First Aid Kit for Runners

I don't think I've seen many posts about the random things runners need from time to time to heal up blisters, sore knees, cuts, and the like. And, really, we didn't assemble any sort of first aid kit on purpose. Instead, there's been a gradual accumulation over the years as we've encountered various issues on the run.

Here's what's in our medicine cabinet:

// Blister Band-Aids: I don't get too many blisters, but Stephen definitely does. So, he uses the cushioned covers specifically for fingers + toes after he drains a blister. (Ew. But I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about, right?)

// Biofreeze Roll-On. It's always best if you have a nagging ache or pain to address the issue before medicating the pain away. However, if you're actively resting or the pesky IT-band is acting up again, rolling on some Biofreeze can provide temporary relief. And the cryotherapy benefits will last up to 6 hours.

// Bodyglide: File this one under preventative. I get major chafing under my armpits and between my thighs, especially on long runs. Using a bit of lubricant gel can help keep everything gliding smoothly and avoid that nasty sting when you finally have to go into the shower + the water hits the sore spots. Ick. Not fun at all.

// Sunscreen: Another before-the-issues-happen sort of item -- SUNSCREEN. I think a lot of us are bad at sun protection in the summer months. And year-round, if we're being honest with ourselves. I get particularly bad burns on the top of my head, which is why I like Banana Boat's SPF spray specifically formulated for use on the scalp.

// Witch Hazel: We use witch hazel for almost everything. With regard to running, it's a good way to soothe and disinfect wounds. This particular kind by Thayer has aloe in it, so I like to use it to soothe sunburns as well. (Bonus: I tend to get breakouts on my chest from sweat and some witch hazel clears them up!)


// Cold Pack: When frozen peas just won't cut it (we eat them too fast!), we use our trusty cold pack to ease discomfort and keep overuse injuries (again -- that stupid IT-band!) at bay. Ours is designed for clinical use and provides 30 minutes of soothing relief.

// Foam Roller: So, I guess we like to think outside (what would fit in) the box. If you can't tell, a lot of my running issues are from IT flareups, so I use a foam roller + regular yoga practice to keep things loose and happy.

// Toenail Clippers: Of course we know clipping nails is all part of regular hygiene. For runners, keeping toenails clipped short + evenly (no sharp pokers!) is especially important. I've definitely found myself searching around the house in emergency-mode before a long run looking for clippers.

// KT-Tape: While I do stay away from Ace bandages, knee braces, and other over-the-counter injury aids, KT-tape can be a great help for little nagging things. It's just a bit of support where you need it + provides 140% bilinear elasticity -- the same as human skin.

// Instant Coconut Water: I suppose this is more of a luxury item, but we have some powdered coconut water on hand for particularly hot days when water, alone, isn't cutting it for hydration. More potassium and less sodium than most sport and energy drinks. Less spoilage and you can water down the flavor more to your liking, too!

What essentials did we miss?

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The Marathon Decision

After I crossed the finish line at the Bridge Half Marathon, a lot of thoughts ran through my mind. First: "Hell YES! A new PR!" but that was quickly overshadowed by: "Ouch. Why is my IT-band hurting after months of being completely fine?"

I spent the rest of the day frustrated, icing my knee on // off to get ahead of the inflammation. I stretched and rolled on some BioFreeze, too. Lots of you suggested massage via foam roller, which I do religiously, but never seems to help much.

Then I started to have flashbacks to 2010. The last time I dealt with this injury in acute-mode, except on my other leg. I took 11+ weeks off and had to resort to aqua jogging, rigorous physical therapy, and even cortisone therapy (not injection, but STILL!). Even when I felt "better" it was a long road back rife with walk breaks and all sorts of disappointing workouts.

When the pain continued into the next morning, I had pretty much decided that doing a cycle of marathon training -- even if I didn't get injured -- followed by a 26.2 race might be a recipe for disaster.

See me gritting my teeth here?


I guess for now I'm letting my marathon sticker expire.

I've reached a point in my running "career" where I'd rather be happy than hurting. If that means less aggressive or impressive goals, so be it. I'd rather not be the person constantly canceling out on training runs, making appointments to see specialists, or talking about the best KT taping methods.

And strangely enough, after I had clicked yes to submit my change of registration for Wineglass -- my IT band mysteriously got better. Coincidence is more likely than what I'm thinking was the whole pain-thing being some sort of divine sign. Still, I think half marathons are my sweet spot.

I haven't chosen a training plan, but I know the following worked for my last cycle.

• 4 days/week running schedule instead of 5 or 6
• Speedwork -- 800 repeats and mile repeats, mostly
• Tempo workouts -- running at or faster than race pace
• Strength training -- mostly kettlebells and squats
• YOGA -- less for the athletic aspect, more for the stretching

Here's where I think I can improve:

• More cross-training, I want one day in the pool/week, if possible
• More variety -- definitely adding at-home spinning to the routine, maybe every other week
• Longer tempo workouts -- increase from 5 to 8 being the longest
• Longer long runs -- I'd like to do a couple 15-16 mile runs in the next cycle
• More practice -- perhaps a test race is in order?
• More watch runs -- I hate it, but running occasionally w/ a watch helped me get faster

I'm starting a training log on this site soon. Once I pick my half plan (which will likely be similar to the last go-around, just longer than 8 weeks), probably. As you can see, my goal is 1:40 (7:37/mile) . . . how realistic that is, I'm not sure. But I'm going to do my best to try.

So, more about training soon! And tomorrow I'll write about some diet plans. Well, not actually dieting, you know the drill. Also, some of you asked what I do between training cycles -- I could write about it, but in short -- I just do some unstructured running. Get my legs moving and think about what's next.

Are you chasing any big goals for an upcoming race? How do you tweak your training from event to event?

Pssst: For a review of the Brooks Pure Flow (that I'm wearing in the race photos), just visit this post. Again -- totally not sponsored -- they held up great for my race. Very light + comfortable.

