Therapize Me!

Not a word, whatev.

I've been through physical therapy for longer than some, shorter than others, and I've learned some things - figured I'd share the wealth! Maybe some of these bullet points can save one of you from potential physical and financial pain...

• Foam roll. Please. Keep things loose and flexible. I don't think you need to roll everyday for 30 minutes or anything, but it helps to occasionally get on that baby and squirm.
• Some stretches require long holds, other stretches are more active and more "pulsated," if you will. A good rule of thumb in my opinion is that if it is an INTENSE stretch, do repetitive holds for 5 seconds. 
• An interestingly large amount of discomfort can stem from your lower back. A lot of nerves are attached there, and you can experience tingling, burning, pain, and/or loss of feeling from your hips down to your toes from bad posture. 
• Girls - weird things happen during our time of the month. We get pressure in our lower backs from menstruation, thus possibly leading to the aforementioned issues.
• As I said here, a good indicator of a healing injury isn't necessarily the lack of pain during exercise but rather the recovery time afterward.
• If you have to sit, maybe take a rolled towel and place it behind your lower back. Keep that gap - look like a C pointing away from you; don't form your body into a slumpy forward C!
• On that note, bean bag chairs are apparently the devil.
• Recovery isn't linear. You'll have good days and bad days.
• DO NOT GOOGLE. This is something I'll admit that you should do as I say and not as I do. Googling leads to A) the belief that you're dying, B) stress, and probably the worst offender, C) comparison. Just because so-and-so recovered from IT Band Syndrome in 2 weeks doesn't mean that you will. Everyone's recovery journey is different, and reading message threads about others' adventures (disasters?) could end you in a funk of extreme discouragement and negativity.
• Trust your therapist. They are trained to help you! 

Disclaimer: I'm no doctor or therapist, just a recovering recreational runner with her fair share of medical bills ;)

Hope you all had a great start to July!

Blessings and Curses

But first! My current top 5 country songs:

Anything Goes - Florida Georgia Line
Cheap Seats - Dallas Smith
Real Life - Jake Owen
Sirens - Lee Brice
Crash and Burn - Thomas Rhett

I tell you these because 1) I'm obsessed with them, and 2) I've put them on my RUNNING PLAYLIST!

Yes, you read correctly, running. I was released from physical therapy last week (!!) and instructed to keep my runs between 3 and 4 miles until the pain goes away completely. Each run has moved me closer to negligible fatigue and farther from leg-dragging pain!

Yesterday, I ran outside at a normal pace for the first time in six months. I smiled the whole time; I felt as if I were flying. I pumped my arms and yipped a bit... I probably looked slightly insane.

You all know this feeling.

A little tidbit I learned from PT (disclaimer: this is one therapist's casual comment, not a medical certainty, but it's something I like to repeat to myself): When recovering and after being cleared to workout, feeling some pain is okay and common. What really indicates healing is how quickly the pain subsides after exercise. Last Monday, I ran three miles on the treadmill and was pretty much out of commission all day. Any movement hurt. Yesterday, I ran three and a half miles outside with much less pain during the run (like hardly any), and it went away in an hour. Progress, not perfection.

Now for the blessings and curses: summer and technology.

We all know summer running is hard. We all know summer running slows you down. I am thankful for these facts - coming back from an injury, I'm going to be slower due to lost fitness... but I can also look at my times and not feel SUPER down, because I know some of it is due to the time of the year! Yay!

The curse part? Summer running is hard, and summer running slows you down.

I use a Garmin and RunKeeper on my phone to track my workouts - sometimes one, sometimes both (I'm a little crazy).

All the gadgets!

I LOVE being able to look back at past runs! I love being able to give myself a little boost of confidence after viewing my stats from a hard run, and I love being able to see progress! But... while it's true that heat can slow me down, I can also look back at runs from LAST June and compare. Yikes.

I'm working really hard on not comparing. I'm pretty sure I've commented on that notion 39,233 separate times on ya'll's blogs. What I want to remember is that feeling I had yesterday - that smile, that mid-run fist pump. Wish me luck!

Any country music suggestions?
Anyone else a victim of comparison?

