and all that  . . . let me stop you and say, I know all that. I do. And I get it.

However, it does not change the feeling that I have about my times. I don't really care what my times are in relation to anyone else's times. I care what they are in relation to me. And now I'm feeling like my speed is gone. Like I'm at that point where I'm not getting any faster and, in fact, will see only slower times ahead. Like I'm the Pokey Runner. 

This is totally a case of post-running injury disorder.

See, I spent 9 weeks not running At. All. And when I got back to it I was running only a half mile at a time. I can totally understand why I was feeling unsure about my running back then. Even when I'd gotten up to a full mile, I was still feeling pain.

Now, though, I'm not. I'm good to go. Good to run. Good to race.

So, why not go for it, already?!?

It's the fear. I know. And I know I've got to get over it.

Today, I actually made a little progress. I ran 4+ miles and then tacked on 5 hill repeats (for about another mile). This was the first time I've run anything close to speedwork since before the marathon. It was a big step, for sure.

We'll see if it helps shake the fear. 

I need that powerful weapon back!

I'll be working on it. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Getting real.

Last weekend, running got real.

It has been a long, long time since I've felt like I was really running. A long time. Ever since I started my gradual build-up from nothing to something in February, I've been on the treadmill. This winter has been too cold, too snowy for me to try anything outside during this early stage of recovery.

Saturday, though, was a sunny day. A dry day. A no-snow-on-the-roads day.

So I ran. Outside. In the sun.

Folks, I have missed it. And I didn't truly realize how much I have missed getting outside for a run until I actually did. Yes, I knew I missed running. I mean, c'mon. Of course I did. But, I'd convinced myself that it was OK to be on the DL. That it wasn't that horrible to not run.

And, in many ways, it wasn't that horrible to not run. But it wasn't great. And even when I started running again and I was logging half miles and then miles on the treadmill, I still wasn't getting the full experience.

Once I did, it all came rushing back to me.

Oh, running. I've missed you. I've missed you so very much.

Sure, it was only 3 miles but they were 3 miles IN THE SUN! With brisk air -- downhills, uphills, twists, turns. It was wonderful!

This week the weather looks like it will cooperate again and I should be able to get out for more outside runs.

Life is good.

Have a great week!

Three months.

At the 3 month mark of my injury, I'm feeling really hopeful.

My recovery is going very, very, sloooooowly. But, anything worth doing takes time, right? And recovering well is totally worth doing. So, if it takes a long time I have to be OK with that.

I'm running again. The most I've run so far is 2 miles, a couple of times. But, 2 miles is SO FAR from nothing!!! It is a pretty big deal.

I'm also still using the ellipitical and bike and I'm doing the tv workouts.

The only thing that has a tendency to discourage me is the snow and cold. At first, I kept telling myself that if I was going to be injured, a cold and snowy winter was the time to be injured. I mean, what would I be missing? Running in the freezing cold? Slipping on the ice? Who needs that?

But, now --- now, I'm recovering. I'm ready to start running outside but I can't. I can't risk slipping -- or tearing a too-cold and stiff muscle -- and setting myself back 3 months. I just won't do it.

And that rots. Because, right now, if I could run outside, I'd be farther along in my recovery. Running on the treadmill uses the same motion over and over -- especially because I can't use the incline at this stage of my recovery. So, I get to a point where I have to stop. Yes, I'm taking walk breaks and that helps. But if I was running outside . . . oh, well. I'm not. No sense making myself crazy with thoughts of what could be!

Spring and the promise of wonderful outdoor runs will be here soon! Until then, I'm content to just be able to run again :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Progress!

Slowly but surely I am starting to run. My longest unbroken run has been a mile but I've only done that once since starting back. Mostly, I've been running a half mile, walking for a quarter mile and running another half mile. It is what I can do right now. I'm glad to be doing it.

Would I love to be logging more miles? Would I love to have the confidence in my body to start considering a fall marathon or half-marathon like most of my running friends are doing?

