Archive for October 28, 2011

The Triathlon Rx | October 28, 2011
26 comments

Holiday Greetings GIVEAWAY!

[ETA: Friday Confessional: I'm pretending today is the yesterday that this giveaway was supposed to go up. :) ]

No one get mad at me for saying this – just statin’ the facts ma’am. Snow is going to be falling soon here in Minnesota. Yes, that chilly, powdery, inconvenience that requires shoveling at 4am to get out of the driveway will be here before we know it. There are two upsides to this:

1 // My winter-lovin friends can finally stop their grumbling rejoice and bust out the skis, snow shoes, etc.

2 // Snow signals the start of the “holiday” season, which leads to three things: family time, pumpkin pie, and fires in the fireplace. Can you really go wrong with any of that?

Another thing that comes with the holidays is the yearly Christmas card… which has become not-exactly-yearly in our household. When your neat little family of four is split between three different major cities, that sometimes happens. We cover Minneapolis, Washington DC, and Philly. Break it down to the in-law level and extended family and we take over Singapore, Chicago, and New York. (Not to mention, we’ve got the state of Minnesota pretty well covered.) ;)  But split as we may be, we’re about as solid of a family I could ask for.

This year I’ve decided I think I’m finally “grown up” enough to send out my own Christmas card… with a little help from my friends at Shutterfly. Not going to lie… kind of excited about the one I created. I’ve “made” our family xmas cards in the past (see exhibit A [2008] below) attemtping to use my old Adobe CS3 skills (or lack there of). Let’s just say that this year’s card is kicked up a couple notches…!

The folks at Shutterfly thought you ALSO might want in on this early holiday cheer… so don’t quit reading just yet.

I wont show you which holiday card I decided to go with… don’t want to ruin the surprise. ;) But for the purpose of YOUR [potential] creation, you should know that you’re not just limited to Christmas cards!! Shutterfly offers all sorts of cards and invites, from new baby announcements to greeting cards and cards for all sorts of holidays! They also do photo books… one which I made after the 2009 Ragnar Relay. It was a really fun way to commemorate the experience!

So, you would maybe like to create some free cards, huh…? And you’re wondering what you need to do? I won’t make it too hard on ya. ;)

1 // Check out the Shutterfly website and leave a comment telling me what you’d like to make.

2 // Tweet this, and leave a comment telling me you did it:

Trying to spread a little holiday cheer! Giveaway @SperlyTriRunner http://www.drtrirunner.com

3 // Tell me your favorite holiday memory. :) Awww just talking about it makes me want one of my grandma’s burbon brownies and a fireplace.

Leave a comment for each one. Simple as pie! Oh, and did I mention there will be THREE winners!??! Ohh yes! 7 days until the giveaway closes (Fri. November 4th, midnight)… 27 days until Thanksgiving… 52 days until Hanukkah… 57 days until Christmas. Unlimited celebrations in between. Get on it!

-E

 

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | October 26, 2011
10 comments

Three Thoughts Thursday // 10.26.11

Ahhhhh… the little bear has awaken. :)

First of all, THANK YOU for all of the comments, texts, facebook messages, and emails that were sent regarding the last post. It’s either a really simple subject to talk about (with doctors, God, and um.. that’s it) or a kind of difficult subject to talk about (anybody not included in in category #1). The other day I realized… one of the things that puts it in that “difficult to talk about” category is that other than my doctors, no one really knows much about fibrous dysplasia. My doctors are great, but I can’t call them at 3am when I’m freaking out because I rolled onto my left side and woke up from pain. I can’t call them when I’m stressed about the amount of time this is taking to decide on a surgical procedure. And I definitely can’t call them and cry about missing practice or racing or my team. (p.s. If you want to know a little about it, I sent this article to my dad, mom, and sister. It’s an inanutshell kind of article about fibrous dysplasia. Short and simple.)

But please believe me dear friends and family, the support you are giving me is something that I appreciate beyond words.

