A Case of the Runs

Fall is basically here, and "The Ukrainian" has been stepping up his training since he is signed up for the Surf City Marathon in February and LA Marathon in March.  While I certainly don't miss running in the dark, spidery morning environment, I do miss running (in way cooler temps than we have now) in general. Oh, and pain.  I don't miss the pain (though not to say I don't feel as though I've been running without actually haven't done so). I was recently contacted to review Omron's Electrotherapy TENS unit .  Given my current state, I let "The Ukrainian" use this until I am up-and-running again, so to speak.  Although we've both been in the running store only to be told about my gait issues and his perfect arches, he does experience pain once in a while, mostly in his calves, and also upper body after he weight-trains. From their representative: With running season in full force, this unit is perfect for your sore muscles po...

Recently, I was contacted by BackJoy to participate in their #PosturePledge . May is National Correct Posture Month.  (Yep, there's a month for everything!)  Posture is one of those things most of us don't even think about until we're in pain or we see someone who has a VERY poor one.  It's definitely something I need to mind now that I'm getting older.  I've mentioned a few times in this blog ( example ) that I have occasional episodes of back soreness, particularly in the lower region.  At work, I even have a small cushion for that area, which has helped a bit.  Of course, I still find myself struggling to hold myself up in the correct position after a while.  Lately, my middle back has become sore as well, probably due to slouching and compensating for other parts of my body not exactly being aligned.  I'm sure my awkward sleeping positions aren't helping, either. I'm pretty sure this problem will get worse before it gets better, so I was e...

I was recently given the opportunity to try the Ensō roller by Evofit.  I have a tried a couple of other popular massaging gadgets and was excited to see one that was customizable. Since I'm not pounding the pavement as often as I used to, I've actually been injury-free for about three years now.  However, once in a while I feel myself getting tight quads and calves.  Worse, my upper back has been an area of constant struggle lately.  I fortuitously won a spa gift card recently and used it for a massage, at which time I was told that my upper back was "really tight."  She proceeded to loosen it up -- painfully! -- and then it took a few days until I would touch the area.  Fast-forward a couple of weeks... still sore.  Carrying my stupid purse/lunch bag during my weekday commute hasn't exactly been helping, either. Anyway, I immediately started arranging the discs per the enclosed instructions.  The discs click into place, and given that I r...

My calves were sore as heck after my previous marathon .  They were so tender, particularly the one that buckled, that I couldn't even stand the thought of foam-rolling it. Luckily, I had a sample of this Tri-Body Recovery Wash from the Skin Care for Athletes line, which as you can guess by the name, makes organic/natural skin care products for athletes. I don't know why I don't do more bath-related things to relax me, since I'm a big fan of bath bombs and lotions and such and am often stressed from work (and formerly, school).  I tried the whole ice bath thing a couple of times with just a tray of ice cubes (I can't bear to "waste" a bunch of perfectly-good ice!), which obviously wasn't all that helpful. Anyway, this gel helped a lot.  I lathered this up in the shower and paid special attention to my calves.  That evening, I suddenly felt SO much better -- less sore and stiff.  That's pretty unusual to suddenly feel recovered in the middl...

As I mentioned in a previous entry, my marathon-ing career is in jeopardy.  Unless I find a reason why I keep getting debilitating calf cramps in every marathon and buck the trend, then there is really no point for me to keep having the same (sad) story unfold each time I decided to tackle a marathon. All the Google -ing in the world hasn't really helped me over the years, so I finally decided to see someone about it. Luckily, I'm in a good running area that had lots of options for physical therapists, some more geared toward runners than others.  I finally decided to visit Catz. Not that cat.  He wants nothing to do with running, unless it's for kibble. Catz Physical Therapy Institute operates in a few cities across the country.  When I visited my local branch, I was paired up with Melissa for a consultation to see whether my issue was really one that physical therapy could handle. Melissa is a super-awesome licensed physical and lymphedema the...

