True Confession Thursday: Short Shorts & Magic Mike

Posted on April 25, 2013 by stridingmom

Today’s story is a sad one of janky legs, tweaky toes and my longing for some air on my legs.

In all the chaos about Boston – the excitement leading up to the race and the tragedy after, I never really mentioned my Friday morning before the race.

FADE INTO FIND GIRL SITTING IN AIRPORT SOBBING INTO CELL PHONE. Passengers walk by giving strange looks.

GIRL: But mom, [sobbing hysterically] you don’t understand I can’t even walk on it. My ankle’s so swollen and it’s been 4 days. I’ve spent so much time getting ready for this and now…I’m just…[wiping snot from nose]…I’m just going to have to quit. [Resume dramatic crying]

End Scene.

Oh and there was a lot of this….lacrosse ball rolling in the airport

Yep, that was me in the airport carrying on like a 5 year old who just found out that my mom put the dollar under my pillow instead of the tooth fairy the night before. Long story short, I twisted my ankle on a rogue roller blade that was laying at the base of the stairs (perfect place for it) and spent Tuesday-Saturday with it swollen, burning and hard to even walk on.

I then rested all my hope on one man….~~Magic Mike~~ Michael Melander. Located right off of Boylston across from Copley Park, I ~~begged~~ ~~pleaded~~ ~~cried~~ desperately emailed him asking if he and his Active Release Tecnnique could do something to help my poor leg.

Bless him for rearranging his Red Sox game plans to accommodate seeing me.

Honestly, I don’t know what was wrong. It was painful and Mike worked his magic for over an hour…and I ran a few miles after to keep it loose.

By Monday – the last thing on my mind as I toed the line was my ankle.

Thank you Magic Mike for getting my ankle in pecking order in order to tackle the 26.2 (or 26.almost6). The unfortunate part is that at some point in the race my pes anserine bursa is a little pissed of….So bye bye short shorts and hello bike shorts.

While I miss the breeze on my knees and my hatred for the gym and spinning on a bike like a hamster has been rekindled, I know I just need to give it a few more days and I should be good to go.

Until then, I’ll just jealously stare at my Rogas and excessively mileaged out shoes.

What’s your favorite non-running cross-training?

Have you ever tried Active Release?
It’s my fave…I could not recommend it highly enough

F is for Friday

Posted on April 12, 2013 by stridingmom

I ran .8 miles this week. That’s it.

Okay, then .86 then the pain in my high ankle was so bad and burning so profoundly I stopped, walked home and then tried to not panic. It’s the same ankle I have consistently rolled, twisted and sprained over the last year. It hates me. I’m starting to resent it and would hate it back, but I kind of need it so at least it has that going for itself.

Not exactly the taper I had in mind. Then again, I did sprint across the airport TWICE. But was in raging pain both times trying to curse and cry at the misfortune.

Clearly the most direct route to Boston, right?

After a warm embrace from the midwest #humidity (Hello Kentucky, it’s nice to see you) and a few days of work, I’m heading to Boston, filled with panic and fear…I went from wondering if I’d run the 26.2 miles (let’s face it 26.4, I’m a terrible hypotenizer) well to wondering if I will be able to run them at all.

I’ve iced, I’ve stretched, I’ve ibuprofened and no relief. I’m seeing an ART practitioner when I get to Boston to have thinks looked out, but right now I’m mostly embracing my inner Bon Jovi and “Livin on a Prayer”. I’m hoping for some relief, some magical stretch or even some tape that will lock this bad boy into place so I can do what I’ve set out to do.

Today I head into the clouds again, and make the final two legs of the journey to Boston. I’m hoping to land and find some good news when I get there.

Flying over the storms on Wednesday

Jumping for Joy

Posted on January 28, 2013 by stridingmom

Stride-Free Still

Well kids, somedays you can just accept defeat…and others…well

You jump for joy.

Why yes, that is my elbow pit sweat making a mark in my grey shirt. Good wardrobe choice – almost as bad as Jennifer Lawrence at the SAG awards.

Remarkably this was post-flu, 1:35-1:36 minutes of actual running finish line shenanigans. And I gotta say, my basketball and ballet days still serve me well, because I gots mad hopz yo.

But today I’m jumping for joy for another reason. I went to get an ART session for this newly diagnosed plantar fasciitis for my footsie and as the doc was working he said, the diagnosis just felt a little off. He kept feeling all sorts of tendons in my calf, because after all, the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the tendons in your calf.

And wouldn’t you know when he started messing with my tibialis posterior, I was yelping and hollering like Honey Boo Boo’s family in front of a tub of margarine and ketchup.

So it turns out that this is just some mad tendonitis from an aggravated calf that was probably pissed off by my pretty walk in flip flops 1 day after a race while sick.

Yes, this was stupid on my part. What can I say? I gave the genius genes to the babes.

