Stay cool, Terrell. . . looks like you should have warm, warm weather in Richmond. Can't complain here. . . it's pretty wet, but in the high 50s. I hope it stays in the 60s all through the month of November! ) Reading the Book of Kel, short blurbs by Amby Burfoot and Gail Kislevitz. Very inspiring for runners! :)
I just finished a five-day vacation in NC ... high-school football game to see granddaughter in color guard at halftime, FSU-Wake Forest game on Saturday, pumpkin-carving on Sunday (while daughter’s boyfriend smoked pig for sliders, Monday we had lunch with grandson in his elementary school cafeteria, Tuesday we spent an hour at a cat cafe and Tuesday night put on costumes older daughter and son-in-law had ... I was a knight on a dragon and wife was a cow ... handing out candy to I swear, between a hundred and two-hundred kids. Came home to one day in the office followed by two shots (Covid booster and flu) ... now I’m down for the count ... vegging on the couch!
So, I try to run three times a week, 4-6 miles these days. I've run longer distances, but lately can't seem to find the motivation. Anyway, last Friday after one mile my hip began to hurt a lot! I continued on for another four miles and it has been painful since. Tried to run today and could only do a mile. I have been walking, hiking, but it's painful. I think I have hip bursitis. I had that quite a few years ago. Anyone else familiar with this injury? If so, what did you do? I really don't want to start with physical therapy, hoping it goes away on its own . . .
If you have been running for awhile and this just started, I would check and see if the shoes are worn and breaking down. Also, check to see if you need orthotics. Usually, when one has hip problems it starts with the shoes or feet. Hope you find the cause and get to running without distress again.
tomorrow starts week 7 of LA marathon training! i've been really able to stay on top of weekly runs, weekend long runs, with the help of my husband and family. we have a 16 mos old son and on top of my horse, FT work, high energy dog PLUS training for a marathon.. gratitude doesnt begin to explain how i feel so far with being able to train for the LAM on top of everything! i'm giving myself grace to politely bow out if i have to, but i'm not so secretly hoping i can crush the training week by week. my husband leaves for 2 months in jan/feb so that should prove challenging but i'm hoping with some fine tuning in my schedule and flexibility i can conquer this.
Hi everyone. After running for 47 years, I have been unable to this year because of medical problems.
It has been difficult as I am a very active person. So I try to keep a positive outlook. The Friday Open Thread really helps. Also, to keep my spirits up, I have gone back through my running logs - been keeping one since 1978 - and reviewing some of my favorite runs, two of which I will share with you today. During a business trip to France years ago, I was able to take a day to visit the beaches of Normandy and stayed in a quaint hotel in Arromanches (Gold Beach). I got up early and did my run along the top of the cliffs at sunrise - it was beautiful and eerie -I could almost hear the battle.
The other great run was in Svalbard (78 degrees North) while visiting friends. It is basically an arctic desert. It was a cool morning and once out of the town, there was no sound other than my footsteps and breathing. Fantastic run. The next run was in the opposite direction , same weather conditions and I ran by a herd of reindeer. So my thoughts stay positive and look forward to getting back on the road next year.
You'll get there. After nine months struggling with a lung infection I can now breathe without coughing. Started walking and now can jog for a mile or two. Looking forward to next years races.
I was looking at my options to watch the NYC Marathon on Sunday, it use to be on a regular sports channel...not any more. As I flipped through trying to find the easiest way, I came across an article on what they now call the super shoes put out by all the shoe companies now. They explained in detail what their made of and how they are designed to work. They said the professional runner will get a 4% boost in his times. I remember back a while ago, they banned a few shoe models for that reason. Are the world records that now seem to be broken at every major...except Boston, the work of the better athlete or what he's wearing. The shoes made special for the elete runners cost the average runner somewhere in tha area of $500 on the market. My point is, is it cheating? Or is this the way the sport is going... Just a thought.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately too, Steve. I'm glad you posted here. I wonder if by the world record times they need to write down the shoes as well. I read a few years back that many professional athletes were upset about the super shoes...maybe now they all have access to them to even the field?