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2011. The Year of No-Biggie Races.

I have a confession to make. Something that's been bothering me for months now. Three lllooonnnggg months. I thought it'd just go away if I kept living life with a positive attitude. If I kept working on the problem. If I rested. But here I am at the beginning of the year, and I'm absolutely TERRIFIED to sign up for any spring or summer races.

That's right: I have no races on the horizon. Z.e.r.o. The Boilermaker 15K, which is one of my favorites, is filling up fast. So is the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon. And I could save some major dough if I preregister for others. I also haven't even begun thinking about fall marathon plans. I -- gasp!!! -- may not even train for one this year.

WHAT?! What about your sub-4 hour goal, Ashley?!
Friends: I somehow don't care right now. I'm just happy to be running.

My knee is getting better. That's for sure. But there's this unshakable fear that's taken hold of me. It's keeping me from training for anything seriously. At all. Right now: I just run to run. And there's nothing wrong with that. But it's not like me. I'm so terribly worried the pain will return. Or that the hydrocortisone is only covering the issue and running is only making it worse.

I may be right.
I may be wrong.
There's really no way of telling.


Something good: I did successfully complete an 11-miler two Sundays ago. With only slight discomfort. 8 miles were run in the chilly outdoors and the other 3 were run comfortably on our treadmill. I ran another 10-miler on the treadmill this past Saturday. Sunday, I braved the elements (above, you can see my running-when-it's-negative-nine-degrees-Fahrenheit style) and ran 5 outdoor miles atop snow with absolutely no pain. Generally, I'm keeping my weekly total between 20 and 30 miles a week.

My PT even told me at our last appointment that I was "set free" because there's not much else he can do for me. Panic set it, and I quickly asked begged him to see me just a few more times. He said: "Unnecessary." So, I don't have regularly scheduled appointments now. I'm on my own. Scary!


Still -- the fear. It's decided: 2011 is the year of no-biggie races for me. I'm sticking with local stuff. Sign-up-the-day-of-the-race events. And probably not trying anything above the half marathon distance. What's this, though? This odd sense of calm? Yeah. I'm feeling OK about it -- good, even -- despite how I may sound. A.c.c.e.p.t.a.n.c.e. Liberation. Yes -- there's something so liberating about not HAVING to run a long run on a Sunday if I'd rather swim or bike or walk or REST.

I've been cross-training still. Swimming. Biking. Walking. 30-Day shredding. Aqua-jogging. Yoga-ing. Knitting. Guitar-playing. Auditioning (for our university chorus -- I got in! Go altos!). Photographing. Becoming more of a whole human being, really. Slowly, I'm learning to chill out.

It's OK to not run races.
It's OK to run just to run. To make my own schedule.
It's OK to take breaks.
It's OK (and good) to change up the routine.
It's even OK to enjoy other things in life besides exercise.
It's all going to be OK, OK, OK.

Races I do have in mind include a 5K in February. A 4-miler and 15K in March. And a half marathon in April and May. But we'll see. I'm taking each day (and race) at a time. Keeping my expectations low and my spirits high. I know I'm still in great shape . . . I just don't need a number on a time-clock to solidify that for me. At least not this season.

Again, so very liberating.

But that's just me. I want to know: What do YOU have on your spring and summer schedules? We'll definitely be at Boston this year for Stephen's first run of the course. Can't wait! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Returning to Running After Injury

We've received a number of questions related to how I'm planning to resume training as my knee heals. And though I'm definitely not back to normal yet -- still experiencing regular tightness and some slight pain on every run -- I'm better-ish enough to start seriously thinking about this issue myself.

Latest professional opinion on the matter (from my PT) is that it's alright for me to run. To hasten the healing process, we've decided on a course of hydrocortisone starting next week. This isn't a cortisone shot. Instead, it's a patch that is hooked up to a little machine that will use battery power to pulse the medicine into my knee. I didn't necessarily want this type of intervention, but after 10 weeks of dealing with this issue, I'm up for pretty much anything.

As for mileage: I'm focusing on between 15 and 20 miles for now, 3 to 4 days per week. A huge drop from my marathon schedule (regular weeks between 40 and 50 miles, 5 to 6 days per week). A big jump from what I've been doing (5 to 10 miles, depending).

See the difference?


Usually in the winter, I do scale my running back quite dramatically. I run maybe between 80 and 95 miles a month versus the 150+ during the heavy fall season. So, at 15 to 20 miles a week, that'll bring me in somewhere around 70 to 90.

If I can get back to this level soon-ish, I'll be thrilled!

Most of this mileage will be run indoors because I'm trying to watch my step. Run on even surfaces. Avoid ice and slipping. Regulate my pace (I'm running a full MPH slower on the treadmill than I normally do -- but that's OK. It's running!). And it's also nice if I do indeed need to stop, I'm able to quit without having to walk 2 miles home in the blustery weather.

In January, I'm hoping to participate in a 10K series, but only for fun. Racing isn't a priority right now. Nor is any specific training goal. I haven't been running, so despite how I may feel . . . my muscles/bones/etc. can't handle anything intense right now.


OTHER STUFF:

