Coasting along...

I have 2 more weeks until I can ease back into running. In the mean time I have been enjoying the coastal beauty of southern California by road bike. This past weekend the earth was practically begging me to live outside for a couple of days. With clear blue skies and perfectly hot temperatures accompanied by cool refreshing winds, I practically did.


I am lucky enough to live just a pedal away from the ocean.  We just hop on highway 101 and are able to take a tour of San Diego’s finest beach towns. Angela and I were able to see places in north county we have yet to see in the 5 months we have lived here. We started at the edge of La Jolla and rode through picturesque Del Mar. We then took a tour of laid back Solana Beach filled with tan surfers and beach goers. The entire time we had a strong head wind making our bike ride a heck of a workout.  We ventured through Encinitas, the land of free spirits where I felt right at home.  We stopped at Swami’s café and enjoyed an acai bowl full of bananas, berries, bee pollen, granola and heavenly goodness. This was one of the highlights of my weekend – for sure.

The cars finally start to become fewer and farther between as you make your way into Carlsbad. We stopped and sat on the edge of a cliff and soaked in the beauty and enormity of the ocean. When you have spent your life living in the middle of the country and are suddenly on the very edge with an immense body of water between you and the next continent it can be exciting and liberating. I savor these moments of pleasure and satisfaction, and hope I never take the ocean for granted. The earth’s beauty and bounty will never cease to amaze me.

A stop at the Meditation Gardens in Encinitas

Finding Balance

This week my tiny San Diego apartment will serve as a bed and breakfast—well not quite, but I can pretend. I couldn’t be more excited for our guest and a half that will occupy the air mattress in our living room for the next 5 days. My partner’s sister and 9 month old niece are visiting from Chicago.

Having family or friends in town is something we look forward to and savor, especially when they live across the country. However, those of us that are a bit more ‘Type A’ can sometimes feel a bit crazed when our schedule gets stirred up. When do you squeeze in your runs and spin workouts without leaving your guests hanging? This is something I have not quite perfected and I often stress over. But how important is it really?

\

One of the (many) things I need to work on is the way I prioritize my life. My health is so important to me that sometimes it trumps time with loved ones, but clearly that is not healthy in itself. Balance is something I find hard to achieve. The things I value most are health, knowledge, adventure, diversity, faithfulness, peace, strength, and trust. The problem is that it can be hard to balance all of these.

I want to constantly be learning, so I try to read non-fiction and watch documentaries. I want to be healthy so I exercise and eat well. I want to be a good partner so I try to be present when I am with my significant other. I want peace within (and out) so I try to meditate and practice yoga. The problem is, there are only 24 hours in a day and I work full time like most of society. How do you know when to choose one activity over the other? If I value them all equally do I meditate or run? Do I spend time with my partner or read? It’s a sticky situation and the perfectionist mentality causes you to feel bad when you can’t do it ALL.

 

Running can teach us a thing or two about balance. You have to balance your long runs with your weekday shorter runs, your speed workouts with your recovery runs. You learn that you can’t run at your race pace every day, and shouldn’t do long runs back to back. You need to balance your runs with core work and strengthening exercises. Everything comes down to balance. To enjoy something and get the most out of it, you need to include its counterpart. It makes you stronger even if you don’t like it. Jeez, you think with my love of running I would have a great understanding on how to balance my life.

 

The next five days will be an experiment with balance. I will be pushed out of the comfort of my routine and be forced to live in the moment. This week my goal is to throw away my schedule and let the days flow whichever way they wish- and even harder, not to feel guilty about it!. It will be interesting to see if I feel more balanced, or less.

Silver Lining

If you're a runner you know how frustrating it is to take a forced hiatus from running.  Of course people that don't like to run look at us like we're crazy when we talk about how hard it is not to run.  It's the same look we get when we tell them that yes, we actually pay money to run in those races, and that they often sell out!  My own mom thinks its complete insanity.

This weekend the urge to run was almost unbearable.  The weather was sublime and we gained that extra hour of sunlight.  My Nikes were begging me to put them on and go blazing down the trails of Balboa Park.  Unfortunately, that was not even an option with this nuisance of a stress fracture I have- (which may be more severely fractured after my workouts last week).  Instead, I slipped on my brand new cycling shoes, clipped on my helmet and off I went into the sun for a solo cycling adventure.

I spent hours on the bike, by myself, with no agenda but to explore.  I rode along Mission Beach, Mission Bay and down through Mission Valley.  I took the path left, right, and at times left the path entirely to explore unfamiliar territory.  The heat of the sun felt like a warm blanket on my shoulders and the wind gusts coming off the ocean made for a heart-pumping workout at times.  As I rode along the palm tree lined streets of San Diego and its surrounding beach towns I felt gratitude.  I am lucky to have a bike, shoes and a helmet which allow me to go on these adventures.  I am blessed to have legs that still work and a heart that pumps every day.  These things may seem small, and we often forget them, but they are the silver lining to any obstacle you are faced with. 

We get injured, so what?  Is it really that devastating?  Well, the answer may be yes for some, but in the broad scheme of things they are just a test of our patience.  These are minor setbacks that force us to stop and appreciate the little things.  This weekend I definitely smelled the roses.

