Day 50: Best News In A While

I hit quite the injury milestone the other day and it just so happened to be on my first day of physical therapy. It was also the day that I received some of the best news that I have had in quite a while. So first things first. What was my milestone? 50 days since I've gotten injured. Do I get a gift for that? If you've ever been injured, you know the irritation, anger and depression that comes along with not having your outlet, for me it's running. For the past year and a half running was my outlet. If I was sad, I ran. If I was stressed, I ran. If I was angry, I ran further and faster. Not having your outlet, your vice, it's hard to know how exactly to let out those emotions. In all honesty, I haven't exactly figured out what my new vice is. I have started cooking a lot more, and trying new recipes. Whether or not that's a new vice, I'm not sure but it sure has been exciting and delicious (and healthier than eating out/over-processed canned foods)! Maybe I'll start posting the recipes I'm using?

Now, now, now. I know you're so excited for my good news right? Huh, huh, huh?!

Well... my physical therapist is letting me run... well, walk the Carlsbad half marathon in a couple of weeks. Under other circumstances and normal time limits I wouldn't have even thought about it, but the Carlsbad half has a 4 hour and 30 minute deadline which makes it extremely do-able to walk. So far I've had two painful sessions with her, but I am noticing a difference. She said as long as I get back to "training" (I'm using that word quite loosely) and keep up with my stretches and exercises, I should have no major issues. Once again, I'm completely thrilled with my doctors, and them understanding that "Well, just don't run" isn't an acceptable recovery option to a runner. While I'm not exactly sure what I expected out of physical therapy, I feel like she has gone above and beyond. Today she gave me a 9 week training schedule to ease back into running, almost an injury version of Couch 2 5k.

While I never wanted to hit 50 days of being injured, I'm so incredible thankful that I feel like I'm finally on the winning end. A huge thanks to everyone, my PCM at the Naval Hospital for listening to me, my physical therapist for taking extra time, my twitter friends for all of their advice and my husband for putting up with my crying fits and panic attacks. ::takes a bow:: Yep, I feel like I was just giving my thank you speech at the Academy Awards. You know you enjoyed it. :)

Chaotic Thoughts of an Injured Runner...

It's been six weeks since my IT bands FREAKED THE EFF OUT started to hurt, and I'm officially going stir crazy. I really thought I hit rock bottom a few weeks ago, but I've hit new lows. I've foam rolled. I've ice packed. I've relaxed watching the entire third season of Sons of Anarchy in just over a day. I've ibuprofened/Naproxened. Now, I'm starting to eat my feelings.

Yes. My IT Band freaked out exactly like this...

I had my physical therapy evaluation just the other day, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't in some major pain afterwards. After an hour of being poked, prodded and moved into crazy positions to test my flexibility I was over it. But! She showed me a few stretches, new correct foam roller techniques and how to use a rolling pin (yes, a kitchen rolling pin) to roll out muscles when they're too tight to use full body pressure on my foam roller.

Here's where my crazy thoughts come in and I apologize if it's chaotic.

Well, see... there's this half marathon coming up in three weeks. I'm actually scheduled for it's big brother, the full marathon, but since my injury six weeks ago my husband and I have traded bibs. I'm really trying to heal in the next few weeks so I can attempt to walk/jog the 13.1 miles. I haven't ran in 6 weeks, but I'm determined to run a race that I've been looking forward to for so long (and also 1 of 3 in the San Diego Triple Crown). It's bad enough that I've had to give up my hopes of running the full marathon option. It literally broke my sweet little heart. What has seemed to make things worse was trading bibs with my husband, and giving him my bib for a full that was supposed to be my first. Am I sad? Yep. Am I jealous? Heck yea. Am I holding a grudge? I'm trying really hard not to, but I'd be lying if I said that a little part of me doesn't hurt when he's out on his training runs. So I have 3 weeks to heal, and to attempt a half marathon in the 4 hour 30 minute deadline (definitely do-able... I think). Something inside of me is saying "Heck yes, Andie!" and there's the other voice saying "This is a bad idea..." and there's this third voice telling me "Just keep watching Netflix and eating your feelings."

Which will win? Only time will tell.

Though this is incredibly tempting....

What I've Learned... Being Injured - Week 2

Just the other day was officially two weeks since I got injured and I'm finally feeling good enough to give an easy jog a try later this evening. As far as what I injured, I still have no clue. Each day it feels like a different injury. One day it'll be on the outside of my knee (typical IT band) while the next day it'll be on the inside. Last week my blog post was what I learned about being injured in the first week, this week I wanted to write a little bit of what I've learned in week two and what I need to do to make sure this doesn't happen again.

