why am I NOT running?

you might have noticed a lack of running this week. 
last monday I saw my doctor about my IT Band and she felt like the next course of action would be a cortisone injection. that is not the course I want to take. from what i read a cortisone injection really doesn't fix the problem, it is just a quick fix but in the long run it wont make it go away. cortisone injections for IT Band are generally not very effective.  i have been seeing my PT once a week for 6 weeks now, and really haven't seen much improvement on my IT Band, however it can take up to 8 weeks before people start seeing improvement. 
although the IT Band Wrap is great and lets me run while i'm having issues, i do want to address this issue. i don't want this to get worse where i'm not able to run at all. 
so for right now i decided the best for my running would be no running. i took a week of running, which has not help with the pain... stairs are painful, walking is sometimes ok and sometimes not so ok.  
the next two days i will taken Naproxen (non-steroidal anti-inflamatory) twice a day to see if helps with the inflammation. i'm also icing the area with an ice cube as many times a day as I can. 
so the plan for this week is RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevate) i'm not sure if there will be any running. maybe i should just take another full week off and plan on doing a small run next saturday? 
i plan on bringing back the foam roller and lots of stretching, also back will be hip abductors strengthening exercises. 
i see my PT again in 2 weeks, hopefully i will see some sort of improvement. 
i didn't sign up for anymore races, i would like to do another 5k in october but i don't think the 5k on September 26th will happen, at least not right now. i can't even think about signing up for a Half marathon until i beat this IT Band. 
so that's what going on as far as running. 
this is just a little set back, i'm not going to let myself get discouraged. BUT i have to say it's hard when you see how well other new-to-running bloggers are doing with their running. 
i will get there i'm sure. if not this year then next, the important thing is that i am running.


on a side note... i re-connected with my very best childhood friend in germany. i am so so so happy about this, i can't even tell you. i actually found her on facebook, who knew that facebook actually did bring friends back together. i haven't seen her since i was 13 when my parents moved us across the world. it has been amazing to talk to her and guess what? SHE IS A RUNNER!! she took up running 4 years ago and ran a half marathon a couple of years ago. we are already planing on racing together, so it looks like i will be making a trip to my mother land for a race!! how wonderful is that. i'm very excited about the possibilities.


the kids are really looking forward to school tomorrow and i'm glad we fall back into a routine.  
hope you all are having a wonderful labour day weekend. 


happy running

This Run has been brought to you by IT Band Wrap

Thanks to Marlene and Emz for suggesting the IT Band Wrap!! !! 

What is a IT Band Wrap you ask? 

It is a wrap with a compression pad that goes around your leg and helps stabilize the IT Band and reduce rubbing on the femoral. It also absorbs stress, reducing the stress on outside of the knee. 

I picked the IT Band Wrap at the Running Room on Monday for $21.99 and after todays run I think this was money well spent. 

I was able to have an Amazing 30min Pain Free Run... not a hint of the IT Band at all, not even at the 30min mark. I kept waiting for the pain but it never came. 

I didn't want to push my luck, so after 30min I stopped running and finished my work out with a 10minute walk (still pain free). I'm VERY happy !! 

I'm not planing on stoping any of the things I have been doing so far to help with the IT Band ... but I do think this is a great addition to help me get over it while still being able to run. 

Thanks again for all your input and suggestions.

Happy Running 

IT Band you suck!!

My IT Band troubles continue ... and I'm getting really frustrated. Yesterday I got on the treadmill and was having a great run, 25minutes into the run I felt like I could go forever. I can't remember the last time I had such a great run... and then at the 30min mark I could feel the twitch starting. Within 3mins I was in PAIN, sharp Pain the kind you can't run with. 
I'm at wits end. 
Today will be my 5week with my Physical Therapist. 
I've used the Foam Roller everyday, for the past 5weeks. Yesterday after my run I actually felt NO PAIN while using it... well a lot less pain then usual. 
I've been stretching everyday. 
I've been strengthening my hip abductors (everyday) on my right leg where I have the IT Band problem
I've been strengthening my lower abs everyday.
I switched running shoes, which have been working out really well for me. 
I've been running on straight surfaces. 
I run every other day pushing it as far as I can go without pain.
I was really hoping that by now I would be doing much better, but I'm still only able to run for 30min pain free. 
My next 5k race is only 12 days away, I was really looking forward to improving my race time of 34:17min, but right now I don't think that's going to happen. 
I'm really lost... Do I focus on being able to finish the race running intervals of maybe 10/1 or do I try to run as much as I can and then once the IT Band pain is too much to handle I walk the rest? 


