Tag Archive for recovery

The Triathlon Rx | February 2, 2010
6 comments

Train on Top – Volume 4: Hydration

Alright… the “sign up for TWO races by tonight” plan was an epic fail – I didn’t even sign up for one!! I even added a few more races to my “options” list! My time wasn’t a complete waste though – I did decide on a couple of races that I am for sure not going to run, and at least that helps me narrow down my options! Here’s what I’ve “decided on” so far:

  • No marathon this summer. Which means no Grandma’s marathon. :(
  • My reasoning? The triathlon season (at least here in good ol’ Minnesota) only lasts so long. I want to get in my tris while I can, because lord knows if $$ is my issue, I won’t be traveling all the way to Texas to race. (OK.. maybe just once a year ;) ) That is.. unless a sponsor comes through.
  • I have a complimentary entrance to one race… so I can’t “register” for that one. But to be fair, I do at least have this race picked out!
  • I’m working on a list of the races the rest of the team is doing. We don’t all race together over the summer…  but it’s always fun to have familiar faces out on the course.

So that’s where I’m at. Now on to the title of the post: HYDRATION. This is an important component to nutrition and training for endurance athletes, and I thought it deserved its [almost] own post. So without wasting any time, let’s dive in:

Throwback to 2007! My baby Dakota knows what’s up: Hydration is key!

NUTR 3721: Hydration for the Endurance Athlete

Instructor Info: Prof. SperlyTriRunner
Office Hours: too busy training. Contact by email: drtrirunner@gmail.com

Roughly 70% of an adults body weight is made up of water. You could guess then that water is pretty essential to human life. Imagine what your body would look like of all the water were sucked up and dried out? No, I’m not trying to convert any of you to vegetarians, but you could end up looking like a bag of this stuff:

So we all get it, hydration is important. But how do we know how much is enough, and what is too much? Does it matter when you hydrate? What about while training or racing? Do I need a “sports drink” or can I just have water? What about electrolytes? I already gave you a disclaimer – I’m not a certified hydration expert here, but I’m going to do my best to cover this topic and at least get a good conversation going!

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

I’m sure most of you have heard the guideline at some point that you should all be drinking eight 8oz. glasses of water a day. Many studies have shown that that’s not necessarily the case. The “rules” become even more blurry for athletes. It has also been “claimed” that many caffeinated beverages do not “count” towards your hydration intake for the day, such as coffee, tea, and sodas. Again, studies have shown that this is not necessarily true. There is water in almost everything we consume (with the exception of maybe the jerky’s above ;) ) and foods with high water content (such as fruits, vegetables, soups, juices, etc.) all can “count” towards our daily hydration needs. While the “8×8″ myth – 8 x 8oz. /day – has been discredited, there are still about 25,000 other “recommendations” out there. How do you know what to follow? The best general advice: follow your senses. If you feel thirsty, drink. If you don’t feel thirsty, don’t drink unless you want to. The average person is not going to “over-hydrate” on accident.

DOES AN ATHLETE HAVE ADDITIONAL NEEDS?

We aren’t the “average person” though… are we? No sir. For the most part, we can still rely on our “common sense,” but for the sake of optimal performance and recovery, hydration deserves a bit more focused attention for the endurance athlete. USATF recently announced some new guidelines which, personally, I think are great. These are specifically targeted towards long distance runners, but I believe serve well for the entire endurance athlete population.

What I feel is the biggest change in these “fluid-replacement recommendations” is that athletes should be fully replace 100% of the fluids lost during racing, and they should be “sensitive to the onset of thirst as the signal to drink, rather than staying ahead of thirst.” This lowers the risk of hyponatremia – a condition that is very serious, and caused by diluting your body’s sodium levels to an extremely low point. Trust me.. you don’t want that one.

According to my buddies at Hammer and the research that they have done, they give the following recommendations:

  • 20-25 fluid oz. of water per hour is a sufficient amount for most athletes.
  • For lighter athletes, or cooler temperatures, 16-18 oz. per hour may be what you need.
  • Heavier athletes or hotter conditions may require around 28 oz. per hour.

Note that none of these guidelines say what is “absolutely right.” They are guidelines. For a reference point (and quite convenient might I add), 20-25 oz. is the size of a regular to large water bottle.

WHAT ABOUT SODIUM AND ELECTROLYTES?

Your sweat is not only made up of water. You may know this of you develop that rather attractive “salt crust” after a workout. (Really… who doesn’t love feeling like a big baked salt crusted fish?) In addition to the water your pour out, you are also losing sodium and other minerals. And no one needs to tell you this one, but you’re also burning a massive amount of calories! For these reasons, it is important for endurance athletes to consider products that contain these essential items.

MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS

I have done a great deal of experimenting with different hydration, electrolyte, and carbohydrate recovery drink options.. and I haven’t even come close to trying all that there is out there on the market! These are a few of my favorite products, and I will tell you a little bit about why. What works best for you can only be determined by… YOU… and it will probably take some trial and error to figure out. All of my testimonials are based on my own experiences with these products. I have not been asked by any of these companies to review their products, nor have I (sadly) been sent any free goodies.

Nuun Active Hydration tabs: It would be much easier for me to write a review on what I don’t like about Nuun… because that would be short and sweet: they don’t grow on trees. These electrolyte tabs have honestly been my savior on several occasions, one of them being during my running of the Med City Marathon. They’re fast acting. They’re portable. They’re convenient. They do not contain carbs, and I appreciate having this as an option because everyone has their own preferences when it comes to carb replenishing during or after a race or workout. Some people like bananas, some like bars, some like gels, some like drinks. It’s not a one size fits all.