• I'm not signing up in advance for any spring races. In fact, I may only do smaller, local races where I can sign up the day of. I don't want to set my sights on something big with the possibility of being let down. That's happened too many times already! Nor do I need to race to be fit and happy. I'd like to do a few half marathons, but we'll see how my recovery goes before thinking that far ahead.
• I'm training like a triathlete. And though I doubt I'll get into the sport (it's a little too high-maintenance for me -- too much gear and other stuff to worry about -- I think) However, without even realizing it, I'm basically following a Half Ironman plan right now (I Googled it for fun this morning and was surprised that my training looked similar!). I've started hitting the pool 3 times a week at a mile each time. I've been indoor cycling at around 18 to 19 MPH 2 to 3 days per week for 45 minutes to an hour. And once my running gets back up, I'm hoping to soon build to 8 to 10 mile long runs. I'm in way better overall shape now than I was in the fall.
• I'm getting into strength training. Emily (Daily Garnish) wrote a great post about this topic the other day! Stephen has me lifting weights 2 to 3 times per week. I mostly focus on upper-body, 30 minute sessions. Starting with the bigger muscles (chest, back) and working to the smaller ones. I am also keeping up with regular push-ups (40 to 50 a set, 2 sets every other day) and chin-ups (up to doing 5!).
• I'm treating my workouts more like recreation than work. Usually when I train, there's an element of work to it. Not in a way that I don't enjoy, but now . . . if i miss a trip to the gym, I don't freak out. I take a walk later that day. Or if I don't have a great run, I hop on the bike or do something else. The Earth doesn't stop turning. I don't fall horribly behind on my training schedule.
• Did I mention I'm just trying to have fun? OK. I did. But REALLY! Tonight I'm going on a slow run with friends to look at all the pretty holiday lights around our neighborhood! I'm focusing less on pace and distance and more on moving my body and catching up with folks.

MORE ADVICE:

• Take each day at a time. I can't emphasize enough that if you're coming back from injury, you shouldn't start out doing too much. Set small goals, but not ones that require intense training (speed, distance, time, etc.). Half of getting better is healing from the mental letdown, so if you set yourself up for disappointment (because every injury and recovery is different), it'll be 10 times worse than it needs to be if you don't heal right away.
• Focus on overall health and fitness versus running alone (or whatever your primary sport may be). I never thought throughout this off-time I'd end up in better shape than when I began. But, here I am swimming miles in the pool, cranking out intervals on the spinning bike, and sporting a new pair of guns.
• Don't expect to be back where you were before your injury. You may be worse. You may even be better! After any time off, the game has changed. That's for sure. If you're not back to your old athlete-self, you'll get there eventually. If you're in better shape, don't leave all that cross-training behind just yet. Evaluate the good and bad and consider keeping some of those other activities in the mix.
• Remember that racing and events don't necessarily make you a better runner. I think a lot of emphasis is placed on them. And -- yes -- races are fun! However, before I got into marathoning, I did far fewer races than I do now. I think I have achieved some pretty respectable personal records . . . but racing too much can actually make me slower. In the future, I'm hoping to pick a few events and spend the rest of my time training smart for them.
  

This post is so long, I feel like I need some grand conclusion. Here's the short of it. I'm incredibly excited that I'm feeling somewhat better. I think I started my first week back (a couple week ago) a little too aggressively, so these tips are from what I learned in the process of finding my stride again. I want to get back to "normal" soon, but not at the risk of hurting myself more.

Plus, it seems there's a new "normal" for me. So, I'm happy to adapt and grow as an athlete!

Though I won't be logging 3-hour 20-milers anytime soon, with some careful attention to my body, cross-training, and positive attitude, I can see myself coming back from this whole ordeal a lot fitter and more balanced than before!

Of course, I'm not the only person in the history of running to be injured. Please share your recovery stories with us! What did you do to get back into the sport? What did you learn? Did you forever change the way you train? We want to hear it all!

Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Newton's First Law and Tiramisu Oatmeal Bake

I gave myself the morning off. We had both accidentally slept in until 6:30 AM anyway, so it was the perfect excuse to take things somewhat slower than usual. You see, this past month has been exhausting. Normally, it's quite insane. But with PT added to the mix . . . I can't catch up.

Newton's First Law: A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

I guess this morning, that outside force was my alarm clock. It didn't go off. Now, some of you were wondering what a typical day-in-the-life looks like for me right now. Here it is . . . in excruciating detail:

• Wake up between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM.
• Bike at home for 30 min to an hour. Or aqua jogging at the Y.
• Shower and get ready from 6:45 AM to 7:15 AM.
• Eat breakfast, prepare lunch, and scramble to leave the house by 7:45 AM.
• PT from 8:00 AM to 9:15M.
• Rush to work. Stay until lunch around 1:00 PM.
• Errands (bank/post office/x-mas shopping/blogging) during lunch break.
• Stuff down a sandwich at my desk while answering voice mail and email.
• At work till 5:00 PM.
• Gym by 5:15 PM. Home by 6:45 PM.
• Shower. Make dinner. On the couch eating by 7:30 PM.
• Baking and blogging and TV time until 9:30 PM.
• Random before-bed stuff (cleaning, cat duty, etc.) until 10:00 PM.
• Bed by 10:30 PM.

Something's gotta give. Eventually. Or I may pass out someday. Someday soon. (I'm being completely serious!) I think I may need to modify my workout routine. When I was marathon training, a single run could suffice for my daily workout. I could get fit it in one big chunk of time. Now, I don't exercise at the same intensity, and I'm left feeling restless. But working out is taking up SO much time!

And two showers a day? Ugh. My skin is begging with me to change. Or buy a new moisturizer.

(Also: No, mom. I'm not addicted to exercise. Mostly, my schedule is a little gym-heavy because I'm trying to keep some of my endurance . . . and check to see if my knee is cooperating with running. So, sometimes I get two solid workouts a day. Most times, only one. I stretch and do my PT exercises when my knee hurts. And I take off two days per week.)


A.n.y.w.a.y. I gave myself the morning off. And it was glorious. I took a long shower. I took time blow-drying my hair. Using hairspray to keep a style! Putting on makeup -- eyeliner and all!

Then, I cooked breakfast in our sunny, bright kitchen.


TIRAMISU OATMEAL BAKE FOR TWO
(Printer-friendly version!!!)

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 large banana
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In the meantime, take the rolled oats, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 cup almond milk. Mix together and cook in the microwave for around 5 minutes.
2. Slice a large banana into coins and set on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Spritzed with a bit of canola oil.
3. Mix together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then shake the mixture over the bananas and use a fork to poke into each and press into the powder to coat well. Set in the oven for three minutes.
4. When the oats are done cooking, pour in the extra 1/4 cup almond milk and the coconut flour. Stir in the vanilla and baking powder.
5. Remove banana slices from the oven. Save four to six of the coins for after the bake. But take the rest and mix into the oats.
6. Lightly grease two ramekins. Divide mixture evenly between them. Then bake for 10 minutes.
7. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Top with the remaining banana coins. Sprinkle a bit more cocoa powder on top for extra deliciousness.