Progress, Not Perfection

Whenever I hear the phrase "progress, not perfection," I usually think of weight loss. I think about being on a quest for new, clean, healthy eating while dropping pounds and living by the 80/20 rule.

However, a quick Google search will show you that this phrase applies to a lot of areas in life...

... like business. Think about trying to hit it off with clients. Sometimes they'll take the bait, sometimes it's just not in the cards, but as long as you're making progress, you don't have to seal every deal you attempt.

Ha Ha! Memes!

... like music. I recently wrote a post on musical performance, and practice is a huge part of getting better (thanks, MK Obvious). When you go through pieces, you won't hit every note every time, but it's about getting better over time that teaches you the dedication and determination needed to succeed.

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine.

... even alcoholism came up on the search with "progress not perfection in recovery." I clicked the link, and the site offered some great advice:

"... it does not mean that people should not be trying to be the best they can be. The point is that perfection is too high a goal and that people should aim for something slightly less ambitious. If the individual make an honest attempt at overcoming their character flaws they will be moving closer to perfection, but it is not likely that they will ever fully complete this journey. Humans are fallible, and the only important thing is that they try their best."

But what I realized is that this phrase can be a handy thing to remember even with events out of our control. Like my injury.

I'll be honest, I've had the occasional frequent daydream that one day I'll wake up, and my body hips down will be healed forever and ever, amen. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. It's a process of healing; it's not a snap-of-the-fingers fix.

I used to get extremely upset if one day I was feeling a lot better, and then the next day was absolutely horrible. I only focused on the bad, thinking I had regressed, and I didn't take into account all of the good days - all of the times I stood up and felt less pain, all of the walks I took where the pulls and stings wouldn't be felt until much later in.

Too often I look at my life under a microscope and forget to step back and see the whole picture. I'm staring at the missing puzzle pieces instead of standing up and viewing the beautiful image that's forming.

I should be thrilled that I'm progressing and forget my unrealistic desire of waking up with a perfectly healed body all at once.

A week ago, I took a walk. Pain in my hip came on 20 minutes in and grew with the remainder of the walk. Yesterday morning, I took the same walk. I felt flares of soreness that quickly went away and stayed away. It wasn't perfect, but I'll be damned if that's not progress. And definitely worth celebrating.

Can I play too?

Typically, bloggers' weekly workout recaps give me slight major jealousy. If you are one of the, like, eight people that read this blog, you know why - my current injured state leaves my life void of running, so seeing your casual ten miler brings about self pity.

However, I've been keeping active in any way possible that doesn't aggravate my injury (big lesson learned the hard way... injuries don't heal unless you let them heal). And I want to join in on the documentation of exercise! Maybe this will be helpful in the future for someone who needs ideas on what to do (or not to do) during recovery.

Sunday 05/31
Attempted run. I say attempted because this was the run that made me realize I need to continue physical therapy. I walked/ran (let me tell you, these slow walk/run intervals are humbling when your stupid, earthly, egotistical mind wants to show the world you're a marathoner) for 28 minutes while dragging my right leg behind me. I cried the rest of the day as my workout. Crying burns calories, right?

Monday 06/01
PT homework and 45 minutes on the stair-climber. My PT homework can be found here. I have a love/hate relationship with most machines at the gym (except the treadmill). If I get into a groove, I love it, and I did on this day. I like to find songs where I can step to the beat on the climber, and country music usually hits the correct pace to leave me drenched in sweat 10 minutes in. I also pretend I'm climbing some unknown mountain. Usually at the end of a workout, I'll whip a flag out of my pocket and claim the stair-climber as my own.

Tuesday 06/02
I went to my NEW therapy on this day (yes, I was lucky to get an appointment within two days), so I wanted to keep it semi-light. I did this yoga video at home afterwards. My leg was still sore from Sunday's downfall.