Updates and such to be continued…

Secondly No – I didn’t accidentally OD on pamidronte. I know it’s Wednesday. But we’re going to pretend this is a Three Thoughts Thursday, because that’s really all I got for you right now. (Plus, tomorrow has other plans. ;) )

1 // Giveaway tomorrow!!

2 // Pinterest. Nuff said. You can follow my pins (is that even how that works…?) or just check em out. I know Mrs. Lindsey Cotter found me somehow. The other three followers? One is a TC blogger, one is the saviour who sent me a new iPod, and one is myself. Total of 4. Balllller.

3 // Please answer poll below. Topic of upcoming post…

What do you think of Kinesio Tape?

View Results

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Again –  I don’t know how to put into words the appreciation I have for all the support you guys have given. I kind of feel like this…

 Bear hug. ^_^

I don’t know where this little animal love came from. Sorry little critters… not going back to being a vegetarian!

Take care, make sure to come back tomorrow for the giveaway, and remember: Life is too short for bad coffee.

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 20, 2011
9 comments

One thought for this Thursday: Mayo Clinic

I’ve never been equally as inspired and comforted as I am terrified and disquieted by a single institution.

I have let myself become far too familiar with their Orthopedic Oncology department. I shouldn’t be able to tell you the first and last names of the three doctors there with that specialty, I shouldn’t have let myself get sucked in to the research they’ve done and the studies they’ve published, or get emotional over the testimonials from Mayo patients around the world. But I can, I did, and I did again.

Inspired, because they are a worldwide leader in medical care, research, and education. They have more than 56,000 scientists, physicians, students, and allied health staff.

Comforted, because they have a philosophy that the patient comes first, and they live by it. Reading their Value Statements is like sipping a pumpkin spice latte in front of a crackling fire. Because after reading different patients’ stories, I know I will be taken care of.

Terrified, because reading those same patients’ stories puts me in their shoes. Terrified because it makes me a patient who will be telling a story. Terrified because only good stories are turned into testimonials. Terrified because not all stories are fairy tails.

Disquieted, because I have never been in this situation before. Because I don’t know what the outcome will be. Because I feel selfish for being scared, when it could still be so much worse. Because I feel like I have no control over any single part of the situation. Because yeah, they change lives, but they can’t change things back to the way they used to be.

Sorry if this seems like a big downer post… and especially one that came out of nowhere. I tried for a long time to not talk about this at all on the blog, but I realized that writing about it and being honest is some of my best therapy. Especially when running is out. I’m not sure if I want sympathy or validation or just to simply get it out of my system… but what you get right now is pretty much just raw, unedited, me.

There’s still a lot up in the air about procedures and dates and first vs. second vs. third opinions. The only opinion I currently have is that I want to get it over and done with and move on. Right now I’m left with way too much free time to ponder the what ifs, the could bes, and the used to bes.

It is also effing with my sleeping schedule… which is why I’m writing this at 3am. Going to try to fall back asleep now.

-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 14, 2011
8 comments

Friday Confessionals // 10.13.11

If you were living with me during the last two weeks, you might think there had been a constant full moon. Or I’d been ODing on Tramadol. Or FourLoko.

Given that NONE of the above are true, I’m going to chalk it up to less intense workouts and a lower overall training volume. Adrenaline is my drug of choice, when you’re used to a that little fix every day… you can go kind of crazy without it.

Hence… it’s about damn time for a Friday Confessional.

If you don’t know how to play the game… read the quick 101 and come on back. Anything and everything goes, no holds barred. (*Is that even a phrase? I honestly am going crazy. I’ve found myself googling/questioning phrases I say probably 10 different times this week!!*)

1. // I’ve had ice on my crotch probably 20 times over the last 14 days. It’s really my HIP FLEXOR that gets the icing, but you try explaining that to the cute guy in the SUV next to you looking down into your little Passat. Awkward. Or is it more awkward that I have photographic evidence…?