Yes and yes.

But am I sad? Am I discouraged?

Honestly? Maybe a little. But probably less than you might expect. I mean, it rots, this whole not-able-to-really-run thing. But I'm doing other things. I'm riding the bike and using the elliptical at the gym. I'm exercising along with the "master trainers" on the Radius programs. I'm lifting some weights at home and at the gym.

None of it is the same as running, for sure. And I do miss running more than a half mile at a time.

This I know: I'll be back to more significant distance soon. In the meantime, I'll just be hanging around, working on my endurance!

Have a great week, everyone!

Half and half.

Well, friends, it happened.

I ran.

Yup, I ran.

In fact, I've run twice. Twice!

This is a big deal here in Happy Runner-ville. I mean, before these two runs, my last run was Thanksgiving day. (A.K.A. Horrible Hamstring Injury day.) That was waaaaay back in November.

But on January 30th, I ran again. I was walking along on the treadmill and I decided to just go for it. Try it out. See if I could run. Even a little.

And I did! I ran a half mile. A HALF MILE!!!!

It was awesome. Yeah, it was slow as anything and my hamstring was barking for the last half of that half mile, but I RAN!

Best part? Afterward I felt no worse than I felt before.

So, I went for it again and ran on Sunday. This time, I really pushed the envelope and ran a little more than a half mile. I think I made it all the way to .6 of a mile. Again, I felt it in my hamstring for the last half of the run but I didn't feel any worse afterward.

Good signs.

If I can keep this up, I'll be running a mile in no time :-)

To me, this is a super-duper development in my recovery plan. I've been soooooooooooo patient and I just hope that all of my patience and rehab exercises work so I can come back this spring and start to actually log some decent miles. I believe I will.

Even if I have to do it half mile at a time!

Have a great week, everyone!

Two months.

I've been avoiding this blog. Not because I don't love it. And, certainly, not because I no longer love running.

I've been avoiding the blog because I haven't been running and what the heck do you write about when you're hanging around on the disabled list for months?

In my case, nothing. You choose not to write about anything because if you did write about something it would probably sound like whining and, honestly, who wants to read that?

No one.

And so. Here I am. Two months into living with my injured hamstring. I tried to run earlier in January and it did not go well. So I am sticking with cross-training these days. I use the elliptical a few days a week and sometimes still ride the bike. I've also been doing some HIIT workouts that I've found on the trusty TV. Their fun -- and different. 

What else?

Well, I've been going for chiropractic treatments and my chiropractor recently started doing the Graston technique on my lame hamstring. Working toward full recovery!

I've also been very busy with my doTERRA business -- teaching lots of classes and sharing my enthusiasm for natural wellness solutions and essential oils with anyone who wants to listen :-) This time of the year, I am especially grateful to have these things in my life -- as people all around me are catching one illness after another, my family and I are staying healthy! Woo hoo!

So, that's where this happy runner is these days. Recovering. Working. Enjoying my boys. All good.

Of course, it would be better to be running. But, I'll take what I can get :-)

Have a great week, everyone!

Back to zero.

My running had been going so well and then -- justlikethat -- it all went downhill.

The day before Thanksgiving, we drove to Long Island. We got caught in the bad snowstorm that hit upstate NY that week and our usually 3 hour drive became 4.5 hours. During the stressful ride, I felt my right hamstring tighten up. For the last hour or so of the trip, it was hurting in that dull, achey, tight way that I really, really should have listened to.

The next day, I went out for a run with my young niece who was also in town, up from Virginia. A little over 3 miles into our run, I had to stop. I felt searing pain at the top of my hamstring/my glute. I hoped, hoped, hoped it just needed a little stretch. So I stretched gently and then started to run again -- only I couldn't.

I couldn't run at all. I had a flashback to last spring when I'd torn those muscles in my left hip/glute. And how loooooong it took to heal and for me to get back to running.

