Showing posts with label knee injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knee injury. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 17, 2015


Welp, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. I didn't have much to report, but contrary to the popular saying, no news is not good news.

A little over a week ago, the ol' knee was making slow improvements, and right when I was sure things would heal up 100%, things took a downturn and now I feel almost like I am back to square one. I am trying to retrace my steps to figure out what exactly I did wrong. There were a few things that could have been the cause. I had done two 4-5 mile runs in a row, which was a bit more than I'm used to. Previously I was running every other day. I also slightly upped my mileage, but I don't see that being the major problem.

I also wore these stupid wedges that just taunt me on a daily basis (they are just so easy to put on!). I need to just throw them into traffic, because they have yet to do me any good. And by wedges, I mean 1" heels. They don't even really count.

The Devil shoes.

I'm just going to say it, I'm done with heels. DONE. Sure, they look great, and make your legs look super muscular and awesome, but it's NEVER WORTH IT. Every time I give it a shot, I spend the next day regretting it. Or the same day. I am not a person that can walk well in heels. I'm pretty sure most girls can't walk well in heels. We should all just collectively stop. Just stop.

But yeah, I really think wearing those for a day set me back.

Whatever it was, there's not much I can do now. I am continuing with the exercises and icing, but I'll be honest and say my enthusiasm is completely depleted. 

I guess the most exciting running news is that I finally volunteered at a race. I've always wanted to, but could never bear to stand on the sidelines instead of participating. The injury forced me to swallow my pride, so I emailed the race director at Inside Trails and decided to volunteer a couple hours with Rini for the Mt. Tam Trail Race. This was the race I had signed up for in preparation for the North Face 50 miler. :(

Rini and I got to the race a little after 8:30 to pick up our volunteer gear. The director gave us a pile of stuff, including two race official vests, two bright orange flags, and two signs to put on the road that runners were crossing.




We were stationed at Hwy 1 @ Muir Beach by a cute little farm with horses. A CHP officer was assisting us, since we are not allowed to direct traffic. I was really nervous to be a course monitor, because I don't like directing anyone anywhere. Just the thought of potentially misdirecting a runner or holding them back scared me! 

I managed to control my anxieties. It's hard to be anxious with Rini around. She has this calm assertive Cesar Milan thing going on. Just kidding (kind of), but seriously, I was so glad that we were together for this.


I think we must have had the most chaotic intersection of the whole race. Luckily we were only directing the 50k racers, but having it be at the Muir Beach road with crossings on both sides on the busy Highway 1 was stressful. It didn't help that there was also an accident between a cyclist and a Tesla so the CHP officer was trying to do double duty.

The crazy part is that the Tesla apparently INTENTIONALLY hit the cyclist out of road rage. I felt like there was a lot of aggression in Marin, I'm not sure if it was just that day or what. I constantly had to overhear conversations between cyclists as to how runner's were "infesting" the trails, and how much of an inconvenience it was for them. I understand their point, I really do, but I also know that there really weren't that many 50k runners at this part of the trail, and the ones that were there were few and far between. Can't we all just get along? We're all out there to have fun and be outside...

Most people were pretty nice, and almost all of the runners were kind and thanked me for being there. I got a bit bored at the end because there were so few runners going through, but I was constantly entertained by the wild animals roaming nearby. I saw four deer crossing the road at separate times, and this coyote was totally hanging out with me a stone's throw a way.

Jon is still training for the North Face 50k. He was running in the same area for his group run and ended up running through the road that I was on. I snapped some pictures of him. That day he finished his longest run ever with 27 miles and over 5000 feet of elevation. That boy sure has come a long way (literally and figuratively) since I met him. 


One mistake that I did was not bring any food or eat a large breakfast before volunteering. Rini and I didn't grab lunch until almost 2:30 and we were both famished at that point. The experience was great, but next time I volunteer I'd like to try out sweeping the course or working at the aid station. 

In other running news, I got a new rain jacket. The Ultimate Direction Women's Ultra Jacket. It's a million dollars, but totally worth it for the built in mittens and the ability to turn my head with the hood on. Well, okay it's not really a million dollars. It's $180, which I think is basically the same thing. I have yet to actually try it in the rain, because I live in California. And it has only rained twice. In 10 years.


