Where I run, the pretty parts...

Sometimes you have to run without music to actually see where you're running to and what's around you.

I did just that on my 7-Miler this morning. No music, just me, the sound of my breath and every step. I used to run without music back in 2011 because at the time, listening to music made me run TOO fast for my liking. I couldn't relax in the mile I was in. When I started training for MCM and the miles got longer, music became my companion on those lonely 3-4 hour long runs. Music did help the miles go by faster and less painful.

Running without music today, however, felt relaxing, calm. I didn't feel rushed, and with all the stress I've been feeling the past week, it was a nice change welcome change. My run was easy and slow, and I didn't care. My right leg was acting up again which bothered me, so I took it really easy, taking pics along the way, and to just get the miles in.

So I never knew how scenic it really is, even in the dead of winter, the itty bitty paved trail I run through, until I stopped to take it all in. I wish there are more miles and miles of it.

I hope the views don't ever go away. It just seems like they are building more and more houses here, obliterating views like these.

Hard to tell from the pic, but lots of geese poop on the trail today.

I do live in suburbia, where all the houses look the same, but there are places like the ones I took above that take me away from suburbia, even for just a mile.....I know..such a short stretch of WOW.

I do not like running on sidewalks, but they are a necessary evil running surface in my neighborhood especially on this road.

So there you have it, where I run, the pretty parts, anyways. On my next run, I will take pics and show how cookie-cutter my world really is.

In the meantime, my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges for the day. I honestly cannot imagine holding a plank longer than this, nor doing a plank for 3 minutes ever again. It hurt!

Janathon Day 14
Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 46

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Playoffs, Peanut Butter Protein Bites, & Working Out

Guess Who We're Rooting For...

 

Football playoffs all day and my boys whooping and hollering at the TV, means sneaking in my ITB Rehab Routine and Myrtl Routine between helping Little Man deal with tantrums, breaking up fights, in-between laundry loads, warming up the pizza, and getting the kids to eat dinner. My right leg feels good today, so, very hopeful, and it motivates me to get these routines done however, wherever, and whenever I can. I slept in today, so my routines were spread throughout the day.

I forgot to share this yesterday, this AMAZING, to-die-for, post-run treat that I savored and enjoyed yesterday after my 10-Miler....Peanut Butter Protein Bites.

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

 

It's this heavenly mix of oats, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter, chia seeds, and this one had cranberries instead of dates, and my friend didn't have shredded coconut, but I never noticed nor missed it. Check out the RECIPE and try it after a run. Totally YUM to the tenth power. Easy to make. It was hard NOT to have just one, but each Peanut Butter Protein Bite is 142 calories, so beware the urge to pop in more than 2. I am going to be making these little bites for my long runs.

What is your post-run treat to refuel? Do you have any equally yummy recipes to share? Please do!

Of course the day will not be complete without my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. I am really digging these 2 challenges, not only because I know they do my marathon-training body good, but I LOVE sharing these pics on Instagram! Yes, I'm on Instagram! Please follow me there! I am @whysheruns on there!

 

Cheesy Fist Bump Elbow Side Planks With The Hubs

 

Janathon Day 13

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 39

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Running Goal

If I could run everyday, I would, and maybe I should. Everything IS better after a run. Today was another cloudy, dreary day, a bit warmer than yesterday and foggy. I decided to meet up with the local Moms Run This Town (MRTT) running group for my long run - to change things up a bit. I haven't run with others in a month, and while I cherish my solo runs, I was looking forward to meeting other mother runners.

The run was a lot of fun (Daily Mile details HERE), and the 10 miles went by quickly. When my right leg started bugging me a little, I knew we went out too fast in the beginning, and suddenly it became clear to me what my running goal is for this year: it's not to PR on the marathon distance or to become a Marathon Maniac. It's to stay injury-free. Sure, it would be nice to get a full marathon PR at Shamrock, but I don't want one if it means I'd be in pain for weeks or months after that. I can't afford NOT to run.

Training for MCM was not injury free

 

Not only do I NEED to run to help get through crazy weeks here at home, I NEED to run in order to stay away from blood pressure meds. Four years ago, before I became a runner, my doc declared that I have high blood pressure. It's genetic, he said - my dad has it, my sister has it, therefore I have it and I have to be on meds for the rest of my life. I wasn't overweight, I wasn't sedentary, I ate as healthy as I could, and I still have high blood pressure. Meds for the rest of my life. It's like there was nothing else I could do. I refused to accept my life sentence just like that.

Blood pressure during MCM training

 

So when I started training for MCM all summer last year, my doc was surprised to see my blood pressure so low with meds that he eventually had to take me off of the meds! I was thrilled to the moon to prove my doctor wrong!

 

But you know what though? After MCM, when running became a once a week thing rather than a 3x a week thing, my blood pressure started creeping up again. :( I was devastated. It totally confirmed that my condition was indeed genetic, and running more consistently helped it just enough to keep it at check.

