Trust the Process: What I'm Working On

I will be the first to admit that I suck at being patient.  I want things to happen and I want them to happen now.  That's my inner 5 year old talking.  That being said, I'm not afraid of hard work and I understand what it takes to achieve a goal.  I actually enjoy that process.  Rehabbing a chronic injury  however, is not enjoyable work.  It blows.

BUT.  There is a game plan and it seems to be working.  After Scotia I told myself I'd take the time off running, which I did.  Almost 3 weeks in fact.  And when I went back to it,  I ran at a comfortable, easy pace and not for very long.  My longest run before this last break was 8.5km.   In those 3 weeks off, I started to address certain things that I felt were contributing to my knee issues. I also enlisted the help of an amazing physiotherapist and friend of mine, Lauren Dyck

1.  Foot mobility.  I've been wearing orthotics for almost as long as I've been running, which is a really long time.  I think my feet have become stupid.  They don't know how to work properly any more.  I proved this point when I took my orthotics out for a very short run / walk and had one of the best runs I've had in AGES.  I've also noticed that sometimes I curl my toes when I'm running and I'm not really sure why I do that.  I've switched to the Altra Torins and the room in the toe box has made a huge difference to my feet and what they're doing.  Taking my orthotics out of them was like finding the missing piece of the puzzle.  I now feel the ground when I run and I feel much more stable  and confident when I'm running.

The mobility in my left foot, especially my big toe joint is somewhat limited so I've been working on making my toes more flexible and functional.  I've been using Joy-a-toes which are nothing short of amazing.  I've also started doing toe yoga (I kid you not) and working on strengthening my feet by grabbing a towel with my toes and pulling it towards me.  I don't do that as often as I should.  But at least I'm doing it which is something.  My physio exercises also have me working on strengthening my arch.   Lauren has also recommended running barefoot on the treadmill for 1-2 minutes a couple of times a week.  So you know I'll be THAT person at the gym, ha ha.

2.  Ankle Mobility.  Stiff and inflexible ankles will definitely manifest further up your kinetic chain, usually in your knees.  I had ankle mobility and achilles issues 3 years ago, which I worked on fixing and then never bothered to keep up.  I've been asked multiple times if I've sprained my right ankle.  I don't think that I have but I did play soccer for 4 years fairly competitively and I know I've rolled it more than once.  My right ankle is the problem one and all the pain I'm feeling is in my right knee.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Lauren has me doing calf raises and this wonderful little gem to increase my range of motion - except I'm kneeling when I'm doing it. 

3) Core & Glutes:  I'm keeping up my core and glute work as well.  Glute bridges are part of my regular routine as are side planks and cable push outs.  I am heading back to the gym to start lifting heavy again to get some strength back in these legs of mine.

The big thing is getting my VMO to kick in.  It seems to have gotten a bit lazy over the years.  I'm doing band work which is been fantastic for not only my VMO but my gluteus medius as well.  Which is exactly the muscle that you want to be strong when you're a runner!

So, am I running?  Kind of.  Lauren has me on a run walk program.  When I started I was running for one minute and walking for one minute.  I built up to 15 reps of that.  Now, I've graduated to 2 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking.   Today I did that 5 times.  It felt amazing.  The knee pain I was experiencing is gone.  I'm not completely pain free however.  There are some different niggles that have arisen, probably because I've taken my orthotics out of the equation.  It seems to sort itself out once I get moving.  I'm hoping it's just my body getting used to using different muscles.

This is the best I've felt in regards to my running in over a year.  I feel like I'm really on the right track.   Lauren knows her stuff.  Speaking of which, I'm putting a little plug out there for her because I think she's awesome.  She's leading a clinic called the Resilient Runner at Synergy Sports Medicine on Sunday February 7th.  It's a 3 hours and it will cover the basic mechanics of running and how to choose the proper shoe for you.  The clinic will cover:

• Basic mechanics of running and how to choose the "right style" and shoe for you
• Common injuries of the hip, knee and foot, and more importantly how to prevent them
• Simple exercises to improve muscle imbalances associated with running

It's only $45 and you can sign up here - if you want to learn how to stay injury free, this is definitely a good place to start!

I'm feeling much more hopeful than I have been in ages.  I finally feel like I'm heading in the right direction.  I'm trusting the process and learning to be patient because I know it will pay off in the long run.   2016 is going to be a good year.   I can feel it!