I'll give you a more in depth review when that happens.

For now, I guess I should attempt my sad exercises and cry. Here's some chickens and my blind dog.





Volunteering, and coping...

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Monday, November 2, 2015



Some of my favorite people are people I've met through running. Whether it's me dragging people out, people dragging me out, meeting at races (ahem, RINI), through running groups, or the most unique so far...meeting through Strava's Flyby's.




Strava is a running/cycling app that I have been using for a couple of years now. They are always adding new things to it, and my favorite feature yet is the FlyBy. It's fun to watch, you appear as little bubble avatars and you can "play" the run and see it in action. If you're in a race you can see the point when other Strava runner's pass you, or when you pass them. You can check out my race flyby here

Since I'm always on the Bay Trail, I ended up running by this girl one morning. She looks fast. You can tell by her CEP compression wear, her long stride and effortless smile she always has on. I don't remember the nitty gritty, but one of us saw each other in the fly by's and we became pretty much instant friends.

I don't know about you, but for me, it's really easy to get along with other running geeks. It's like finding someone that speaks your language in a foreign distant land. We dork out about previous races, running times, gear, and well...just about everything. It was Audrey that recommended the kick-ass acupuncture place to me, and it was her that recommended my newfound coach (more about that later). 

Since we live in the same area, we've been trying to sync up our race schedules together too. Even though she's way faster, and actually wins races. Did I mention that she qualified for Boston at TWO races this year? AND she just casually ran a 50 miler with over 6k elevation like as if it was just a 10k? 

So when I mentioned the annual San Mateo Rotary 5k/10k just a half mile away from our houses (1 mile for her), I didn't have to twist her arm to get her to sign up. I also managed to get one of my super fast coworkers to join!

And yes, all of that blabbering lead to why I ended up doing the San Mateo Rotary 5k/10k.

I have done this race a couple of times prior. It is only $25 for either the 5k or 10k, and has nearly 250 participants total. This year there were 150 5k runners and 91 10k runners. The race directors are really friendly, and the amount of love put into this race is palpable.

It's held at the Seal Point Park right by "hay hill" (which I guess is just a giant pile of garbage. literally.). It started at 9am so I had plenty of time to catch some extra zz's, before walking over. The bib pickup was quick and easy, and while it would have been nice to have some extra restrooms there, the handful of toilets at the park sufficed.

Thanks to Audrey Kung for taking this photo!

The course wraps around hay hill, and then goes down a straight path toward coyote point, doing a u-turn and heading back towards seal point park. The 10k course is just the 5k course twice, which always is kind of a bummer. The great part about that though, is that any participants can get PLENTY of photos of the runners if they simply stand at Hay Hill.



Did I mention that Audrey and I were accidental twins?



Audrey was going for the 5k women's win, and I was just trying to survive. I stuck with my MAF zone (148 heart rate), which kept me at my usual ten minute mile. 

I finished, and snagged my runner's gift bag and cotton long sleeved shirt (I'd love to design something for next year's if they're reading this). Audrey stepped up to the podium to grab her hard earned $100 gift certificate to A Runner's Mind. The gift bag is always my favorite thing, since it's just a grab bag of random samples of things. And I mean RANDOM. Each bag has different things in it too, which I find hilarious.



They did their raffle which always lasts a bit long and sadly and unsurprisingly, I didn't win. The prizes are plentiful, and Audrey won another gift certificate to a local restaurant. Lucky girl...



A major component to the joy of this race were the subs at the finish line from Jersey Mike's. They were sooo good! They also had banana's, recovery drinks, and probably other things but I was too engrossed with the sandwiches.

Will I do the race again? Definitely! I love how convenient it is, and it's a really quaint and fun race to do.

I won't blab on for much longer, but I wanted to give a quick update on the knee. Things are progressing every day, and I am feeling quite positive. I have hired a new remote coach, Mathew Nark, and he sends me weekly running workouts. Right now it's pretty tame because we both know that I am in recovery mode, and he wants me to be absolutely pain free before giving me harder workouts.

Having a coach was something I always wanted to do simply because I need some structure. I was looking for someone to hold me back when I need, and let me go crazy when it was a good time. I set up some new goal races for next year, so despite having to bail on The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler, and the Mt. Tam Inside Trail 50k, I have something to look forward to.