I wanted to cry. But I didn't. Instead, Maggie and I walked back to my sister-in-law's house (well, I kinda hobbled, she walked with her nice brisk I-could-totally-be-running-now stride).

And I haven't run since.

We did, however, enjoy seeing so much of the family over the holiday.

My mother-in-law in the middle with several of her grandchildren.

My mother-in-law in the middle with 6 of her kids and their spouses/partners.

Now, I'm walking a little, riding the bike, getting back to the weight-lifting I neglected during marathon training. I am not running at all for the rest of the year. My hope is that this intentional rest, along with frequent applications of lemongrass oil and Deep Blue rub, and much-needed sessions with my chiropractor, will help my leg heal completely and I'll be back running with no problems at the beginning of 2015!

Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, happy December, everyone!

Gimme a B!

On Friday, I posted my goals for the Runnin' of the Green 4-mile race. I wanted to run a solid, fast-ish pace. But, I was also a little nervous because I am trying to crawl back from injury. Plus, I'm training for that half marathon and had 8 miles on my schedule for Saturday and decided to run 3 of them before the race.

So I wasn't totally sure what to expect from the race!

Kara, Bridget and me before the race.

I met up with Bridget and Kara to run 2 miles. Then Bridget  and I went out for 1 more mile to give us the full 3 before the race started. My cousins Kate and Josh and Kate's boyfriend, Felix, were also running the race. I was happy to find them before the race and we chatted for a bit before lining up.

When the gun went off, I just ran. I was pushing myself, for sure, but I was also letting myself fall into a good race pace. About a half mile or so into the race, Felix ran up to me and we ran together for maybe 3/4 of a mile or so. It was good to run with him -- but I knew he had a faster goal in mind than I did so I told him to run on because I didn't want to hold him back.

He ran off and I settled into a good pace. I went through the 2-mile mark at 15:32 and felt really strong. Sure, my hip and hamstring were complaining a bit, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had worried it would be. Phew!

For some reason, I had a lot of pep in the third mile. I started passing people right and left and ended up running that mile in 7:18. Huh.

I then held on to the end. I could tell I'd started at a good pace for me because I was not dying at the end! Such an oddity for me -- I'm usually falling apart at the end of races! Feeling strong is a much better way to go.

That's me running to the finish!

I finished in 30:36 gun time, 30:26 net. You know what's cool about that? My second half was 28 seconds faster than my first. Woo hoo!

And . . . that time was a solid B from my race goals. I'd set the B goal of running 31:56 or better (just under 8 min miles) and my 30:26 was just that.

Yes, I fully admit that at 3 miles I was doing the math to see if I could push myself and run under 30 minutes. But, you know what? I'm glad I didn't. While I would have liked to finish closer to last year's time (29:37), I didn't want to make my injury worse. I wanted to run a strong, smart race, not a foolish one!

Felix ended up with a super time, running 29:23! Josh ran 34:16 and Kate ran 44:30; Bridget ran 35:44 and Kara ran 43:16. Yay!

After the race, Bridget and I stuck to our plan and ran an additional mile to get us to 8 for the day. After that, I went home and prepped for a fun St. Patrick's Day party at our neighbors' house. Overall, quite the fun day!

Race stats:

Official (net) time: 30:26 
Pace: 7:37/mile
Gun time: 30:36

First half split (2-miles): 15:32
Second half split: 15:04

Overall place: 155 out of 652
Overall female: 42 out of 383
Age group (female, 40-49): 16

Now, I'm itching for that next race. I only have the half marathon on my schedule for this spring but, jeez . . . I think I might have to add another!! We'll see.

Well, thanks for stopping by -- have a great week, everyone!

February recap.

Yup, that's right. I'm just writing my February recap on March 10th. Slacker, slacker . . .

But, see, that's the way this month has gone. It has been up and down -- just like February. The biggest downer has been that I am still (still!) dealing with my injured left leg. It is my whole hip/butt/upper thigh/hamstring area and it just plain rots. I have been fine for a while but for the past month, it has been flaring up again.