Put a Bounce in Your Step

Prior to living in San Diego I was working full-time at a physical therapy clinic in Chicago.  I was lucky enough to have access to physical therapists, massage therapists, an exercise physiologist and some incredible technology.  Below is an image of the G-Trainer (made by Alter-G) .  It is an anti-gravity treadmill and a great rehabilitation tool.  I was able to try it out at the Gold Coast AthletiCo location.

The way it works is that you wear a pair of super sexy spandex shorts that zipper around the waist and lock you into the pressurized bubble around the treadmill.   You then have the ability to choose what percentage of your body weight you would like to run with.  You can run at 30% or 80% depending on the injury or reason for using it.   It feels like you are running with buoyancy.  Some people use it for rehab after serious injuries and others use it simply to run with less impact and give their poor bodies a break!  Several professional sports teams have their own G-Trainer.  The reason for using this funny looking machine varies, but it is undoubtedly a great tool for runners of all levels. 

Obviously we don't all have access to this $70,000 piece of equipment, but they are becoming more available for rehabilitation patients.  If you're injured your insurance may cover the use of this machine with a prescription for physical therapy.  It's a great way to hit the ground running with ease after an injury.  Do your research and see if you can find one in your area.

Getting My (Injured) Feet Wet

I can distinctly remember being the lone child that had to plug their nose to go under the water while at the community pool.  While everyone else was doing the front crawl I was doggy-paddling my way around.  In high school I used every excuse in the book to avoid swimming in gym class.  Now, I sit here with a stress fracture in my 3rd metatarsal and it is time to face my fears. 

My aqua jogging belt arrived in the mail yesterday from Swim Outlet so I have no excuses.  I will have to strap that bad-boy around my waist and run for the first time in 8 days.   I realize 8 days is barely a week but it feels like an eternity already.   I see it as 1 week down and only 5 more to go before I can ease back into my runs. 

If you're a runner, chances are you have experienced some injury, whether it be ITB Syndrome, a sprained ankle, or shin splints.  It's practically a rite of passage.  Once we have these issues we usually tread more lightly and proceed with caution.  After awhile, we might start to forget the pain and how terrible it feels not to run so we push our limits once again.  This is what happened to me.  I am hoping this time around I will truly learn my lesson and not push my body quite as hard when I lace up my shoes next time to run. 

I am using this 6 weeks of recovery to:
     -Face my fears and SWIM!
     -Improve my core strength and upper body strength
     -Increase my flexibility with gentle/restorative yoga
     -Become a stronger cyclist

When I come back to running I will ease in and enjoy what it feels like to move slowly.

I will keep you all updated on my progress.  Hopefully in 5 weeks I will come back as a stronger more balanced runner with a new perspective and safer habits.

Cheers to H20!

Running Red Light

Running has never been quite as enjoyable as it has been since I moved from the brutal cold Chicago winter to San Diego's year round spring-like temps. I have always enjoyed the challenge of running and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with completing a run or an extra mile I hadn't intended to run. I have always savored the moments after a long run when I feel accomplished and mentally refreshed. There truly is nothing like it. A run is equal to a therapy session for me, and the only cost is my physical energy and time. That's a bargain if you ask me.

Chicago only offers a few months out of the year for enjoyable running, for a wimp like me that is. I used to spend about 8 months doing the bulk of my running indoors on the treadmill while watching TV and the other 4 running on the crowded lakefront path with everyone else that had gone stir crazy over the winter months. My running in Chicago was only slightly enjoyable. Once I moved to sunny San Diego that all changed. Running has become more than a therapy session, it has become my love! Although already in a wonderful relationship, it was like falling in love all over again.

San Diego offers year round warmth and coastal beauty. A runner's paradise. My first few runs were a rude awakening as they were primarily hills and as you know I had just arrived from the flatlands of Illinois. Quickly I became stronger and my confidence grew. I started to feel proud of myself for the first time in quite awhile. I was excited about each run and eagerly awaiting 5:00 PM each day so I could dash out of work and hit the pavement.

I had decided to sign up for my first San Diego race, the La Jolla Half Marathon. A race from Del Mar to La Jolla along the ocean and over tremendous hills. I even decided to follow a program for the first time. I was actually thinking about getting faster and going harder, rather than just finishing. This was a whole new ballgame for me.

My weekdays began to fill up with tempo runs, speed work and recovery runs. I was loving every second of it. Then the day came when I had to stop it all.

My partner and I headed up to the beautiful Torrey Pines state reserve for a 9 mile run. Immediately I felt pain. Now, I know better than to run through pain, but I decided today I wasn't going to listen to my body. I struggled along, grimacing with every footstep. When we reached the monstrous hill I pushed myself up until the pain became so severe I couldn't take another step.

If you've had one before, you probably can guess what it was. A stress fracture. An automatic 6 weeks of no running and staying off my foot. I have already sold my race bib, thanks to Craigslist and have started this blog, which will eventually be my running blog.  Until then, it will be my non-running blog (exciting, huh?) 

Hopefully when I get back to running I will be even stronger and eventually work up to being faster. I know one thing, I will definitely be smarter.

My injury was 7 days ago and I have spent 6 days this week indoors at the gym. I may be miles from Chicago but I sense some cabin fever coming on.