Fact: Plastic rimmed glasses make you smarter!

What’s your most training post-race stunt?

Do you have a signature finish line move?
I’m thinking the Mary Poppins hop is going to the top of my list.

What Does A Body Good?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by stridingmom

As you know, I’ve been struggling with a sprained ankle for a better part of a month. From what I’ve learned, sprains are more temperamental than a low blood sugared 2 year-old.

When I dashed out for a quick 4 miles last Thursday I got home pain-free but when I went to put on my dress shoes for a meeting, I realized all was not well. Getting the shoes on looked a little something like this:

Source

Channeling Cinderella’s step sisters, my feet wouldn’t squish into any shoes but one pair of gladiator sandals which I had to wear unzipped and keep my ankle compressed to keep them on. My ankle was totally swollen, as was my uber ego after pulling off a 40+ training cycle the week before pain free and finally picking up speed only to have this happen after 4 pithy miles.

In the last two weeks I have also learned that my iron counts are low, like really low. I did a little reading about endurance athletes and anemia. I found this gem of a blog where this woman promises to make pathology fun. That’s like telling kids that shots won’t hurt. It’s a lie. But the article was informative.

I’m not a big meat eater and being well over halfway through a marathon training cycle and literally feeling the symptoms of the anemia…my body’s telling me something. Chillax (wo)man!

So chillax I will.

What does this mean?

Bye bye CIM it was fun half training for you.

I’ve realized it’s time to readjust my goals and it’s looking like CIM just has to go….which is a decision I am not super happy about.

My New Goals

1: Ankle Rehab. It’s time to teach Amanda Bynes a lesson and check into rehab. Again. Get this ankle rehabbed slowly and surely. The ankle rehab stuff is easy – go low and slow and ease back in hoping not to tweak it again. I also need to expect that it will be tweaky for a few months. Sprains are like that. Just because I get a good week or two in, doesn’t mean that it’s miraculously healed and I can just crank it up.

2: Pump Some Iron: I need to learn more about iron, iron reserves, etc. My iron counts were like one point away from full blown anemia and I was symptomatic so it’s time to get this schtuff under control.

Unlike my carnivorous sons, I’m not a huge meat eater. I do eat some meat, but not very much. It turns out this might be much of the problem. According to the A merican Red Cross, your body absorbs 20-30% of the iron found in meat products and 2-10% of the iron found in foods.

Caveat: You can live a vegetarian long-distance runner lifestyle and have plenty of iron…I’m just saying something’s off for me right now and my diet might just be playing a factor in it.

I eat a pretty balanced diet with lots of iron sources (spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans and more beans than my digestive system likes), and I also eat a lot of high Vitamin C foods (which I learned aids in iron absorption!). But it seems, that I’m not getting enough of what my body needs.

Perhaps it’s the running, or it could just be me (I’ve always been on the low to very low side of my iron counts) – either way, it’s time to take some supplements and start really focusing on how much iron I am really taking in.

So game on. Time to get moving [or not] but you get what I mean.

Any of you struggle with anemia?
Give me your best iron-laden (veg or meat I don’t care right now) recipe.

On Wrist Sweat

Posted on August 29, 2012 by stridingmom

40 minutes pool workout
Swimmy, sammy, swammy, swanson..? Oh, Samsonite! Strides

Name that movie party peeps?

Can I tell you one of my favorite things about working out ever?

Wrist sweat.

I’m not even kidding. There’s something about a workout where the sweat doesn’t just coat my back and head, but literally drips down my wrists. It’s then I know I’m getting my full workout on.

But with my piece of crap uncooperative foot I’m using my wrist for other purposes.

Thanks to the cool breezes flowing from the frozen treat, not an drop of sweat was found.

Since the bike, elliptical, stair master & dreadmill are all off limits I hit the pool. Actually I hit the pool because my kids were driving me crazy and it was wicked hot. Plus I was looking for any and every excuse to not have to cook dinner.

Remember I said Vanilla would gank my Saucony bag? #proof

Two standard strokes in I realized the ankle wasn’t going to cooperate. I could, however do a funky dog paddle, high knees and butt kicks in the water. So for 40 minutes I looked like a total moron.

Basically a normal day in basking in my moronhood.

But when all was said and done, this is what was outside my front door by evening…even if it was 89 degrees at 7:20.

Not a shabby way to end a day…

Any ideas for workouts with a uncooperative bum ankle?

Can you name the movie quote without googling it?

Hitting the Brakes

Posted on August 27, 2012 by stridingmom

I can’t run. I can’t bike. I can’t swim. I can’t do freaking anything without my ankle swelling up and making my life generally miserable.

So since I can’t run forgive me if I get a little Momish on you. Yes, it’s like Amish but way sappier and a heck of a lot more sentimental. But the next two weeks are quite possibly the worst time for me to be throwing the brakes on my physical exertion, because fits hitting the shan here folks.

