Training isn’t always easy. In fact, I’d like to argue it’s never easy. But isn’t that why we do it? To push our limits and challenge ourselves? I think so at least. But sometimes when injuries happen or you have a bad run, it can be hard to keep going. Self confidence can get low and doubt can rear it’s ugly face but if you have surrounded yourself with a support team, a team that believes in you no matter what, you can push through the doubt and continue going.
I have been lucky enough through my training to have a massive support team in the form of family, friends, fellow run bloggers and complete strangers. After overcoming (fingers crossed!) some IT Band issues, I have never been more grateful for the amazing people in my life who believed in me and dragged me through my own stint of self doubt.
Sometimes we don’t do as well as we had hoped but at the end of the day, if there’s someone cheering for you at the finish line, or dragging you across it, you know you’ve accomplished something. Happy running this week!
Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan were the definition of team at the finish line of the London 2012 Olympic marathon.
A few weeks ago I started feeling a sharp pain on the outside of my right knee. It usually showed up about a mile into my runs and felt like someone had stuck a knife into the side of my knee. My knee would either lock up at this point, or, if I was able to push on and keep running, the pain would travel all the way up the outside of my thigh to my hip. I knew immediately this was an IT Band problem.
With a little more than a month left in my training for a half marathon on Sept. 30, and three weeks into marathon training for a race on Nov. 19, this was not going to fly. I needed a solution. Fast. After taking quite a few rest days, I felt ready to hit the road again for an easy, quick 2-mile run. Not so fast, my IT Band said and around 1.6 miles my knee locked up and I literally could not run anymore. I was devastated and took to Twitter, as I usually do, to ask my runner friends what was wrong.
After hearing from a bunch of people I was informed it was more important to find out what caused the problem before trying to fix it. One of my Twitter followers, Ryan Knapp, a triathlete and endurance running coach from Kansas City, suggested the problem may be my form. Ryan asked me to take a 30 second video of me running away from my camera and back to my camera. I then sent it to him through his website and he evaluated it.
He told me he could immediately tell I used to be a dancer because of my posture and he said he’s be able to help me. Here’s the video I sent to him:
(Don’t mind my Dad talking in the background…)
After reviewing my video, Ryan filmed his own video to explain to me what he saw in my running form and what I could do to fix it. He said overall, my form wasn’t terrible- I have good body position (meaning I’m not leaning to one side or the other) and I have very still shoulders. However, he told me I had three things I needed to work on- lifting from my core, swinging my arms correctly and lean more.
Lifting from my core- According to Ryan, the reason I was having the IT Band problems is because I was swinging my legs like a pendulum when I ran, causing my foot to land in front of me and subsequently causing me to heel-strike, a huge no, no in the running world. To fix this, Ryan said I need to focus on lifting from my core so my feet will land below me and be able to power up immediately after hitting the ground.
Arms- From what Ryan saw, I run with my arms kind of high up in respect to my ribcage and they go across my midline (the invisible line that runs down the center of your body). Ryan said this wastes a lot of energy and space. To fix this, he told me to “gunsling”- make sure my elbows go behind me and in front of me, somewhere down by my waist.
I run very erect- My running posture is very straight and according to Ryan, there should be a little bit of lean in a runner’s form. To do this, I want to lean from my ankles.
Here’s the video Ryan did for me:
Ryan said there were two simple exercises I can do to work on my form and get used to mid-foot and fore-foot striking.
Skip drills- This is where you literally skip down the street. According to Ryan, skipping helps the body (and feet) recognize what it’s like to push off from the fore-foot because it’s impossible to skip from the heel.
Jump Rope Drills- Simply pretend (or if you have a jump rope) like you’re jumping rope. This has the same effect as the skip drill but you’ll notice if you do this and then immediately stop, that’s the same effect as a heel strike, which is very bad. Jump rope drills will also help your body learn to mid-foot strike and fore-foot strike.