I have been having some problems with my knee on-and-off since I started training for the Santa Barbara Marathon this past July.  For a short time, it bothered me during each run, then only during long runs when I struck the wrong way, and now, it usually doesn't bother me at all when running.  (If the pain were bad enough, the wimp in me would probably have me reconsidering my racing plans.) I have been fortunate that it has been mostly fine lately, though I WILL have to rehab my {right} knee after this race.  How do I figure?  Well, when I'm laying on my back, I can lift my straight left leg to the ceiling, while doing this with my right leg would cause a scary pain in the knee. Comes to show I don't think I can ever be an *Ironman*, but at least I can feel cool by using this blue muscle rub gel.  Probably would do me better to get something more than a sample, then. =P I used some of this before a recent half-marathon that I ran, and by the race's ...

Have you ever used pain patches?  Do they seem to work? When it comes to running-related pain, I try to be careful distinguishing "normal" pain from "potentially long-lasting" pain.  For example, if I'm sore, I never use anything... it's that "good" kind of hurt that takes a while to set apart from "bad" hurt.  "Bad" hurts, for me, include any pain that is sharp and any pain that feels like a tender painful bruise to the touch. The area you see in the picture below is of the latter category. I prefer using patches over creams, mostly because they are less messy.  I find both effective if the pain is going to be receptive things besides rest. I like these SalonPas Pain Relief patches because after a few minutes, the area under the patch feels slightly warm and cooled, at the same time.  Somehow!  These feel soooo good that I wish I could put a bunch all over my body, but I don't think that is safe.  The patches the...

Long ago, when I ran the San Francisco Half-Marathon in 2009 (okay, so not THAT long ago), I thought I was going to get my first DNF (did not finish). I had been having a horrible hip pain that even made it hard to walk sometimes, so my training went on the wayside. During the expo, Traumeel cream samples were handed out.  I rubbed a lot on my hip, and I made it through the race! Then, in Fargo back in May for a marathon, I was handed out a sample of the pill form of Traumeel.  While I don't like taking a zillion pills (and have never taken Tylenol/etc. for running-related pain), I put it aside for a "rainy day."  These pills are for muscle and joint pain, and the folks at the expo told me that they are helpful for after a marathon (although I didn't feel like I needed them after that particular one given how slow I was!). Well, that "rainy day" came.  My knee has been fickle throughout this marathon training cycle .  I have been being really go...

Okay, so this is not a "humble pie." My homemade egg tarts : jumbo & standard. ***WARNING: LONG (but entertaining in a sick way) POST!! I did a 22-mile training run in preparation for LA Marathon 2011 .  Now, I've done many 20-milers in preparation for my (about-to-be-8) marathons , and they have had various outcomes.  But if those really, really long runs have one thing in common, it is that they are nothing to take lightly.  Any way you slice it, 20 miles is just a long @$$ way. However, I DID start taking them lightly, I guess.  For my last marathon , I maxed out at 21.55 miles  for my longest run.  I would have rounded it out to the next whole mile, but I had misplanned and reached my house before I got there.  I felt accomplished, as I had very little cramping and felt like I could have easily finished it. So when I set out to run 22 miles for my longest run this cycle, I didn't think much of it .  O...

According to an article I read recently in Competitor Magazine , the more runners think about improving their stride, the worse it will get. It doesn’t appear that there is any particular running approach, or form, that is common. If you take 10 different good runners and look at them compared to 10 different poor runners, there is really no single common theme that distinguishes the form of the good runners from that of the poor runners. I am starting to think that I agree with this. I attempted to change my form because I was thinking that my injuries may have been a result of poor form. I read and tried to practice ChiRunning . But months later, I find myself mindlessly pounding about. So much for that. It is HARD to change your ways to the point that you're doing it without consciousness. I think that the body naturally learns to tweak itself. As an example, I know that sometimes when I get conscious of my breathing, I have a harder time doing it. I'm best off leavi...