Hammer Endurolytes POWDER: One thing I like about the powder is that that enables me to have personalized dosing. Not every athlete will have the same needs, and I’m glad Hammer pays attention to that! Obviously you wouldn’t be stopping on the side of the road during a race to measure out and mix up your Endurolytes in a water bottle, but premixed before an endurance ride or long run and you have yourself a personalized hydralectrolyte beast. Maybe this goes without saying, but I use this stuff when I’m doing an endurance workout or race.. not just like a regular ol’ 7 mile run. Endurolytes have also been great for me in helping with cramping (or helping to not cramp to be more accurate). Long story short: I like the stuff.

PowerDew: PowerDew is in a category all it’s own. There is nothing better. In addition to being a fantasticly delicious source of hydration during exercise, it is also proven to help during intense study sessions with your anatomy textbook, medical terminology flash cards, and school work of the sort. Caution: may cause dependency when used frequently. You should notify your doctor if you start to experience hallucinations of powerdew during your day, or start having visions of powerdew while attempting to fall asleep. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya ;)

Homemade shakes/smoothies/drinks: Why do I like them? Oh, let me count the ways.

  1. They cost a fraction of what a pre-made store-bought drink would cost
  2. I am in control of the ingredients – how much protein do I want? How many carbs?
  3. I can have a flavor that I actually LIKE, sans chocolate! Muahaha. (Oh… ‘Nilla Mint Coffee shake you say? I can hook you up!)

While  I KNOW for a fact that a VitaMix would do a helluva lot better job, my Magic Bullet is doing ok for now. However, my roomie did say to me the other day, “Is the motor on that thing dying? Or are you just blending more ice?” No, no more ice. The MB has seen better days for sure. I just hope it gives me a two weeks notice before it craps out on me!

Alright kids.. a post wouldn’t be a post without a question, and I said I wanted to get a conversation going here, right? So here are my questions for you:

  • What is your favorite way to hydrate during a race? Do you have an “old standby” product that you use every time?
  • What is a “rule” that you always here about hydration (like the 8×8 rule for example)? Do you follow that?

That’s all I got for ya’ tonight – I have mucho school work that needs to be worked. I just got back from a very nice run (although slightly slick out there) with my guys, and I’m going to take my own advice, rehydrate, refuel, and get crackin! I have TWO product reviews coming up, and ahhh so much more – the “to post” list is seriously longer than I can handle right now! One thing at a time ;) Wishing everyone strong legs, no injuries, and happy days.

-E

Sources:
Dartmouth Medical School Journal
USATF Hydration Guidelines
Hammer Hydration

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The Triathlon Rx | December 5, 2009
6 comments

MIA

Ten days?! It feels like it’s been a month since I posted! And for that mis amigos, I am very, very sorry. 50% of my excuse is school, which is legit, and the other 50% of my excuse is life, which is “legit-er”. I feel like HOLLY’s recent post was very timely.

I can’t give my full attention to everything and expect it to be my best, which is truly what I expect of myself. So, as much as I love reading all your blogs and attempting to write humorous comments to brighten your day, I just can’t keep up.  Life is meant to be lived…like in the outside world, not just in the blog world of healthy living. -Mama Holly

Anywho, I’m here now, and I’m ready to catch up with you all! First things first:

FRIDAY CONFESSIONAL

If you are unfamiliar with my practice of Friday Confessional (which occasionally happens on a Sunday… or Tuesday.. you know how I do ;) ), it’s just something I do to get out all the little things that have accumulated over the week. “Things” may come in a variety of forms or flavors – admitting to the meanass thoughts you had about that chick “running” at school, admitting to eating an entire 8 serving bag of popcorn in one day, whatever. Ish happens. Here we go:

  1. I just finally dragged my butt back to the pool today after a 9-day hiatus. It. Was. Rough.
  2. I completely ignored the pain I was feeling in my foot and ran on it anyways on Wednesday. I’m 97% sure it’s a tendon strain from wearing a pair of Uggs that are 3 sizes too large. P.s. Does anyone want to buy a pair of tall chocolate Uggs?
  3. I am finally being real with myself and admitting to how astronomically high my grocery bill really is. One person. $400+ dollars / month. Definitely could use some help with that!

Hah hopefully my mom is in one of her “forgetting to check the blog” phases, because if she sees how much I’m spending on groceries, she’d flip! Here’s the thing though – I save more money through sales and coupons than almost anyone I know. I don’t buy prepackaged meals (with the exception of my beloved eggrolls.. but that’s a different story) or fancy brand stuff… I don’t shop at Whole Foods or the traditionally “more expensive” stores, I don’t let anything go bad in my fridge. What’s the deal? If any of you have had to put yourself on a grocery budget, and did so successfully, please clue me in!

RUNNING NEWS:

My slow return to running seems to be going well. I say “seems” because without any pain receptors* in my femoral neck area.. it’s sort of hard to tell. (*Please note that that is an extreme exaggeration. I know I have pain receptors to some extent – they’re just kinda fried.) I was feeling a “sensation”, which seems to be the word of choice, about a week or so ago. I talked to my PT and explained what I was feeling, and when I was feeling it, and she didn’t seem overly concerned. She asked me to keep note of when/where the “sensation” was happening to make sure there wasn’t a pattern of always-when-running or always-during-impact-activities. That would be a bad sign. Luckily, that’s not the case right now. And since I talked to the PT and got that off my chest, it seems like those “sensations” have all but disappeared. So much of this game is mental. (If you’re new to the blog and don’t have a clue about my hip, THIS is the last post when I got cleared to start running again, and you can definitely click on “surgery” “recovery” or “doctors” in the tag cloud, or enter “fibrous dysplasia” in the search box.)