Let’s preface this convo by saying I’m usuallynot overly sentimental. I mean, I typically only cry when I have to get rid of a pair of running shoes I’ve been overly attached to or my sports bra gets thrown in the dryer.

Overly sentimental. Psht! Not me, I only watched him sleep like this for 40 minutes the other day. What?! Who am I?

But for the love of the land the fact that my TWO youngest boys are starting kindergarten is throwing me.

Let’s talk about Vanilla for a moment because he’s my total snuggle puppy. I mean, the kid wakes up and still asks for a quick morning cuddle before breakfast. If we’re walking outside and I hold my hand out, within 2 seconds he’s all over it like a shark on chum and has his sticky little hand nestled into mine.

But. it. won’t. last.

Why swim when we can spend a 95+ degree day snuggled on the SAME lounge chair?

I know the days are numbered. He won’t squeeze my hand for reassurance or hold onto my waist because he’s needing a little extra confidence boost. He won’t think I’m the coolest person on the planet (which is really a shame because, hello, he’s almost right) and I’m really struggling with letting my last two babies grow up. As a mom of almost twins (a day apart) it’s like a 2 for 1 blow to the gut with each milestone.

Normal TV watching stance. Poor thing, got Mom’s scrawntastic chicken legs. Shhh don’t tell him.

So I’m literally savoring these moments with my babes, because honestly, 5 & 7 are ridiculously amazing ages. I lap them up like the last drop of wine in my cup and recognize that things will be far too different in the blink of an eye.

And in that same vein I have to remember that a few weeks of resting my craptastic foot will seem like nothing in the future and I’ll be just fine racing in a few weeks even if it’s not a fancy schmancy PR. And I shouldn’t get crabby when I have a bad run because a bad run is better than no run at all.

Anyone else wanting to bottle their current phase in life up and drink it forever?
What makes it so special?

Unexpected Surprises

Posted on August 24, 2012 by stridingmom

As per ush, the week promised lots of surprises. But this week there seemed to be a few more than normal.

First there was the unexpected few bucks I found on my dresser as I was running out the door. I didn’t have anywhere to put it I just shoved it in my sports bra.

Few bucks – BONUS!

Double bonus 8 hours later when I found said cash in my sports bra after forgetting about it all day.

Sadly the 3 dollars doubled my cup size. #scrawnyrunnerwoes

I also got a Plum District gift card left on my car randomly at Target. Let’s just say the damage done at Target will in no way be offset by my whopping $5 gift card.

$5 already pre-determined to be spent on Chicago style pizza coupon on the website

THEN (I know, obnoxious ongoing list but whatevs, this stuff NEVER happens to me) I won the Zooma Bani Band giveaway. With short hair, headbands are as necessary as a rubber band for long haired runners. So trying out new ones without the initial investment is super sweet! They shipped today and I can’t wait to get them!

Can’t wait to try ‘em out!

There were also some not so fabulous surprises. Say, my computer woes, my injury, and a particularly awful fit my son threw in the line for Space Mountain at Disneyland. It was one of those moments where you watch your child spill words out of their mouth and want to crawl in a hole and die. Instead you pretend like you have it under control because approximately 300 people are watching and you get in the car and try not to cry the rest of the way home.

Injury Update: Long story short, my tight calves are pissing off my ankle. No jumping for a month, an ART session and managing my speed work appropriately (more on this later) are in order.

Any good, bad or ugly surprises for you this week?

Listen To Your Heart

Posted on August 23, 2012 by stridingmom

25 minute stair master
15 minute bike
10 Min Blitz to Daycare Strides

Yay for True Confession Thursdays and the baring of my soul…or more like soles.

Listen to Your Heart…or at least your mother truckin’ body.

I’ve been looking at going a bit shorter with the hair lately. Methinks this might be the way to go, no? Sourc e

Are you channeling your inner Roxette yet? ’Cause I sure am. I’m playing a mental track of “Doh! That was so stupid Sheila!!” and “Smooth move slick!” over and over and over and over again in my mind.

I’ve been avoiding talking about this, but it’s time. Gah!

Nah, nah, nah, nah….I’m not listening! I can’t hear you!

This summer was the summer of recovery and I’ve been doing it right for once. Increases of about 10% a week and easing into speed. Text-freaking-book recovery.

I hit my first 30 mile week and was feelin’ fab so I took the old legs to the dreadmill because of the heat. I was doing the same darn workout I did in May that got me in trouble – 800′s on the mill. I felt the pulls, I felt the twists, I felt off – but I pushed through.

To continue my with my genius maneuver I ran 5 miles and biked 18 the next day. Smooth move slick.

Why: Because it felt so good.

That’s how a lot of Lifetime Movies that have terrible endings begin as well.