This is one of those entries that have been a long time in the making, as I had to give both of these products much, much use before giving my full opinion of them. I am fortunate in that both of these items have been made available to me via my company gym. First up is The Stick . It is about 1.5 feet long in the version that I've been using and kind of reminds me of a plastic rolling pin with the center part sectioned off like beads so that they can roll independently. I like that I can roll out my muscles while lying down sitting, or perhaps even standing. It is just like rolling out dough. A moderate press is all you need to feel an effect. Go too hard and you'll just be hurting yourself. Sometimes, there is a chance that your skin can get a little pinched in between the sections. I also doesn't work too well right up against bone (i.e., the shin), but otherwise, my quads and hamstrings and calves love it after a good run! Next up is the foam roller. It is a sty...

Note: I have this categorized under "Running Gear" because I am using this as part of a rehabilitation of sorts (see the post here). I bought this Rodney Yee AM Yoga DVD [Gaiam] from Target for about $15. There were other videos and even other yoga ones by the same instructor Why this particular one? Well, it has five 20-minute workouts on one disc, whereas the others are generally one workout only. The premise of this DVD is that you can do a short yoga session to wake you up in the morning before work on each workday, but I have moslty been doing them at night. The five workouts are called: Standing Poses Twists Backbends Forward Bends Hip Openers The first time I did this, I picked " Backbends " because it was the middle one, and it was Wednesday. Once things got underway, the cat became interested and plopped herself right next to my mat. The poses were not easy but doable, except this one where you have to lay on your belly and grab both ankles from behind wit...

This afternoon, I will have my first run in a bit over a week, the longest break from running that I can recollect within the past four years. I want to come out of my bad past marathon experience into good shape for the next one . But first, I need to get over my nagging injuries . I got these three pilates bands [Embark] (pictured) from Target . You see, I am thinking that Pilates will help me open up my breathing, regain my flexibility, and further my core strength. I already do a FitMoves circuit class 1-2 times a week to work on strength, but sometimes I wonder if it's more injurous than helpful. In fact, I had just made my return to the class after nearly two months due to worry that it would aggravate my hamstring tendons. My flexibility is now quite poor compared to what it used to be. Quite frankly, I have trouble fully extending one of my legs... and this is an attempt at getting some of it back. These bands smell very much like balloons because they are made of latex. I...

This lovely diagram captures the last 4 years of (memorable) injuries I've had, ranging from minor (about 1 week heal time) to... less minor (4 months of healing). Note that these do not include toenail ailments (which probably are at 10 by now -- not on all the toes, though). Also notice that the blue dots are injuries I've had in my first two years of running, and the red is everything I've had within the past 12 months. I have no idea what's going on. I am racing less frequently but for longer distances and basically running the same mileage in training as before (when injuries don't keep me from doing so). Plus, in the grand scheme of things, I am eating better as well. "The Ukrainian" thinks it's stress. I fail to see how my lagging career and dissertation (at least to my standards) can affect my running. And then there's the shoe story. I haven't been able to find a "perfect" pair of running shoes. Even with "pro" fitt...

While I'm still working on my blog entry for my race this past weekend, I thought I'd write about how incredibly sore I am today. As you can see on my side bar, I am doing the Camp Pendleton Mud Run on June 5 and San Diego Marathon on June 6. And, as you know, I had been injured for about two months. My IT band is doing much better, though somewhere in the process of recovery, I pulled a hamstring, but that's a lot easier to run through than most ailments. So given these improvements, I am subjecting myself to a "boot camp" that aims to get me in shape for a marathon in 3.5 weeks. So here's how the past few days have gone down: - Saturday: 6 miles at race - Sunday: 10 (weak sauce) miles - Monday: 1.5 hr cardio + weights - Tuesday: 10 (faster/hilly) miles And here's the tentative plan for the rest of the week: - Wednesday: Windsor pilates (I don't have time to work out tomorrow) and salsa - Thursday: 8-12 miles (depends on how I'm feeling and t...