Not cool. Not cool at all.

After all, I have a 4 mile race this Saturday, a half marathon in May and a full marathon in October. I can't have a nagging injury that forces me to not run!

So, I'm dealing with it. Reduced mileage. Rest. Chiropractor. PT. Ice. Rehab exercises. Just about everything.

Fingers crossed that it all works!

As a result of my wonky leg, my February mileage was low. Here's what it looked like:

February stats:

Running (miles): 51.4
Racing: none
Cross-training (sessions): lots!

One of the highlights of the month was our trip to DC for a family wedding. I ran around and took in the sights:

And then got cleaned up for the fun wedding:

 

When we got back from DC, the boys had a full week of from school for winter break and we filled our time with lots of play and getting to see some friends and family we don't normally see. After break, it was back to normal and I was back to the chiropractor and trying to keep my running on track!

Slowly and un-surely, I think that might happen.


And now, back to March! Enjoy your week, everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

 

Stroller running!

About a year ago I bought a jogging stroller. I had high hopes for Monday/Wednesday/Friday morning runs, pushing my little guy in the stroller while my preschooler was off preschooling.

Didn't happen. For starters, the second (third?) time I used it, I injured my knee/hamstring while running downhill. So I didn't want to attempt any hills while pushing the stroller (and my neighborhood happens to be all hills). And then I got serious about marathon training and I felt that my stroller runs weren't serious enough so I shelved them.

And then it was summer and my preschooler was done preschooling and with two kids at home, the jogging stroller did me no good. With the exception of a week when the preschooler went to camp, running when the kids were with me meant running on the treadmill. No big deal.

Now, I am (knock on wood) injury free. And my preschooler has become a kindergartener and is off every day kindergartening. I have one kid at home. One kid who fits nicely in the jogging stroller.

So recently I've been running while pushing my 30+ lb son in the jogging stroller. I love it!

Check him out -- my jogging stroller buddy. With toys. And refreshments. And double hats!

Have you been thinking about stroller running? Want some tips?

It's your lucky day. I happen to have picked up a few along the way that I'd like to share. Here they are:

It doesn't hurt to start the stroller run with a minute or so of walking. Pushing a stroller while running is tough. Easing in to the run makes it, well, easier. Cut yourself some slack and walk to warm up.

Don't look at your pace. Really. Just don't. Not much good can come from trying to maintain your non-stroller pace while stroller running. Seriously. When I first started, I thought I'd be off by a few seconds. A few seconds!?! Such folly! I was off my pace by about a minute. Not 30 seconds. Not 45. A full minute. It was disappointing. I felt like a weakling. As I've gotten better at this stroller running thing, I'm still off-pace by about 30 seconds. The difference is, I don't care. And you shouldn't either.


Hills turn ugly when you're stroller running. Oh, hills. How I used to love you. Now, you simply make me sweat -- a lot -- and feel like I am going to pass out. You are hard to conquer. So, sometimes, I quit you. I simply walk. And that's OK. I am not ashamed to have to slow to a walk when stroller running up a hill. Not ashamed at all.

But with one small adjustment, hills can become a little easier to climb. Get this: Just by shifting your foot strike, you take back the hill. I always ran up the hills just landing as I would if I wasn't pushing a stroller. Then, one day, I started to land solely (ha!) on my toes. What. A. Difference. I practically glide up the (shorter, not-so-steep) hills now. Try it: Tippy-toe run up the hill. I bet it will work for you, too.

Downhill running, however, is another thing entirely. Downhills can get you. They got me. Last November, the downhills got me baaaaad. I was trying to run down the hills, but my quads/knees/hamstrings were putting on the brakes. They were trying to protect me from flying down the hill and, potentially, flying over the jogging stroller and landing, mortified, on my face. Smart body parts I have. Not so smart is the fact that by putting on the body brakes, I strained my muscles and tendons and was injured for almost two full months. 

