Best Run Ever!!!

Though it may sound like a bold claim, that was how I felt today on the Provo River Trail.  Instead of connecting with the PRT by work, I decided to head up the canyon and man was it worth it.  I made it through my run walk without feeling tired at all.  Part of why today was so good was I cross trained on Saturday and took Sunday totally off.  When I slipped into my shoes I had no idea what I was in for.  Thankfully it was so good.

This Week

I did some of my best running this week.  What's more, I figured out how to shorten my stride and make it feel natural.  The key was landing mid-foot as opposed to heal striking.  I noticed a difference immediately.  Instead of the shock of impact going totally to my knees, it was absorbed by my whole leg.  I was far less fatigued when I finished my run and was far less sore the next day.

Making this change to my form forced me to use muscles in ways they are not accustomed to but with subsequent runs and cross training I will be able to sustain good form for the entirety of my runs.

So, does this mean I will be trying barefoot, or minimalist running.  Probably not.  Here's why.  Barefoot, or minimalist running, might work for some people but it is not a panacea.  It won't solve everyone's problems.  Now I am all for natural, and getting the body to do natural things, but what do you do when you are running on unnatural surfaces?  I would consider a minimalist shoe for grass or trails but not for pounding it out on the roads. 

Trails are fun

All of my running has been divided between parks, my neighborhood, and the Timpanogos high school track.  These are all great places but sometimes they can get kind of monotonous.  Thankfully there are trails.

I spent the weekend with my family at Island Park, a reservoir in eastern Idaho.  Island Park is beautiful and is full of great trails.  The beauty of the scenery absorbed me as I made way down the dirt roads and trails.  I didn't go far, probably about the same distance as normal, but the experience made me a convert.  I am going to take advantage of the trails in and around Utah County and beyond.  Trail running is a great way to experience the great outdoors and to change things up.

Good form old boy

Form.  I never would have thought my form was a factor in the injury I sustained about two weeks ago.  My trip to the physical therapist has me convinced that I need to give serious attention to training my body to run right.

Getting my running form evaluated was kind of cool.  The therapist put me on a treadmill and then videotaped me running for about three minutes.  After that, she compared my form with the form of another running and I was amazed at how bad it was.  My two biggest problems are overstriding (taking steps that are too long) and not getting my upper involved as much as it could.  Both of these are easily corrected.  To correct overstride, I am counting how many steps I take a minute.  If they are somewhere around 83-88 steps then I am doing well.  If my steps are down in the 70s then I know my steps are too big and I am placing too much strain on my knees.  Today was my first day counting my steps and I was surprised at how good it felt and how less sore my knees felt after today's run/walk.  Of course loosing weight will be a big factor in improving my form, but doing some things now to fix some problems is definitely a good idea.

Back on Track

For the first time in about a week I was able to run.  Feeling confident my left knee could take it, I went to the track at Timpanogos school and hit their track for 30 minutes.  While I was unable to run I looked into some other running programs and found one in the Runner's World Complete Guide to Running.  One thing I appreciate about this new program is its' emphasis on beginners focusing on being relaxed and not working too hard as this will lead to injury.  One thing I liked was the statement that the marathon has been 26.2 miles in length for over 2000 years and will still be 26.2 miles by the time your are ready to do one.  So true.  I am in no hurry.  This program is much more gradual and that is good considering I really do need to take it slow and gradually build up to running non-stop.

On Monday I have an appointment to see the physical therapist and am going to ask him about exercises I can do to strengthen my joints and avoid injury.  It felt so good to be running again I want to do everything possible to make sure I can keep running without getting hurt.

Injury Updated

My knee seems to be on the mend.  The swelling is down and the is nowhere nearly as bad as it was before.  This has me hopeful that this injury will be a short one and I will be up and running again really soon.

Dealing with injury is something all of us who exercise regularly will have to deal with.  The key, it seems, is to workout so as to avoid injuries thus eliminating having to take time off.  As I think back to the nature of my injury I am convinced it is a case of too much too soon.  Riding my bike on the off-days is what pushed my left knee over the edge.  So if you are starting a running program, or any program, remember to make your off-days truly off-days.  I am hopeful that a couple of visits to my physical therapist should remedy this situation pretty quickly.

One thing I have learned is the value of cross training.  I will be doing lots of hiking until my knee gets better.  Thankfully there are some really good trails really close to my house in Orem I will be hitting up.  Overall if you keep a positive frame of mind you can deal with minor injuries avoid discouragement.  This is what I have learned from this.

Injury and some lessons learned

Being sidelined due to what I think is tendonitis stinks.  I was in the groove of running four to five times a week and loving it.  Now I am waiting on my body to heal and to get into physical therapy to strengthen my left leg so this won't happen again.  Here are the lessons I have learned from this experience.

-If you are just beginning a running program, or coming back from a break, take it slow.  Real, slow.  I ran cross country in high school and have to remind myself I am no longer sixteen years old and can just jump off the couch and run three to five miles at will.  These are things you have to gradually work up to and the quickest way to find yourself sidelined with an injury is to try to set a world record when you are just getting started.