The race list so far? The Gobble Wobble on Thanksgiving, The Kaiser Half Marathon on Valentine's day, and the Modesto Marathon March 20th. I'm steering myself away from trails as much as I love them, just because I think my knees need a break.

Oh, but back to the knee. It's getting better. It's lost it's floppy double chin look.


This morning I bounced out of bed, to run in the rain. We don't get much rain here, if you aren't aware. I can't even remember the last time I ran in the rain, it has been so long. It's safe to say I was a little excited. I even made up my own song/chant to drive Jon crazy with. "RUNNING IN THE RAIN....DUn..DUnn Dun.." It was a very deep song.



My run this morning felt amazing. I didn't have any knee pain at all! They were a bit achy afterward, but I definitely am seeing progress and hope that by the end of the week I will be pretty much back to normal. Rest, Ice, strength, repeat!

Anywho, that's about it for me. I didn't realize I had so much to say! I'll post more details about the coaching, and also the future races next time.




My knee healing progress and a quick race recap of the San Mateo Rotary Fun Run

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Saturday, October 17, 2015




Here I am. Sitting at my desk, once again avoiding something that I probably should be doing but that I really, really, REALLY hate. But, my bike on the trainer will always be there...and you guys? My five readers (you real troopers)? I don't know how much longer you'll hang on for. ;)

The running news front isn't very exciting, but I figure I'd post about it since most of you know how it feels to be out for an injury. The majority of us on the sidelines are the obsessive type A people that thrive on a consistent schedule, and that regular flow of endorphins that running gives us. To me it's also my time that I have to myself, where I can just let my mind relax and I catch up on my podcasts.

Speaking of which, here are some of my current faves. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know because I'm always looking for new ones.

This American Life
Radiolab
The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast (although I take his advice with a grain of salt, and I am EVER SO SAD that his Canadian sidekick Brock is no longer his sidekick.) Hnngh, seriously, I am so sad and contemplating giving up on the podcast.
Endurance Planet - my favorite episodes are "Ask The Coach" with Lucho and Tawnee
Planet Money
Freakonomics 
Marathon Training Acadamy - It's almost irritatingly PG, but I've gotten familiar with their personalities and they're kind of charming after a while.
Ultra Runner Podcast - although I have to admit I have been cutting back on this one recently, not sure why, but the host Eric is really great and a total running geek.

I battle constantly between being annoyingly optimistic about my knee, to being lazy and giving up. The laziness/giving up side has thrown a hell of an upper cut, but the optimistic side is bobbing and weaving for dear life. Part of me wants to just give up completely, enjoy doing nothing and let my muscles atrophy. The other part of me is trying to convince me to keep my muscles around. Oh, and I am not supposed to get fat until AFTER the wedding.

Did I mention my sarcasm level is rising? Almost as much as my dog's.



I have around seven weeks left until the 50 miler, and only a month until my scheduled 50k. I'm almost certain that I'll need to downgrade my 50k to a 10k or a half marathon (if I'm very lucky). My current status is that I can do 15 miles on flat ground with mild pain. Things aren't looking so great for me. I need to hope for a miracle, but I won't throw in the towel until I absolutely have to.

What is it? Patellofemoral pain Syndrome, says the doc. It is probably the most common knee injury, and is also known as the dreaded "Runner's Knee". My patella is off track, and the cartilage underneath is all worn and inflamed. The sharp pains I was experiencing were the bone on bone action, and that is no bueno.

Things are certainly improving. I no longer have those sharp pains. No more gasps when I step wrong or straighten my leg too fast. This is a major improvement. The last five mile run I did started out kind of painful but the last two miles were virtually pain free. I was completely ecstatic when I got home.



The knee is costing me a pretty penny. I am adhering to the "everything but the kitchen sink" method. Each week I have been going to the sports chiropractor where he grinds away at the scar tissue with the Active Release Technique. He also beats my IT band and quads into submission.