Tri Talk Tuesday - OFF SEASON

 Welcome back Tri Talk Tuesday peeps!  We're now back to monthly posts since most of us are heading into our off season.  Which is why Courtney, Cynthia and I thought it would be great to chat about the Off Season.   So, that's what today's theme is!

The off season is different for everyone.  Some people take a few weeks off, some people take a few months off.  The length of time I take off depends on how much I've raced and when my first race of the following year is.  I haven't raced as much as normal this year and I have some things I need to work on before I start ramping things up for 2016 so, I'm going to walk you through my off season plans for this year.

I have one race left on the calendar this year and that is the Scotiabank Half Marathon.  Once that race is done, my off season officially starts.   Normally after a half marathon I'll take a week off running and then gradually ease back into regular running the week after.  This year, I plan on taking 3-4 weeks off running completely.  I had a lot of knee problems and other issues that I've been working through all year so I want to give my body a break from the pounding.

What am I going to do in it's place you may wonder?  This is what I've mapped out.

Week One Post Scotia:

Swimming, yoga, massage.   There will be some running on the Saturday after Scotia as I am a Mizuno Run bird at the Toronto Women's 8km.

Week Two Post Scotia:

Swimming, yoga, strength training & a re-introduction to my basement pain cave & computrainer.

Week Three Post Scotia:

Same as above with a focus on cycling drills.

Week Four Post Scotia:

Same as above with the re-introduction of running.  Short easy runs, focusing on form and drill work.  That will probably be what the majority of my off season looks like.  I'll start to build my volume up again in mid December but for a good two months, I'll be keeping things short, sweet and easy.

The off season is also a great time to reflect on your season and focus on things you would like to improve on for next season.   I have a few things I need to work on.

1) Improve my flexibility and my strength and really get that mind body connection when it comes to certain muscle groups that haven't been working the way they should be.  I've finally recruited my glutes for the most part but my hips still need a bit more stability.  My core is a lot stronger but I need loosen up my t-spine to help with my rotation when I'm swimming and I need to learn to engage my lats more.

2)  Find some more power on the bike.  I was catching glimpses of it this year so I know it's possible.   I think with a focus on some basic form and pedal stroke work, I can find that power.  I also need to tweak my bike fit a bit so that should help.

3) Work on my running form.  I did this at the start of the year and found it helpful.  Everything went sideways when I started training for Eagleman and my form work took a back seat.  This is the time of year to make that part of my routine.

4) Work on my mental game in the water.  I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable in open water.   A lot of it has to do with breathing and some of it has to do with the fact that I'm a bit of a headcase.  I think the two things kind of go hand in hand in terms of trying to fix.  I may actually enlist the help of a sports psychologist to start and go from there.

So that's what my 2015 Off Season looks like.  Head on over to the link up and check out all the other Off Season posts.  Next months topic will be cycling training.  I'll be talking about specific workouts you can do indoors to work building strength so come back for that on November 3rd!

Tell me what your off season looks like!

An InLinkz Link-up

#GoalGetter2013 - November Update

Well folks, here we are, only 31 days left in 2013.   The holiday fun is literally just around the corner and I can't wait.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's take a look at now November went shall we?

Main goal?  Work on my flexibility.  I won't say EPIC fail but I'd say pretty close to it.  I made it to yoga ONCE this month.  ONCE.  G has been 6 times in the last 10 days.  WTH?  Although, I have been making an effort to foam roll and stretch a bit more, even when I haven't done a work out.  I really need to keep on this as my PT seems to think that my knee issues are a result of my insanely tight calves and ankles.  Yes, everything is connected.  So moving forward this will be something that I HAVE to do on a regular basis.

I also said that I was going to get back to heavier lifting and strength training 3x a week.  Check - sort of.  I'm back in the gym and the squat rack and I have become friends again but instead of lifting 3x a week, I'm lifting twice a week and then I've added a TRX class as my third day of strength training.  Good LORD is that ever hard.   It works all the little muscles that the big lifts don't always get to.  I thought I was in pretty good shape until after my first class.  I was sore for 3 days.  3 freaking days.  But I loved every minute of it.  I'm going to make of point of doing it as much as I can in December.  Once training for Boston starts, I'll have to forgo it but for now, it's staying. 

