Supplementssss!

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!!!