Weekly, I am also dropping by the local acupuncturist's office. I mentioned her before, but I actually snagged a photo for you guys. The second visit was much more relaxing for me. I had way less tension in my neck and shoulders so I was able to chill out this time instead of fidgeting and waiting for the time to be up. I was able to handle much more electricity to the ol' knee, so that is a positive sign. It means things are improving!

zappity zap zap! PAIN, BE GONE!

Additionally, I have been on a knee brace buying spree to find the right one. I returned some, but the ones I decided to keep are this knee sleeve that I bought of Amazon, and the classic runner's knee band that I see on practically every other runner outdoors.

The knee sleeve is my favorite because it provides just the right amount of compression and support. It feels great on, and I even ran with it with no chaffing or issues. It has one of those puffy donut gel pads to encircle your patella, as well as some thicker banding along the sides to provide more support to the sides of your knee. I can easily fit it over my pants for that classic but casual-cool "injured runner" look at work.

Hard to see, but there's a firm banding on the sides where my thumb is.

Ordered in a sleek black to show off all the dog hair

Flipped inside out

So cushy!

I've also splurged on some new supplements, which Jon would be excited to hear about. Our cupboards aren't overflowing with supplements at all. I don't go through weirdo health phases ever. There's that sarcasm again. But seriously, my doc recommended glucosamine and chondroitin and/or hydrolyzed collagen powder. Since I couldn't wait the five days for Amazon to ship me my order, I also went and bought some Move Free Ultra pills. I have a hard time taking large pills, so I asked for powder recommendations. These Move Free Ultra pills are great though because they are approximately the size of a Motrin, and I only need to take one a day.



Between my three recommended five mile runs a week, I am doing just about every stretching and strengthening exercise that is recommended. Leg lifts, wall squats, monster walks, crab walks, quad hamstring and calf stretches...you name it, I'm doing it. I even bought some cheesy little ankle weights from Marshalls for five dollars to do some knee strengthening work.

Look how tiny my quads have gotten. Wall squats 1 min 3x's a day.

I'm also still cycling. And my butt still hurts. REALLY BAD. It's not funny. Control your laughter. *waits it out* What am I doing wrong (other than riding for hours at a time non stop)!? It is almost intolerable. I bought a gel cover for my already gelled out seat, and some gel padded shorts.

Maybe not the most opportunistic time to take a photo

The positive part is that I am once again opening my arms up to pop culture. Game of Thrones? You know...that tv show that everyone had made several references to for MANY YEARS that I just have had to smile and nod to? Yeah, I finished season one and I'm on season two now! I'm patting myself on the back for that.


That's the latest and the greatest. I guess I should attempt to hop on the bike for a couple hours...or maybe I should start cleaning the house..........

Cute dog tax.



The road to recovery

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Saturday, October 10, 2015


It's been pretty uneventful in the running world of Heather. I am still nursing the ole knee from a bad case of Patellofemoral Syndrome. It's going to be a long road, and my future races and my sanity are in serious question. 

The alternative cardio exercises I can do are swimming, or biking. Even elliptical is kind of off limits to me, although I didn't know this until after I did a 10k on one. Since I don't really know how to swim very well, and there is no pool that I know of that's free, I have been taking up cycling again. I say this in the least serious manner, because I possess the cycling skills of a drunken toddler.

 

I tried a couple of nights just riding the bike inside on the trainer, getting my heart rate up and catching up on some tv. Turns out it's exceedingly more difficult to do MAF on a bike! The Walking Dead really helped on keeping my heart pumping hard, but couldn't provide much relief from the monotony of peddling my brains out to nowhere. And my butt! Oh man. I even splurged on some padded shorts, and a somewhat cushioned seat, but still felt like my butt bones were bruised.



Since the first night of riding on the trainer, I've attempted a few more indoor rides. The second one was laughable, because my butt bones hurt so bad. I don't think I even managed fifteen minutes. The third time was a bit better, but I had to stuff a down pillow between me and the seat for the first ten minutes. I even went to the wide world of the web to see if people ride through the pain or give it some rest. Seems to be 50/50 in the bike forums.

I've been regularly going to Dr. Dade Donovan, my sports chiropractor. This injury surprised him, considering that I have never really had knee issues before. He has been doing some ART on my knee, and in the last visit really managed to find some crunchy stuff in there. He has lots of weird tables and chairs for chiropractic adjustments, so I took a photo of the scariest looking one. It's not that scary, but I think I've only ever been in it once.