Yesterday morning I did these drills and put the tips into practice and I noticed a significant difference in my running. (Knock on wood*) I had hardly any IT pain and I ran an easy 5 miles in 45 minutes, pretty good time for me. I had to concentrate a lot more on my form throughout the run because the second I stopped paying attention I found myself going back to my old form. I talked to Ryan about this and he said, like with anything, it’ll take some getting used to. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes!
If you’re interested in getting your form analyzed, feel free to contact Ryan either through Twitter or on his website.
If you’ve been reading my blog for the past few months, you may realize my go-to fitness site is the Greatist. As a journalist I can really appreciate the amount of time, research, interviewing and fact-checking that goes into each and every article they write. As a multimedia journalist working in the ever-evolving and technologically advancing field of journalism, I can appreciate their efforts to make outstanding graphics that are easy to read, follow and share.
A few days ago they posted a great graphic about various yoga poses you can do literally anywhere, including the bathroom on an airplane. In training for my upcoming half-marathon and marathon I’ve incorporated a lot of yoga into my training plan for cross-training and stretching. This graphic is so helpful especially when you may be tired after sitting for a long time, say while working at your desk or taking a long flight. I tested out some of these positions in the bathroom at my office today and they are totally doable. I will admit I didn’t try any of the ones that involved touching the floor but I wouldn’t hesitate to try it at home. Let me know what you think!
Sadly there’s not much to report from this past week. My training plan called for an easy 2-mile run to start off the week last week and because of my work schedule I didn’t get to do it until Wednesday. Two miles is nothing to me at this point but about 1.6 miles into the run my right knee locked up and it felt like someone stuck a knife into the side of my knee. The pain was so sharp I had to slow to a walk immediately. Weird thing was, it instantly felt fine. So I decided to start back up again when the pain came back with a vengeance and I decided to slow to a walk completely.
I was so disappointed and angry. I thought to myself, “I have not come this far to get injured a month before my half-marathon.” So I decided to do the right thing and rest all week. No running at all. I worked out though pretty much every day and did a ton of yoga.
After much research and consult with other runners on Twitter, I realized I have developed an IT band irritation and the cause is most likely my form. According to Ryan Knapp, an endurance running coach and triathlete, the IT band flare up was probably the result of poor form. I first noticed the pain while running a 5k a few weeks ago but it went away shortly after. I was able to run 12-miles no problem a few weeks ago and 9 miles two weeks ago but 2 miles killed me.
Ryan is helping me fix my form and according to him I should be back running stronger and better well before my half-marathon on Sept. 30.
If anything, not being able to run during the past week has made me realize what a gift running is and how much I have fallen in love with the sport. At this point I’m just trying to stay positive and put one foot in front of the other. I’ll be sure to do a post too about my form and keep everyone updated on my training!
Monday- power yoga and 3:04 min. plank a day and an ab workout
Tuesday- 2-mile run. Injured.
Wednesday- runner recovery yoga and variation of planks
Thursday- 3-miles on the elliptical and strengthening for legs, arms and abs. 4:00 min plank.
Getting injured while training for a big race is not easy. It’s hard to figure out if you should keep training, seek advice from a doctor, or just rest. I’m training for a half marathon and marathon now and an IT band issue cropped up. I decided to ask my Twitter followers for advice.
How do you stay positive after an injury during training? #runchat #fitfluential
First off, the Healthy Living Summit this weekend hosted by Healthy Living Blogs was absolutely amazing. Literally words cannot even explain the impact this past weekend had on me, but that’s for a whole other post (probably to come tomorrow). But first, I want to give my weekly update about my training runs this week.
I’ve decided to still call it half-marathon training because I’m doing the half first but this also marked the first official week of my marathon training. Overall, the week went really well and my knee is definitely getting better.