Do you have any suggestions for me?

Say Hello To My Little Blue Friend

Thursday I FINALLY saw my Dr about that nagging pain that has plagued me since the SportingLife 10k in May. Yes, Yes I know, I let this go on for WAY too long. 
Just as I suspected it is Iliotbial band syndrome. 
What does that mean as far as my running goes, well I see my Physiotherapist on Tuesday and we will go from there, until then no running. 
In the mean time I FINALLY picked up the Famous Foam Roller (35" long) for $39.99cdn at the Running Room, which according to my fellow Runners has been their best friend in dealing with Iliotbial band syndrome (ITBS).
According to what I've read up on it, it's like having your very own Massage Therapist at home, it is an effective and inexpensive gym accessory that I've should have picked up a long time ago. 
The idea is that you use your body weight to roll around on it, which will help you massage your muscles and fascia, this is also referred to as Self Myofascial Release Technique. 
My Foam Roller came with an instruction manual with some basic exercises, however I do have to say that my favourite tool now a days for exercise instructions has to be Youtube. 


This is how we roll; 
IT BAND 

Using both hands for balance, lie on side with roller beneath hip. Slowly roll out entire length of IT Band from hip to just above outside of knee. Do this for a couple of minutes and then repeat on the other side. If you find a spot that seems more tender hold for a couple of seconds until it releases and then move one. 

Calf

Place your hands on the floor and calfs on the roller, you can also place only one calf on the roller with your ankles crossed, this will give you a bit more pressure on the calf. Using your upper body, roll from your heel to the top of your calf. 

Hamstring

Place your hands on the floor and hamstring on the roller, just as with the calfs you can place on leg over the other to get a deeper massage. Using your upper body, roll from your hip to the back of your knee. 


I also used it on my back and shins, which felt really nice!! No I'm serious it did feel really good. 
It was quite painful on my IT Band and this morning my Hips felt a bit sore but I didn't feel the tightness in my calf and knee as I have in the past 2 months. 
I can absolutely see how this seems to be a favourite amongst runners and I'm sure it will be mine... as soon as I get over the pain. 


The plan is to spend some time at night doing these exercise along with a Hip Opening Yoga session, along with seeing my Physiotherapist. 
Hopefully I will be running in no time. 


Have you tried the Foam Roller yet? 
What do you think?


Happy Running 

Sporting Life 10km Race Recap

Rain, rain go away come back some other day ... Mother nature must have heard me and decided to hold off the rain until after the race. 

It was a prefect race day morning nice and cool, the temperature was 18C and NO rain in sight. 

For my 1st 10k Race I picked the Sporting Life 10k. It takes place in Toronto and runs down Canada's most famous street - Yonge Street with the finish line just outside of Fort York.

The race is mostly downhill with a small uphill at the 3k mark. It is considered one of the fastest Downhill 10k's and a great place to set PR. 

I spend most of my Saturday running around trying to find Coconut Water, apparently there is a shortage... some sort of problem with the supplier not being able to meet demand. DARN, I was really counting on that to keep me hydrated during the race. 

I also had to run out and buy a hat after so many of you suggested that this was a MUST have for a rainy run. 

HOW could I not have a hat?? 

You SEE I'm not a athlete or I should that say I was never and athlete and really never saw a need for a baseball/running hat. 

Funny story... my hubby actually gave me a baseball hat as a Birthday present YEARS ago and I was actually MAD at him as to why he would think I would ever wear one. I took that sucker back and got myself a nice Sun Hat. 

I also laid out my various running outfits, since I wasn't sure what the weather was going to be like I had: running tights, Long sleeve running shirt, running skirt, running tank top, windbreaker... You can see I was VERY confused by what to wear.

More confused was I by how to attach the timing chip, I was worried it was going to fall off during the race... but I finally figured it out and the chip never moved once during the race.