I've learned my lesson and hope you can learn from it, too. Use the hand brake on your jogging stroller to slow the stroller when you are running downhill -- don't make your legs have to do the braking. By just putting the hand brake on about halfway, I can slow the stroller enough so that I pretty much still have to push it on the downhills. It is much safer that way. Take my word for it!

There is nothing -- and I mean nothing -- wrong with a little bribery. Toys. Snacks. Drinks. Promises of future tv shows or usually-reserved-for-dessert snacks. It is all good. Whatever you need to do to keep your little one happy while you are running is fine. All good. Feel no guilt.

That's what I've compiled so far. I'm feeling totally good about my stroller running and hope to keep it up until the weather gets too cold. Wish me luck!

In the meantime . . . do you have any stroller running tips to share? Hit me up!

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Felice

In praise of sore knees. And hamstrings.

And, what the heck? Let's praise painful toes while we're at it.

Why?

I'll tell you why. Because it seems that I have some kind of creepy power wherein I praise something and then -- poof! -- it goes away.

For example, remember how I've praised Exercise TV and all their great yoga programs? Yeah. So much for that. Exercise TV is now defunct. Defunct! As in, gone. No longer.

And Sportskool? I wrote about how much I liked their running programs and, you guessed it, they are out of the line-up. Sportskool is at least still on, but not the running programs. What gives?


To top it off, my new medical practice -- the one that I found after a really crummy experience with my last one -- announced that as of 3/1/12, they are no longer accepting my health insurance. Oy vey!


The way I see it, I should be able to shake my little aches and pains simply by praising them right here on the good ol' Internet.

And so I shall.

Give it up for Left Knee! Knee, you rock. Thanks for hurting on and off for the last month. You've made almost every run a challenge and that's cool. What's life without a whole bunch of challenges, right?

Cheers to Left Hamstring! You pretty much rock, too. It's terrific how you give me that twinge of pain on every uphill. Forces me to slow down. Thanks.

Next up? Right Toes! I know you guys are a little late to this party but I have to praise you for feeling so sore during any and all walking and/or running activity. I appreciate that. I have no idea why you guys are so sore but, yup, you're doing a good job at it!

Yeah! Way to go aches and pains! Keep up the good work!

(But I have to admit, if you go the way of Exercise TV, I might not miss you quite as much as I miss those perfectly coiffed and overly enthusiastic instructors. Just gotta be honest.)

Think it will work? Let's hope. In the meantime, do you miss Exercise TV?


Have a great week, everyone!

~ Felice

What do you do when you can't run?

Me? I spend some time in compression shorts, eat a lot of waffles, and revel in the irony involved in registering for a marathon while nursing an injury.

My marathon? It's this one:

May 6, 2012

I did it. I hit submit. My money is theirs.

There is no turning back.

I am excited. And more than a little nervous. Rational Me knows that my hamstring injury is temporary and I'll be back running in no time. Irrational Me thinks I may be hobbled for life. Life! And how will I run a marathon if I'm hobbled for life?

(Irrational Me can get a tad dramatic.)

In all seriousness, my hamstring has gotten a little better since I stopped running and started my RICE campaign last week. As the acronym suggests, I've been resting, icing, compressing and, well, I haven't actually been elevating. Bit of a failure, there. I'll get on that.

I've also been gently stretching, foam rolling, and strengthening. I have high hopes for the next six months so I need my hamstring to get in line. Rogue hamstrings are not allowed. Nope, not allowed at all.

So, what do you do when you can't run?

Happy Monday, everyone!


~ Felice

Half marathon training: Check-in #5 and Help a Reader.

Welcome to check-in #4!

(More information on the Happy Runner Half Marathon Challenge can be found HERE)


Some weeks are just better than others. And, on the other hand, some are worse. Last week was, well, worse. Not terrible, just not as good as my weeks had been going.