The half I ran in Biloxi was on the road, but parallel to the beach all the way. In the first mile we passed some probably homeless men camped out on the sand. One yelled at us, not uncommon in my experience. But he yelled "slow down, you're missing the best part" And that cracked me up. It also made me look up, and he was right, I got a nice picture of the lighthouse with the sunrise behind it.
Good afternoon. Been soooo busy lately that haven't even been able to read the blog, much less reply. I've got my first half of the season coming up 11/19 and, in SW Florida, finally getting cool enough to run outside before dark. Could not make the Richmond run...
My thing this week is that I'm pretty much in taper mode for the Athens (Greece) marathon a week from this Sunday. So, at this point, I'm mostly focused on not screwing anything up. I've got nothing but easy runs between now and November 12. Help me remember: I can't gain speed at this point. Right?!
My bride is a white knuckler so flying unless its an emergency is out. The pilot doesn't like when she sits on his lap and steers. Before I got married I saw a lot of Europe. Would love to move to Italy.
My exciting achievement of the week: Running 10k at my fastest pace yet! Yay!
My not-so-great news: Getting back MRI results on my knee and learning I have a new meniscal tear and bone spur that have been causing my recurrent knee and IT band pain.
I had surgery on that knee to repair a torn meniscus 3 years ago. The orthopedist says it's not to a point where he thinks I *need* surgery, but that it's my call—especially if the pain management route doesn't seem to be working.
So, now, I wonder ... Do I give up running? Do I go through with the surgery (again) and recovery time (again)? Do I tough it out?
I don't think I'm looking for any answers or advice necessarily. I'm just feeling upset and frustrated by this news.
That's got to be super frustrating. Everyone's injury is different, but I am now a believer in the concept that a meniscus issue might not need surgery. I've had arthoscopy on each knee, decades ago, for meniscus tears. But I was told this past year that a degenerative tear (as distinct from a piece-that-ripped-off kind of tear) would indeed be better without surgery. Knock on wood, I've seen great improvement since the thing first flared up in December. I manage the swelling now, and have to work on mobility. But it seems like the way to go--for me. Good luck with your situation. It's super frustrating, I can imagine.
Thank you so much. That is really helpful perspective! And mine is also a "degenerative" tear, witch is different than the complex tear I had before that led to my surgery.
Hoping that between being more intentional with prevention and pain management I will be able to not only put off surgery but also just improve my pain level, range of motion, and function, in general!
I saw you're preparing for the Athens Marathon coming soon... All the luck!!! Take good care of yourself!
All the best Rebecca! I had a meniscus tear some 18 years back when I was in my early 30s and went for the surgery route also orthoscopic, and it sidetracked running for about 4 months, but am glad I did it. Of course, every body/knee is different and you’ll know what’s best for you, hope the pain is manageable. Congrats on the 10K PR despite it all!!
The pain usually starts after a run and can sometimes last for days or even up to a week or so. The pain ranges from slightly uncomfortable to severe and constant.
It's been better-ish in recent weeks, which is why I'm feeling hopeful that MAYBE I'll be able to make do with upping my pain prevention/management game. But it's also pretty clear to me that running seems to be directly involved with the severity and duration of pain ðŸ«
I'll kick it off. What are some weight training exercises people here swear by? I'm pretty good in general, but sometimes I feel heavy or stiff when I'm running after doing weights. But, all the experts say weights are essential to getting better at running.
I'm a lean-muscle mass lifter. Do major muscles [back, chest, shoulders] do high reps and low weight volume. When I started back into using weights, goal was to make the things that were "moving" into not move! so far, so good...
Yeah I definitely focus more on upper body when I lift because of the running. I did hear somewhere that leg day is still important for runners, but man it's tough lol.
I've been working with a remote/online coach who has emphasized hip mobility and strengthening. There's a whole sequence of things called MYRTL that you could find online and that has helped with some really precise hip strength that helps, in turn, I think, with hamstring strength. I have plenty of quad strength but/and that can be a problem. So I'm welcoming these exercises.
I love weight training! I wonder if you're feeling super stiff or sore following, you might want to either go a little easier, either rep or weight wise, or maybe do a little more stretching/foam rolling?