Wednesday 06/03
I went to the gym before another PT appointment and did hip work, PT homework, and then I biked for an hour. Since my hips are the issue, I think strengthening them is going to help a ton. Hip adductor and abductor machines, while extremely awkward, give me that great leg burn (the good kind) and surprisingly don't hurt! In fact, they made it feel a little bit - dare I say it? - better. When it comes to the stationary bike, I keep things interesting by adjusting the resistance constantly. Wednesday, I picked an "easy," "medium," "hard," and "extra credit" level of resistance, and went up the ladder every five minutes. Once I got to "extra credit," I started over at "easy." Then I went to PT, and he had me run 1.3 miles after stretching me and pushing me and popping me and casting a spell on me, and I had significantly less pain... we'll see where it goes from here...

Thursday 06/04
I went rollerblading. While listening to the Chess musical soundtrack. Can we all agree I'm the coolest kid ever?

BuzzFeed

Friday 06/05
Friday I did one of my favorite arm workouts ever; I call it "Rock Arms" - not because my arms resemble rocks in any way, shape, or form, but because I always listen to classic rock while doing this workout. Grab your handy dandy timer and some lighter (but don't be a baby about it) dumbbells and:

1:30 minutes - hammer curls
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - tricep kickbacks
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - shoulder presses
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - bicep curls
0:30 rest
1:30 minutes - side arm raises
0:30 rest

Repeat twice more for a total of 30 minutes.

I also did more hips and homework.

Saturday 06/06
Active rest - yoga at a local studio with a side of almost headstand and a dash of tanning in the backyard with some of Milwaukee's finest.

My one true love. Sorry, Joe.

Sunday 06/07
Hips, 45 minutes on the stair-climber, and 25 minutes on the bike. Country music and varying resistances were used as aforementioned.

Also, I now spend about 10 to 20 minutes foam rolling and stretching after my workouts.

Alrighty, guys...

Monday 06/08
I went to PT. Things have been getting better, but they aren't perfect. He pulled and poked some more and then said, "Go run a 5K. Come back in an hour." So I did... and there was pain, but not like before. I would not have done this if my PT did not give the okay. Fingers crossed, prayers prayed...

What do you like to do when your #1 workout/exercise routine is out of the question?

This is as much a reminder for me as it is advice for, well, me.

"Will it ever stop?"

This is one of the most frequent questions I've heard throughout my physical therapy stint. Frustrated, desperate patients would implore their therapists to tell them, "Yes, and here is the date."

It doesn't work like that.

I always love theBERRY's inspirational quotes.

Recovery is unpredictable, and we can't hold our therapists to their guesses or estimations.

I truly believe everything happens for a reason, even horrible sports injuries. I think the time it takes to heal, recover, get over, *insert verb here* depends on the time it takes us to learn whatever we were meant to learn from the situation. If we're not done with the circumstance, we haven't learned all we needed to just yet.

We should also focus on the journey, not the outcome. One of my favorite quotes is painted on a piece of wood I own:

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of life."

I'll be the first to admit I'm the guiltiest when it comes to wishing for endings. I want to hurry up and get to "the good part." Well, the adventure there IS the good part!

Past break ups have taught me to "smile because it happened" (I know, that's so cheesy). Lame jobs have taught me what I do not want to do with my life. My IT band issue has helped me learn to listen to my body, how to strengthen my core, and how to rest. I've learned to love yoga... and I've sort of gotten good (maybe?) at it!

I don't want to wake up one day when I'm 60 years old and realize that I was constantly wishing my life away.

Enjoy the now! Every bitter, horrible, beautiful, intense, happy, scary, worrisome moment of it!

...HOWEVER.

There are instances where I am quite the opposite, where I do not wish to be done with the process, and those instances are when eating.

I think we can all agree that THAT journey is ALWAYS enjoyed, and the end sucks.

Like my voyage through these boiled shrimp and delicious salad!

Or the conquering of this oatmeal with jalapeno cream cheese and peanuts. Mmmm.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to be through with something?
What's your favorite dish you wish would never end?

Hello, Goodbye, Hello!

Sometimes I consider myself a little nomadic. I've lived in various places for short periods of time (read: internships), and my friend groups change often. I've always been okay with this. I get bored semi-easily, and I like to start new things and new routines. After undergrad graduation, I began a job in DC, and this is the longest I've been not only in one place for an extended amount of time (two years and no breaks like with college) but with the same friends.