At the San Francisco Half-Marathon expo, I picked up a few samples of KT-Tape, which is an athletic tape that is supposed to support the muscles when taped in various ways. At the time, I was having a horrible hip pain that really could not be taped since it felt deep-seated, so I put the packets away. Fast-forward to now, more than 6 months later. Today was my first real run since after the marathon . I tried toward the end of last week but started spasming after 1/4 mile. So to make sure my first real attempt didn't go badly and unsure of how much damage I had done to myself during the marathon, I taped up my lovely knee with KT-Tape. Of course, I had to know how to tape it, so I looked on their website that described the different taping methods based on the condition. Now it was time for some good old self-diagnosis. It turns out that pain on the outside of the knee like I have is the all-famous iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), one of the most common and painful running ...

For over a year, I have been getting these devestating headaches after morning runs. By "devestating," I mean an ache that starts slowly but progresses into nausea, and a few times, vomiting (TMI?). This mainly happens after hard runs or anything over 6 miles. I tried drinking a lot of water, but that often did not help. So the other day after my 17-miler (which went very well by the way), I randomly drank a leftover Clif Quench that I had lying around. Sure enough, no headache. I even drove out to see "The Ukrainian" and did not have that extreme fatigue/sleepiness that long runs and drives normally give me. According to the article I linked below, as well as a Google search, I learned that electrolyte imbalances can cause headaches. I always figured that muscle cramping was a result of an imbalance, but the brain? Maybe it's the "muscles" around my skull? The scary thing is, though, that if I am really having an imbalance enough to give me these bad...

I was really skeptical of the effectiveness of this cream when I used it the morning of my recent marathon . It was a sample that was included in our race packets at the Expo. My skepticism came from the relative thin-ness of the cream. It felt literally like a cream. This is in constrast to Aquaphor , which feels very thick and Vaseline-like. I put the Mission Cream on the susceptible parts of my body as shown: Gotta love the depiction, huh? Basically, this stuff went under my arms and between my upper thighs. Surprisingly, I still had some leftover in the small packet. I caught "The Ukrainian" using the rest of it, which I had left on the bathroom counter, in addition to his. The end result? For the first time ever, no post-marathon chafe-pain! This could be due to the vast amount of clothing I was wearing, or the fact that I probably wasn't as sweat-drenched as usual, but "The Ukrainian" reported that he didn't chafe on his ankle (from his shoes rubbing ...

Yesterday, I ran 8 miles on a stomach that felt like it was carrying an ocean inside of it (ugh). I'm not sure what happened, but some combination of peanuts and baby carrots could be the culprit. I haven't really shaken that feeling since, and although I have still been able to eat, I've had to be selective about it. Since I didn't fuel up as properly as I should have post-run, my body feels a bit achy/beat-up today. I can't really tell at this point if I'm feeling ill or just tired from staying up too late to watch Heroes . I had a decaf latte and banana for lunch, though I honestly could have gone without anything if not for my gym time later and the long night ahead of me with a group project meeting. I still want to run my Fall Five Miler today and will give my utmost effort to get it, but it might have to wait. So flu (not swine) shots are going to be offered at my company in about two weeks, and I am leaning toward not getting it this year. I've got...

It's Gettin' Harder and Harder to Breathe... When I first started running, breathing would get a tad more difficult towards the end of a run. The more I'd notice it, the more I panicked, and the more I panicked, the more I tried to manipulate my breathing, which would make it even more difficult. Sometimes, I'd try yawning. Other times, I'd be swigging some cold water, or flailing my arms, or even grunting to relax my lungs. I don't remember when, but somehow, these episodes stopped occurring. But yesterday, going at about 8:50 pace during mile 6 out of the 7 I ran, my airway seemed restricted. My breathing was belabored. Normally, I (try to) breathe in through my nose and out from my mouth, but I found nose-breathing to be a lot easier (though inefficient) than mouth-breathing, so I resorted to a lot of that during that last mile. I felt a bit light-headed, but I figured that since "The Ukrainian" was running on the neighboring treadmill, he'd sav...