Knee Rehab Week 5 - 20 Minutes

Both my PT and orthopedic surgeon have said that I could likely see limitations in my running as a result of all the damage in my knee. The arthritis alone could be painful enough to prevent running altogether. They have both recommended that I consider taking up low impact fitness options (pff, as if!).

I'm not a glutton for punishment, but I love running and I'm ready to test my knee. I'm also smart enough to know that running is not supposed to hurt.

Cautions delivered, my PT gave me my Back to Running Program. I never thought that I would be so excited to see 20 minutes. The program is set for me to use walk/run intervals that increase the running progressively with rest days in between.

Run #1
The plan - walk 4 minutes, run 1 minute, repeat 4x

Never one to wait, I programmed my watch to the 4:1 intervals and got right out to do my first run on Friday. It was cold and walking doesn't do much for warming up, but I was too excited to care (and a little nervous too). Even though I only ran for 4 minutes…I RAN FOR 4 MINUTES! It felt so good. My knee did not hurt at all, but I did have some swelling after.

Run #2
The plan - walk 3 minutes, run 2 minutes, repeat 4x

My smile is back! mrC even commented that I looked "all happy in my running gear" before I left to meet up with the MRTT group. The group ran a mile out & back while I ran/walked 10 minutes out & back. It worked. We dodged the forecasted rain and enjoyed post-run smoothies at the Bridge Cafe. My smile grew even bigger as once again there was no knee pain and almost no swelling after the run.

group photo by Christine

Weekly Workouts:

Monday - PT in the HS fitness center and 1.5 mile walk

Tuesday - One mile walk after school and PT session

Wednesday - PT in the HS fitness center and 1.6 mile walk

Thursday - One mile walk after school and PT session

Friday - Post Op appointment and run #1

Saturday - PT at home and one mile walk

Sunday - Run #2


Another week of the #SweatPink #NoExcuses challenge began with another round of #SundayZenday. I love seeing all the shares on Instagram and Twitter.

Running clears my mind, but it's also nice to enjoy a little #SundayZenday too. How do you zen? #SweatPink #noexcuses #jointhechallenge

A photo posted by AmyC (@runningescapades) on Jan 18, 2015 at 12:24pm PST

Have you joined the challenge yet (here)??

Knee Rehab Week 4 - #NoExcuses

Prior to having my meniscectomy, I was told that rehab would be approximately 4-6weeks. 4-6 weeks until I should be back to my previous athletic state. Week 4 of my knee rehab has come and gone...and I'm still not running.

Not that I think I should be. I just want to be.

And, not that I haven't made progress. I have.

My PTs have been increasing the difficulty of my exercises.  I'm up to 50 pounds on the single leg press and now holding 10 pound weights when I do my step ups. I've also been given the go-ahead to use the fitness center at school on days that I don't have physical therapy sessions scheduled. This lets me use the leg press every day during the week. Since I don't have a bike at home, I'm now walking backwards for my warmup with the incline at the highest setting.

And everyday I've been walking my mile and enjoying the views. Even on the bitter cold days, I've bundled up my #winterwarrior self and gone for it.

Honestly, it's getting harder to not be running. The progress feels awesome, but it also makes me feel like I can do more.

Deep down I know that I need to be patient and focus on building my strength. So I've been looking for motivation to help me appreciate what I CAN do right now.

I can't run, but I can be strong. I can still sweat.

Challenge info below!

When I'm strong enough, I will start running again. I will be training for the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon in September. Every month ZOOMA releases a ZOOMAlife podcast hosted by Brae and Brooke, founders of ZOOMA, and discuss all things running. It's a great place to find inspiration.

ZOOMA registration discount code on my sidebar!

For $5, you can join the No Excuses Sweat Pink Challenge (here).

On Sundays, you’ll receive an email with weekly prompts including workouts and healthy snack ideas. All you have to do is share what you’re doing across social media with the hashtags, #NoExcuses and #SweatPink, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win all sorts of weekly prizes! 

#HolidaySweat Week 6 Final Update

When I joined this challenge I had plans to be fast and furious. Then I had knee surgery during week 3. It slowed me down for a couple of weeks, but I finished better than I started in ways that I wasn't expecting.

My knee rehab took what felt like a giant leap last week. I was so excited to add bridges to my at-home workout, but then Dr. Bri added some lunges and balance work. The first day of lunges were tough and I was only doing 2 sets of (almost) 10. By the end of the week those 2 sets were much easier to do. I can't wait to see what week 3 of rehab will bring.

