Mind the injuries

Injuries.  I've had a few:

• Shin splints multiple times
• Plantar Fasciitis on both feet that lasted over a year...I ran through it
• Stress fractures.  Twice on the right foot.  Remember 'The Boot'?

Injuries are never fun but they are a fact of life if you're a runner.  No runner is immune. Through experience...and a thick head...I've learned that the best way to speed recovery is to acknowledge the injury quickly, seek medical advice and treatment as necessary and rest, rest, rest! 

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

The Boot returns

The Boot returns.  

After the second right foot broken-bone episode a few years back, I tucked The Boot into the very back corner of our storage room.  I never expected to see it again, never mind have to use it!  Maybe I should have gotten rid of it...that's it, I jinxed myself keeping it around.  

The Boot showed up on my right foot for the third time last week when I tried unsuccessfully to squeeze my foot into my dress shoe.  The pain, oh the pain!  And no, I'm not whining...it was painful and wasn't going to help my recovery.  No, it had to be The Boot.  

The Boot makes for interesting conversation starter.  Most of our neighbours know I'm a runner so they have some empathy for my plight.  They get a good chuckle when I tell then that it wasn't a running injury...that I broke my baby toe when I slammed my foot into the wooden base of an ottoman in the dark.  I'm glad I can provide a little humor in their day.

The Boot made it's debut at Reggae Marathon in 2012 when I walked the 10K in it.  I didn't finish last...whew! But it sure was interesting to experience a running event as a walker.  I had my camera with me and caught some great characters and scenes that I would never have captured while running. These photos are some of my favourite images of the Reggae Marathon Experience:

  
Yes The Boot returns to remind that at any moment we'll hit an unexpected, unplaned bump that will dispupt our carefully laid out plans.  We'll have a choice:  Stop and bellyache or adjust and move forward. Adjusting to and overcoming these obstacles is what life is all about.  

Until next time...

Gone swimming

Gone swimming!  That's the sign I hung up beside my running shoes last week after breaking my baby toe.  And if running shoes could smile, I think they would have broken a grin...I've been working them hard for the past few months.

We're fortunate in having access to two pools: One in the nearby community centre that has early morning lane swimming sessions, and the other one right in our Complex.  One indoor and temperature controlled (Montgomery Pool) the other outdoor and warmed by the sun (Our Complex...that's it on the left).  And we have been blessed by the sun and hot temperatures so far this summer.

'Gone swimming' is a bit of a misnomer though. I'm a runner through-and-through so I go 'running' accross the deep area of the pools.  No I don't 'do lengths'.  I get a few strange looks for sure but I'm comfortable doing my running thing and in some cases I'm faster than some of the swimmers.

If you haven't tried water running, it's harder than it looks.  The water provides a lot of resistance and it's easy to get the heart rate up quickly.  And because you're already wet, it's tough to tell that you're sweating.

Yes I've gone swimming again...if this sticks who knows, maybe I'll give up running.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

A pain in my hamstring

This pain in my hamstring is a real pain!  A few weeks ago I felt a tiny 'twinge' in the back of my thigh on a normal run.  I didn't think much of it at the time.  Heck, at this age and after all these years running, I'm used to a little pain every now and then.  And then it developed into a full-blown hamstring injury

I immediately backed off running in hopes of minimizing the injury and speeding up the healing. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going out for a fast run with some gentle ups and downs and that did me in.  It's been a couple of weeks of pain and frustration now and I don't like it one bit!

Recovery has included rest of course (not enough of that but you know me), Naproxin to reduce the inflamation and my secret weapon, Dr. Ho!  And to prevent a reoccurance:  pre-run stretching.  On that last part, we'll see how that goes...I'm notorious for not stretching at all before running but after this hamstring episode I may finally have to change my ways.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Another freaking injury?

What...???

2015 has been challenging so far.  From the Toothache that stopped the running followed by a head cold through running in sub-zero arctic conditions, running consistently has been impossible.  Now a pain in my leg...literally...has slowed me down once again.  A muscle pull near my hip if you must know (Strained Quad).

I can hear you now:  Maybe it't time to give up running, Chris!  I know that's what Sally is thinking...I know her look!

But despite this latest setback, that's not an option for me.  I've thought about taking up swimming and although I'm pretty good at swimming, I find swimming laps mind numbing.  Plus, getting undressed to swim in a pool in the dead of winter is simply a 'Shudderrrrrr...!'

I could go riding.  We have a bike lane right outside our building that connects to some great trails. Hmmmm...Riding a bike outside in the winter!  Ice and snow, oh and CARS takes all the fun out of bicycle riding in Toronto.  

I could hit the gym.  Not!  Treadmills and Eliptical trainers are at the same level as swimming for me. OK, if I watch the TV or listen to music through headphones it is a little more interesting but still not enough to get me to go to the bother of going out to the gym.  

Ahhh I can here you thinking...how about walking.  It's not a bad idea but I'm still a running snob and still want to be called a 'Runner'.  I have gone out for some walks since this leg injury and while I have enjoyed them, when I see a runner I get depressed.