Goal for December?  Maintenance baby.  That's it.  I've got a good thing going right now, my body is in a happy place and I'd like to keep it there for as long as possible. 

How did your November go? 

#GoalGetter2013 - October Edition

Happy Halloween Folks!

Who's dressed up in costume today?  Who's giving out candy tonight?  Who's been eating candy for the past week and had to go back to the grocery store to get more?  That would normally be me, however, this year, since Halloween happens to fall on a Thursday night and coincidentally my run group ALSO meets on Thursday nights I thought it might be fun to dress up in costume, do our workout and then go out for a pint and a bite to eat afterwards.

Fun?  FUN!!  Hopefully the rain stops by 6:30 tonight or I might be the only lunatic out there running around.  Or, I may be sitting in the dark inside my house, hoping it doesn't get egged because we're not handing out candy.

I didn't get too creative with my costume as I wanted something easy and comfortable to run in.  So a sparkly red devil it is.  I have enough red running gear so I should be able to pull this off.

We all know what Halloween means, right?  It means that Winter Is Coming.  I can't believe that November is pretty much here already.  That means I need to start thinking about Christmas and as much as I love it, I'm just not ready.  But I better get on that or else I will be that lady with the crazed look in her eyes tearing through the mall on Christmas Eve.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's look back at October shall we?

I had simple goals for this month leading up to my BIG goal.  All I had to do was keep getting my workouts in (check) and make sure I took care of myself (check).  Oh and I was supposed to put my beerstagrams on hold.  And I did.  Kind of.  But no matter, I still managed to check another big honkin' to do off my 2013 List and that was break 1:30 for a half so I'm quite happy with the way October panned out.

Now that my off season is here, I have two goals:

1.  Work on my flexibility

2.  Get back into a solid strength training routine that focuses on developing power.   Yes, the squat rack and I are going to get reacquainted and I can't wait.  

I'm going to dial back the intensity in my weekly runs as well.  Right now I run 3 times a week.  One long run, one tempo run and one interval run.  I'll keep doing the tempo runs to keep my speed up as I do have one last race left in December.   I'm going to replace my interval run with an easy / medium paced run just so I'm not killing myself twice a week.  There's no need for that session right now.  Once Boston training starts, I'll add that back in.  For now, I'll just enjoy putting one foot in front of the other without any worry about pace or distance. 

How was your October? 

What are your goals for November?

To Race or not To Race, That is the Question

Those of you that have been reading this blog for the last couple of years, know very well that I have a bit a problem.  I am addicted to racing.  There.  I said it.

The first step to dealing with the problem is to acknowledge it.  Right?

Sometimes I get so focused on the love of competition that I let it cloud my judgement in regards to other things...like the condition of my legs.   Which, in case you were wondering, is probably not really where it should be if I want to race a half well.

I was all excited to run a half 3 weeks after Boston.  That was the plan.  I figured I executed a similar plan perfectly last year, why couldn't I do it again?  I took it much easier this year post race.  I gave myself ample time to recover and I didn't do any hard workouts until this week.  Pace wise things were ok.  But my legs still don't feel 100%.  There is still some residual tightness and nerve issues in my left leg.  I had a good A.R.T session on Wednesday and he said I seemed a whole lot better.  And I am but I still don't feel 100%.   Maybe 95%.  I'm afraid that if I go and race a half, that will just set me back.  I'll need a week to recover and who knows what it will do to the nerve in my leg.  As G said the race this weekend really serves no purpose.  It's not an A race.  It's just a race. 

Of course I struggled with this decision.  I even said I'd leave it to the last minute to register.  But, I need to listen to my body.  I don't want to jeopardize my triathlon season by over doing it too early.  I don't really have anything to gain from doing this race other than a potential age group placing and some points towards my Team Running Free passport.  But I'll be getting lots of those by helping out at the Toronto Marathon Expo. 

So instead of toeing the line on a gorgeous sunny Sunday morning, I will be at the pool sucking in chlorine and then I'll head out for a run and hopefully, if I have the energy, I'll get myself to hot yoga and start working on my flexibility.  Because right now, this is pretty much what things are like for me. 

If I want to continue to run and race at my current level, I really need to take care of myself.    The positive side to this?  The money I saved on a last minute race entry fee will cover at least 8 yoga classes!  Now that's the kind of up side that I like.


Are you racing this weekend?