No. The oats don't taste exactly like tiramisu. So, don't be disappointed. The cocoa-covered bananas, though, do remind me of that amazing Italian dessert. Plus, the whole thing is so warm -- incredible on a day when the temps are in the 20-degree range.

YUM! Check out that steam!


How do you cope with a fuller than full schedule? Do you map out your time? Do you sacrifice any certain activities? For us -- we often leave cleaning for the weekends (boo -- because that's supposed to be our time!). So, our house is seriously messy mid-week. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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I'd Like to Thank the Academy . . .

RUNNING:

You put one foot in front of the other. Bound from mid-foot to mid-foot. Right leg to left leg. Your feet pound the pavement or cement or dirt or grass. Your breath is strong and steady. Heart rate: Elevated, but controlled. It isn't supposed to hurt. Instead, it feels incredible.

Stuff that happens:

• Blood pumps throughout your entire body.
• Your leg/arm/core muscles tighten.
• Sweat pours out from your pores.
• You feel energy. Enthusiasm for life.
• You cry. Salty tears. (OK. Maybe YOU don't. But I did.)

I cried on my run last night. What's that? My RUN?!?! What may be even more surprising, considering the last seven weeks of sad, anti-running posts, is that those tears weren't from agony or frustration. Instead, they were out of pure bliss. My knee, you see, didn't hurt. It was slightly tight. Not a fan of uneven pavement or downhill jaunts. But no real pain plagued me.

I don't want to be premature with announcing my "return" to the world of the running. (As if my departure had any impact whatsoever on the sport.) In fact, I'm even hesitant to tell myself that bit of news. I started going to PT last Wednesday. Since, I've had only two sessions. The first did little to enthuse me. In fact, I considered not going back because I was convinced stretching, squats, and ice/heat wouldn't fix anything. I'd been icing and stretching on my own with little improvement at best.

I mean. Where were the big guns? The cortisone shots? The MRI scans? The intense discussions I had so anticipated dreaded about "cycling and swimming, perhaps, being a better option for long-term fitness?"

And then I tried running on Thanksgiving because I just needed to try. I tossed aside my Brooks, favoring an old pair of Nike fashion sneakers with no socks. They are somewhat like shoes in the Nike Free series. But completely flat. Basic. I ran 5 miles that night, stopping to stretch in the way the PT taught me a total of four times.

My knee was sore, but I definitely felt an improvement. I took another day off before my next attempt because I didn't want to push it. This time, I decided (because I've needed new running shoes anyway) to purchase some Nike Free sneaks. They're similar to the Kinvaras that Stephen wears, but I tried a pair of them . . . and they just didn't feel right on my feet. The Frees felt true to the name.

Anyway, armed with new shoes, stretching, and even a spanking new stride (which I'll cover in another post) -- as well as a beefed up left quad muscle -- I set out again on Sunday. I ran a 10K distance. It wasn't the best run EVER. I had some pain. Some soreness afterward.

But BETTER. (WHY DIDN'T I SEEK OUT PT BEFORE NOW?!)

I skipped into the PT on Tuesday morning and told him of my progress. He tweaked my program and added some electro-stimulation therapy for my pesky SI joint (that I apparently sprained last year bending over to take a photo. It continues to hurt like hell and is likely the cause of my knee woes) and some ultrasound/heat therapy for my IT-band and knee. More stretching. More strengthening. Some stabilization techniques and massage. I left the office feeling pretty sore. Worried I may not feel so much like running later on.

Ugh.

But day turned to evening, and I left work hankering for a run. I love running in the rain. It was probably 50 degrees. Lots of wind. I set out . . . and immediately felt tightness. But bearable tightness. I kept going. I kept going as the pain faded. The tightness came and went, came and went. My speed and endurance seem unaffected by my nearly 2-month hiatus.

And the only reason I returned home after 7.5 speedy miles is because I figured Stephen would be worried if I was gone longer than an hour. Before I left, I'd told him that I'd be back soon-ish (anticipating a flare-up). I thought maybe two miles was my destiny. On the other side of a near 8-miler, I was smiling so much that last half a mile, my cheeks became sore. I nearly shrieked with joy upon entering the house.

So, that's what's going on with the knee. I have another PT appointment on Friday. I'm hoping for even more improvement. What this all means, though, isn't much for my fitness routine. I'll slowly add back in the running. However, aqua jogging is like my new best friend. I can't BELIEVE how I feel with the running. Like no time at all has passed since I stopped. I know I couldn't bust out a 20-miler right now, but a strong half seems possible. (Not that I'm planning any, by the way.) Winter is time for cross-training, and I'm taking my recovery seriously.

Thanks for all your support through these last two months. It's been so incredibly hard (that's what she said?) for me (she did!). You may have noticed less posting, particularly in the running/fitness areas. I was in a bad mood. Now, I'm in a good one. Yes!

Have a happy Wednesday evening :)

PS: It has come to my attention that in this fabulous new format, our COMMENTS section isn't working as it used to. O.M.G. I don't know how to fix that. In the meantime, we've moved to a pop-up box for comments. Please let us know if you encounter any issues!

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The Physical AND the Mental

Time flies, doesn't it? We're in week FOUR already since my knee started hurting last month. Two weeks of basically no running. 50 to 0, if you will. Oh. My. Goodness. Am I freaking out yet? Way past it, ladies and gents. Like I wrote earlier this week, I'm (more than) a little unstable without my normal stress release.

Oh, how I took that me-time for granted.