 

2. // I mayyyybe flipped out a little bit on a 40-something female stranger at work who was talking about the Chicago Marathon Baby Mama story. If you haven’t read it/heard it you are living under a rock I suggest you do so now. Long story short, Amber Miller ran the Chicago Marathon, under the guidance/supervision/permission of her physician, at 38 weeks pregnant. She gave birth a few hours after finishing the marathon. It would be one thing if aforementioned 40yostranger said she didn’t agree with the pregnant mother’s decisions… or even if she said she didn’t like the pregnant mother’s decisions or thought they were stupid or better yet that she was concerned. But instead, she said that (direct quote) “woman like that shouldn’t be allowed to be mothers.”

I won’t go into the million and one reasons why that tipped my boiling point, or the possibly harsh but truth reality I spit back at her. Do I feel like I should have apologized? No. Should I reacted that way in a professional setting were I happen to work? No.

And to show how to do it with maybe a little more class… here is a video from ABC news featuring local running elite and my favorite running mama ever, Carrie Tollefson, talking about the issue and running during her own pregnancy.

3. // I don’t like admitting this one…. I really don’t like it. I had to SEARCH “swim” in my iCal to tell you the last time I’ve been in the pool. Read: it’s been a $#!&long time. If you’re thinking oh it probably hasn’t been THAT long then no… let me correct you. My last swim was AUGUST 18th. For a second I had this glimmer of hope and was thinking maybe I need to search OWS instead!! Again. No.

What I want to do is whine and say well I WAS really consistent all of June and July. What I want to do is all the other things besides swimming that are more fun than watching paint dry. But you know what?

I like things in three’s so I’m going to stop there. Although now that I say that I 1) instantly want to crack a TWSS joke, and 2) think of two more things to confess. The clothesline can only fit so much dirty laundry…

Reader Qs:

  • Any and all of your Friday Confessions are encouraged.
  • What do YOU think about the Chicago Marathon story? (I promise not to bite your head off… I got it out of my system.)
  • Who’s racing this weekend?!

-E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | October 11, 2011
5 comments

Tried it Tuesday // How do you ROLL?

Between personal training, athletic training, spin instructing, coaching, leading running clinics, and just being involved in the running and triathlon community, I’ve gotten quite a few questions over the years about recovery tools. And not just from runners and triathletes, but also swimmers, divers, basketball players, hockey players…. we don’t discriminate!! There are two categories that come to my mind when I think recovery: options that are FREE options (ice, ice baths, tennis balls [practically free], recruiting the boyfriend for a massage*, etc.), and those that are NOT FREE (professional sports massage [sorry honey, you're not a pro], compression gear, nutritional supplements, etc.).

One product in the non-free category I’m sure just about everyone is familiar with: the ROLLER.

Or the massager. Or the massage-roller. There are so many different options on the market now and they’re so widely available, that the question has gone from “What is a foam roller?” to ”What type of roller is the best?” You’d almost have to try them all to know…

… and luckily, I’ve had the opportunity to do pretty much just that. I’ve tried rollers that feel soft, rollers that feel hard, rollers that elicit tears, and rollers that really don’t feel like they’re doing a ⠙⠈⠍⠝ thing. (Side note: It’s somewhat pathetic/amusing the amount of this stuff I have in my house. Some day – when the student loans are paid off – I will dedicate a room to this crazy thing we call exercise. Until then, the QRoo and trainer belong in the living room, and the pull-up bar goes in the kitchen doorway.) ;)

Back on track… BRIEFLY: this is essentially the poor-man’s massage. Using these tools helps stretch muscles and tendons, as well as assists in breaking up scar tissue and soft tissue adhesions (muscle tissue stuck together). Just as with stretching, there is a difference between hurts-so-good and SOB!-that-wasn’t-supposed-to-happen. It’s important to differentiate between a moderate and healthy discomfort, and discomfort that can lead to an injury.

It was difficult to decide how to organize this – from favorite to least favorite? From hard to soft? Most expensive to least expensive? I’m not sure if there’s a method to the madness, but I think I’m going with the “originals” to the newer products. Maybe.