My training plan (for the first week of marathon training) called for three runs this week starting with an easy 3-mile run on Monday. My average pace during the run was 9:21/mile with faster paces of 7:22/mile. This run was great and easy. I probably could have pushed a little harder but it was early and I wanted to be cautious with my knee.
On Tuesday I did some power yoga for strengthening in the morning and cross-training at the gym after work. For cross-training I went on the elliptical and did strengthening exercises, particularly with my legs. I also did some arm exercises, ab work and did my longest plank every for 3:49.5! I was really excited about this, I may or may not have done a little celebration dance at the gym…
Wednesday was a speedwork day so I took to the treadmill (because I still don’t have a GPS watch) and did 4 miles with 2×1600 at a pace of 9:20/mile. I did the run in 37:00 and felt pretty good. I knew I was holding back and could have gone a lot faster but I wanted to be careful again because of my knee.
I took Thursday as a full rest day but did some yoga for recovery which was great for my hamstrings because they were feeling pretty tight.
Due to the Healthy Living Summit, I had to fit my long run in before the weekend so I did it on Friday night. My training plan called for 9-miles and I did it no problem! I had to do it on the treadmill because it was getting late, still really hot and I don’t have good reflective gear. I don’t know why but treadmill runs always seem harder, I think it’s mostly because I get bored but I don’t know. My average pace was 9:20/mile which was decent but I know I can go faster. I’ll work on it.
Saturday was the first day of the Healthy Living Summit for me and we had a CrossFit workout in the morning. This was my very first venture into the world of CrossFit but it wasn’t as intimidating as I expected it to be and I really liked it! I think I might try to add it into my workout schedule for cross-training.
Sunday morning we had a 5k fun run at the summit and that was really fun and relaxing, especially since we ran along the Charles River in Boston and into Back Bay. In all, it was a great week in training and an amazing week overall! I will write a post tomorrow to tell you all more about what I learned this weekend and to introduce you to some of the bloggers I met!
Here’s a quick glimpse of my week in training:
Monday- 3-mile easy run, 9:21 average pace
Tuesday- Power yoga in the A.M. and cross-training/strengthening after work
Wednesday- Speedwork, 4 miles with 2×1600 at 9:20/mile
I’ve been wanting to write more posts about nutrition for runners because it’s so important to properly fuel your body both pre and post run, but to be honest, I don’t get many chances to cook. However, last weekend I had no plans so I was finally able to make a real breakfast- as opposed to my usual cereal, fruit and coffee- and I thought I’d share it with y’all. (This is my first actual recipe post so bear with me!)
My sister likes to called loaded omelettes, bombelettes because they are ‘da bomb. So, in her honor, I’m naming my veggie packed omelette from last weekend the veggie bombelette. This recipe is super easy and paired with some whole grain toast, will give you a great nutritional meal to start off your day.
The ingredients are simple:
2 egg whites- some people buy the egg whites in the carton but I like to use actual eggs and separate the whites and yolk on my own
A dash of low-fat milk
Part skim shredded mozzarella cheese- I used the low fat kind
Assorted bell peppers sliced thin
Broccoli- try to cut it small so it doesn’t get to cumbersome with the egg
Red onion- sliced thinly
Seasoning to taste
The steps are also easy. After separating your egg whites, I like to add a dash of milk (who doesn’t need more calcium?) and after chopping up your veggies, spray a frying pan with fat-free cooking spray so nothing sticks to the pan. Then, add your veggies so they can roast a little before adding the egg. Once the veggies are a little softer, pour the egg white mixture over the veggies and swish it around the pan so it’s evenly distributed. Turn the heat down to medium/medium-high. Sprinkle some cheese onto the egg and then fold the egg over to make an omelette. I failed on this part a bit so mine turned into more of a veggie scramble, but that’s fine too.
The protein and calcium you get from eggs is so important for your muscles for running and the veggies add fiber which is packed with health benefits. This is probably too much to eat before a morning run but is perfect for some post-run nutrition. I hope you enjoy, bon appetit!