For reference, I do a combo of a dedicated full-body weight training session 1-2 times a week then also do HIIT classes that incorporate strength training on focused areas about 3 times a week.
To get into more details, I do f45 and running as my exercise regiment. And while I feel l like I am in excellent shape for myself, I think the f45 sabotages my running a bit lol (but I also do it for the community so I'll make that sacrifice 10 times out of 10).
I recently added on a pseudo-HIITs workout [a modified one , I chose the activities and times too - 5 min intervals]. Liking it and I do it after my eight workout. Will then end with treadmill walk to kinda' get back into a balance.
Hi Terrell, I do strength (20 minutes) and run on the same days But I run early and do the strength training a few hours later. Experiment and see what works for you and your schedule. I don't think there are any rules on this. Just my 2 cents. :)
I run on day 1, lift on day 2, rest/stretch on day 3, back to day 1. I’ve found that running on day 1 doesn’t affect lifting on day 2 very much. But lifting on day 1 has a major negative impact on making my running objectives for day 2.
I do them separate days. Honestly it's because even I tell myself I'm going to do both, I end up tired after the exercise and don't do the second half.
I do not. I alternate runs and weights and on the weekly odd day, add a run [usually short one either before or after a long one]. I also don't do weights for my legs.
I have found the T25 workout videos are good for strength training Some of them use weights and a combination of your body weight to build strength. They are 25 minutes long A great workout for me is to do one of the 25 minute videos and then jump on the treadmill , while I am completely exhausted from the video workout, and run two fast miles. Done is less than an hour total and I feel stronger and fit. As I age I’ve found they help me keep limber and agile.
Stay cool, Terrell. . . looks like you should have warm, warm weather in Richmond. Can't complain here. . . it's pretty wet, but in the high 50s. I hope it stays in the 60s all through the month of November! ) Reading the Book of Kel, short blurbs by Amby Burfoot and Gail Kislevitz. Very inspiring for runners! :)
I just finished a five-day vacation in NC ... high-school football game to see granddaughter in color guard at halftime, FSU-Wake Forest game on Saturday, pumpkin-carving on Sunday (while daughter’s boyfriend smoked pig for sliders, Monday we had lunch with grandson in his elementary school cafeteria, Tuesday we spent an hour at a cat cafe and Tuesday night put on costumes older daughter and son-in-law had ... I was a knight on a dragon and wife was a cow ... handing out candy to I swear, between a hundred and two-hundred kids. Came home to one day in the office followed by two shots (Covid booster and flu) ... now I’m down for the count ... vegging on the couch!
So, I try to run three times a week, 4-6 miles these days. I've run longer distances, but lately can't seem to find the motivation. Anyway, last Friday after one mile my hip began to hurt a lot! I continued on for another four miles and it has been painful since. Tried to run today and could only do a mile. I have been walking, hiking, but it's painful. I think I have hip bursitis. I had that quite a few years ago. Anyone else familiar with this injury? If so, what did you do? I really don't want to start with physical therapy, hoping it goes away on its own . . .
If you have been running for awhile and this just started, I would check and see if the shoes are worn and breaking down. Also, check to see if you need orthotics. Usually, when one has hip problems it starts with the shoes or feet. Hope you find the cause and get to running without distress again.
tomorrow starts week 7 of LA marathon training! i've been really able to stay on top of weekly runs, weekend long runs, with the help of my husband and family. we have a 16 mos old son and on top of my horse, FT work, high energy dog PLUS training for a marathon.. gratitude doesnt begin to explain how i feel so far with being able to train for the LAM on top of everything! i'm giving myself grace to politely bow out if i have to, but i'm not so secretly hoping i can crush the training week by week. my husband leaves for 2 months in jan/feb so that should prove challenging but i'm hoping with some fine tuning in my schedule and flexibility i can conquer this.
Hi everyone. After running for 47 years, I have been unable to this year because of medical problems.
It has been difficult as I am a very active person. So I try to keep a positive outlook. The Friday Open Thread really helps. Also, to keep my spirits up, I have gone back through my running logs - been keeping one since 1978 - and reviewing some of my favorite runs, two of which I will share with you today. During a business trip to France years ago, I was able to take a day to visit the beaches of Normandy and stayed in a quaint hotel in Arromanches (Gold Beach). I got up early and did my run along the top of the cliffs at sunrise - it was beautiful and eerie -I could almost hear the battle.