Running around DC and the monuments is a great way to start a morning.

Well, that's all about to change.

I'm quitting my job in ten days and moving again to go get my Masters in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport and Exercise Psychology! I'm so incredibly excited...

...but naturally, as with any move, this transition comes with a lot of uncertainties and insecurities.

Yes, as aforementioned, I've made friends multiple times before. I've adjusted to new places multiple times before. But also as aforementioned, this is the longest I haven't had to do any of that.

What if I've forgotten how?

What if cubicle life sucked the social butterfly out of me?

And on the what-if roll, what if I've forgotten how to study? How to be a student?

I could go on and on.

And it's funny, because these questions are similar to the questions with which I concern myself regarding my running ability. What if this injury has caused me to forget how to run? What if I won't be as good as I used to be?

Pause, MK. Breathe. No one comes out of the womb with the ability to run 26.2 miles, or even 1 for that matter. The process of building up endurance takes time, dedication, and heart. An injury only takes one from you and strengthens the others. But time is relative.

I'll be okay in grad school. It's a new adventure! I have to take it day by day, mile by mile. Adjustment will take time, dedication, and heart, but the adjustment will be made. Change isn't always easy. And there's no point thinking about the finish line before the gun goes off.

Doesn't Runner's World just get us all?

What big changes have you made recently?

I hope this is the final exam.

This running injury has felt like a semester-long course. I've learned so much over the past 5+ months that I'll definitely carry with me throughout the rest of my running career.

This past fall, I was training for the Louisiana Marathon in Baton Rouge, LA. The race was scheduled for January 2015, and I was determined to qualify for Boston. The course was fast and flat - and it didn't hurt that my boyfriend lived in New Orleans at the time. Killing two birds with one stone, eh? A visit and a race (I'll let you decide which one I was most excited about ;) ...)

Training was going phenomenally. Let me tell you what, I was hitting paces I didn't think I could!

*Disclaimer: That does not mean they were fast paces by everyone's standards. They were fast for me, and I was proud, and, well, I got addicted to the improvement and the speed... Cue foreboding music.

Anyway.

I won a trail race!

Trailapalooza was so much fun and gorgeous!

I got a shiny new PR for my half marathon time (also in Louisiana... thanks, love, for being my running posse and free hotel)!

These awesome, slightly blurry pics are brought to you by my Instagram, back in action after a brief deletion.

And then things went downhill. I started getting angry with myself if my training runs weren't consistently faster. I was annoyed if I didn't run negative splits.

Early December, I got what was coming to me. Hello, Mr. IT Band! Nice to make your acquaintance!

Not knowing what it was, I still ran. When I couldn't get out of bed take it anymore, I saw a doctor, and he diagnosed me with a tight IT band from overuse, but told me I could probably still run the marathon.

So I did. And I qualified for Boston. When I tell you crossing that finish line in the time needed was one of my happiest moments, I am not lying.

Unfortunately, this wasn't without consequences. My whole left leg needed some serious TLC.

I cried, I biked, I doggy-paddled, and when I still couldn't sit without feeling tightness, I began to see a physical therapist.

I have learned that I cannot incorporate races into my training because I will race the races. Some people can do this, while even others can run races without racing; I cannot. Lesson learned.

I have learned that a common school of thought is that 80% of our training should be easy miles. Your weekly long runs aren't the marathon. It's okay if one week is slower. Lesson learned.

I have learned that comparison is the thief of joy. Looking at slower split times sucked the fun out of the sport. I can't be so hard on myself. Lesson learned.

I have learned to listen to my body when it needs rest. It's smarter than I am, and if I listen to it, it will reward me. Lesson learned.

In the past week, I've returned to running with five minute intervals separated by walking breaks. My IT band is very happy... but my opposite hip is not. Seems I must have been compensating during the injury, because now the right leg hurts.

I really hope this is the final exam of this semester. I will take all the aforementioned knowledge and put it to use - I will not push myself, I will listen to the cry of my hip, and I will be patient. 

Because a few days nursing this tightness is better than repeating the grade, AMIRITE!?

What are your injury lessons learned?

Anyone else a member of the 5 month club?