I'm not out of the woods yet, but had some time to draw you guys a picture.

Nah, I'm just being dramatic. I wanted to draw illustrate how I've been felt these last couple of weeks. Being injured sucks, and though I am fortunate enough to still be able to run somewhat, I have that caged bird feeling and just want to get back on the trails. LET ME AT THEM!

I have certainly been getting PLENTY of rest. When I'm not sleeping 10 hours a day, I'm often spending my time rolling, doing strengthening, and icing. And eating ice cream. Or just staring at the chickens while eating ice cream. (oh and working) 

This week I've made a LOT of progress. I really believe that I need to credit most of it to the supplements I've been taking. 

I've loaded the cupboards with some collagen and Glucosamine & Chondroitin. The powdered form is only because I'm a pansy and can't choke down the typical form (horsepills). 

The Glucosamine that I bought, I take in the morning with my coffee. It doesn't have much of a flavor, but mentally it kind of grosses me out a bit. It also has some collagen in it, which always leaves me full in the morning. I take two tbsp which is 40 calories and contains 1500mg of Glucosamine Hydrochloride, 10g of Hydrolyzed Collagen, 500mg of Chondroitin sulfate, and 500 mg of Methylsulfonylmethane...AKA MSM.

The Collagen Hydrolysate that I take is from Great Lakes Gelatin. I KNOW IT'S OVERKILL AND I PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO TAKE BOTH. I take the green can because it's also cold water soluble. However, I take it mostly in my hot tea just because I have a feeling it dissolves faster in the hot liquids. Taking it at night is when I read most people take it, because it helps some people sleep. I am not sure if I've been sleeping like a rock because of this or what, but I definitely haven't had any sleep issues.

When I pour the powder in with the hot water, it is kind of milky white for a little bit and once dissolved (after about 30 seconds) it's crystal clear. It does make the tea a tiny bit thicker, but again, it does make me feel more full and contains 11g of protein and 43 calories (per 2 tbsp).

I would recommend starting a lower dose of the collagen and working your way up since it can be kind of upsetting to your stomach (bloat, fullness). 

One more thing that is back on the supplements list is the wallet draining Cod Liver Oil. I recommend the smaller bottles for freshness. I made the mistake of trying an old bottle that I had, but apparently you should use them within 90 days. The cod liver oil is supposed to help with joints and reduce inflammation. Oh and be SURE to get the lemon flavored one. I got the unflavored one once and it was really disgusting.

Since taking all of these, I have noticed dramatic results. Prior, it seemed like my progress was going nowhere. I was disappointed that all my time off running had not made much of a dent in making the pain go away. Once I started taking these, the next day I was walking better, and three days later I almost feel back to normal with no limp. 

I even had my very first PAIN FREE RUN. It was incredible! I was stupidly excited.

It helped that I actually peeled my butt out of bed in the morning to catch a sunrise. It was worth it, although since I'm not used to waking up early anymore I did have to crawl into my car for a 20 minute cat nap.

I've been fairly active this whole week. I managed to get out for 2 runs (my third is tomorrow), three hours of cycling on the trainer and catching up on tv shows and movies, and I even got a chance to go top rope climbing with Rini on Friday. It was so much funnnn! 

I'll end the post by saying that tomorrow morning I have a 10k race. And by "race" I mean, I signed up for an event in which I will slowly trot along and stick with a low heart rate. It is just a casual and unofficial fun run nearby. I'm looking forward to it! My goal is to finish a second run PAIN FREE. Wish me luck!!!

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Supplementssss!

HeatherIhn 0

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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.

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The road to recovery

HeatherIhn 2

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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...

acupuncture ART biking cycling injury knee injury patellofemoral syndrome recovery running injury

Some time off running, and lots of sleeping.

HeatherIhn 0

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