The other great run was in Svalbard (78 degrees North) while visiting friends. It is basically an arctic desert. It was a cool morning and once out of the town, there was no sound other than my footsteps and breathing. Fantastic run. The next run was in the opposite direction , same weather conditions and I ran by a herd of reindeer. So my thoughts stay positive and look forward to getting back on the road next year.
Goo luck to all of you running races.
You'll get there. After nine months struggling with a lung infection I can now breathe without coughing. Started walking and now can jog for a mile or two. Looking forward to next years races.
I was looking at my options to watch the NYC Marathon on Sunday, it use to be on a regular sports channel...not any more. As I flipped through trying to find the easiest way, I came across an article on what they now call the super shoes put out by all the shoe companies now. They explained in detail what their made of and how they are designed to work. They said the professional runner will get a 4% boost in his times. I remember back a while ago, they banned a few shoe models for that reason. Are the world records that now seem to be broken at every major...except Boston, the work of the better athlete or what he's wearing. The shoes made special for the elete runners cost the average runner somewhere in tha area of $500 on the market. My point is, is it cheating? Or is this the way the sport is going... Just a thought.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately too, Steve. I'm glad you posted here. I wonder if by the world record times they need to write down the shoes as well. I read a few years back that many professional athletes were upset about the super shoes...maybe now they all have access to them to even the field?
The half I ran in Biloxi was on the road, but parallel to the beach all the way. In the first mile we passed some probably homeless men camped out on the sand. One yelled at us, not uncommon in my experience. But he yelled "slow down, you're missing the best part" And that cracked me up. It also made me look up, and he was right, I got a nice picture of the lighthouse with the sunrise behind it.
i love this
Good afternoon. Been soooo busy lately that haven't even been able to read the blog, much less reply. I've got my first half of the season coming up 11/19 and, in SW Florida, finally getting cool enough to run outside before dark. Could not make the Richmond run...
Where in Florida is it going to be?
My thing this week is that I'm pretty much in taper mode for the Athens (Greece) marathon a week from this Sunday. So, at this point, I'm mostly focused on not screwing anything up. I've got nothing but easy runs between now and November 12. Help me remember: I can't gain speed at this point. Right?!
Good luck!
Thanks!
After you win, enjoy the sites there...
Ha, yes, I've been to Greece almost every year of my life, often more than once a year. My family is all there.
My bride is a white knuckler so flying unless its an emergency is out. The pilot doesn't like when she sits on his lap and steers. Before I got married I saw a lot of Europe. Would love to move to Italy.
My exciting achievement of the week: Running 10k at my fastest pace yet! Yay!
My not-so-great news: Getting back MRI results on my knee and learning I have a new meniscal tear and bone spur that have been causing my recurrent knee and IT band pain.
I had surgery on that knee to repair a torn meniscus 3 years ago. The orthopedist says it's not to a point where he thinks I *need* surgery, but that it's my call—especially if the pain management route doesn't seem to be working.
So, now, I wonder ... Do I give up running? Do I go through with the surgery (again) and recovery time (again)? Do I tough it out?
I don't think I'm looking for any answers or advice necessarily. I'm just feeling upset and frustrated by this news.
That's got to be super frustrating. Everyone's injury is different, but I am now a believer in the concept that a meniscus issue might not need surgery. I've had arthoscopy on each knee, decades ago, for meniscus tears. But I was told this past year that a degenerative tear (as distinct from a piece-that-ripped-off kind of tear) would indeed be better without surgery. Knock on wood, I've seen great improvement since the thing first flared up in December. I manage the swelling now, and have to work on mobility. But it seems like the way to go--for me. Good luck with your situation. It's super frustrating, I can imagine.
Thank you so much. That is really helpful perspective! And mine is also a "degenerative" tear, witch is different than the complex tear I had before that led to my surgery.
Hoping that between being more intentional with prevention and pain management I will be able to not only put off surgery but also just improve my pain level, range of motion, and function, in general!