-An injury is not the end of the world.  These things happen.  Even people who are taking it really slow and being super careful can still get hurt.  I think this is where I fit in.  My injury was not a case of too much too fast but something that just happened and will, with time, heal.  In the mean time I am thinking of things I can do to exercise so I don't lose all of what I have gained since I began conditioning.

-Cross Train.  About six months ago I was able to run for thirty minutes pain free.  As I have reflected on that something stands out.  I was cross training.  Once I am healthy again, this is something I am going to take more seriously by working in at least two days a week of strength training, or strength train in addition to the days I run.  This will ensure I have strength and endurance.

-Stay Positive.  I have a choice.  I can either bemoan my state or be patient and realize that people have come back from much, much, worse.  For instance, last night I read about an ultrarunner who had a severe Achilles tendinitis who came back to complete the Badwater.  As I read his story the thing that stood out to me was he believed he could do it and then trained smart to prevent injury.

If you are sidelined like me, hang in there and realize that for some of us shin splints, pulled muscles, stress fractures, blisters, and even tendonitis are part of the challenge and can be overcome.

Chris

Sidelined for a bit

One of the realities any athlete in any sport faces is the reality of injury.  Right now I have decided to take some time off to let some things heal and begin physical therapy once I get back to Utah.  The problem I am facing is not serious and should clear up pretty quickly.  The amazing thing is that I am not at all discouraged and realize that bumps in the road happen to everyone from elite athletes to people like me who are just starting an exercise plan.  So don't worry about me because I am not worried and I am sure this will all get sorted out.

Progress

I have made progress.  Yesterday I did the 2 minutes of running followed by a minute of walking for 30 minutes.  For this run I chose my Asics Foundation 9 motion control shoes.  I also chose to wear braces on both knees to ensure that my kneecaps tracked properly and to reduce the stress running places on my knees.  Here's how it all went.

My Asics performed well.  Due to the support and stability they provide I felt stronger.  My shin splints were not as bad as usual and I was able to complete the 2 minutes on 1 minute off cycle ten times with no problems.  Well, there was a slight problem.  After the first cycle one of my calf muscles felt tight, so I stopped my watch and stretched it out.  After that there were no problems.

My quads must be getting stronger because I felt very little fatigue in them during my workout.  The knee braces followed by Advil kept the inflammation down.  Using the motion control shoes was good though they don't offer the same level of cushioning my Pegasus provide.  Then again running shoes are not all about what provides the most cushioning.  Even though a shoe might have the most cushioning on the planet they still could be the worst shoe for your feet.

Tomorrow is another workout.  My goal is 3 minutes on and 1 minute for seven cycles with 2 minutes of running at the end.  I am planning on doing this workout on the track at either Timpanogos High School or Provo High.  I am going to give my body a rest from the road and see how my knees respond to a rubberized track.  Good, I hope.

That's it for now.  I will log how tomorrow's run goes.

Chris

Shoes

I am now the proud owner of a pair of Nike Pegasus 27 running shoes.  Twenty seven years ago Nike introduced this line of running shoes and they have popular ever since.  The Pegasus have significance to me because my dad gave me a pair for my first season of cross country in high school.  The iteration of the Pegasus I have are very different from the pair my dad gave me in '93 but they are just as good.  I used them for a couple of runs and am impressed with their cushioning.  They are wanting in the support area but are a good light weight shoe and will probably be good for speed work (if I ever get to that).  Right now I am just enjoying my runs and looking forward to later this week when my Brooks Adrenaline and Asics Foundation 9 arrive via UPS.  Having three pairs of shoes to rotate through might seem a bit excessive, but the way I see it, having a pair of fresh shoes to run in will go far in preventing injuries and preserve the longevity of my shoes saving me some money in the long run (a good pun).

Marathon 2010-2011

I ran cross country and track in high school.  Specifically I was a distance runner.  I was one of those crazy people who could not run all that fast over short distances but did not mind torturing myself in the distance events on the track and in 5ks through the forests of Georgia and Alabama.  Then something unfortunate happened. I stopped running.

My problems began shortly after I graduated from High School.  In the fall of 1997 I started having trouble in my left knee.  I went to see a doctor and he diagnosed me with tendinitis in my left knee.  Not knowing what to do about this I stopped running in hopes this would go away.  As time went by I started putting on weight.  Sadly, there were no injuries to prevent me from putting forks, spoons, and various meats between two slices of bread directly into my mouth.  Over the years I have tried to get back into running but have been unsuccessful.

During my mission I got back into running a bit but not consistently.  The missionary schedule at the time did not have much time in it for exercise and I was kind of limited by what my companions were willing to do.  Over the years I have attempted to start running again but have failed.  I suspect it is due to lack of inspiration or a tangible goal.

 Now that I am 32 years old I have decided it is time to get back into it and this time make it stick.

My goal is to complete the Utah Valley Marathon.  My inspiration is my cousin Andrea.  Just a couple of weeks ago Andrea completed the UVM's half marathon.  What is even more amazing is Andrea has cerebral palsy and nearly half of her body is paralyzed.  As I watched her cross the finish line I thought this was something I should do.  No more excuses.

Running was something I loved and since I stopped running it is something I have missed.  I am very excited about hitting the roads and trails around here and getting ready for the UVM.