That same night, I had an appointment for some acupuncture here in San Mateo. My equally crazy running friend goes there often, and swears by it. Given my desperation, I decided I'd give it a go too.

I had needles sprinkled from my head and ears, to my feet. There were a handful of them around my knee, and she hooked up some electronic device to them which sent them into a fury of vibrations. I laid there for about thirty minutes (eventually your body adjusts to the sensation and it doesn't feel as weird), and then Angela, the awesome practitioner, took them all out.

Once the session was over, I tested out my knee a bit. The pain was lessened a bit, but is still persistent. I will be back though, as some results aren't seen until a couple of visits in. It makes it easier that my insurance covers it, with only a $10 copay!

On a side note, I'm pretty sure that Jon would agree when I say that all this time off running is making me lazier. I've given up on trying to wake up early in the mornings. Jon was out of the house by 7am today to run 16 miles up some mountains and I didn't bother to roll out until past 9:00. Once I got moving, I decided to at least TRY to not give up completely, and got on the stationary bike. Ten minutes later, I gave in and took the bike outside for 25 miles. I just can't stand stationary anything! I don't know how people handle it in the gyms.

Since twenty five miles is probably the equivalent of running maybe ten miles at the most, I decided that I needed to do a bit more. I went out and did my monster walks, and crab walks that have been prescribed to me from the doctor in order to strengthen my legs a bit. I also did a core routine from FitStar. Anything, at this point, to keep my heart rate up a bit, that isn't on a bike.


The chickens were very confused as to what I was doing, but kept me company the entire time.


Other than that, I've just been icing, resting, and resting some more. All this time off is definitely helping the knee, and I was even given permission to do a couple of flat five milers for the week. I'm trying pretty hard to remain positive and hopeful for my future races, but I know the number one priority are healthy legs. So if North Face 50 isn't in the cards for me, then so be it! I'll just become a professional sleeperiner.

Mmmm...sleep...



Some time off running, and lots of sleeping.

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Sunday, September 20, 2015



Last week was pretty intense for me. A week ago on Saturday I went on a little trail run with Jon and Rini and the San Francisco Running Company group. It was great because they had Nike shoes for everyone to try if they wanted. I was able to snag a pair of the Wildhorse 3's, which I was happy about since I've been wanting to give them a test run!

Unfortunately in my excitement I neglected to take any photos of them.

A quick review. I did like them. I had to size up to a 7.5 which surprised me since I never usually have to go larger than a 7. They were solid on the trails, but they felt a bit stiff. I prefer them over the kiger 3's since they have a bit more cushioning, especially on the heel. The grip was great, never questioned that part, and the upper was very comfortable. I really love how wide the toebox is, yet it isn't floppy or clunky. When I came back from the run, I put my Hoka Challenger's on, and I immediately realized how narrow that toe box is (in the Hoka's) in comparison.

Now back to the run. Rini and I were the caboose to the lightning fast SFRC train. I can never keep up with any of them! A good portion of the people that run on Saturdays there are elites, so there's that. Then the rest of them are just one half step below elites.

Photo Credit: Rini Sugianto

We meandered through the hills, and managed to get our prescribed 16 miles in for the day. We were walk/running for the majority of it, and I was feeling pretty great! My feet were my only complaint, they definitely were aching for the cushioning of the Challenger's. They are complete babies when it comes to anything that aren't Hoka's now.

Photo Credit: Rini Sugianto

The next day Jon and I woke up bright and early again and headed to our favorite Peninsula trail at Huddart Park. Jon was only scheduled to do a light 4 miler, so I ended up going solo for our usual 10 mile route.


You would think I would know the trail by now since we've done it at least five times. But no. As soon as Jon was out of sight I was lost. Johan is probably laughing at me, since we've talked about this. I always say I like to follow runners instead of leading, and he mentioned that I won't take notice to where I'm going.

The VERY FIRST TURN, I was lost. I got turned around three times, adding an additional mile to my run. It didn't help that my legs were unusually sore that day and I was feeling some pain in my right knee on the way up.