As much as I'm staying fit with my aqua jogging routine and other cross-training activities (which I'll write about in just a moment), none of these things give me the mental health benefits I get with running. My friend Dani and I chatted about it last night. We concluded that running, at least for us, allows time for honesty and deep contemplation. A sorting out of feelings. Free therapy, if you will. Though I never remember the helpful parts -- that's OK. I get a nice rush of endorphins and an intense feeling of inner satisfaction.

Of true bliss.

Now, I've been hopping on the elliptical, which feels like running with heavy weights locked onto my legs. 20 minutes is all I can manage at one time before going completely mad. The exercise bike is also a close frenemy. Oh, how I hate staring at those red-lit numbers. Covering the console with a towel can't keep me from obsessively tracking the minutes and they tick by -- one by one by one . . . by one. My inner voice continually begging: "Are we done yet? Are we done yet? Seriously? Not yet?!" (And, again, we're talking 20 minutes. Not exactly torture!) The aqua jogging has been OK, but since I do so many intervals, I'm a slave to my watch.

I found myself utterly perplexed walking out of the gym the other day. Why, oh, WHY do I hate cross-training so much? The answer came to me rather quickly in the moment, but has taken weeks for me to sort out, it seems.

It's because running is a sport. A lifestyle. It's an activity in which I monitor my progress in distances run, times achieved, and inner strength gained. I don't think about "having to keep up cardiovascular endurance" or "not losing muscle mass" or "not gaining weight from so-bored-all-I-do-is-eat eating" as motivators to keep going. I wrote it before and I'll write it again: Running is a passion. It's part of me. These cross-training exercises are shallow. Empty, even. They're performed each day only because I have to do them.

And don't get me wrong. Cross-training is great. I'm fortunate to be moving. But, I enjoy it as PART of my workout routine. Not as the sole proprietor.

It's this simple: Being a gym rat. Working out only for the sake of working out is not fun. It's just work! So, my message today goes out to all of you who are not currently involved in an exercise program that fulfills or excites you. If you're bored. Or detest it. Or constantly feel like skipping out on gym sessions. Or runs. Or bike rides. Whatever the poison is that has you reeling in pain instead of reveling in the moments when your body truly living.

You need to move your body for more than burning calories.

You need to sweat for more than dropping pounds.

You need to push it 10 minutes longer because it feels good.

Or feels difficult in a way that takes you to a place of nirvana.

You need to CRAVE that physical activity.

It needs to become a part of you.

Or you'll never, ever get why you should do it.

So much of the benefit is mental. Once you find something that allows you to escape into your happy place, you're set. And if you haven't found what does the trick, you need to keep searching. You will find it eventually. I mean, all these gals did!

If you're injured like me, hang in there. I would tell you it gets better, but I haven't arrived there yet. In the meantime, I'll keep slugging along . . . healing . . . doing what I know is best for myself. (And, hey, there is some good news, better feelings in my knee -- knock on wood!).

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Dealing With Injury: Food and Exercise

First thing's first! I promise if you read through this terribly long post that I'll give you another great micro-muffin recipe! Seriously. It's after all these tips on how I'm eating and exercising through my injury!

The last time we visited this topic, I gave you the numbers. The first step in figuring out how to eat through my injury. The amount of calories I "need" per day to maintain my weight (and healthy BMI of 20.2) is between 2,000 and 2,300. Going from "extremely active" and running between 40 and 50 miles per week to "very" or even "moderately active" requires a hefty change in my daily intake. A change to the tune of between 500 and 800 calories.

In other words: I'm going from fueling myself like a crazy beast to eating far more "normally." And it's been difficult. I'm not going to lie.

So far, it's been several weeks of lighter-than-usual exercise for me. No weekly 2 to 3 hour long runs. No mid-week speed sessions. Very little impact-bearing activity. I've stayed put at my current weight, and I'm extremely happy about it. I'm not calorie-counting. Repeat: I am not calorie-counting, but I am doing a few things to keep myself in check.


FOOD STUFFS

1.) I'm skipping the drinks. Except water, herbal tea, and an occasional black coffee. I'm a beer-a-day girl. But I'm cutting that back to only 3 or so per week. I don't need the alcohol -- there's little benefit or nutritional value in it. It's just extra calories. And when trying to stay on top of weight, calories that you drink are better to cut then calories that fuel your body and mind.

2.) I'm skipping my second helping of desserts. Or at least trying to. Baking all the time has me in the habit of downing an impressive amount of sweets. Impressive isn't really the word to use. More like "shock-and-awe" amount. It's a sight to see. I'm not cutting my chocolate out completely, but two cookies is OK. Four is excessive. Six (or, uh, more!) is down-right insane.

3.) I'm watching my bread and cheese intake. I touched on this tip in my last post. One of the benefits of marathon running and endurance training is the ability to eat lots of carbs. Maybe it's not technically the "best" diet even then, but you can get away with packing away half a loaf of bread from time to time. Or half a large pizza. (Are you starting to get an idea of how much I've been eating?) I still eat bread and cheese. Just watch my serving sizes. Like: Two pieces of a medium pizza instead of four from a large.

And this leads to my next tip . . .


4.) I've been filling my meals with veggies. Yes. I eat veggies normally, but probably not quite as many as I should to have a healthy ratio with my bread consumption. Instead of piling my plate high with the starchy stuff, I'm making an effort to inhale a Ziplock baggie of spinach with my lunch. Sticking with soups and stir-fries for dinners. Again, I'm also watching serving sizes. Listening to my hunger and full-ness signals. Slowly, I'm getting into a rhythm.

5.) I'm trying my best not to fall into bad, yelling-at-myself-internally habits. The other day, we celebrated a coworkers birthday with cake. Immediately, I thought about how I probably shouldn't be downing a huge piece of cake mid-day. But I loosened up a bit. I mean, c'mon! It's a piece of cake. I took a small one, too. And I deserved it. It's not like I've completely stopped all my activity. I can have the good-for-my-knee rest . . . and eat cake, too!

