Well, whoever invented moderation never met my mother-in-law. Hah. I jest. Well, actually, no I don’t. I spent this weekend with my in-laws and husband, which necessitated some mega-running. Stress relief, alone-time and fresh air were all necessities, and running was the solution. I rocked around 7-8 miles of river trail running on Friday and Saturday morning, and it definitely helped me deal with the MIL all weekend long. And while I “felt” my adductor, it didn’t give me pain after the run on Friday, and I woke up feeling good as new Saturday…thus, the second run. Woohoo!

Of course, I’m taking it slow – aiming for 20 miles this week, along with some low-impact training, weights and Pilates. My new routine is much more diverse, which will (I hope) prevent future injuries. I feel awesome, healthy, and I have some wicked abs now that I’m working with a trainer 2x a week! Sweet.

Oh, and I’m still doing the Ottawa 1/2 with my dad – though he says he might downgrade to the 10k. Sucker!

Anyways, as I wrote last time, I took a running hiatus – 1/2 self imposed and 1/2 forced, from an injury. It turned out to be a tear of the adductor tendon that connects to the pubic bone, so pretty painful (anytime bone is involved) and 6-8 weeks to totally heal. But the physiotherapist said it could happen to anyone, and was just a fluke with my alignment that particular day. What really freaked me was thinking I had stress fractured my pelvis – yikes! Thankfully, I didn’t, but a wise reminder to treat my body right and take enough rest days.

Since then, I’ve actually had a GREAT time with fitness and activity, because I started exploring all sorts of new things:

-I am a dedicated Pilates enthusiast. I love how specific and focused all the moves are, and it makes me feel strong and flexible. I go twice a week and think it’ll really help my running.

-I’ve been doing kick-ass weight training with a trainer who is also a boxer, so last week we boxed, which was awesome! I love waking up sore and feeling “worked” in new ways. Plus I feel crazy strong.

-I have embraced the elliptical. I’ve also learned that it is what it is, and it is not running. Instead of pushing myself to painful levels on it, I just break a sweat and enjoy myself, bopping along to the music. It is a great workout and a great way to x-train.

-I can take a day off, without worrying about “my mileage”…That means if I’m tired, or it doesn’t fit a busy day, it isn’t a big deal that I can’t work out. There are many, many more days ahead…a workout is an option, never a necessity.

This injury has actually been pretty amazing for me. For the first time, I didn’t fight it, or try to run through it. I actually just said “ok” and got on with it. I feel kinda proud of myself…So there you go. I’m back.

Since then, I’ve seen my physio and my orthopedist, who said “I really, really don’t think this is a stress fracture.” He thinks (as does the physio) that I just did a nice number on my pelvic muscles, from stopping the run and then kicking back so quickly – probably gave them a wicked spasm or something.

Whether this is a mild injury or a more serious one, it’s making me give my running some serious reconsideration. I love to run – yes. But I also love to be active in a more general and varied way – walking, Pilates, yoga, biking, boxing – and I get upset when running interferes with that other stuff…either I’m too tired, or sore, or injured…Blah!

Anyways, I’m taking a good week off. I’ve earned it, my body wants it, and I’m going to try to enjoy it. Whatever the diagnosis ends up being, I think the running will take a back seat to some new sports for awhile! Peace.

Basically, my goal for the week was to do the ususal 45 miles, but to be more conscious of “recovery runs”, “regular runs” and then the very-special, once-a-week, “training run”…This week, I didn’t do a long run, but I did a tough interval speed workout on Thursday. I sandwiched that between two legitimately slower runs, and filled out the week with “average” paced workouts. The result? Today, on my rest day, my legs feel fresh…when I stretch, I don’t feel agonizing stiffness. I actually feel loose and flexible, which is hardly characteristic of “a runner’s legs”!

I can remember, two years ago – I was running 30 miles a week and could barely touch my toes. Now, with proper nutrition, training and rest, I’m running 45, enjoy tons of walking and Pilates (and food!) and I’m flexible and fit…Woo hoo for taking care of yourself!

Got a long run planned for tomorrow…hope to hit 10 miles.

Anyway, not the point. The point is potatoes. My nutritionist, who is awesome, suggests that I try out

Mine was similar, but more chili!

foods I rarely eat, just to mix it up and reacquaint myself with old favorites, new favorites, and whatnot. This week, I’m all up-on-potatoes. Tonight, I enjoyed a baked potato with veggie chili and avocado on top. Tomorrow, I may mash a few suckers! I was also enthused by this recipe. And for those who scoff at the nutritional value of a potato:

-These tubers are high in carbohydates, so great fuel for runners.

-A medium potato with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value) and 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV).

-According to Wikipedia, humans can subsist on a diet of potatoes and milk. Lucky us!

On a “P” note: playlists. What is everyone listening to lately on their runs? I need some new music. I’ve been all over The Veronicas, Cake (“The Distance”) and some Kanye.

…Not so fast. On Friday night, at 3:01 a.m., I had an up-close-and-personal visit with the toilet at the hotel where my husband and I were staying on our weekend away (romance! totally!). Anyway, I proceeded to spend the next two days (literally) in bed. I did not eat. I did not drink. I puked. I did not run.