Although it's not exactly part of my rehab, I did get the ok to do my favorite ninja abs workout. After nearly 4 weeks of limited exercises, this made me feel one step closer to my old self.

In addition to my PT exercises, I continued to walk 1 mile everyday. I think mrC is enjoying the walks as much as the dog.

A surprising outcome has been my awareness and increased consumption of fruit and water. During the first weeks of the challenge, I realized that I eat a lot of veggies, but my fruit and water intake was below acceptable. Using the Plant Nanny app for water reminders has been a huge motivator and my garden is growing.

This challenge reminded me that being healthy is about more than just moving. I'm looking forward to maintaining the positive effects of participating and continuing my adventures in fitness.

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#HolidaySweat Week 5 Update

It's hard to believe that I am already three weeks and a couple of days post-menisectomy. With two more PT sessions under my belt, I have been able to increase my exercises and do more at home with increased confidence.

The bonus point challenge for the week was to walk/run a 5K. My PT did not give me permission to run (haha) or even walk the 5K, but he did give the ok to walking one mile per day (yay). {Friday} my oldest stepdaughter walked with me and the dog {Saturday} I recruited mrC, two kids, and my brother-in-law to take a walk after lunch at my in-laws and {Sunday} after driving 2+ hours back to NH, mrC and I took Booney for a walk to stretch our legs.

Having a smoothie everyday helped me meet the fruit and veggie goal, but the added protein and amino from GNC helped my muscles recover from PT and all the walking I was able to do this week.

My water in-take for the week was another success and I added another plant to my "garden." The only downside to drinking so much water is the number of trips I take to the bathroom. Jeez!

It's time to get started on the final week of the challenge!

What will you be doing this week?

#HolidaySweat Challenge Week 4 Update

Week 4 was a week of progress.

On Monday I had my first post-op appointment and the stitches came out of my knee. I also got the go-ahead to start PT and had my first session on Wednesday. I was surprised by how much I got to do and didn't even mind the 15 minutes of NMES (neuromuscular reeducation electrical stimulation). Apparently my quad muscle has atrophied quite a bit in the two weeks post-surgery. Most of the exercises I can do at home every other day.

I was surprised that I was doing wall squats, even with support, on my first day of PT. The foam roller makes moving up and down much easier as I'm not pushing against the wall. The hardest part for me is making sure my right leg isn't doing all of the work.

Heel press seems like no big deal, but my knee had a little pain after each 8 second hold. Dr. Bri said it was a normal pain, so I will keep doing them. This one is all about the hamstrings and mine felt the work.

Throughout the week I also had fun mixing in some of the PUREDGE product I was sent to review (post here) from GNC to boost my fruit and veggie smoothies. It also inspired me to try some new recipes. My favorite so far has been a Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie.

With the help of the Plant Nanny app that I mentioned in my last update, I met my daily water goal EVERY DAY!! My first plant, befittingly named Water Baby, grew so much that I was able to move it to the "garden" and start a new plant named Dandy Baby.

Week 4 of the challenge also offered bonus points for doing yoga. Now, I'm all about using yoga to stretch, so I did what I could with my knee and it felt so good!

Overall, it was a good week for me.

How was your week?

#HolidaySweat Challenge Week 3 Update

I don't know why it's taken me this long to do a Holiday Sweat Challenge post, but here we go!

Week 3 started as I was 4 days post-op from my meniscus surgery. I stayed home from school an extra day to give my knee one more day of rest in the hopes of reducing the still significant swelling.

I tried to ice my knee and get some work done, but after a wellness call from Dr. O's office I spent three hours getting an ultra sound and waiting for the results. The good news was I had no clots, the bad news was I had to limit my weight bearing by using one crutch until the end of the week.

My week of workouts suffered as a result of my recovery. On one hand I couldn't do much because of my knee and on the other I was exhausted. Maybe my body was working overtime for the healing process and maybe maneuvering myself around with one crutch is just tiresome.

In addition to tracking workouts during the challenge, we also track our servings of fruit, vegetables, and water. This part of the challenge has been eye-opening.

Monday - Arm strength workout (you can check it out here) and leg exercises. Water and 3 freggie servings.

Tuesday - Another arm workout, water, and 3 freggie servings. Bed at 8:15 PM

Wednesday - Water and 3 freggie servings. Bed at 8 PM

Thursday - Leg exercises, water, and 3 freggie servings. Bed at 7:30 PM!!