I guess this girl never learns. I can hardly run right now without irritating half of my lower body. Something is off and I’m afraid to find out what. My groin is flared up again and my achilles has a mind of it’s own.

I’m going to see Dr. Scott on Friday and hoping he can work his magic to pinpoint what is going on and get me back on track. Until then – no running. Just high steppin’ on the stair master and the bike because those are pain free.

Are you as brilliant as I am?
Have you ever pissed off an injury because you were pushing it too fast or too far too quickly?

True Confession Thursday: Did I Really Say That?

Posted on August 16, 2012 by stridingmom

3 dicey miles (calf/achilles pain)
30 minutes on stair master
Shaky, Stair Steppin’ Strides

Yes people, it’s that fab day of the week again where I ~~embarrass myself~~ tell it like it is.

Things I’ve said this week:

-Seriously, I don’t want your dog poo shoe in my sink.

-Just one more mile.

-Oh hey, here are your hair extensions [hands them over]. FYI, it’s super awkward when someone’s hair extensions fall out. It’s even more awkward to carry them in your hand. My response, look like a creepy trashed out streetwalker and just put them in your hair all awkward like.

Rock ‘em, then return them to the rightful owner

-I will pay you a dollar for every fly you kill.

-Just one more mile.

-No matter what your brother says, you are not a penis head. I promise.

-Tonight, let’s have dessert before dinner.

Seriously 5:30 dessert run. Dinner was had a few hours later.

-Just two more miles.

-Oh my goodness it’s soooo cool in here. What’s it 85 degrees? Ahhh-maaay-zing!

-Hands out of your pants.

-Can someone bring me toilet paper? Screamed from upstairs bathroom to kids downstairs. Met with resounding, “Nooo’s”. Whoever brings me a roll of toilet paper gets to be my favorite kid for 1 whole minute. I suddenly had 3 rolls of toilet paper.

-Dinner? Uh no, what do you think we actually eat meals in this house? You want me to cook?

I’ll spare you what my children actually said. Let’s just say last night’s dinner ended with, “Please, for the love of the land, no penis jokes tonight.” Okay I won’t spare you.…the dinner was kicked off when I asked Strawberry to “Carry his stuff upstairs” and he grabbed his…well…you get the idea and promptly retorted “Duh Mom, I carried it around all day!“. *eye roll*

What’s slipped out of your mouth this week that you don’t want to admit?

Naughty Mom

Posted on June 25, 2012 by stridingmom

I was going to swim for a workout, but ended up moving furniture for 1.5 hours – about 30 pounds of dressers up and down stairs and all around my children’s bedroom. Does Dailymile have a “lifting heavy furniture” category? Methinks not.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty good after the ol’ race, but my groin is a bit tweaky. Not when I walk or run, of course, but when I’m bending and lifting things.

Speaking of bending and lifting. I had been thinking about posting all of the search terms that lead people to my site the other day. But then Monica from Run Eat Repeat beat me to it. But today, my friends, was one I have to share.

Ms. Elle Woods bending and snapping. Why is this picture here? Because we have absolutely nothing in common.

“Mom being naughty.” – This google search actually led some poor, unfortunate fool to StridingMom.

Boy, I bet they were disappointed.

A clothed woman.

Who has no boobs.

Major bummer to the naughty mom seeker. He/she found out the hard way that my being naughty includes things like: eating dessert (okay, eating DESSERTS and Fro Yo doesn’t count), running 8:30+ minute miles, and cracking open a bottle of red before 8:00 at night.

Okay so maybe I did go a bit nuts tonight. Or at least toasted my goat cheese with nuts before I put it on my spinach. Clearly my naughtiness knows no bounds.

Dinner for one – check!

Speaking of being naughty, I have decided to actually be GOOD and give my groin/hip (whatever the PC way of saying my crotch hurts) some time to recover is to not run again this week but instead to swim and bike and will rest it some more until my 10K next weekend.

Which, BTW, if you live in SoCal- you should check out the Long Beach Pajama 5&10k. They say to roll out of bed and come in your pj’s. Well, that won’t be hard since I pretty much sleep in a sports bra and running shorts anyway – less work in the morning.

I got a Schwaggle deal making the race cost me about $22 bucks for a 10k- with race day packet pick up. Sweet mother I’m so in.

Check out this motley crew.

And on the kid front – it’s uber creepy quiet here with the babes still off frollicking with the g-parents and my sisters.

And my sister is my superhero since she had this crew to tame today all while buying and selling her campers.

Kate, you’re a rock star.

Kate, if you read this- hug my babies tight for me. Oh yeah, and then scream “Who peed on the toilet seat and didn’t wipe it off AGGGGGGGAIIIIN” from across the house – then they’ll think of me.

Striding Mom

Taking each day one stride at a time!

Tag Archives: Injury