I’m at 6 miles right now.. and I think I’ll just hold it there for a while. My doctor gave me clearance to return to 10ish when I feel ready, but at this point, I guess I’d rather be slightly over-cautions than do anything dumb. I had plans of doing the Securian Frozen Half, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

I AM doing my first “organized” run since the fracture though.. TOMORROW! I’ll be trottin along for the Reindeer Run 5K at Lake Harriet. It is very critical that we note here – this is a “fun run”.. no racing involved. Haha even though I just tagged this post with “race”. Really though, they’re not even keeping times, there’s a costume contest, a stroller walk, there is no race involved. And if you know me.. you know I really just wanted the shirt anyways.

SCHOOL:

Because I do a lil of that too. :) Holy 15 days man… how did that happen? That’s all I have left before I am FREE for a month+ winter break! It definitely crept up on me, which can partially explain my lack of posting this last week. There was definitely a day when I skipped going to a party to sit on my butt for 6 straight hours and just pour out on this paper. Skipping a party.. for a PAPER.. that I found out on Monday with said paper in hand wasn’t even due until Wednesday. Ayyyy. Anyways, I have loved my classes this semester, but I’m really looking forward to the classes I’m taking next semester too! Here’s what Spring 09 looks like for a particular redheaded kinesiology premed major:

  • Physics w/ Lab – 4 credits
  • Statistics – 4 credits
  • Directed Study/Research – 4 credits
  • Measurement & Evaluation in Kinesiology – 3 credits
  • Sport in a Diverse Society – 3 credits
  • Medical Terminology – 2 credits

TOTAL: 20 credits.

Yikes!! I may or may not be dropping one of those classes… it’s just that anything over 15 is free here at the U of MN, and if you can handle the stress, it’s definitely worth it financially to take extra credits.

[EEDDIITT: Location / day change. Now @ home, post Reindeer Run.. I guess "life happened!"]

Umm aright, this is very representative of how my blogging has been lately. I’ll have a post all ready and set to go, say I’m going to get it up when I get home, and then…? Ohh life. To be fair, I had a lot of fun last night AND managed to get a lot done!

The Reindeer Run was FUN.. but woa dang – super cold! And I did everything with NO coffee this morning. AND a smile on my face. First time for everything! Although I think my life would have been a little brighter with some of this:

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I need to wrap this here, complete or not, because my mamacita and I are headed to Farmer’s Market to go get a christmas tree! While the big decorating will be goin’ on at mom’s house… I was given a little som’n myself to bring in some christmas cheer:

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The Triathlon Rx | November 22, 2009
11 comments

Train on top – Volume 1: SWIMMING

Fiiiinally, right? Here we go:

MY BEGINNING:

First, I think it’s good to tell you a little bit about my swimming history. That way if you’re just flapping around in the pool and swallow too much chlorine if anything goes wrong, hey – it’s not my fault. ;) I can’t even remember how old I was when I first got in the pool, but I know by age 4 I was taking lessons at the YWCA, so I assume my parents tossed me in some time before that. I LOVED swimming. My favorite day in lessons was the day the instructor brought out the canoe, and we would to a “practice tip” (because all of us 5 year olds so often find is in an unstable canoe, and therefore should be prepared). Once we were tipped out of the boat, we would all swim underneath the upside down canoe and stick our heads up in the air pocket it made.. haha my sister has the recollection of this being the most scary part of lessons.. but I was definitely loving every minute. It’s like parachute day in gym class… c’mon – you know you loved that too. :)

looked a little somethin like this...

looked a little somethin' like this...

Anyways, I kept up my swimming throughout my childhood. I swam for the Uptown Otters YWCA swim team from 5th grade through 8th, and then swam for my high school my freshman year. 9th grade is when I hit all the problems with my coach and competition and whatnot,  but that’s either a story you’ve already heard, or one for a different time.

MOVING ON.. I didn’t swim a ton from 10th grade through my freshman year in college. In fact, maybe “not a ton” is even overstating it. I swam at the beach Lake Calhoun and Harriet. I swam from the boat to the tube up at the cabin. And… nope. That’s it. Running was definitely my priority, and high school + my freshman year I was really not cross training aside from my trusty Arc Trainer. Then came my sophomore year – I found out I had a fractured hip, which = no running. The coach obviously had experience with injured girls, because that is when I was introduced to POOL RUNNING. <- (Click for a blast from the past regarding everything and anything THAT from 2008). I pool ran pre-surgery, post-surgery, and honestly it would probably be a good idea to keep it up now, but now that I can swim again…

Yep – “real” swimming. As in laps. And lots of them. Pool running was great, but let’s be honest here – it’s about as fun as watching your ice fishing hole freeze shut. Swimming (IMO) isn’t a whole lot better, but the more skilled you become at it, the more you’ll find you can zone out and still work hard. Sounds kinda like going on a nice long run, right? Hahah, no? Ok.. but it’s good for you.

After I had surgery, I knew I was kissing track goodbye for the spring. So… I joined the club swim team at Northeastern. If you can’t beat em, join em. At first I was nervous about going to practice since it had been SO long since I had actually even attempted “real swimming”, but I just sucked it up, hopped in LANE ONE (aka the sloww lane) and gave it my best. I was so surprised at how fast everything came back to me.. even flip turns! It helped that my roommate of the time was on the varsity swim team, so she was always there to give me good workouts and advice when I needed it. I remember the first time I swam 2,000 yards again and I thought it was such a huge accomplishment. Now, my practices are no less than 4,000 yards! That is one of the reasons I love individual sports.. and it’s so type A of me, but I’m OK with that: the rate at which you improve, your success, your goals, it’s all ON YOU. No one else is responsible for your triumphs, your let downs, or the effort you put in, besides YOU. If you put your mind to do something, and find yourself having fears or reservations, make sure you ask yourself – what’s really stopping you?

The #1 reason I hear from runners about why they don’t want to swim?

IT’S TOO EFFING COLD!!