I had a sore hamstring all week. NOT at all what I want at this point in my training. But, that's life and so I'm dealing with it. I had to cut my midweek 6 mile run short (by a lot) and I skipped my Friday run. I also iced like crazy and rolled out the sore muscle and stretched well. The upshot? My long run felt GREAT and I made up Friday's run on Sunday and that felt really good, too! 


Now, the hammie is mostly feeling OK but I'm going to keep on icing, rolling and stretching to keep it that way.


I also have to admit that my lack of sleep is really starting to catch up with me. I'm glad last week was a cut-back week because I wouldn't have been able to survive an increase in mileage. This week? Well, we'll see. I think that the extra rest I had last week will serve me well for the increases planned for the next few weeks. 


Anyway, here's what I had planned to run / what I ran

Mon: 4.5 easy / Close: 3.25 easy
Tues: rest / Done! 
Wed: 6 miles w/4 @ tempo / Nope:  I had to stop at 2.25 because my hammie was just too tight/sore.
Thurs: rest /yup
Fri: 4 miles easy / Nope: Took an extra rest day.
Sat: 6.5 mile long run / Done! Ran outside and felt terrific. My hamstring didn't bother me a bit!
Sun: rest / Nope: Ran 4 miles outside and, again, felt great.

Total mileage: 21 / 15.7


C'est la vie. I can't worry that my week didn't go entirely as planned. I still worked hard and, more important, I listened to my body and gave it what it needed. 


*     *     *


Now, some questions from a reader!! Can you help?


Darlene asks:


As a newbie half marathoner, I have a few questions:
1)How soon can I do another? I trained for the lst one for 12 wks. I'm thinking of doing a 2nd on Apr 23 which gives me a 2 wk break before 12 wk training.

2) How do I avoid injury? My friend ran a half in Oct and then trained for another Jan 16 & wound up running it with a hip stress fracture.

3) Is training for 2nd hm different from the first? I know I can now so I will probably want to do more than just finish.
 
Share your knowledge -- please :-)


How's your training going? Are you staying motivated during these wintry months?


I have to say that I am super glad that I am training for this half marathon because having a big goal is making me stick to my plan and get out and run when I am supposed to. Quite a feat with the weather we've been having in upstate New York!


Have a great week, everyone. Happy running!


~ Felice


PS: Stonyfield Farm & Physician's Formula giveaway HERE!

Only because I *really* need it . . .

I don't write too much about personal stuff on this blog, preferring to stick mostly to running and running-related things. But, today, I'm veering.

I have some stuff going on and tomorrow morning I could use some good vibes. Do you have any to spare? Can you send them my way? Your good vibes, your well wishes, your happy thoughts . . . I could use any and all of them.

Cryptic? Yes, I know and I know how annoying that can be. Suffice it to say that I wouldn't ask if there wasn't a need. And since there is a need, I'm asking. And thanking. I always appreciate my bloggy buddies and will appreciate whatever good vibes you can send my way!

* * *

OK, now that that's done, what of the running? Ha. My hamstring felt a little stiff today so I decided to loosen it up with an easy treadmill run. I slogged my way through 3 miles and that's about all I could do. My hamstring feels a lot looser and better after the run but I just couldn't handle too much more on the 'mill. Plus my son had an "accident" and needed an underpants -- and regular pants -- change so 3 miles seemed like a good time to stop.

Not sure how much I'll be blogging in the next few days. So, I'll wish you all a great week! Oh, and don't forget to check out my giveaway if you're interested in entering to win some natural shielding lotion.

Thanks for reading!

~ Felice

Running injuries and treatment.

Take it and Run Thursday topic: Running injuries and treatment. OK, Runners' Lounge, I'll give you what I've got!

