drmariowins

Hey guys, I used to run 15-20 miles a week and then after an ankle injury I fell out of it. I want to sign up for a half marathon for July of 2010. Do you think its possible to be ready for it by then?

Thanks to everyone who commented on my whiny injury rant post.

I talked to the PT today and she said that my hamstring is probably tight again because I ran on my ankle, which is still kind of weak. We're doing strengthening stuff for the ankle (which I've sprained many times), and for the hamstring, we're focusing (again) on strengthening my weak hips.

I brought up that many of you suggested yoga. She agreed, and said I should go for pilates instead, to really focus on building strength. It absolutely makes sense that my lack of core strength could be the reason behind all these injuries, especially when you combine that with flat feet and overpronation. I signed up for a pilates class that will start in January.

She also said I'd be ok to use the elliptical, so I'll keep doing that, and I'll keep doing the rowing (yes - I looked it up and I've been doing incorrectly - thanks, to the person who suggested that).

Overall, I'm relieved that we might have an answer. Hopefully this means that when I finally do get back to running, I won't just end up with the same injury.

Thanks again for your suggestions and support!

This past weekend, I ran in my very first race :):) It was our annual Christmas Race, where many people dress up in costumes and all festive, and it had a HUGEEEE turnout for little Boise, Idaho.

( Christmas Race 10k Report! )

I've been running since I was 14 years old and I'm 26 now. No other exercise makes me feel this happy, fulfilled, healthy, and energized. Even when I hate it, I love it. It's been part of my life for 12 years, and I have no intention of stopping.

But this past year I've been really frustrated with the recurring injuries. I started running more consistently in January, and subsequently tore my hamstring in April. Between January and April, I lost 15 lbs. Thank you, running! But the hamstring tear took six months to heal. Over those six months, I did everything I possibly could to keep the weight off - aquajogging and rowing, which I couldn't stand - because I knew that eventually I'd get back to running and it would be fine.

I started training again, and within a matter of months, I sprained my right ankle. Really? Another injury? I stayed off of it for another month, and it was feeling much better. I powerwalked 2 miles on Friday and ran/walked 3.25 miles on Sunday. Now, not only is the ankle sore again, but once more, my right hamstring is very tight and uncomfortable.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Everything I know about stretching, training properly, RICEing, slowly building up mileage, etc...seems to be failing me at this point. I have flat feet and I overpronate, so I've always used really good, motion-control/stabilizing shoes with orthotics, so I know that's the culprit. I've gained 5 lbs and I'm not happy about it. I haven't really changed my eating habits, so I can tell this is from the lack of exercise. Rowing bores the hell out of me and it's not really that much of a cardio workout anyways. I don't know what to do instead, and I don't want to just get injured again every time I go back to running.

I'm not ready to give up on it - ever. But I really need to know how to stop this from happening. Am I just getting older, is my body getting tired of the pounding, have I been reduced to a perpetual beginner, now that I'm always in a state of injury or rehabbing from an injury?

I hope the PT will have some good suggestions, and that those suggestions are not simply "um...pick another sport?" I'm so tired of hearing that.

I just want this to stop happening :-P Any other runners out there with recurring injuries? I'm so frustrated! What have you done to make it stop? Thanks for hearing the whining, and thanks in advance for any words of advice you might be able to share. *sigh*

/rant.

Now with video!
Good morning, runners! Your favorite dailies guest host here...

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be a very good guest host, because I can't prod the conversation along. I'm going to be driving 500 miles cross-country in order to be home for Christmas. I was supposed to leave yesterday, but due to a massive frontal lobe malfunction, I left my car keys in a jacket pocket in Philadelphia (my body was in New York, my car was in Maryland. Yup, special). So instead, yesterday was spent retrieving my car keys and taking advantage of the extra time with my boyfriend. We had a really nice dinner (I had to fight him to pay let me pay. Hhe didn't like that at all, but he was carting my sorry butt 200 miles round trip, so I was buying dinner and he was going to deal with it) and got to bed at a reasonable hour.

Anyway, I should get home at a reasonable hour (goal: 5:30!), catch family dinner, and sneak in a 4-6 mile run in my subdivision. What's everyone else up to, training-wise and otherwise?

As for today's question.... I just shared a massive brain malfunction, so why don't you do the same? Or tell me about the last time you drove cross-country... :)

Happy running!