Haha.. that my friends, is something you might not get over. Honestly… pretty much every single M/W/F on the bus on the way to practice, my train of thought looks something like this….

The water’s gonna be cold today. I realllly don’t like being cold. Or being wet. Or being cold and wet. Ohhh and they lowered the temp for this weekends meet. And I’m cold already!! Why am I swimming again?

And then I get to the pool and am standing at my lane.. just looking at the seconds on the clock go by but not making any move closer to getting in. It could take forever. Somewhere along the lines I realized how dumb this was because its not like I was going to go home without swimming.. I was already in my suit, goggles and cap on, ready to go. I implemented a 5-second-rule, meaning that I would finally look at the clock and say you have no other option but to be in that water and kicking in 5 second. I can’t say that really made it easier.. but it for sure helps if you dive in.

THE BASICS:

To have a successful swim or pool running workout, here is what you need to get started:

  • A swim suit
  • goggles (if swimswimming)
  • a pool belt (if pool running)

That’s it! Of course there are other things you can use once you get yourself comfortable in the pool, but if you’re a newb to the water.. you don’t really need to get fancy. I think it’s important to have a good swim suit, and especially if you’re planning on making swimming a routine part of your training. Look at how many swimsuits I’ve gone through just since December:

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Minus the [once] blue/orange/white one on the left.. that is my freshman-year-high-school competition suit. Hahha it’s definitely reserved just for drag purposes now, since it’s basically see through. As you can see (or maybe not.. not a huge picture) I’ve worn Nike, TYR, and Speedo. I have found I go between TYR and Speedo suits, and they are usually pretty durable. I like wearing Nike for running, but that 2 piece trainer you see there… I think I wore through that in about 6 weeks – no joke. You’ll decide for yourself based on comfort/feel/how cool it looks. I definitely picked based on LOOKS on my last purchase – it was an early birthday present for myself.. haha it matches my swim  cap, and it makes me feel fast:

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hangin on my locker like the cool kids do ;)

Down the line, here are some things you may find useful to have with you:

  • A pull buoy
  • A kick board
  • Flippys
  • a PLAN!
  • h2o, and not the large amount that is in the pool. Preferably not chlorinated. ;)

I stress having a plan because howww long did I just go to the pool and swim for time… and howww bored was I?! I would look at the clock pretty much every lap just wanting the hour to be over (even though I was swimming every lap at basically the same speed…). Having a workout lets you change it up and definitely helps the time pass more quickly. That goes the same while pool running. Here are my essentials:

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So.. my #1 piece of advice if you are just a begging swimmer is – YOU ARE A BEGINNING SWIMMER! And that is great because you have to start SOMEWHERE, and you’re taking the first step! Don’t set your expectations too high in terms of distance or time. Don’t expect it to be super easy. Just give it your best!

And my #2 piece of advice to ALL swimmers is – you’re not going to heat up the water by glaring at it. Just get in already!

If you are REALLY REALLY a beginner – ie never swam a day in my life kind of beginner – I’d recommend checking out Beginner Triathlete’s website, maybe taking lessons to get yourself familiar with different strokes and proper breathing. I would imagine it wouldn’t be to pleasant to have to doggy paddle out to the buoy and back.

WORKOUTS:

If you’re training for a TRI, know that sprints are anywhere from 1/4 mile to 1/2 a mile (yeah… I like the continuity there guys..) so you will want to know that you can at least swim that far (in OPEN WATER much less!!) before race day. If you are swimming in a standard pool.. the [U.S.] length is 25 yards. However, if you’re a dork like me you might not realize your pool is in meters, and then you’ll get super happy when you realize you’re swimming just that much farther. :) There are obviously lots of great tips and workouts out there online, but I will just give you a) my favorite, b) my standby (when I feel like I don’t have any creativity or motivation in me whatsoever. It happens.) and c) what I started out with. I will also leave you with my old favorite pool running workout in case that’s what you’re looking for!!

MY FAVORITE: “THE JENN”

WARMUP
200 swim / 200 kick / 200 pull
8×50 descending by 25s
300 kick (flutter/dolphin by 25s)

SET 1 (2x through)
4×100 free descending 1-4
2×100 IM
2×50  free descending 1-2

SET 2 (4x through)
75 BD / 50 BU / 25 EZ
(BD = build down, BU = build up, EZ = easy! The 75/50/25 is meant to be continuous – don’t stop until you’ve completed that whole set, and then repeat 3 more times!)

SET 3
16×25 IM
(For those who don’t know… IM = fly/back/breast/free)

WARM DOWN
100 swim / 100 kick / 100 swim

TOTAL: 4,000 yards

THE ZERO CREATIVITY WORKOUT: “THE STANDBY”

WARMUP
1000 SKIPS

SET 1
5×200
(200 free / 200 IM / 200 kick / 200 free / 200 IM)

SET 2
10×100
(100 free / 100 IM / 100 kick / 100 free / 100 IM / 100 free / 100 IM / 100 kick / 100  free / 100 IM)

WARM DOWN
1000 SKIPS

THE OLD OLD STANDBY: “GENISIS”

4 x 1000 SKIPS

S = 200 swim
K = 200 kick
I = 200 IM
P = 200 pull
S = 200 swim

(and then you do it all again. And again. And again. BORING! But it is sometimes good when I need to work hard but not really focus… like when I’m trying to write my research paper in my head before class.)