1. Pro-Tec Athletics Foam Roller

  • 6″ x 35″ – $29.95**
  • 6″ x 18″ – $24.95** – nice for traveling)
  • High Density
  • Comes with an instruction manual… in case you couldn’t figure it out?
  • What I consider the “standard” or “traditional” foam roller – no bells or whistles, but it gets the job done. This is the type of foam roller you will find in most gyms, health clubs, and PT clinics. At first this was all I needed, but now that I use them so frequently, it feels like it’s not doing much. Great if you’re extremely tight or just breaking yourself into rolling.
  • From Pro-Tec: “The Pro-Tec foam roller is a great tool for stretching, promoting flexibility and myofascial release! It can help alleviate muscle and soft tissue tightness of the upper and lower back, IT band, hamstring, adductors, upper arm, and much more!”
  • Pro-Tec Athletic’s Website

2. Performtex Textured EVA Foam Roller

  • Very similar to a traditional foam roller, but with small textured bumps along the whole surface for “added stability and deeper trigger point activation.”
  • Just personal opinion – I feel like this gets a bit deeper into my muscles than the standard, non-textured foam roller. Makes sense of course, but you wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference. It does!!
  • 6″ x 36″ – $39.00**
  • From Performtex: “Looks badass.” Yes. Yes it does!
  • ***As a side note… Performtex makes wonderful kinesio tape. They’re working on putting together “how-to” videos which (I believe!) will be available from their facebook page.
  • Performtex’s website.

3. Rumble Roller

  • 5″ x 12″ – $44.95**
  • 6″ x 31″ – $69.95**
  • Not for the faint of heart – the surface of this bad boy will work you over like a physical therapist… with a desire to make you squirm.
  • OK – maybe that’s a little intense. I actually have to break into it though, by using a traditional foam roller first, and working into the Rumble Roller next. Either this means I’m super tight (true), or the Rumble Roller gets into deep tissue (also true.)
  • Available in “original density” or “extra firm”. I have the original blue, and I’d say it takes a champ to handle the Extra Firm. Consider that a challenge! ;)
  • People ask me about this and want to try it out ALL THE TIME. So much so that I had to write my name and phone number on it, in case it “accidentally” walked off.
  • Rumble Roller’s Website

4. The Stick

  • Available in three different levels of firmness – firm, standard, and flexible.
  • Firm: Big stick (30″ – $53.95) , Stiff Stick (24″ – $47.95), and Sprinter Stick (19″ – $34.95)
  • Standard: Power Stick (27″ – $47.95), Original Body Stick (24″ – $42.50), Travel Stick (29″ – $27.50)
  • Flexible: Flex Stick (26″ – $42.50), Marathon Stick (20″ – $31.95), Hybrid Stick (23″ – $44.95)
  • Available at most marathon or big race expos, and online.
  • They have a fun “Stick Selector” tool on Products page that helps you pick out which product might be best for you. They told me I’m best suited for the Travel Stick or the Marathon stick. Whattya know… I have both!!
  • The Stick’s Website.

5. PVC Pipe.

  • If you want to talk about bad ass…
  • I don’t know if I can actually/safely recommend this. It hurts like a %!&@#. Be careful of the anterior tib, ITB, and TFL areas.
  • But hey… it’s affordable!!**
  • No, I’m not BSing you. We have multiple widths and densities of PVC pipe specifically for this purpose in our training room.
  • PVC’s Website.

These five different options only scratched the surface. There is a sweet product from Trigger Point Performance Therapy called The Grid that looks like an intermediate version of the Rumble Roller and the Textured EVA Roller. They also have a total Hip & Lower Back Kit that I have been eyeing forever and will be on my Christmas list (Photo at Left). I have never had issues with lower back pain until just a few months ago, and am still trying to figure out the root cause. All I can say is, I feel like I was trampled in Jumanji!!