I posted here a few months ago thinking something was horribly wrong with me because I couldn't run farther than a mile without having to stop for a walking break. Thanks to all your brilliant advice, I ran (without any walking breaks!) a 5 mile race on Thanksgiving, and a 5k this weekend.

The advice that helped the most was to just slow down. So I have been running about a 10:30/mile pace (slower on longer runs) pretty consistently since September.

I was wondering if you all had any insights on how to build up speed without it being too painful. Or is the answer, to borrow a turn of phrase, "Just do it!"?

I know some of you on here have GPS watches you use for training so I'm looking for some opinions/reviews on them. I'm looking more at Garmin though I think I'll probably overpay because of the name. Aren't they like the iPod of GPS? heh. Though the reasons I'm looking at them are because I have a GPS by them for my car which I enjoy and has served me very well and partly because I am a fan of their cycling team.

I don't need anything too fancy since the winter has just barely begun and I won't be running outside anytime soon. I'm kind of looking at the Forerunner 50 and 205 because they're both fairly economical but the 205 looks better for not too much more. But, looks and price are nothing compared to quality.

Even if you don't own a Garmin, let me know how you enjoy your GPS watch. This will be my first one so I'm not at all familiar. I don't want to walk into a store to just be sold to instead of a caring opinion (not to say all running stores are like this!).

Thanks in advance!

yesterday- i ran the 12k of christmas, the 5k version, i did it in 32.07- second best 5k for me this year- i hadnt run a race or ran more than a mile on the treadmill ( but i play soccer 3x a week)since the Torchlight 8k- which was 98 degress outside at 6 pm in seattle and i did that one in 55.01 Sorry to those who didnt like me singing to the GLEE sound track- you all can suck it I had fun, I ran with my sister who almost broke the 30 min mark for the first time at 30.27- and she has been running - like every day- crazy kid- It was a good race- a surprose gradual hill and then the gradual down hill- i only wish that i had also Ibeatjohncurley.com but he didnt race this one- next year john you are going down!

One of the local running stores is offering this service immediately before the marathon next month:

Stay out of the elements and let us pamper you with everything you need before the PF Chang's Rock N Roll Marathon. Take advantage of our exclusive buses which will transport you directly to the Warm Zone. The WARM ZONE will provide you with the following:

• Dedicated UPS truck stationed at the Warm Zone for a gear drop to save you time.
• Optional bus transportation to the start.
• Private parking garage for Warm Zone participants who opt to ride our buses. The bus pickup will be located a short walk from the finish line.
• Very close to the starting lines: 1/4 mile in front of the marathon start and 500 feet from the half marathon start.
• Lots of port-o-potties
• Indoor comfort out of the cold
• Bagels, muffins, yogurt, coffee and other pre-race nutrition
• Complimentary running gloves, Body Glide, sunscreen lotion, safety pins, energy gels, & fluid replacement drinks
• Massage therapist from Performance Massage on hand to help you loosen up

And it costs only fifty bucks. I'm inclined to pass.

Good morning runners! Here's the daily training thread!

My park is covered in snow and not particularly run-able. After work I think I'm heading into town where they took care of the streets a little better and running for about an hour. I'll get about 7 or so miles in. And I'll be shoveling, that totally counts as cross-training!

So how is everyone else starting off their week, training and otherwise?

And it's Monday so, how was your weekend? Highlights? Lowlights? Anything you wanna brag or bitch about (or both)? The NYC weekend was fantastic, better than anticipated, which is saying a lot. Weekends like this you hate to see Monday roll around. For more, see hbfs's comment below.

Seems appropriate after this weekend:


Discuss... and HAPPY RUNNING!

I read a lot of running blogs, and I get a good deal of inspiration from all of them, but Catra Corbett's Dirt Diva blog takes the cake for me in matters of inspiration. This woman is amazing.

For those of you who don't know who she is, she's a former addict/alcoholic who took up running about 15 years ago, and quickly became an ultrarunner. She's completed over 250 ultras now, including well over 50 100-milers. Every year on her birthday, she runs as many hours as the years she's been around. This year she turned 45. So she ran for 45 hours with the help of some friends, for a total of 130 miles. You go, girl. I want to be like you some day.

http://trailgirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/it-will-be-ok.html

I'm considering getting the Feelmax Osmas.