I wanted to scream by the third time I got lost, and instead just pulled out my google maps and followed a trail back to the car. In my defense, the trails at Huddart are VERY confusing. I also was instinctively correct on each turn I made but then would second guess and go backwards and then forward again.



I hobbled my way down at an excruciatingly slow pace. My knee was really acting up, and I just wanted to finish the stupid run. The weather was unusually warm, and was not helping my attitude.

I took Monday and Tuesday off, and went to see Dr. Dade (sports chiropractor) about my knee. I wasn't limping when walking and I didn't think it was a big deal. He worked on it some, and thought it was probably tweaked from a tight calf which caused my knee to bend too soon.

Wednesday came, and I headed out for a 10k. It hurt. I was hobbling. The internal battle trying to decide if I should go on or turn back was ongoing. The pain started to subside so I continued on, but I was certainly not going fast. Butttt...my heart rate was great! *smile*



Thursday came and I wanted to test out my knee again. The first half mile was even worse but then the pain started to go away completely. It seems like it's fine but if I step off slightly, it messed up the tracking of my patella and it would leave me hobbling for 10 steps or so.

Friday was a rest day, and Saturday I thought I would stick to the flat trails to get my long runs in. I also taped my knee according to some YouTube instructions that my doc sent me. I think it helped because I felt much better.



Once I warm up, the pain isn't even there at all. I finished my 18 miler feeling great with an average 10:20 pace and a 144 heart rate! It was incredible!

I came home and iced it right away and decided to take some Vitargo since I never gave it an honest shot and had a gigantic tub taking up a square foot of space on our counter.



It is a super starch that is digested insanely quick, and is supposed to aid in recovery. It tastes okay. There's a slight slimy consistency to it, but I like the flavor. I made the mistake once of adding water to it once the powder was on the bottom and it just made a giant sticky ball within the shaker ball. This time I read the instructions, and put in room temperature water first halfway, then a scoop (they say 2 scoops but I don't need 280 calories) and then top it off with cold water, THEN shake.

Sunrise!
Either my body was really happy about not running up a mountain, or the vitargo worked, or maybe both...but I was SUPER hyper and productive yesterday. I managed to finish my 18 miler, then make breakfast, clean the entire house (an actual proper cleaning), bathe our stinky dog, paint a painting with a friend, go grocery shopping, do all the laundry, and squeeze in lots of time to stare at imgur.

First time painting in a while! Water soluble oil paints

I'm home alone too while Jon attempted to climb Whitney with his family, so getting up before 6 is not very easy for me to do solo. But I did it TWICE. TWICE!!! I got up early to beat the heat this weekend, and ran another 10 miles on the bay trail. My knee felt even better, although definitely not 100%. I decided to take it easy and just play photographer for the day. The sunrise was spectacular.



I'm also happy that the birds are coming back for the fall! I love seeing all of them on the trail.



The best part? I ran by the area where I saw the "Goats at Work" sign, and to my utter delight, the entire field was littered with Goats! They were PLOWING through this field like it was nothing. Incredible!






I (clearly) took a lot of photos. And videos. And then I just stared at them and tried to make friends. This run was evidently not a serious one.

Once I peeled myself away from the beautiful distraction, I trotted back home and was reminded of the reason I got up so early in the first place. The sun is really unforgiving on the bay trail, I'm glad I didn't sleep in.

I was pleased to see that my pace was sub 10, and my heart rate still below MAF. I took some more Vitargo, because why not? and I once again had a steady flow of energy to help me get chicken feed, and wander around the mall in a desperate attempt to buy new clothes. I was barely successful.

Anyway, this weekend I might stick with the flat paths again if my knee isn't up to it. Sunday is the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon, so I'm looking forward to that! Unfortunately I think I'll probably have to go MAF style so I don't make my injury any worse. It's a bummer since it's such a flat course, but oh well! At least the ol' legs still work!

OH! And last but not least, I did the JP Morgan Corporate challenge with our Storm8 team! I organize this run every year, and it is always so much fun! I managed to run a 7:49min/mi. I have to admit, I was a bit bummed when my strava said 7:39, but I guess I ran an extra tenth of a mile. Booooo....but it was a lot of fun. Here's some photos!





An achy knee, lots of MAF, and most importantly... GOATS!

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