I'm excited that we get to keep the timing chip as a souvenir!! AND certainly this was much better then the ankle bracelet I had to wear at Harry's Spring Run-Off.

I started my morning bright and early ... 5:30am, and actually managed to get a good 7hrs sleep. 

I tried to keep Breakfast simple as with my last race since it worked out so well.

 

A bowl of Oatmeal with 1/2 Banana and a cup of Green Tea, and since I couldn't find Coconut water I took the easy road and had some Gatorade before the race. I don't think I will be doing that again, I'm not a Gatorade drinker and I just don't find it did anything for me.

I made sure that I had my Oatmeal before 6am, that way I would have plenty of time to digest and it would not affect my run. This works perfect for me.

Since the Family was not going to be able to join me at the race, due to Hubby's injury  they did the next best thing and watched the Race Online

How great is that!! The Kids absolutely loved it and didn't feel left out at all. 

I decided to go with my favorite Running outfit; 

what else but a running skirt. Seriously if you haven't run in a skirt yet you need to try it, I'm sure you will love it as much as I do.

Once at the Race site I could NOT believe the Sea of people as far as my eyes could see. It was just AMAZING to see all these runners lined up all the way down Yonge St.. They were expecting over 14,000 runners and it certainly felt like it.

All Race picture were taken with my Blackberry, hence it being blurry

I was in the Purple Corral which had an estimate time of 1:15hr for the 10k, I felt comfortable with this time. I positioned myself in the middle of running pack and anxiously awaited the sound of the horn. 

Our Corral was 'released' at 8:21am and off we went without a hitch. Most of the runners around me seemed to be running at my pace, which when I checked Dennis (aka Garmin) was WAY faster then I usually run. I felt good and didn't think that I need to adjust my pace at this point so I continued. 

The km's where just flying buy and next thing I knew I was at the half way mark and I was ONLY 28min into the race. 

I'm not quite sure what happened, but it seems that as soon as I hit the 5k I started to have a twitch on the outside of my knee and a pain that ran all the way down the side of my leg that was getting worse with every step I took. (Now I know that this is called IT Band Syndrome, on Sunday at the race I just knew that it was a nuisance and I wanted it GONE)  At that point I took a minute walking break to see if I could walk it off, but when that didn't help I stopped and stretched my leg and massaged the area, nothing seemed to help the situation. 

I was NOT going to let that get to me, so what if I wouldn't finish with my estimated time. What mattered was that I was there and that I was running. That I had the courage to take this on even when it seemed impossible. 

So the rest of the way I ran when I could and walked when running was too painful. 

I was so happy to see that finish line!!

I manged to run across it with my arms held up high, stopped Dennis and saw the time was 1:10:16!!

HURRAY ME!!

  Thank you to the nice Girl at the finish line that offered to take a picture of me with my Blackberry!! 

Look at my BIG Smile! Injured and still came in below my estimated time!! 

YOU bet I'm Happy and I will be back next year to beat that time and come in under the 1hr mark FOR SURE!!

Results:

Chip time: 1:10:16.1

Overall: 10225/11918
Females: 5339/6691
F35-39: 795/961

Everyone received a Tech short sleeved Shirt and Medal. Overall it was an Amazing experience and I can't wait to do it again next year and set a new PR for this race as well as receive a medal without any spelling mistakes

 I really didn't run DOWNTOEN

Although 10k seems like impossible distance to run, I am prove that NOTHING is impossible and everything is achievable with a bit of training. Just believe in yourself.
Even when I was hobbling down to the finish line I was thinking that I would be back next year and what possible race I could do next, could I even do a 1/2 marathon in September?
I certainly did catch the running bug and I like how it makes me feel like I can do anything. 


Thanks for all your emails, tweets and comments on the blog they have been overwhelming!!


Now an update on Hubby, he went into surgery on Monday due to his separated Shoulder. The Surgery took way too long due to him having some complications with his heart. 
He is now on blood pressure medication and we are going to see a Cardiologist sometime this week when he feels better from the surgery. We are hoping that this was just from the sever pain he was in during surgery which quite common.
I'm playing nurse (minus the outfit) for the next couple of days.
Can't wait to be back out running.