I saw you're preparing for the Athens Marathon coming soon... All the luck!!! Take good care of yourself!
All the best Rebecca! I had a meniscus tear some 18 years back when I was in my early 30s and went for the surgery route also orthoscopic, and it sidetracked running for about 4 months, but am glad I did it. Of course, every body/knee is different and you’ll know what’s best for you, hope the pain is manageable. Congrats on the 10K PR despite it all!!
Thank you! All the hard work is done now! I’m really looking forward to it. And I love Athens at this time of year.
If it was me, I'd get the surgery. No use living in pain when there is a fix.
Rebecca, I’m so bummed to hear this, and I feel for you. I wish I had an answer... uggghh. Does it only hurt when you run, or all the time?
The pain usually starts after a run and can sometimes last for days or even up to a week or so. The pain ranges from slightly uncomfortable to severe and constant.
It's been better-ish in recent weeks, which is why I'm feeling hopeful that MAYBE I'll be able to make do with upping my pain prevention/management game. But it's also pretty clear to me that running seems to be directly involved with the severity and duration of pain ðŸ«
I'll kick it off. What are some weight training exercises people here swear by? I'm pretty good in general, but sometimes I feel heavy or stiff when I'm running after doing weights. But, all the experts say weights are essential to getting better at running.
I mix it up week to week but usually Farmer Carry Marches, lateral taps, and squats.
I'm a lean-muscle mass lifter. Do major muscles [back, chest, shoulders] do high reps and low weight volume. When I started back into using weights, goal was to make the things that were "moving" into not move! so far, so good...
Yeah I definitely focus more on upper body when I lift because of the running. I did hear somewhere that leg day is still important for runners, but man it's tough lol.
I've been working with a remote/online coach who has emphasized hip mobility and strengthening. There's a whole sequence of things called MYRTL that you could find online and that has helped with some really precise hip strength that helps, in turn, I think, with hamstring strength. I have plenty of quad strength but/and that can be a problem. So I'm welcoming these exercises.
Hip mobility is excellent advice. I can feel my hip tightness now that I read that sentence haha.
Lolol, I very much got hyper aware of my hip tightness reading that, too!
I love weight training! I wonder if you're feeling super stiff or sore following, you might want to either go a little easier, either rep or weight wise, or maybe do a little more stretching/foam rolling?
For reference, I do a combo of a dedicated full-body weight training session 1-2 times a week then also do HIIT classes that incorporate strength training on focused areas about 3 times a week.
To get into more details, I do f45 and running as my exercise regiment. And while I feel l like I am in excellent shape for myself, I think the f45 sabotages my running a bit lol (but I also do it for the community so I'll make that sacrifice 10 times out of 10).
I recently added on a pseudo-HIITs workout [a modified one , I chose the activities and times too - 5 min intervals]. Liking it and I do it after my eight workout. Will then end with treadmill walk to kinda' get back into a balance.
This is what I need too -- do you lift and run on the same days? I imagine I'd do them on separate days, but now I'm not sure.
Hi Terrell, I do strength (20 minutes) and run on the same days But I run early and do the strength training a few hours later. Experiment and see what works for you and your schedule. I don't think there are any rules on this. Just my 2 cents. :)
I run on day 1, lift on day 2, rest/stretch on day 3, back to day 1. I’ve found that running on day 1 doesn’t affect lifting on day 2 very much. But lifting on day 1 has a major negative impact on making my running objectives for day 2.
I do them separate days. Honestly it's because even I tell myself I'm going to do both, I end up tired after the exercise and don't do the second half.
I do not. I alternate runs and weights and on the weekly odd day, add a run [usually short one either before or after a long one]. I also don't do weights for my legs.
I have found the T25 workout videos are good for strength training Some of them use weights and a combination of your body weight to build strength. They are 25 minutes long A great workout for me is to do one of the 25 minute videos and then jump on the treadmill , while I am completely exhausted from the video workout, and run two fast miles. Done is less than an hour total and I feel stronger and fit. As I age I’ve found they help me keep limber and agile.
Shaun T is wonderful. I've been a longtime fan of his workouts! They will definitely get you in shape, both cardio and muscle-wise!