So, even though I feel like %$*&, at least I had a real taper week, got a lot of sleep and rested my legs…right? Here’s to a better week, although I may nix runs for the next few days, to get my hydration and calories back up.

Anyone have any advice? How long do you take off for illness?

A dude in the socks

Aha, my first product review! In the past few weeks, I’ve purchased a few tools in an effort to improve my running and stay injury-free. I’ve been over 40 miles for two months now (which reminds me that it’s well past time for me to cut back by 20% for a week – so, the goal next week is 30-35 miles with some low impact cross training thrown in), so I wondered about methods of injury prevention beyond stretching, massage and baths.

This curiosity led me to OxySox: these are knee-high compression socks that the company claims will reduce leg fatigue, improve circulation and elevate your performance. After reading one online post in which a 100+ mile/week runner claimed the socks had prevented him from getting stress fractures for two years (after suffering from eight), I was sold.

Anyways, I shelled out $20 for a pair and have been running in them for over a week now. And? Tough to say. They’re comfortable socks, no blisters, and my runs feel good. Have I started kicking out 6 minute miles all of a sudden? Well, no. Do I still feel stiff and need to stretch? Yup. Am I terrified that if I stop wearing them, I’ll injure myself? Absolutely.

And there you have it – I was injury-free before OxySox, and now, I’m injury-free with OxySox…I’m also extremely paranoid and $20 in the hole. I guess to properly review these, I’d need some scientist to measure the circulation levels in my legs as I ran, or something. All I can say is that if you want a psychological boost that you’re doing all you can to avoid injury, these are the sock for you!

Today, I did my first Pilates session. I know that leg and core strength are both important for better running, and fewer injuries. My core has gotten a lot stronger in the last six months because of the stuff I do post-run (planks, crunches, etc), but my tendency to do lunges and squats is…so-so…I wanted to see if Pilates could work the legs and core enough so that I don’t feel the need to be planking and squatting all the time.

Well, I l-o-v-e-d it. Using my own body strength was so empowering, and I finished the session feeling worked, but without breaking a major sweat or worrying about poor form (like I do with weights). I think I’ve found my new cross-training…Spinning is fun, but too cardio-heavy (I do NOT need to be burning more calories, thank you!). Pilates is like yoga, but harder, and without the “ohm” and whatnot (which is fine, if you’re into that. I’m not.).

I hope I’m sore tomorrow! I love being sore!

Anyways, the holidays threw a wrench in those plans, initially, because I wasn’t settled in NYC for much of December. But now that I’m back, and feeling a little over-run, I decided to put my plan into action. On Wednesday, I skipped my run in favor of my first SPIN class, at Soul Cycle in uptown Manhattan. I went in absolutely terrified (I swear, my quads were shaking with fear…). I was also prepared to just go easy, enjoy the music, and try to acclimatize myself to the vibe. But, to my surprise, I didn’t entirely suck!

For those who have never done a spinning class, allow me to explain how my class worked: each participant got a pair of special shoes, which clip into the pedals on your spinning bike (the bikes are like stationary bikes at the gym, but with a knob to change the resistance, and a special design mechanism to keep your legs literally spinning the entire time). In this class, each bike was equipped with hand weights for a weight lifting portion (ugh – brutal but awesome!) and a towel, for the inevitable buckets of sweat that would pour off your body. The teacher was great, she played rad 90′s music as we “climbed” hills, worked our asses out of our seats, and pedaled to the beat.

I woke up this morning with sore arms (duh – I never lift weights), but my legs were fine…All in all, I’d rank spinning right up there, as a great cardio workout and a terrific way to do some low-impact cross training that strengthens the legs (quads in particular) in a fun, motivating atmosphere.

Sure, nothing beats the great outdoors – I love nothing more than sweating it out in shorts and a sports bra, sun shining on me, enjoying the fresh air and scenery. But come winter, I appreciate the sterile, focused vibe of running in a temperature-controled environment. For anyone feeling down about being relegated to a ‘mill for the winter, may I share some benefits:

-Treadmills offer a lower-impact workout, reducing your risk of injury as opposed to harsh pavement runs. It’s a great idea, I think, to alternate outdoor runs with a treadmill to keep your legs fresher and cut back on tendon, muscle, and bone wear-and-tear.

-Tempo and interval training is way easier to do on a treadmill. Outside, I am often way less hard on myself, and find it harder to sustain tougher paces…On a treadmill, there’s no escape! If you set the speed at a 7:30, you’ll run a damn 7:30, now won’t you? Oh, you will.

-If you’ve got good balance, you can read magazines and rock some sweet tunes. I’ve gotten through several 10+ mile runs with an US Weekly and some wicked playlists on the ‘mill. It’s great, relaxed time to zone out, break a sweat, and find out whether Reese and Jake will be tying the knot in ’09.

-Other, minor benefits: No ice. No cold fingers. Showing off your awesome legs to people on elliptical machines. Hill training. Accurate (relatively) tracking of pace, speed and distance. Showers within an immediate viscinity.

Anything else anyone can think of? What’s your favorite way to run?