Overall, I'm mostly watching serving size and the kinds of things I'm eating (keeping them whole foods, fresh foods, and vibrant foods). I've having fun branching out and making new and different recipes, like the Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh and Cashew Yellow Curry. Spices can go a long way toward making meals interesting and not adding lots of calories in the process.


EXERCISE

1.) I've been sneaking extra "workouts" into my day. Like parking far away at the grocery store. Walking for the duration of my lunch breaks (so far, my knee hasn't hurt too much with walking, so I figure it's OK). Making a point to get up and ask questions of my coworkers instead of calling/emailing. Little bits of activity throughout the day add up fast.

2.) I've been cross-training like it's my freaking job. (Oh, and how I wish it WAS my job. Maybe someday.) But so far this week, I have aqua jogged 4 times (averaging 45 minutes each time with some intense intervals). I've put foot to indoor cycling pedal twice, 20 minutes each. I've been strength training (hip-abductor machine is my new best friend). Rolling out with the foam roller each day. Jogged a couple of times (but we all know how THAT went). And I've been keeping up with 2 sets of 40 push-ups per day and . . . drum roll, please: I'm up to doing 3 chin-ups at a time!

(You, too, can rock a chin-up. I couldn't do a single one a month ago!)

This weekend, I'm signed up for a 2-1/2 hour yoga workshop. Stephen's coming with me! And I'm planning to do a 3-hour workout on Sunday. 2 hours in the pool. 1 hour in the bike. It sounds overboard, but with my cario-endurance gained during marathon training, it's what I'm used to and would like to maintain somewhat. (For when I CAN run another distance race.) Next week, I'm hoping to do more yoga and maybe take a spinning class or two.

3.) I've been reflecting on my success versus concentrating on my failures. I had a great racing season this year. I set PRs for the marathon, half-marathon, 15K, and 4-mile distances. I ran more miles this past year than I ever have in a single year. If you're interested, I wrote more about this in the Acceptance . . . Sort Of post this morning.


4.) I've been thinking more about the importance of variety and time off. Stephen reminded me the other day that when he was competing in track and cross-country in high school, he'd take time off between seasons. It wasn't run, run, run all year. So, though I had a fantastic running year, I didn't take much time off. This is different from what I usually do. Overuse can accumulate over a year . . . not just in a too-much-too-soon scenario. With winter coming, even if I am feeling healthy again, I need to keep up the cross-training and perhaps cut my running back to fewer days per week.

I asked (Healthy) Ashley the other day how she's able to run all the mega-long races she does. I mean, that girl is on the road so much! Her reply to me was simple. She runs 3 days per week. I usually run at least 5. It gave me something to think about -- that's for sure!

5.) I've been getting serious about strength. Yeah, this sort of fits into the cross-training category. But I never really do true strength training. Push-ups, yes. Yoga, sometimes. Now that I have a gym . . . I have lots of free-weights and weight-machines at my disposal. Slowly, Stephen and I are both incorporating longer sessions of strength training into our routine. All while keeping up with push-ups, chin-ups, and core exercises (that we'll post about soon!). Strengthening the muscles in my legs will help keep me injury free by ensuring that I'm stable.

And now for that new micro-muffin recipe I promised you!


BANANA-CHOCOLATE CHIP MICRO-MUFFINS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill egg replacer, just the powder
• 1/2 (heaping) teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup mashed banana (mashed REALLY well, until egg-y)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave)
• Handful chocolate chips

Method . . .

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl (this includes the egg replacer powder). Set aside.
2. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Add them to the dry. Mix incorporated, but don't over-mix.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Spritz a mug (I just used a standard mug, no special size) with cooking oil. Plop in the muffin mixture. And place in the microwave.
5. Heat on high for 90 seconds. I promise it won't explode (at least mine didn't!)
6. Eat in the mug or let cool for 1 minute and gently drop onto a plate. Smother with peanut butter or Earth Balance.

I took a cue from Ashley's paper-towel post and tried to make a make-shift light box today using some white-ish plates from our kitchen cupboards. I'm sure you'll all get a kick out of the set-up.


It worked somewhat. But I'm motivated more than ever to make my own light box for picture taking. Look for a tutorial next week! And PS: This micro-muffin recipe is fffffantastic. I like it even better than yesterday's!

Congrats! You made it all the way through this super-duper long post. Thanks for sticking with me. What do you think of my diet and exercise methods? Do you follow some of them already? Are they pretty basic? Do you have any to add? Let us know! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Acceptance . . . Sort Of

Runners out there will know exactly what I'm talking about. The urge to test out injury at the very first sign that maybe -- just MAYBE -- it's getting better. No pain when walking is the first good feeling that sets everything in motion. Then a little jog (or two) down a hallway when no one's looking. Hey -- no pain! Green light. Right?

WRONG. (Always so very, very wrong!)

Of course, I promised myself a week of absolutely no running. However, when I got to the gym last night and found out I'd missed lap swim hours, I needed to do SOMEthing. My knee had been holding up the entire week on some 5K walks. The pain had been getting progressively less intense going up and down stairs. Maybe a couple miles on the treadmill wouldn't hurt, I thought.

The first mile was good. No pain at all. Cruising at 7 to 7.5 MPH most of the time (all the pool jogging intervals I've been doing have made me feel confident goes a steady -- and FAST -- pace!). The second mile, 7.5 to 7.8 MPH, was OK until the half-way point. Then I started to get the familiar twinge. Then sharpness. Ick. I decided to stop at 2 miles . . . and then experiment.

I grabbed the gym's foam roller and rolled the HECK out of my left IT band. When I stood up, my knee felt fine.


Well, a little better.
No, fine!
Eh, maybe some -- OUCH -- pain.
No, fine?
Fine.
Really, I'll be fine.
(Ouch!)

So, I did what any runner would do: I hopped back on the treadmill, like an idiot, to see if the rolling had worked.