ALL TIME FAVORITE POOL WORKOUT EVER: THE LADDER

This is based on time, and T = 60 minutes. Listo? Lets go:

1-15: 15 min. warm up – steady state – enough to feel like you’re working, but not gasping for air. you can think of it as a “conversational pace”
15-16: 1 min. hard. some say “5K” pace.. but lets face it. You’re likely doing this because your injured. You’re not running. Just do work!
16-17: 1 min. steady state
17-19: 2 min. hard
19-20: 1 min. steady state
20-23: 3 min. hard
23-24: 1 min. steady state
24-28: 4 min. hard
28-29: 1 min. steady state
29-34: 5 min. hard
34-35: 1 min. steady state
35-39: 4 min. hard
39-40: 1 min. steady state
40-43: 3 min hard
43-44: 1 min. steady state
44-46: 2 min. hard
46-47: 1 min. steady state
47-48: 1 min hard – last one.. really make it count!
48 – 60: 12 min. cool down

That looks like a helluva lot of numbers now that I write that.. but it’s really simple. Maybe better written like this:

15 min. warm up
1 min. hard / 1 min. easy
2 min. hard / 1 min. easy
3 min. hard / 1 min. easy
4 min. hard / 1 min. easy
5 min. hard /  1 min. easy
4 min. hard / 1 min. easy
3 min. hard / 1 min. easy
2 min. hard / 1 min. easy
1 min. hard / 1 min. easy
12 min. cool down

Advice on pool running – the more you do it, the easier it is to actually get a WORKOUT from it. At first you will feel awkward and  you will always be wondering “am I doing this right?” but you can get to the point where you’re actually working up a sweat. And yes.. the water will still be cold when you get in, but you’ll be thankful when you’re going all out for 5 minutes!

I hope this was a good intro post to swimming as either cross training (for my solely-runners) or just training (for my triathletes)! If you have any other questions.. please let me know! I also have a good bloggy friend who was/is a very accomplished swimmer herself, and I think she might be down for giving some pointers too! Please note, this post, and all future “VOLUMES” will be accessible through the Train On Top page to make them easier to find! I also threw in the link to the post on pool running!

Have a happy SUNDAY! Im off to get hot n sweaty my boys – the Vikes, and my love – the xRunner, from my spot at the gym. I have been doing some REAL running lately too! Haha my blinding white legs are proof that I had to miss the last final weeks of sunshiney running:

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I can’t complain though – running is running! And at this time of year especially, I am THANKFUL! Hasta luego mis amigos!
-E

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The Triathlon Rx | November 10, 2009
5 comments

CLEARED!!

Wow – yesterday morning I did not think that the title of this post would be anything ending with an exclamation. I probably slept all of four hours Sunday night. All of Monday until 3:00 was sad faced, super unoptimistic, mind going 20 miles a minute. Why, you ask? Why the stress? Why the turmoil? And why until 3:00?

The doctor’s appointment of doooom.

At least that’s what I was making it out to be! I was SO thankful to have my mom accompanying me for this visit. In my opinion, it’s ALWAYS helpful to have an extra set of ears at a doctor’s appointment. How many times have you left the doctor’s office and thought “oh crap – I forgot to ask about _____!” Or “Damn.. I wish I would have thought to ask about ______.” I’m sure you’ve been there. My madre came prepared with a list of her own questions, but she was great in letting me be the one in charge. As many of you know, I’ve been pretty much in charge of my own injuries/treatment plan since I was like 16. Of course when it came to surgery, that was a joint decision made by the whole team – my doctors, surgeons, myself, and my family. The doctor reiterated though how important it is to be in control of your own health, and more importantly,  to be educated about it.

BACK ON TRACK – I had for sure thought that I wasn’t going to be cleared to run, because there had been no x-rays scheduled.. no MRIs, no bone scans, no CT scans.. none of the tests I had to go through six weeks ago to prove I even had the fracture in the first place. Without doing the tests again, there’d be no way to know if the fracture healed. When I saw the doctor yesterday (and I should add this is a NEW DOCTOR to my treatment team: a guy who specializes in solely femoral neck fractures) he said no tests! No more xrays, no more injections, no more radiation for my poor little ovaries! If any of you have been reading long enough to remember.. I was definitely worried about this before, since having kids is something I definitely want (or at least to have the option to do so) in the future! Think of the mini-speedy-Sperlies running around :) Awwww

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(E y la madre, after regions sophomore year) (p.s. be prepared for plenty of throwback photos!)

Ahem.. returning to the appointment, once again. Sorry. So, no more tests. He pulled and bended me and asked me about my “pain”.. which if I haven’t mentioned it before (or you don’t remember) there really isn’t any. That’s not a good indicator of anything though, as there wasn’t any pain when my femoral neck was fractured two thirds of the way through either. But there is a noticeable change in the “sensations” I have in that left groin area now compared to six weeks ago: I’m not limping. I don’t feel like the muscle is trying to resist forward movement. I can stand and balance on my left leg. I can single leg squat on my left leg equally as well as I can on my right. I can run down stairs, I can run up stairs, it feels basically equal to my right hip. All good things!! Based on my symptoms (or lack there of), my new-favorite-femoral-neck-fanatic gave me the GO AHEAD to resume running!!

And as of yesterday night, I am 3 miles closer to having my life back. Aaaaamen.

Erika 9_2

In terms of a plan on how to return, as in how much, how often, how fast, how hard (TWSS. Jeeez…), he was more lenient than I expected for sure. And maybe “lenient” isn’t the right word – it’s not like I had to beg him to let me do X amount. But he was real with me and his allotments for my mileage were very much to my liking. I’m trying to avoid specific numbers here because I don’t need anyone trying to copy a recovery/rehab plan that isn’t made for them. Even given what he’s “allowing” me to do, I cut that down. My physical therapist thinks this is a good idea. If any of you want to know more about the rehab or specifics, just message me and we can talk. :)

Erika-MillerRelays@LkNokomis CC'07 - 2_2

(throw back to high school XC days – I was so carefree then!)