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you probably know that I have a nagging, painful injury: a bunion on the big toe of my right foot. That one is chronic. Chronic, annoying and, after stopping the yoga, not getting much worse. But not getting better, either. There is little I can do (aside from avoiding high heels and using my yoga toes) while waiting for my appointment with the podiatrist but when I finally do get in to see that Magic Foot Doctor, and he magically takes away all my pain, I'll be sure to share whatever I learn.

Until then, what do I have for you? Well, you may recall that I've had several other minor running injuries that, unlike the bunion, have come and gone in a flash. If, that is, you consider a day or two a flash, which, when referring to running injuries, I do. Yes, aside from a twisted ankle last fall (which was a shopping, not running, injury) none of the injuries have kept me from running for long.

I believe that I owe my (mostly) injury-free running to the following:

• Rolling -- not stretching -- before a run. This may make some people cringe but, for me, stretching before running just wasn't working. My muscles need to be warmed up before I can stretch so I use The Stickto roll out my out my legs pre-run and save my stretches for afterward.
• Sitting on a tennis ball. OK, the humble tennis ball may just be my favorite running gadget of all. For real. At the first sign of a tight ITB, hip, or hamstring, I'm on the ball. Nothing works better (well, maybe weekly massages would but that's not in the cards . . .)!
• Resting when necessary. What I have found is that rest is often necessary. I rarely run more than three days in a row and never more than four. That's what works for me. My body operates best when I balance quality runs with rest. And when I feel an injury coming on, I'm not afraid to take an extra day (or more) off. I would much rather skip a run or two than a month of running.
• Taking on the hills. Maybe it isn't normal to love hills as much as I do but I swear by them. Hilly routes, hill repeats, hill fartleks -- I love them all. I believe that hills helps improve your form and strength and when you run them for speed, there is much less impact on your legs so the workouts are less taxing on your body. Hills are your friends!

That's what works for me right now. I hope some of it can work for you, too!

~ Felice

High 5s for marathoners!

Did you watch the Boston marathon today? Oh, man! It was exciting.

I only caught from mile 24 on of the women's race (yes, I was planning on being glued to my computer but the toddler beckoned). Those 2.2 miles were fantastic. I cheered so hard for Kara -- and Conal cheered, too! -- but, alas, she didn't win. She looked so strong, though, and third is terrific! Yay!

And, super yay for all the bloggers who ran the marathon and the BAA 5k! (I'm sure there were others, but these were the ones I knew of and tracked.)

I want to give a special high 5 (OK, virtual high 5) to N.D., who ran Boston only two-and-a-half months after her son was born -- and did an AWESOME job! Wow. And I thought I was cool for running a 5k four months after my son was born! Sheesh!

Ah, the marathon. That was cool. The whole thing.

* * *

I went for two really enjoyable runs this weekend, followed by ice on the hamstring. It's fine (for the most part), I'm just taking precautions. Today's a day off, although I did go for a long walk this morning, picking up trash in the park. It wasn't as bad as I expected. I thought that Conal and I would be weighed down with trash, but we weren't. So, yeah, the trash thing is going well.

~ Felice

Conspiration.

I didn't think I would run today. Everything and everyone was conspiring against me.

My toddler (a normally wonderful sleeper) woke up several times during the night last night, which meant I did, too. (I'm so not into this whole teething thing.) I started the day exhausted. After a successful playdate and quick stop at the grocery store, I made lunch and -- huh? -- felt a tfh-like twinge in my hamstring. Clearly, I was going to have to hang up my Brooks for good. This gimpy hammie has been nothing but a downer (on and off) for years.

Post-lunch, in a depressed-about-the-hammie state, I checked my email and there was one from Owen saying he had to work late. And then it started to rain. No lie. I wanted to cue the music, slump down on the couch and cry some romantic-comedy style tears.

Only I don't exactly live a romantic-comedy style life so I decided to just buck up and take a little power nap (that's what people mean by buck up, right?).