Has anybody tried them out or any of the other shoes by Feelmax?

What are your thoughts?

At what distance, or for what types of training or races do people start to find it necessary to use camelbacks or hydration/fueling belts? Does anyone have any particular advice on their use?

I've been using gels and energy beans on my longer runs but have yet to carry my own fluids because the group/coach I train with has hydration stops.

Anyone have experience with the POSE method?

http://www.posetech.com/

I just found out about it and it looks interesting.

Secondary question: Anyone try Chi Running?

xposted to trigeeks

I have been having recurring problems with ITBS for the last year. After my last half-marathon in October, I screwed up my left leg so badly. I was limping and walked a lot of that half-marathon to finish. I have been taking time off since then. Yesterday, I decided to try a short run to see how my IT band is doing from the advice I received from this community.

I wanted to run a full 20 minutes. My IT band began hurting around 15 minutes, but I was able to go the full 20 minutes. I came home, took some IBU Profin, and rolled out my IT band twice. My leg doesn't hurt today, which is awesome!

I think I'm going to try to run three 20-minute runs this week and see how my leg holds up. I think this time, coming back from this injury, I'm going to be really slow, adding only 10% for each week. The 20-minute run was like a gift from the running gods. I even renewed my Runner's World subscription as positive thoughts in the right direction.

Hopefully you will be able to access this amazing film across the pond. I found it thought provoking, inspiring, a little damning and pessermistic in places. But definitely worth a watch. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/running-to-the-limits/4od#3018091 Let me know what you think...?

Even though I don't always want to, I still run every day after school, even in the cold. I want to be in shape and ready for track season, and not even snow will stop me! I do have a confession though...I have not been running the distance my coach has told me to. Our coach wants us to run 6 miles on mondays, 5 miles on tuesdays, 8 miles on wednesdays, 5 miles on thursdays, and 6 miles on fridays. Honestly, I think that is a bit much for track training, considering the longest race in track is the 2 mile. Does anybody agree or disagree? Let me know. I have been running 4 miles on monday and friday, 3 miles on tuesday and thursday, and 4 or 5 on wednsday...is that enough for now or no? Let me know!!

A bit kudos goes out to dreamingwriter for being so strong through her broken ankle from soccer!!!!!!! I love you girl, stay strong!!!

Couple questions about heart rate training; I'm brand new to the heart rate thing, since I just got my Garmin 305 about 3 weeks ago.  So far I've just been recording data to see what it looks like, for the most part.

I've discovered that my resting heart rate in the morning is between 54-57 bpm, and my max is around 208.  Apparently it's weird that my max is that high and none of the standard heart rate zone stuff matches up with me (the standard calculators say my max should be 193).  I used this guide to create a little chart that says which zones are what based on my max/resting.  Chart looks like this:
Zone 2, 60-70% of max (148-163 beats/min)
Zone 3, 70-80% of max (163-178 beats/min)
Zone 4, 80-90% of max (178-193 beats/min)
Zone 5, 90-100% of max (193-208 beats/min)

It looks like on most of my runs when I'm not paying attention to heartrate, I'm running around 185-194 beats/min so mostly zone 4.  Speed workouts put me in the upper 190s/lower 200s, sometimes up to 208 but not very often (usually up to about 203-204).

So here's my question:  Sources I've read keep saying that easy and long runs should be at 65-75% of your max.  Two weeks ago I did a 9 mile run while trying to keep my HR under 170, and it was the hardest workout I've ever had.  I think I was using different muscles trying to run that slow, my feet got beat up from my shoes... I didn't feel like I was exerting myself that much, but my muscles sure did.  My muscles were killing me.  KILLING.  Is that really how a long run is supposed to be???  I've been running for almost 2 years with long runs and stuff and I've never done them that slow and they don't feel that way normally.  Why on earth is it that much work to keep my heart rate low?  Does that mean I'm hideously out of shape, or am I doing something wrong or something?

I have to run 11 miles tomorrow and I'd like to be doing this right so I'm actually getting something out of the training... advice?  I've still been doing kind of a sloppy job with my other runs, so i suppose I should start making sure my tempo runs are in the right zone(s) as well.

Training for a half marathon, btw.
ETA: sorry about the formatting fail.