I’m sure that many of you who have come back from a rather lengthy/serous injury before know this feeling: as happy as you are to be able to run again, and as great as it feels, it doesn’t stop you from being paranoid with every step you take. Am I right? I just feel like I am so thankful to have this back in my life, but at the same time its something so precious and delicate. If you needed to get your one year old downstairs to your hubby, you wouldn’t just throw your her over the stair railing to get her there faster. That’s how I feel about my running. (Haha.. they didn’t call me “Extreme Erika” for nothing!) Take it slow, be conscious, be careful. All good. It is my every intention to still race, but for now, I need to put that aside and just focus on being strong and healthy!

Erika at 6AA Regions GaleWoods CC'07 - 1

(regions – sophomore year? can you find me?! ;) )

Once again, I feel like I need to thank all of you SO much! Your support, advice, your own stories, and your inspiration have been so helpful in keeping me positive throughout this whole ordeal – this time around, the first time around, and always! And also to those of you who comment on facebook every time that status changes.. to know that other people are rooting for you and keeping you in your prayers doe so much in staying positive. THANK YOU!

OK – so where the jell is this giveaway she keeps talking about, right? Set your timers my friends: tomorrow we’re gonna get it poppin‘. :D And I’m not just talkin a bag or two – the chips are stacked high here! Puns fully intended.. get pumped popped!

I will of course continue to update on the situation with running, as well as the biking, swimming, XT, and PT, because none of those are stopping now that I can run again. As a matter of fact, I need to get changed right now to bike to physical therapy! Hope you all have a lovvely day!

-E

p.s. How many times can I say it.. I LOVE writing/working while I’m on the bus! Definitely couldn’t be blogging while driving. p.p.s. look what’s coming to Minneapolis: I. Want. To. Go.

mime-attachment_6

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The Triathlon Rx | October 30, 2009
9 comments

YOUR fall favorites… & stimulatin' like a BOSS

Hello hello again from the bus! Haha I like this blogging-whilst-commuting thing. Makes the trip go so much faster! Sorry though – this post probably wont be posted until I get home tonight!

Photo 25

Well, a winner has been chosen, and tomorrow a box full of goodies will be embarking on its journey to Pennsylvania! Hope you enjoy it Susan!!

If I had been picking winners based on how good their photos looked… man that would have been hard! I didn’t get as many entries as I had hoped – only 8 people submitted photos, but a lot of you hopped on the multiple entry thing and many of you did all four options to enter! I really appreciate it guys!! It’s not like I get sent stuff from companies to give away, so I can’t promise that I will do many of these, but my first giveaway was definitely fun!

Here are some of the good lookin yummies you lovely ladies sent me (wait.. I didn’t have any male entrants did I? I don’t think so…)

apple crisp

cider

creamy-hot-chocolate_413

Kodak 09 014

P1000004

Martha Pumpkin Stew (14)

P1000011

P1010363

Picture 007

Looks like yall are lovin the fall flavors as much as I am!

CHANGING SUBJECTS…

As I mentioned yesterday – the bone growth stimulator was delivered! Apparently they’re a lot more commonly used than I thought! I asked the rep who brought it out to my house and set me up how many of these she did a month – she said she does at least one every day! Based on the reactions I’ve gotten when I told people I was using a bone growth stimulator… I would think that they’re like a rarity. Apparently not! Here is my gift from the orthopedic Santa:

P1000017

P1000018

And here is my trying to demonstrate how the BGS will work from a very awkward angle:

P1000019

Hahah fail! My roomie offered to take a photo of me and my new BFF later in the evening. Clearly the novelty hadn’t worn off yet:

P1000022

Excuse the hot mess of hair.. I just got home from spin.. put on the PJs.. and hunkered down with Grey’s! (Close to definition of a perfect night.) I am supposed to use the stim for 30 minutes one time every day. And no trying to cheat or extra stimulate them bones either – it will ONLY work once a day. Clever thinking Mr. Manufacturer! I am excited that this finally came through, and although its pretty much a crap-shoot (that is the phrase.. right?) if it’ll actually WORK or not, I’m game to try.

Haha I just realized almost no one will be making this whole BOSS connection. Toooo much to explain for now. Sorry!

[Location change! Now home with my stim chillin on the hip and a bag of popcorn]

WELL I think I can wrap this post here. It went from a 57° partly sunny morning to a coldddd 36° rainy night. Unfortunately, I dressed for school during that 58° temp, so when I finished practice in the pool and went to catch the bus with wet hair, a long sleeve shirt, and a light running jacket, I turned into this:

Only I can guarantee you this little toots had on way more layers than I did, and I didn’t look nearly as cute with my “cold face” on. Anyways, sob story over – I’m warm now. Enough complaining!

Man I hope this bone growth stimulator is working. When I sit for half an hour at any other time, it seems like no biggie. But when I’m doing it off my own schedule, it feels like a chore! Hhaha more complaining. I think I should go now.

-E

p.s. you guys should help me come up with a nickname for this bad boy. Bone Growth Stimulator is a mouthful! And “the Stim” just sounds dirty… help!

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The Triathlon Rx | October 29, 2009
5 comments

Giveaway Winner!!

NO I didn’t forget… but any and all hopes of posting this week have been thrown out the window for the sake of my education. Tests, midterms, papers, the whole shebang. Hey, at least it’s a good excuse, right?!

Without further ado… the winner of Sperly’s First Giveaway selected by Random.org is…..

Martha Pumpkin Stew (14)

Susan from SusanRuns!!! I know this Pennsylvania lady will enjoy it, and hopefully if her small-town town outside of Philly doesn’t have stores that carry the coupon items, she’ll get a chance to load up next time she’s in Philly! Susan – please email me your address and I’ll get that off to you ASAP!

Today is a rainy drizzly day here in the Mini-Apple. Definitely not my cup o’ tea, but luckily I have a killer spin class at 6:00 and Grey’s at 8:00 to cure me of my rainy-day blues.

