No Foolin'...It's Healin'

Happy April Fools Day. I think I can actually say that my leg is healing up. That's what not running on it will do for you (OK, I lied, I played softball on Monday night and was running). Here's what I've been doing to save my sanity and let me be able to run healthy soon...

• Stretching - Three+ times per day I'm doing 3 types of wall push-ups and some other stretches. Looking to add some yoga days in here.
  
• Rolling - I'm gonna unleash my dog on this thing soon and let him tear it to shreds. Just a big, blue foam piece of crap. Works and is less expensive than getting a massage (Oh yeah...I'm in the process of scheduling a massage). Great at getting those knots and junk out of the legs.
• Not Running - Ok, this isn't really saving my sanity, but it's probably the #1 remedy for not re-injuring myself. (What an awful thing)
• Cross-training - I've been all over the board with this but I've been working on a few different things: swimming & biking for cardio; weights for hamstrings and thighs; Core exercises for, well, the core. Need to support those calf muscles.
• Positive Thinking - What good is it if I'm depressed and complaining all the time about not running? Since my training is going to be nowhere near where it should be for Miwok, I'll have to rely on mental toughness and positive thoughts to make it through. Good time to start is now.

Glorybelle (from Get Out There and Run Already!) had a great quote today about courage from To Kill a Mockingbird (excuse me for stealing this)...

“I wanted you to see what real courage is... It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

I don't think there is any better quote for me right now heading into Miwok. She's also having some of the same injury issues I'm having and has a nice entry today on basically starting over and rebuilding her base miles for a future of 100% healthy running (instead of 90%).

Good luck with your training and races everyone. Stay healthy!

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Losing, But Not Lost

It's been rough for the past month and a half from the running front. My left calf continues to be a nuisance and I can't really figure out what to do with it. Just when I think I'm past it, the discomfort comes back the next week. "Think positive".

Last Saturday, after my boys basketball game (organized chaos), I headed out for an 11-mile run home. Running felt great and things were going well until the last mile - had the old junk in the calf pop up once again. I stopped for a second, wrapped the hell out of my calf, and then continued on my way home. What's really weird is that after icing and rolling and stretching, the leg is basically fine again. This is where I'm confused on this injury.

Yesterday, I decided to do a 1.5 hour treadmill hill workout. Strangely, running up hills right now is the only thing that really doesn't bother my calf (I guess that's a good thing for Miwok). I might just have to keep any outdoor running to 8 or less miles of maintenance. How can I not run in this weather?

Congratulations to all my running buddies who've been hitting the trails and performing in races. I've really enjoyed reading all the blog entries. I've been itching to get out there and can't wait to see everyone again.

I'm not doing any races before Miwok, but I'll probably head out to Diablo on 4/19 to volunteer. Lots of faces and fast runners to see there. Hopefully, I'll be healthy the next time PCTR is back at Diablo in June.

Happy training and racing everyone!

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Shhhh...You Might Wake Me

Alright, time to come back from wherever the hell I've been. I still owe a race report from Woodside (and I'll get to it), but here's a quick summary of what's been happening.

On Monday (2/15), I managed to do "something" to my left calf and it has prevented me from doing any real running since. I think what it comes down to is the fact that I was a little hard on my training after the Woodside run (where of course I felt great). That's right, it's my friend the overuse injury. The "good" news is that this isn't the same injury bugging me last year (oh and the ITB is fine).

I spent the rest of that week stretching, icing, rolling, praying, and doing anything to get it heeled and feeling better. By the end of the week, I felt it was good enough to continue a lighter training schedule. So this past Monday, I did a 3-mile easy run and the leg felt ok. Problem is, I didn't have a chance to ice it or stretch it properly. Guess what? I played softball that night and after cruising around first base on my way to second base, I could feel it tighten up and bite me a little bit. So back to square one.

Returning to today, it feels ok again. I'll continue icing it and doing the normal voodoo stuff to make it better. Once again, I'll wait until Monday to test it out again. However, this time I'll ice it and stretch it properly before beating it up at softball again.

This definitely puts me behind on my Miwok training. I am an optimist so all I can say is "who gives a rat's arse". I'll  be fine. I'll continue to work on my leg strength and resume hill workouts once the leg comes back around. Motivation is still high and this unintential rest could be good for me in the long run. 

I've been reading everyone else's blogs so thanks for the entertainment. More to come soon. Good to be back.

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