Reader Qs:

How do YOU roll? Is it a regular part of your routine, or only when you’re feeling particularly tight? What is your favorite recovery tool?

-E

*Ladies (and gentlemen)… take note – that SHOULD be free.
**Prices may vary by retailer.
*** I promise Performtex didn’t ask me to plug their kinesio tape. Working in an athletic training room and working with several Division 1 teams, I’ve used a billion kinds of kinesio tape. I really, truly, 100% un-biasedly like Performtex’s tape the best!!

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 6, 2011
6 comments

Thoughts on a Thursday // Marcaine + Cortisone Injection

Well… this is my way of “breaking the news” – part 1. There will definitely be more to come, so you can expect a lot more Medical Mondays. And probably Friday Confessionals.

Started my Thursday with this:

     

Top L: Disinfecting. Keepin’ it PG. Top R: Needle going into the hip joint. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the cointrast running through the joint. Bottom center: Closer up – doctor explaining the procedure. The two screws you see are two of these three. The third one is directly behind the upper one. Haha my first reaction was “um… isn’t there supposed to be one more in there?” The thing that looks like a little sperm swimming into the joint is actually the head of the needle. On the bone. ♪ Blue on Black ♪

Post injection, they wanted me to go for a test run. So I did. And because I was afraid my leg might fall off 4 miles from home, I brought my phone.

And in a moment of delirium… I made you a video. Fair warning – this might leave you feeling like you just watched the Blaire Witch Project. It made me dizzy!! This would have been much easier taken with a Go Pro HD Camera… just sayin. ;)

“Hey hunnies…”

Ohhhh wow.

If you’ve ever wondered what a “friend” blogger sounds like in real life? Here you go. This is me! Susan – do I actually sound like this in conversation? I [hopefully] promise I’m not that easily distracted in person. Example: (46 sec.) ”That’s a pretty tree.” Start a new sentence… (49 sec.) “That’s a pretty house!!” Hahah and I keep talking about how Minneapolis is really nice in the fall. (Note that I stated nothing about months December through March.) And how I’m going to get hit by a car.

Well I didn’t get hit by a car, and my leg didn’t fall off. Success! And I DID get a longer run than I thought … that’s what I get for leaving the Garmin at home! Good ol’ fashioned Gmaps Pedometer. 7.11 miles in 57 minutes.

The reason I haven’t brought any of this up yet (which you may or may not have caught in the video) is that I just don’t see any need to jump the gun. There are too many uncertainties right now (which surgical procedure, when the surgery will actually happen, the extent of the labral tear, etc.) to go into too much detail. But I also didn’t want to wait until the day before surgery, and then say… SURPRISE!! And I will say it has been hard to avoid the subject – it’s been on my mind. A lot!! Will keep everyone updated, but will hopefully also maintain the upbeat attitude of Dr.TriRunner going strong. :)

Reader Qs:

Have any of the readers out there ever had a labral tear? What was surgery and recovery like? Where was your tear? Where did you have surgery? While were talking about surgery – give me anything! What was the injury, what was the rehab, and how long was it before you were back to doin’ you?

-E

 

 

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 5, 2011
14 comments

Twin Cities Marathon 2011

First of all… JEEEZ WordPress!! You’re giving someone hypertension. First I get this:

To which Mr. SwimBikeRunLive responds with:

At this point… I am actually thinking Dr.TriRunner is GONE. Gone gone. WP wont let me log in… bluehost seems like it’s written in a different language… yep. I’m %^@&#!).

.tar? .zip? I don’t know. So I made a copy of both. Or at least… I think I did? But then what? I have these two “files” that I have no clue what to do with! Wonderful.

 

True story. I can get “emotional” … but it is really difficult to actually elicit tears. Maybe I’m just dehydrated.