The good news though is that I've been working on my core with simple exercises I can do at home. And even though my friend Larry says that without cardio exercise and reduced intake all I'll have is 'A 6-pack under a layer of fat' I'm working on showing him up in Negril this December.  Maybe we'll have a competition to see who has the better abs!

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

You have to walk before you can run again

Sally allowed me to go walking
with her last Saturday

About 10 minutes into my walk with Sally and Tia last Saturday I uttered, "Oh, oh".

With the best intentions on an absolutely fabulous Saturday afternoon, I decided to accompany Sally on an 'Easy Walk'.  Two miles out and back to the shops on Bloor Street West.  She in her walking garb, me without my walking cast on my right foot.

I like walking along with her on her walks.  Over the past year she has become quite the accomplished walker.  Head-to-toe in her Running Room gear she is super prepared. And loves recording and tracking her progress with her Map My Walk Smartphone App activated.

I on the other hand was much more casual.  Jeans, T Shirt, light jacket, bare feet and...Sandals!  The sandals were a well worn in pair of very comfortable Naot's but never the less, I was way too casual for what turned out to be a 2.5 mile walk.  At 10 minutes into the walk after my 'Oh, oh' I asked Sally to slow down!  She smiled mischeveously and noted, "That's a role reversal".  But slow down she did.  I know how to run...this walking was going to take some practice.

We made it through the first mile with me grimacing as my foot muscles strained for the first time walking without the support of the walking cast.  No pain from the mended bones;  that was good.  At that point, Sally deposited Tia and I on a street-side bench to 'rest for a bit' while she went shopping.  I didn't resist or complain.  Tia and I sat basking in the sun.

The mile and a half back home went much better but once home I was bushed!  The sunshine and fresh air was great but I needed to put my feet up once we got back home.  Even though I slowed her down, Sally was pleased with her walking progress this early in the season.  Next Saturday...assuming she allows me to tag along...I'll lace up my running shoes.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Nutrition to aid running injury recovery

I had an epiphany:  I am what I eat!  That is a 'Duh' moment for sure.

Over the past few years as Sally and I 'Cleaned up' our eating (Sally is gluten and lactose intolerant...we prepare and eat really tasty and -good-for-us meals that include lots of fruits and vegetables) I've been lax in paying attention to what I eat.  In fact even though I know they are good for me, I don't like vegetables and would completely forget about adding them to my diet if I had my way.  And if you've followed me on this blog for a while you know that I have a weakness for salty snacks and diet soda. As a long-time runner I've managed loose weight and keep it off while staying relatively injury-free even while not eating particularly well for many of those years.

And then the epiphany!  I've gained a few pounds.  My joints ache.  I get injured and I don't spring back from these running injuries as quickly as I used to.  Time to start thinking about nutrition more seriously. Specifically what nutrition can help with injury recovery. There's a lot of talk and discussion about this subject online.  Oxidation, lactic acid, free-radicals ... all confusing and in many cases contradictory.  Given my personal experience in eating without gluten and lactose, I've come to understand the value of this 'fruits and vegetables' thing.

The benefits of Vitamin A Vitamin C, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Zinc and Protein are laid out in this article from RunnersConnect.   like this article as well because it also includes the specific meat, fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of the specific vitamin, mineral and food.  Yes, most of these are available in food and there are many supplements to choose from to top up on the specific vitamins...we came back from our local Costco where we passed a product display wall 8 feet high with bottles of Omega 3 capsules!

Check it out here:  Diet for the Injured Runner.

"All of the above" are discussed in length in this article from Runner's World.  They go further though and talk about adding supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate which have been shown to decrease inflammation and improve mobility.  Read it here:  Food Rx   

Fruits and vegetables and nuts and supplements...all are essential in speeding up recovery from an injury. Now on to protein and the role it plays not only in injury recovery but in building muscle.  Is there such a thing as enough protein?  Chicken, beef and my favourite pork are all excellent sources of protein which has been shown to aid in muscle recovery. 

In this article, lots of information about Protein for Runners.  

And then there's my personal experience with injury recovery.  Back in 2009 when I was training for the Reggae Marathon I added JuicePlus+ to my nutrition regimen.  I started about 6 months before the race and continued on after of course.  It's not a magic pill but with the concentration of fruits and vegetables it was a convenient way to 'top up'.  The result?  The post-race recovery was much shorter that I expected...I was running regularly again within a week (and I had a tough race that day).  Check out my experience at Reggae Marathon here.  Go to this link to find out the benefits of JuicePlus+ at this link:  S-P JuicePlus+ (purchase directly online as well).

Yes I'm eating better:  more variety and smaller portions.  I still have a weakness for salty snacks but I've managed to cut out the diet sodas.  Raw vegetables are still not my favourite so I take supplements.  I watch my runs and treat any small injuries right away. The 'Duh' moment finally sunk in.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy