Run Softly and Carry "The Stick"

I have learned over the years that if you want a boat load of unsolicited advice, you should get pregnant or acquire a sports related injury. I chose the lesser of 2 evils (or did I?) and decided to injure my already-not-so-good knee. Ever since I developed issues with my knee, EVERYONE seems to know what I should or shouldn't do, the right drug to take, cream to try, the proper stretches, etc, etc, etc. Now, it's not that I mind the advice. After all, I want to run and I want to do it without making things worse. The problem is that I've gotten so much advice that it has become virtually impossible to sift thru it all to find a solution that works for me.

But last week, I was talking to the leader of our walking group at work and she told me about one of her clients who had experienced the same calf cramps when her mileage ramped up to double digits as well as knee pain. Someone recommended The Stick and after trying it out, her knee pain completely disappeared and she ran a marathon with NO CRAMPING! Well that single testimony was enough to convince me to give it a try. I used it for the 1st time after my run last nite. I am pleased to say that I'm experiencing very promising results -- still have knee pain but not as much! I was also able to pinpoint several trouble spots or "triggers" that I was able to work out. And I slept GREAT last nite - no achy, sore legs. Hmmmm.

I decided to use it BEFORE my run today and wow what a difference! I did notice some areas that I wished I had hit before hand but those spots were the 1st I worked on after my run. Boy do I feel great. I'm still a proponent of RICE but I'm convinced that the stick should be in every runners gear bag. My only regret is that I discovered it's benefits after injury when I truly believe had it been in my bag of tricks pre-injury, well, I simply would not have had this issue.

But the stick was not the only factor that led to my successful run today. Today I decided to engage in mindful running. I have blogged about this before but I can't say enough about this technique. If you find yourself running alone, as I did today, it's great. Usually I use my runs to "work thru" my problems, solve world hunger, calculate complex algebraic equations and think about what I'm going to wear to work tomorrow. Mindful running forces you to dismiss such mental pursuits and focus solely on your running - your stride, your breathing, everything! Everytime I could hear my footfalls, I would imagine that I was running on a cloud and tried to "tread lightly." For the most part, this was an easy task as during most of this run, my heavy breathing drowned out the sound of heavy feet but still I focused on just my running and not my "drama-saturated" life. The time flew by. After a 5 minute warmup, 25 minutes of running and a 5 minute cool down -- I felt almost as proud as if I had run a marathon. Ok, not quite that proud but proud none the less. Tomorrow is a rest day but thanks to the stick and my rekindled love for the run, I'm looking SO forward to Thursday because I...

Gotta run!
Lisa

On The Road Again

For reasons other than filing my taxes, I have been dreading April 15th. April 15th will be exactly one month since I crossed the finish line in Little Rock and exactly one month since I've gone for a run. I've walked a handful of times and I took a few jogging steps for my photo-op on the Golden Gate Bridge but a full fledged run, nope, haven't done it. I've had a million & one excuses and honestly, they've all been valid. An injured knee is not something to take lightly. But, to be honest, the reason I haven't been running is because somehow, I lost my nerve. I can't explain what I'm afraid of any more than I can explain why it's so cold outside when it's supposed to be spring! But as the 15th approaches, I realize I'm more afraid of never running again than what will happen if I do. So with that realization, I headed out the door for a 20 minute run.

It was not spectacular. It was not fast. It was not without lots of aches & pains. It was, however, a new beginning and it felt GREAT! As I was winding down, I started thinking about an email I received from a very dear friend. I was telling him about the struggles leading up to, during and after the marathon in March. He candidly asked me if I thought I'd be interested in running if it didn't bring so many challenges. I had never really thought of that before & after only a second, I realized that he makes an excellent point. If running were easy for me, I would quickly become bored and move on. It's the obstacles & challenges that truly captivate me. So today, in those measly 20 minutes, I basked in the aches & pains and the huffing & puffing that comes with a month of the lazies. I vowed to start over, re-build my strength and endurance and enjoy the ride. Today I'm setting out to recapture what I thought was lost. I learned I haven't lost it, it just needs a little dusting off.

I am definitely back on the road again...YES!!!!!!!

Gotta run...
Lisa

Back to reality

"Running" the Golden Gate Bridge

It's hard to believe that 1 week ago I was in sunny California! The reality of my unpacked suitcase is like a harsh slap in the face and I am SO tempted to just go back to bed. I am having the hardest time adjusting my sleep patterns to the central time zone -- you would think I was in San Francisco for months rather than days.

I had hoped to post pix and blog from San Francisco but alas I packed the cord for my MP3 player instead of for my camera. I had also hoped to regain my running mojo while on this trip. After all, who wouldn't be inspired by this scenery? Well, as the running fates would have it, after a very long plane ride (boy was I stiff!) and then a "not-so-gentle" bump of my bad knee on a car door, running was no longer an option. I must now deal with another reality that a visit to an orthopaedic is most likely lurking in the near future. Another reason, as far as I'm concerned, to go back to bed this morning! Hopefully, I can find a Dr who will help my knee without telling me to hang up my Asics (a girl can dream, can't she?) Cuz we ALL know that I've...

Gotta run!...

Lisa