We all know training can be hard and sometimes your head tries to convince you to stop. But training is supposed to be hard because you are training your body to do something it didn’t know how to do, or didn’t know it could do. The next time that little voice inside your head says it’s time to give up, or someone who doubts you says you won’t finish the race, don’t listen. Listen to your heart and remember why you started training in the first place. I say this a lot but it’s really not about proving other people wrong, you want to prove to yourself that you can do it. If you go into training with that goal, you’ll surely be successful! Happy running this week and keep me updated on how your training is going!
Training went really well this week! My knee is feeling much stronger after taking a little running break due to an IT band strain. I ran three times this week and had two cross training days and yoga almost every day.
I started off my week with an interval workout at the local high school track. I did 2 miles with 4x400m sprint intervals. My average pace was 9:20/mile and fastest pace was 6:57/mile. This wasn’t my fastest interval workout but considering I had taken almost a week off, especially from interval workouts, because of my knee, I think I did a pretty good job. It was also a blistering 90 degrees with an insane amount of humidity so breathability wasn’t great.
On Tuesday, I went to the gym after work and did some cross training and strengthening. I did a mile on the elliptical and then worked my leg muscles and abs. Then on Wednesday morning, I did detox flow yoga which was really good for my knee.
On Thursday, I decided to test my knee with an 8-mile long run. I met up with my cousin after work but we had to wait until the sun began to set to begin our run because it was 95 degrees outside with 70 percent humidity. We started our run around 6:30 p.m. and I felt really great in the beginning. We started out WAY too strong though which proved to be a little too hard for my knee. Around mile 3 I had to stop and walk a bit because it was hurting. My cousin asked if I wanted to turn around but I knew it would kill me if I did so I decided to keep going.
The run was HOT and I was so thirsty the entire time but I was able to finish strong and strangely enough (yet again!) my knee felt great during the last three miles. In total, the run took 1:10:31, which included two short walking breaks (for my knee) and some crosswalks. My average pace was 9:33/mile and my fastest pace was 6:06/mile. Overall, it was a great run and I was so happy I was able to get out there and run the distance.
Friday morning was more yoga, I did the Lululemon Yoga for Recovery on YouTube. On Saturday, I decided on doing an easy 3-mile run at an easy pace of 9:56/mile. I felt really great on this run and my knee felt better than ever! Sunday was another cross training and strengthening day which also went really well.
Overall, this week was great for training! I felt strong and ready to be back on the road. This week I have my runs planned out including an easy run, speedwork and a 9-mile long run. This week is also the beginning of my training for the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon so finger-crossed, I’m excited! I hope your training runs went well this week. Happy running!
I’ve been looking into incorporating protein shakes into my post-run routine. I always thought protein shakes were just for juiceheads who spend their entire lives at the gym, and I also thought only guys drink protein shakes. After reading a lot of articles about nutrition for runners, I realized protein shakes are the perfect way to rebuild and build muscle after running.
After my 8-mile long run this week I tried a protein shake made by my cousin. We kind of threw everything into the blender and hoped for the best but it came out really, really great! We’ll call it the Strawberry Pineapple Vanilla Protein Shake. I thought it tasted like summer which is always a good thing in my book!
Strawberry Pineapple Protein Shake
Strawberry Pineapple Protein Shake recipe:
1/2 cup of strawberries, cut into fourths (it’ll be easier to blend)
1/2 cup of pineapple, cut into chunks (many grocery stores sell pineapple already cut up, we got ours at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup of non-fat milk (can substitute for almond milk too!)
1 tablespoon of Sunflower Seed butter (can be found at Trader Joe’s as well)
Ice
Just blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and enjoy! I’m going to be trying a bunch of different recipes for protein shakes and will share them on Fit Girl Happy Girl. If you have any good recipes of your own or have tried other post-run shakes, please tell me about them in the comments section!
Fit Girl. Happy Girl. 
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