Just over a quarter mile into my trial, I discovered that -- I was (surprise!) still in pain. And I'm almost certain it wasn't from my IT band. At least I don't think so. It's lower, on the outside on the knee . . . but close to the kneecap. Cartilage, maybe? Maybe. I finished out the mile. The pain didn't get much worse, but it didn't get any better. I have stopped playing doctor to myself, though, and I have a call into my GP for a referral to a sports physician.

I've now (however reluctantly) reached the acceptance stage with my injury. I courageously declared to you all last week that I would not try to run the full marathon at Philly this month. The half, instead, would be my race. I was excited -- and emotionally cool -- with taking my training down a notch. Now, I'm reconsidering (alright, pretty damned sure I won't be) lacing up at all that morning for anything more than a walk with my in-laws to the finish. As a spectator.

Ugh. REALLY?! THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE?! Two marathons . . . and awesome training season . . . and then DNFing at one and not even getting to the start at the other? Life, you're so very interesting sometimes.


R.U.N.N.E.R.

I've carved this word deeply into my identity. Deeper than any tattoo inked into my skin. More like chiseled in . . . stone. I know I'm many other things, but this runner part is something that has taken me on more ups and downs than anything else. I feel my best when I'm running. Period. Even a week off has me worried that I'll never run again. That some (HUGE) part of me will die away.

But when I found myself -- yet again -- in the pool this morning. For a 50-minute jog with my friend Nancy. I couldn't help but remember that I'm lucky. Later in my workout, this guy my age hopped into the pool, literally. I couldn't see very well because I had some water in my eyes, but he was an above-the-knee amputee on his left leg. He was also incredibly cut and in super great shape. He KILLED laps in the pool faster than I can ever imagine swimming. Ever. What he made me think about is . . . perspective. I have a mild knee problem. But I have my knee. I can walk. I'll be OK with rest and RICE.

Even if not, it's not the end of the freaking world. CHILL OUT.


Unless something's way out of whack, this injury is only a mere setback in my running career. (Never, ever thought I'd use the words running and career together when talking about myself. Woah.) There will be hundreds -- thousands -- of other races for me to finish, my friend Iris reminded me last night.

I've had a fantastic year of racing. (This list is more for me than for you. It will help me feel good about my year. And not totally defeated.)

• Philadelphia Marathon (2009): 4:10:40 (PR)
• Freeze 10K Series: Average finish at 2 races, 49:00
• St. Patty's 4-Miler: 29:58 (PR)
• Forks 15K: 1:14:00
• Skunk Cabbage Half Marathon: 1:50:47
• Lehigh Valley Half Marathon: 1:46:53
• Lake Placid Half Marathon: 1:46:31 (PR)
• Boilermaker 15K: 1:13:45 (PR)
• Laurel Festival 10K: 50:15
• Wineglass Marathon: DNF -- 17-miler
• Bread for Schools Half Marathon: 1:47:31

At this point, I imagine you are all getting a little sick of the knee updates. I'm going to try to lessen the talk on the site. Only let you know about it as I get new news. And get onto more interesting things, like the cross-training I'm doing (because I've been going nuts in the gym with fun stuff!), nutrition (stay tuned for an update on that later today), and other . . . more holistic stuff.


Because I'm more than just a runner, you know. I cook and bake. I play instruments and sing. I knit and take photos. I have friends and family. I like to dress up. I like to watch movies. Etc. So, less running is allowing me to flesh out the OTHER Ashleys. Perhaps the more interesting Ashleys. And it's not so bad.

What makes you . . . YOU? We're all multi-faceted with many interests and talents. We also all have stuff we're maybe no-so good at. For me, I'm terrible at keeping plants alive. I'm not terribly organized. And I'm a bit of a slob. There, I said it. But what makes you . . . YOU? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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How I'm Eating Through My Injury

Pancakes, pizzas, and pale ales, oh my! I've received several emails related to how I'm eating now that I've decreased my training intensity. Looking through my recent recipes on this site, I see why. Everything is bread with cheese. Or bread with peanut butter. Or bread with butter. Or beer. Woah. I assure you: I have been eating my veggies, and this week's recipes (chickpea mash and orange-glazed tempeh) serve as proof of that.

Please note: My answer to the nutrition question is in development at the moment. In the spirit of the non-expert-ness of this blog, I thought I'd share what I'm doing right now -- as I learn. I've always had trouble knowing what and how much to eat. Always.


Mind you, I seldom calculate exact calories and percentages of carbs, fats, etc. OK. More like . . . never. I covered what we think of calorie counting in this post -- in other words: DISLIKE. I did, however, write a food diary of sorts a while back with some calorie information attached. It was an exercise I would consider doing again, so we'll see. But not with counts, just with the foods I ate. The counting drove me insane.

• Day 1 -- Over-Fueling
• Day 2 -- Under-Fueling
• Day 3 -- A Full Day
• Day 4 -- Eating Out
• Day 5 -- Pizza and Beer
• Day 6 -- Sick of Counting
• Day 7 -- Banana Scramble
• Day 8 -- Chocolate for Breakfast

Anyway, while I was jogging in the pool yesterday, I decided it'd be nice to know approximately how much I need to eat to fuel my life and activity level. During marathon training, I never lose weight. I mean, that's not why I train. I train to get stronger and faster -- which typically means putting on a few pounds of muscle. I'm happy at my current weight, and my BMI is in the healthy range (20.2).

During marathon training, though, I eat like a growing teenage boy. I love every juicy minute, too.

Thankfully, the number of calories I require to maintain my weight in a day isn't a mystery. There are calculators online which allow you to plug in your current weight, height, age, and activity level. Then they do all the work for you.


To maintain my weight, I need a little over 2,300 calories per day. It's a simple fact. Calories in/calories out. The appetite of a horse doesn't compute with my new routine, though. If I plug in extremely active in this calculator (which is what I'm estimate was my marathon training activity level), I would need 500 more calories per day. This all makes a lot of sense to me.

Tell me stomach that, and it will growl at you. But a slight -- keyword: slight -- reduction in my diet doesn't have to be a bad thing. There's a world of amazing low-calorie food out there. And skipping that third serving of dessert will surely help, too!