 

My first thought was, I can't be training for a full marathon for the rest of my life! Or can I? Sure, why not, right? So that is why I am signed up for Shamrock Marathon in March and for Richmond Marathon in November. Now if I can just remain injury-free.

 

That is why I run now. To stay off of the meds. That is why staying injury-free is so important to me.

So I stretch more, I roll more, I ice more, I do my rehab routines more, and I am more aware of any aches here and there, no matter how little. If I can help it, I will stay injury-free.

 

Meet my foam roller, Foamie Jr.

 

What are your running goals for this year? How do you stay injury-free? I'd love to hear some tips!

 

Janathon Day 12

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 39

 

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Clam-Shelling Fool

With the Play Offs on TV all day and today being my "rest day," I did my ITB Rehab Routine while watching the Redskins play a good first half. (Off-Topic Side Note: it's now the 4th quarter with 45 seconds left, and I'm no football expert, but the Redskins should've taken RGIII out of the game earlier with that knee injury. Oh and why they must replay a play that shows body parts bending in unnatural ways is beyond me. I'd hate to be RGIII's mom. Ok, end of long off-topic side note).

Clam-Shelling Fool. And yes, my Christmas tree is STILL up.

I clam-shelled during the first quarter of the game. This busy mom chose to sleep in this morning instead of doing my ITB Rehab Routine. So while my boys yelled at the TV, I clam-shelled,

Pistol Squatting Fool, I am!

 

.....I pistol squatted..........

 

 

Side-Step Shuffling Fool

 

......and I side-step shuffled my way across the family room. I am hoping to not have a repeat of what happened to me during training for Marine Corps Marathon last year - ITBS. I am very determined to be injury free for Shamrock Marathon. Now that my knees feel better from yesterday's long run, I am actually looking forward to my 7 miles tomorrow. This will also be the first time I will have 4 running days a week. Last year, I ran just 3 days/week and I'm not sure if that was enough. We'll see how the 4 days/week will go.

Day 6 of Janathon

Moon Joggers Mile Count To Date: 15

Plank A Day Challenge Day 6: 1:39.4

 

 

 

 

 

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Foam Roller. Best Purchase. Ever.

The Foam Roller shown to scale in front of the stairs.  I know, right?  That's it?

 
I don't know why I just now bought one of these.  Heaven for my IT Band!  Should have bought this a long time ago!  A friend had suggested it weeks ago and it took a very painful ITB to make me crawl to The Running Store and finally buy one.  If you have ITBS, you need one of these.

Honestly, I did not know what a Foam Roller was until today.  For some reason I imagined it to be more - complicated - for some reason.  When the store showed me to the Foam Roller pyramid display, I literally was like, "What?  That's it?"  Foam Rollers are these firm foam logs/cylinders that help get rid of muscle knots in your body. You get a choice of 6" rollers or 12" rollers.  Most runners use the 6" foam rollers so I went with that.  You basically use your body weight to apply pressure against the roller to ease tight muscles.  For ITBS, you have to lay on your injured side, position the foam roller under the injured thigh, while using your other leg for stability, and then roll the foam roller under the injured thigh.

If that didn't make sense, see the illustration of the lady below doing leg lifts below?  You are in that position with the foam roller under the side of your right thigh and you roll back and forth the length of your IT band.  For support, you don't have your left leg up like that.  You have it crossed over your right leg.  For more pressure, you stack your left leg on top of your extended right leg.  Did that make sense?  :)

Cool thing I learned too is that the foam roller is used for Pilates.  I would love to learn how to use it for other things.  I am slowly learning how to use it to loosen tight knots on my upper and lower back as well.  It's like getting a deep tissue massage and it feels really good!  I'm not expert on foam rolling, but just google it and you'll discover many ways of using it.

Lessons Learned from Injury

Last time I ran was January 2, 2011.  Running those 7 miles was THE best way to start the new year.  It was the longest distance I've done.  So far.  It felt so good.  A half-marathon didn't seem so far out of reach.  I felt empowered....until my right leg started to bother me.  A lot.

The Iliotibial band (ITB) is this long, wide stretch of muscle on the outside of your thigh.  It becomes painful and inflamed when it stretches and rubs against your femur (Iliotibial Band Syndrome or ITBS).  This could be caused by many things from lack of stretching, incorrect shoes, worn shoes, too much downhill running, or over-training.

In my case, I ran too far too soon AND my shoes were so worn out I should not have run in them that day.  Ugh.  Lessons learned from all this?  First one, stick to a training plan - those training plans were designed for a reason - to reduce the risks of injuries as you increase your mileage/speed.  Second, never let your running shoes expire.  Log in the miles you put in them so that you can order/buy the next pair in time before your old pair wears out.  Otherwise?  You will end up waiting - like me - for the new shoes to arrive (it didn't help too that the new line of shoes were coming so the running store near me did not have enough sizes in stock!).

In the end, the wait is good.  Need to be off my feet anyway to heal.  But it is killing me to not be able to run.  I get so jealous when I see a runner outside.  But first thing first.  Need to focus on healing and treating my ITB.  Ah, lessons learned, indeed.  For next time.