ANNNNND… regarding the bone growth stimulator, I got approved! Approved by my insurance AND approved for financial assistance due to my basically-no-income student status. I guess being broke is OK in some respects! The lady from the medical device company is coming to my house TODAY to get me all set up. Actually, she’ll be there in about an hour, and that would mean I should be there in an hour too! Bus comes in 15 minutes, so with that, I will say adios mis amigos! I will try n get back in here tonight with the rest of the crazy-good looking fall foodie photos that were submitted!

Until we meet again my friends!

-Erika

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The Triathlon Rx | October 21, 2009
9 comments

Where's Madame Pomfrey? The Bone Growth Stimulator…

Mini update – My sports med. doctor put  in an order for a BONE GROWTH STIMULATOR for me.. so I am going to start using that as soon as (knock on wood) my insurance approves it and they get it out to my house!

I have never used one before, but a girl from the XC team last year used one on her foot for a metatarsal fracture. Here’s what it would look like if you broke your radius or something…

Only somehow it will fit differently to sit on my left groin basically and send its magical wishes to my femoral neck. IMO, you can never be sure if it’s the stim that is actually working, or if it’s just the fact that you are taking time off of _____ (running, skating, etc.) that actually heals it. I will try just about anything though at this point! (Nerd alert: as if you couldn’t tell from my title..) It feels like this is straight outta Harry Potter here!

Wish me luck my friends! In the mean time.. get your rear in gear and go enter my GIVEAWAY. Only four days left!

Love,
-E

A little link love for other giveaways while I’m at it…

Tri to Cook.. how does people get this stuff?

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The Triathlon Rx | August 15, 2009
6 comments

Twin Cities Marathon Countdown!

 

Hard to believe, but Twin Cities Marathon is only 7 weeks away! And just now as I wrote that.. I said WTH. 7 weeks is a lonnng time. Honestly though, I know it’s going to fly. My schedule for the next month is crazy busy. I’m traveling the next three weekends, and then school starts up right after that! 

 

What really prompted this post was this morning’s run – I did the first 20 miler of this training period. If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ll fill you in pretty quickly: in December I had 3 pins put in my hip, and then in April I got hit by a car while running. SO… after PT and rehab I’ve pretty much had to start from scratch with my running. I went from being a 3:19 marathoner to a maybe-I-should-only-do-3 runner pretty quickly.

 

 

the pins of doom

the pins of doom

 

 

 

With caution and guidance from my medical team, I built back up. Slow as the process was, it was doable. My surgeons told me I could run again. That I can. What they didn’t make any promises about was racing, and that brings me to where I am right now. 

 

Initially, I had some pretty high hopes from TCM. Ultimately I want to run a sub 3 some day, but for Twin Cities I was thinking I’d shoot for more like a 3:15 or 3:10. Then surgery happened and a car happened and I found myself needing to reevaluate. Right now, I would be stoked to pull a 3:19 again. For today’s 20 miler I held an 8 minute pace (which would be like a 3:30 marathon) but if I’m honest with myself, I don’t know if I could have gone a whole lot faster. Not to mention, I would have still had a 10K to do to finish. 

 

My “plan” thus far for October 4th is to line up with the 3:20 pace group. If I feel better than that at the half, I’ll take off. If I feel like I need to pull back, I’ll pull back. The human body is an amazing thing even without running 26.2 miles, so the fact that it will even still let me do that with three pins in my hip is truly a blessing. I will let my body dictate the rest. 

 

So I guess my point of this whole thing is that it’s OK to change your goals. It’s OK to reassess plan. For anyone who is more towards the type-A side of the spectrum (coughMEcough) this can sometimes be a difficult notion to accept. It’s either black or white, right or wrong. I like to know the schedule ahead of time, and I want to stick to that schedule damnit, so don’t go changing the game plan! ;) Hahha honestly though… it does get better. Sometimes I need to force myself to be flexible, and this is one of those times. Ya feel me?

 

So I leave you here my friends. Gotta work dinner tonight, but just a short shift. I’m going to try and get a nap here before that. :) For any readers that are still around.. I know a lot of you are runners – what do you have on your race calendar? I’ll try and post mine soon – I have a lot coming up! Trying to fit in whatever I can before my birthday.. ie before I move up into the next age group!

 

-E

 

P.S. My dad visited! And I’m going out to see him two weekends from now. Here’s an update on our tat’s :D

DSCN3973_2

 

*ETA* Run To The Finish is probably the greatest. I hope I can do something like this on MY birthday!!

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The Triathlon Rx | March 10, 2009
4 comments

i. owe. you.

Big time…

Where did this last week go? Wasn’t it just like two days ago that I was saying “I’ll be posting on Friday.. from HOME!” ??

Mmm.. apparently, that was like 2 weeks ago. AND, I didn’t bring my camera home with me from Boston! I was so pissed because I did so many fun things.. and I would have been snapping pictures all day otherwise! Well, here’s what I can give you: a running update, a review/recommendation, and a video! Haha now that I have it all figured out!

she runs…

Not quite like she used to… (wait a minute.. was that 3rd person?! IIICK.) not quite like she not quite like I used to… yet. While I was home I got in a LOT of good QT runs with my mom! It was perfect because I could let myself go slow, and she didn’t have to keep saying, “Erika, you wanna wait for me?” (hehehe.. OK, only a couple times.) It was also a good time to bump my distance a little (key word: a little. I’m following the 10% rule) because I was going slower than usual. It’s not like I came up with this… but a good tip to all new runners is don’t increase your distance and your speed/intensity at the same time. Work on one, get comfortable, and then work on the other. 