Questions you may have: Now that I know the "magic number," do I now have a calculator strapped to my wrist? No. Am I really counting my calories and just not telling you all? Also no. What this number gives me is a gauge. I've watched enough Biggest Loser episodes to have a relatively good handle on serving size. Too, I know the general caloric totals for some of my favorite foods. Armed with this information, I can make informed decisions about my meals.

My current goals . . .

1. Maintain my happy weight.
2. Heal my injury.
3. And have fun doing both.

In my next post, I'll offer some less black-and-white tips I'm following to keep myself in check. But my question to you is this: Do you know how many calories you need in a day? Do you think you eat too many or too little? I was surprised how my day-to-day intake fluctuated when I did my food diary. But what I always tried to pay attention to was what my insides were telling me.

Ultimately, if I'm hungry, I always eat. Now, it's just a matter of being smart with choices. Of if I reach for a brownie or a green smoothie, really. I'm slowly getting into a rhythm. And I'll share with you my progress as it happens!


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Aqua Jogging at the YMCA

As I wrote in our weekend recap, I'm taking an entire week off from running. Of course, the minute I got to the gym last night, I decided to test my knee with a mile jog on the indoor track. (No pain! But that's not the point.) I'm not better. My knee hurt after the super-slow Halloween's Zombie Jog. So, starting today -- no running. At least until Sunday. For me, this is difficult. It's been . . . well . . . over a year since I've taken a break like this.

It's driving me CRAZY!

We joined the local YMCA (image source) last Friday night. Ever since, my mission has been to find cross-training activities that work for me. Not just for my mind (because running is also my stress release), but also for my body (because I still very much want to run the half at the end of the month).


What's on my list of things to try? Today we'll focus on aqua jogging. First, because it has the word "jogging" in it, which I love. Second, because I keep reading accounts from injured athletes who swear by it. Third, because I have a shiny new pool to try it in. And fourth, there's something incredibly fun about swimming in 87-degree water when it's only 35 degrees outside!

Welcome to my pool:


I dragged myself out of bed at 5:15 AM this morning so I could splash around at the beginning of lap swim (which runs from 5:30 AM till 7:50 AM). When I arrived, there were 3 ladies in their 80s walking in the pool, another older gentleman swimming laps, a guy in his late 40s just sort of hanging out (which was -- admittedly -- pretty strange), and another guy my age, again, swimming laps.

The lifeguard was great at explaining the "rules" of the pool. I asked if there is a slow or fast lane. Answer: No. I asked where it'd be best for me to do my jogging thing: She pointed to the wide lane with the walking old ladies. Yahoo!


Thankfully, the Y has lots of jogging belts (above) that I can use, so I don't have to fork over the $40-$75 to buy one of my own. This morning's workout was my second time in the water: 5 minute warm-up followed by 2 sets of 7 x 1:30 "sprints" with 30 seconds of recovery jogging in between, 2 minutes recovery between sets, and a 5-minute cool-down. 40 minutes in all.

I found this fantastic training plan online from Pete Pfitzinger. It's 9 weeks long in all, with 5 in-pool workouts per week. I skipped to week three to start since my endurance is pretty good right now.


Here's the thing about aqua jogging: It looks silly (image source -- and no, I don't jog in a bikini!), but it's much more difficult than you'd think. I thought I'd get right in the water and just naturally know how to do it. That my form would fall into place without feeling awkward. It took me until later in the workout today to feel like I wasn't straining or doing something weird. And even now, I'm not sure my form is spot-on.

Here's a great demo I found on YouTube. She moves a lot faster than I do, but you get the idea:


QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE

Q: What is it like?

A: Wearing the belt allows you to keep your head above water with no trouble at all. I had this idea that you'd be moving forward while running. Well, not a lot -- but a heck of a lot more than you actually do. It's kind of funny how much effort you put in while going pretty much nowhere. I stick to the deep end of the pool where my feet don't touch. The movement is similar, but not exactly the same as running. I'm having trouble knowing what to do with my feet.

To flex or not to flex my toes? Any seasoned pool runners out there? If I flex, my shins feel strained -- hurt. If I point, I feel like my calves aren't engaged, definitely not working as hard as my quads. Hmmm.

Q: Does it feel like a good workout?

A: Depends on your intensity. The training plan I'm following emphasizes intervals. I think without the intervals, it would be rather boring. I also don't think my heart rate would get up quite as high. As with any workout, it's important to vary intensity. So, tomorrow's 40-minute steady jog should tell me more. My heart rate was reaching up in the 140s and 150s today. I don't know how that compares to my running rate, but I don't think it's terribly off.

Here's the thing: During the middle of my second set of sprints, I was actually sweating. In the pool. My face was so hot. It. Was. HARD. My quads were burning. I think for me, longer intervals will really do the trick. I'm not sure if the plan was written for someone who's used to running for 3 hours at a time -- but I think I need to add more endurance stuff into it.

And if you try it and think it isn't hard . . . there are people who deep water jog WITHOUT the flotation belt. I tried it for a bit. INSANE.

Q: Isn't it terribly boring?

A: Not any more than running on a treadmill. Actually, it's much better than running on a treadmill. The time -- at least for me -- melts away. Also, doing intervals helps with the monotony. And I'd rather be in the water than at home on my butt.

Q: Does it really keep you fit throughout the duration of injury?

A: I don't know. But here's some info from Pete Pfitzinger: Among other reports and studies cited, "at the University of Toledo, in which trained runners ran in the water 5 to 6 days per week for 4 weeks . . . runners had no change in 5K performance time, VO2 max, lactate threshold, or running economy after 4 weeks of water running. So, there is little question that water running is an effective method for runners to stay fit." (Source and more information.)

Have you tried aqua jogging? If so, do you have any advice for me? If not, do you think it's something you'd be interested in trying? I can see myself continuing some pool running even after I'm healed. We'll see! Leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.


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