1. My BFFs: Ibuprofen, ice, warm baths and foam roller. There's been two new additions to my daily routine: warm baths and the foam roller. I'm taking ibuprofen and icing throughout the day, and at night I've made it a point to warm up the muscles and get a good foam rolling session in. I definitely have a love/hate relationship (don't we all?) with my foam roller. Funny how something that can bring you to scream out curse words tears, is the same thing that makes your muscles feel normal again. 
2. Fear of getting hurt again. I'm afraid to run tonight, not going to lie. My biggest fear is that I go out for an easy mile or two and I'm brought to tears by the same pain that struck me the other week. I'm afraid of being out for yet another two+ weeks. I'm afraid of never running again. Okay, maybe I'm overreacting a little on the last one...  
3. Fear of not running my Marathon in January. I'm not sure if I'll be able to throw myself back into training in some of my highest milage weeks. Worst case scenario the husband said he'll flip-flop race bibs with me and he'll run the full while I run the half. Sounds great, but in reality he's not all that prepared for a full either. The last long run that I've done was a 15 miler 3 weeks ago, I'm not sure from here how to jump back into training. 
4. My twitter following is amazing. I know I said this last week, but it's the truth. Whether they're asking how my injury is healing, giving me advice on products to try or advice on strengthening, it's great to know you have the support of others.  Kelly (@lovingtherun) has been amazing this past week and I'm so grateful. Not only did she take time to recommend an incredible article written by Jason Fitz (@JasonFitz1) on how to strengthen your IT Band after injury, but also pointed me to the direction of Rock Tape. Taped up with my hot pink tape for the first time last night, and I can already tell we'll be together for a while. 
5. Prevention. From here on out it's time for me to step up my training, not only keep up with my running but also prevent injuries from happening again. I need to quit slacking when it comes to hill workouts as well as my lower body strength training. I'm really good at remembering to do upper body and core, but somehow I seem to slack on lower body strength. From here on out, it's all about being proactive and preventing another injury, whether it's the same injury that has plagued me over the weeks, or Heaven forbid something worse. 

When injured during Marathon training, how do you get back on track? Jump right in, or take things slow?

Marathon Training Week One... CHECK!

I'm officially done with week one of my marathon training, and it really feels great. I know it's only week one, but I really do feel like I've accomplished something. I'm really trying hard to complete my training to the best of my ability and by the books, since I really slacked on training for both half marathons. My idea is that if I post for the world to see, it's a way of holding myself accountable. Of course I love dailymile, and have confessed my love for the site time and time again, but without others seeing what my training plan looks like, I really can't be judged for work I am/am not doing. I guess, I want to be judged. I want others to see my training and see how far I've some in such a short period of time, and maybe it's also for myself to see where I was at week one and see where I finish at week eighteen.

Monday: 
   Training Plan: Rest
   Actual: Rest Whew!
Day one sure was difficult. Almost didn't feel like I worked out. Oh, wait...

Tuesday:

   Training Plan: 3 mile run

   Actual: 3 mile run @ 10:30 min/mile pace
Nothing crazy. First run in a couple weeks, and only one of a handful since my last half-marathon in August. I wasn't really expecting much, so a 10:30 min/mile pace worked for me.

Wednesday:

   Training Plan: 5 mile pace

   Actual: 5 mile run @ 11:24 min/mile pace / 60 min spin class / 60 min weights
Over-achiever? Yep. Probably. My best friend is an incredible athlete, and helping me weight train. Wednesday's just happen to be a two-a-day workout. If it starts getting to be too much, I'll calm things down. Promise. ::fingers crossed behind my back::

Thursday:

   Training Plan: 3 mile run

   Actual: Rest
Yes, I know. You're probably thinking to yourself, "WTH? Skipping runs already, Andie?!" But it wasn't like that at all. Really worked out hard on Wednesday, and decided to take a day of rest to prevent any sort of injury. Last thing I wanted was to be injured after week one.

Friday:

   Training Plan: Rest

   Actual: 3 mile run @ 9:50 min/mile pace
Ran while in San Diego. The miles just seemed to come so easy, and time flew by. Really wish more runs were like that. But all runs can't be pure perfection, right?

Saturday: 

   Training Plan: 8 mile run

   Actual: Cross Train - row machine 20 minutes / bike 50 minutes
::FACEPALM:: Just assumed that my long run would be on Sunday, so cross-training on Saturday right?! Wrong. In the famous words of Oscar Wilde, "When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me." Truth. 
Overall, my first cross training session went A-MA-ZING! The last time I did a true cross-training session at the gym, I could barely get to 10 minutes on the row-machine, and somehow I made it to 20 minutes. Bike went well, too, but nothing crazy to report on. 

Sunday: 

   Training Plan: Cross Train

   Actual: 8 miles @ 11:58 min/mile pace
Now I know why cross training is on Sunday, and the long run is on Saturday. I was dying and my legs were extremely exhausted. Oh, well. Better luck next week. The only plus to this run? The gorgeous run along the ocean at sunset. 

Holding Myself Accountable

It's official: I'm currently finishing up with week one of training for a marathon. The marathon that I'm training for is the Carlsbad Marathon in beautiful Carlsbad, CA and is the first race in the San Diego Triple Crown series. The most exciting part of this race? While I'll be running the full marathon, my incredible husband will be running the half marathon. This will actually only be the second race of mine that he's attended, with the first being our Thanksgiving 5k last year. Wow. I've come a long way since then! :) Never ever in a million years would I have thought that I would even be slightly interested in running 26.2 miles for fun. Even when I went out for that first hellish run with my best friend Jessica in the Summer of 2010, the thought never even crossed my mind that I would be able to complete a 5k. Here I am, early Fall of 2011 and thus far I have completed three 5k's, two 10k's and two half marathons.

With all of that being said, I needed to come up with a way to make sure my training gets done. Once my husband gets home from Afghanistan, he'll be there to push me and make sure that all my workouts get completed. Until then, it's just me, myself and I. I'm not going to say that I'm a slacker (okay, okay. I'm a slacker), but sometimes I let life get in the way of my training. I think the only way to truly hold myself accountable to my marathon training schedule is to blog at the end of each week about the previous weeks training. Sure, I log my miles and workouts on dailymile, but no one knows what my training schedule was supposed to be except for me. As much as I love dailymile and absolutely swear by it, it doesn't really give me that extra push to get my miles in.

Are you good at getting training plans completed the way that they were meant to be completed? How do you hold yourself accountable?