Thankfully… it never came to that. After a few hours of panic mode, the website magically reappeared. BUT only the LINKlove tab at the top was showing up, and the rest of the pages were gone. 1 out of 6 pages is not exactly a high success rate. And my RSS feed didn’t (and still doesn’t) work (or show up), which may or may not be because I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do with it. Mrs. SusanRuns was on her last morning of staying in the Dr.TriRunner house… and over coffee she made me feel slightly better that she also had no idea how to make a backup database or what .tar is or MySQL or …….!!

Anyways.

Maybe it’s a blessing. It’s about ɖɐɰπ time I updated some of those pages, and it’s always fun to freshen up a bit. Bear with me while I do this… I feel like I’m trying to speak Sanskrit. (That one’s for you Jeri!)

So TWIN CITIES MARATHON huh? 30th annual. SWEET medals this year! Sweet Marathon shirts… I’ll refrain from commenting on the 10 milers shirts.

I was hosting an elite masters runner from Florida, so she flew in on Thursday. Susan flew in on Friday morning, and Jeri arrived a little later Friday afternoon. From there it was EXPO time, which I escaped spending very little money. Success! I also ran into an old class mate who is working for the new OrangeTheoryFitness studios… interesting concept!! We were thankful to be invited to the VIP reception Friday evening, where we met Hannah who is the Communications Specialist for Twin Cities in Motion!! Hannah is training for the Richmond Marathon which is coming up soon (Nov. 12th) – go get em!! I’m stealing her picture:

Jeri // Susan // Hannah // Me

Saturday was *restful* … truthfully I don’t even remember what we did, but we ate lots of Panera. Can you get more American/predictable/delicious? I think not. Perfect pre-race food.

Sunday was RACE DAY and what a beautiful day it was. If you want to get picky, it could have been a couple degrees cooler to make it perfect, but I think it was pretty dang close to ideal conditions. The majority of my amigos were running the TC 10 Mile this year because it was the USA 10 Mile Championship. If you’ve never seen an “equalizer” in action… it’s pretty exciting! Somebody uses all their formulas and algorithms to determine how much later the men should start after the women in hopes to *just barely* catch them by the finish. There was a $10,000 prize purse to whoever (male or female) finished first. Oh hey there, motivation. Congratulations to Mo Trafeh (26) who caught the lead woman (after a 9 minute deficit) and won the 10 mile in 46:46. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom won the womans race in 45:15. You guys are amazing!

And SPEAKING of amazing was Susan – clocking a PR by a minute and 24 seconds, and running strong the entire race!! Congratulations chica – it felt like I’ve known you for years (oh wait, we kind of have…?) and I’m so glad you came to the Twin Cities for this marathon!! 

One thing I will say is that being out there on the course and at the finish was H.A.R.D.!!! Harder than I had expected. Twin Cities is definitely a race close to my heart (ETA: bhahah reading that phrase sounds so mushy. My bad.) and it made me want to be out there racing SO BADLY. If only my left hip/leg would agree. My good buddy Jason was here for the weekend from Colorado, and he told me “don’t worry… you’ll get some new pieces and be back out there in no time!” Um… I don’t just need some pieces. I need a whole new appendage. Donations?

End of story: Everyone I know running the full or the 10 miler did AMAZING (even you Mr. IendedUpInRegionsHospital… you got there because you were running FAST and HARD)… and definitely deserve big congratulations!! Twin Cities Marathon is hands down my favorite marathon, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Reader Qs:

Have you run Twin Cities before? Any plans to do so in the future? That ad you see in Runners World ain’t lyin… it is the most beautiful urban marathon in the country!! (*slightly biased opinion*) What race is coming up next on your calendar?

-E

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 4, 2011
No comments

Under Construction!

Please excuse the mess… workin’ on it! Had a minor freak out this morning with a “Error establishing database connection” message from WordPress. I am definitely that kid without a back-up of the site. Oops!

If anyone knows if I need a .tar or .zip file… please let me know. #technologychallenged.

In the mean time, here’s a photo from the Twin Cities Marathon expo on Friday. Had a fun time hanging out with Susan and Jeri all weekend!!

Adios amigos,

-E

Category: Uncategorized |