Here was my February:

februn1

and here’s my March so far:

marrun1

I’m up to 6.3 miles right now, and will most likely go to 7 this weekend if everything is till feeling good! It’s nice to be able to actually run on the river now, not just to the river and back home!

she i reads…

If you haven’t read the book The Last Lecture yet, you better hop on it. It. Is. Fantastic. No matter what you are dealing with in life, you will find motivation in that book to keep your chin up and keep trucking. My example: just last Sunday night, I was coming towards the end of my run, and all of the sudden I realized, hey, no one has passed me! That quickly turned into, hey, maybe I’m not running so slow! and all these great thoughts. I was feeling good. And then about 30 seconds later, I see these reflective Adidas stripes comin up behind me, and before I know it this guy passes me up. My good quickly turned to %$@!^@&($ and suddenly my maybe 7:40s turned to a definitely 10:00s and I was never going to race again, let alone be “fast”. About a minute into my downward spiral, I remembered a quote from the book (which is actually a quote from Henry Ford, who said it a little differently)…

Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.

That’s all it took to shake those BS thoughts out of my head. It’s true – if I tell myself I can’t do something, then I won’t. Or worse, I won’t even try. Maybe this 30something guy was running faster than me on Sunday, and that’s OK. I know I’m not the fastest kid out there, and clearly not right after surgery. There’s time. But know who I passed once I turned off the Charles and headed down Mass. Ave? Mr. AdidaStripes. Walking home. :D

and I YouTube…

But just a lil bit. I love dancing whenever I’m home!! Going out is good.. but I like taking classes too. I haven’t really found that kinda thing here in Boston, but that’s OK because I don’t have time for it anyway!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32cOihfopQY]

Here’s a little of what I have planned for this (umm.. I can’t promise “week”. I hope!) whenever:

  • a new page!
  • a reviewwww!
  • this summer’s race calendar!

To anyone still out there – thanks for stickin’ around! It’s Caf time homies…

nom nom nom

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The Triathlon Rx | January 25, 2009
7 comments

my little hardware store..

Aright.. well due to multiple comments I received on that last post (two which were kind and respectful, several which were very NOT), I decided to delete it. Apparently people can’t take the MEDICAL pictures for what they are. Glad we’re all so mature.

So. Here is an altered version of those apparently promiscuous xrays I had up. This first one is from October 30th, before surgery. You might not be able to see the fracture.. but it’s there. If you look at the xray and go left of the greater trochanter, and coming about 2/3s of the way up from the bottom side. 

bone-scans_2

This is from January 16th, one month and one day after surgery. I had no idea the screws were this big! 

erika_surgery0002_2

This next one is from the same day. This position is called “The Frog” haha for obvious reasons.

erika_surgery0003_2

I donno about you.. maybe it grosses you out, but I think it’s pretty awesome. I am so thankful for all the amazing doctors I have been privileged to work with – Dr. Millis, Dr. Clohisy, and Dr. Troung – and then there are all the doctors I saw in the beginning who first diagnosed this problem – Dr. Corrado, Dr. Stein, and Dr. Gephart. I wonder how long I could have/would have kept running on it if Dr. Corrado hadn’t referred me to Dr. Stein. I remember his exact words and the tone of his voice – caring, but serious, “Hey kid, you know your limping? You’re gonna need to get that x-rayed before you can be cleared to run.” Thank you all times 1,000,000. 

I just sent these latest x-rays off to my surgeons at the U of MN this last week, so they should have them by now, and hopefully I can get in touch with them this Monday. I am also supposed to go in for a visit with my surgeon here in Boston for a follow-up. He went out of town last week, but he should be back this week, so hopefully I can get scheduled! My physical therapy also starts up this week – two times a week for now. I’m really excited because I know it will only make me stronger.

Pool workouts and cross training have been going well. My hip honestly feels really good. I told my dad the other day.. I seriously had forgotten what “normal” felt like. I am also really happy with the lifestyle changes that this surgery has brought about. I feel a lot more flexible these days – I feel a lot less concerned with things needing to be so black and white, or so scheduled. Take this: I had signed up for Campus Rec today at the gym.. I’ve taken a lot of the GF classes before, but not this one. Well, after we warmed up and were about 15 minutes in, the instructor said we were going to do suicides, and then go up to the track. Yo dog.. I haven’t been cleared to run yet. And even when I am cleared, it will be easy and short stuff, not suicides and sprints. Instead of thinking “shit.. this was my workout for the day. and I’m already 15 minutes in..” I showed the instructor the big ass scar on my hip, and said “I think I’m gonna have to bail for the rest of class. I haven’t been cleared to run yet..” She was fine with that obvi, and I decided to just call it a day. I have a fun spinning class tomorrow, and I can just make today a rest day. I did some core work, went home and took a shower, and headed to my roomies swim meet!

dscn1639

This is the diving well where I do all my pool running. :D

dscn1649

My roommate is the one in lane 6 on the far left. She is a killer swimmer.. she made the championship team as a freshman! She rocked it. <3

As far as general life stuff, I have plenty of stuff on my plate right now. We find out if we make it to round 2 of the RA apps at the end of the month, and if we get the position we’ll know by the end of February. I am also toying with the idea of being an orientation leader this summer.. which means being here, in BOSTON, this summer. I’d get to be home for a month between the end of the term and the time OL training starts.. so I donno. It pays pretty dang well, plus room and (partial) board, so it’s something to think about. Sorry about the big gap in posting, but I’ve been adjusting to life as a pre med student and all my sciences classes. I LOVE IT. Greater trochanter? Yep. I knew that one. Maxillary alveolus? Hahaha… still workin’ on it. 

Loves you,
-E 

OH OH OH! Vegetarian disciplinarian?! You left a comment on my last post. I would LOVE to answer any questions you have about Northeastern!! But the email left in your link isn’t working for me for some reason.. shoot me an email with all your questions and I’d be happy to answer! e.imhoff@homail.com

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