Let me tell you, a 15 minute nap can pretty much change everything for the better. I took one this afternoon while Conal was snoozing and it did wonders. I woke up feeling a little less fatigued. The hammie pain was gone. (I told you it was tfh-like.) I prepared dinner and decided I would run as soon as Owen got home, rain be damned! It turned out that he was a mere 10 minutes later than usual and when I headed out the rain was only a drizzle.

Sure, it poured for the last half mile but, by that point, I could see my house so what was I going to do? Stop? Walk home? Nope. I just ran faster. Maybe I should hope for end-of-run rain all the time! OK, maybe not.

And now, I'm off to do the important work of filling out my brackets.

~ Felice

No running.

I had planned to take yesterday off because of the leg pain and I did. I had also planned to run today, thinking the pain would be gone, but I did not. The pain was gone, until I went out for a walk around the neighborhood, pushing Conal in his stroller. The pain wasn't bad, but I definitely felt a little twinge in the hamstring/back-of-knee area when I walked up the hills. So, no running today.

Lest you fear that I led a day sans accomplishments, know this: I activated my new cell phone this morning. Yes! I am now connected for the first time in over a month -- since Conal did who-knows-what to the old cell phone. Perhaps he threw it in the trash? Flushed it down the toilet? Buried it in the bed of sad and brittle-because-they-are-really-really-dead-now Blacked Eyed Susans? I just don't know. And after the whole remote-melting-in-the-fireplace episode I have learned to put nothing past that tricky little 16-month-old dude.

The Case of the Disappearing Phone actually ended well for me because I was able to upgrade (free!) to a camera phone. I know. I am quite a few generations behind in this whole technology thing. But, to me, this is good stuff!

For as long as I'm able to keep the phone away from those sticky fingers, that is.

Some fun, some pain.

I've been so busy enjoying this awesome October long weekend (among other things, I took my own advice and made a yummy apple pie) that I haven't had a chance to post a thing.

But now it's dark, the Giants are losing and I'm back on the computer.

I ended the week with a fast 4-mile run on Friday and then took Saturday completely off. What a smart thing to do! We had a fun day. I took Conal to the Apple Festival where I bought a peck of apples (thus, the apple pie) and some cider donuts. On Sunday, I went for a leisurely 6-mile run and it was partly great, partly not so. My hamstring, or some ligament in the hamstring area, was acting up. It was weird: I only felt it when I was running uphill. On the flat parts, downhills and even the slight inclines, I didn't feel a thing. On the real uphills, though? Eek! I had pain.

I stopped to stretch, twice, but it didn't really help. After the run, I iced my leg, rolled it out and took some Advil. We spent the evening at my parents' house and I didn't feel any pain at all while I was there, nor did I feel any when we got home.

This morning I woke up feeling fine so I decided to test my leg on an easy 3.6-mile run. Same thing as on yesterday's run: Pain on the uphills. So, tomorrow will be a complete off day. I'm not bummed because I have a meeting tomorrow night that I need to prepare for, and I have a new book project that I should start working on. I'm going to look at any forced layoff as a good thing for other areas in my life. Although, I do hope that my leg feels good enough to run on Wednesday! I don't want to waste this great October weather.

Pumping.

The ITB and ham are still feeling good! I took them out for another run last night and they ran strong. This morning, we're still good. Talk about relief!

But, I think I learned something yesterday. It's called pumping your arms when you run. Did I somehow miss the lesson on really using your arms when you run up a hill? Has this always been the thing I should have been doing?

Seems like it.

I was heading up a big hill yesterday when I just started to pump my arms -- really work them, not like how I normally run. As soon as I did, everything changed. I was running faster with what seemed like less effort. Of course, the effort was still there but it had shifted from my legs to my arms. So, by engaging my arms more, my legs had less work to do.

Wow. I couldn't believe what a difference it made in my run. What's more, I couldn't believe I had been letting my arms get off so easy, for so long. Well, no longer. These arms having been pushing me up for a good 8 weeks now, so they should have the strength to contribute to a run. I'm going to use that strength from now on!