Friday - Leg exercises, water, and 3 freggie servings. Bed at 8 PM

Saturday - Spent 2 hours walking around the mall Christmas shopping. Normally this would not feel like a workout, but it was the most walking I've done (crutch-free) in over a week! 2 serving freggies and tons of water.

Sunday - Arm strength workout and leg exercises. 4 freggie servings and tons of water.

This challenge has shown me how much I am lacking in my water intake. Add to that some medicine that can cause constipation, and well…not so good for my tummy. At the end of the week I saw an article on Facebook about a woman who drank 3 liters of water a day and changed her life (read it here). I knew I had to make some changes myself.

I started using the Plant Nanny app after my friend Dani told me about it. It's an easy way to keep track of how much water I'm drinking and reach my daily goal. The app also gives me my own "plant" and every time I drink water, I water the plant and watch it grow. I named my plant Water Baby.

What do you track?
Do you use an app?

Training Truths: Coping with Limits

Last week I was able to comfortably complete some at-home short strength and cardio workouts, but my TFL test run did not go as I had hoped.

On Thursday, I was allowed to run after a two week hiatus. Run if it doesn't hurt, he said. So I did. Two miles with the high school Run Club. My TFL felt a little different, tight maybe, but it didn't hurt. At all.

Fast forward to my PT appointment about an hour after my run. Pain. It was back, just like the last time. Dr. Bri put me back on the no-running list, but gave me the ok to do cross-training as long as it doesn't cause pain. I went home after some Graston, ART, and another cortisone patch feeling bummed. Running is my thing. I don't want to give it up.

Friday I met with an orthopedic surgeon to discuss my torn meniscus - the root of all my problems. He recommended a repair. Seems like a good time since I can't run anyway. More on this later.

After seeing Dr. O, I had a sports massage from my favorite masseuse, Jeannie. She almost made me cry, but when I woke up Saturday morning, my hip was feeling TONS better!

I was feeling so much better that I decided to go to SurfSet. The instructors are great about offering modifications to moves during class for injuries and also different fitness levels. It's one of the reasons I love going.

SurfSet is a HIIT class mixing moves on the board with strength exercises using hand weights, kettle bells, and medicine balls. It was just what I needed.

I hate that I can't run, but my body has reached it's limit. So until my meniscus repair to fix the instability in my legs, I will continue to cope with my new limits with strength training and cross-training.

How do you cope when you can't run?

Training Truths: Staying Strong

Has it really been 4 weeks since I started dealing with my hip?

Last week I spent more time with Dr. Bri and worked on my strength (in ways that I could). At first that was just standard sit-ups, but as my hip pain lessened I was given the OK to do more.

So, after a couple of sessions of Graston, I was able to get back to my Tabata workouts that focus on core and lower leg strength. The only thing I couldn't do was side planks or anything else that caused pain in my hip.

By Sunday, I was itching for more and came across the Under Armour #SweatADay November challenge on Instagram. I've done the #SweatADay challenge numerous times in the past.  It helps me keep my fitness focus whether I am running or not and I find great new exercises. 

The weather was perfectly crisp for an outdoor morning workout following the challenge for day 9. Since I was getting a late start on the challenge, I also did a few of the previous workouts.

It felt really good to be outside working out. None of the exercises caused pain in my hip, but admittedly it felt…funny. Kind of tight, kind of tired? Not sure if the feeling in my hip is negative (pain-like) or positive (I've been used!).

Today I see Dr. Bri again and will hopefully get some more answers!

A Special Veteran's Day Gift for Those Who Protect Our House: 15% Off for Veterans & Service Members.

Training Truths: What the #TFL?

Another week has gone by and I'm still dealing with my hip mess. At the start of last week I thought I was making progress, but another painful two mile run told me it was time to see the professional.

Monday - I did my Tabata ab workouts and felt ok.

Tuesday - I went for a 2 mile run with the high school run club. It was bad. It was worse after. I actually went from the run to another massage appointment. She really worked on my legs, hips, and glutes, but my hip still hurt. A lot.

Wednesday - I woke up knowing that there was no way I could run with my Manchester City Marathon Relay Team on Sunday. Even if I were to try the shortest leg (instead of my 9 miler) it was going to be bad. So I made the call for a replacement. I wore my compression shorts under my work clothes. The snug fit helped ease the pain.

Friday - I was able to see Dr. Bri. He said the problem was my TFL.

What the TFL?

TFL stands for Tensor Fascia Latae.

Mine is not happy.

Turns out my (notorious) sartorius is not so scandalous after all. Dr. Bri was able to determine this because my pain is located on the side of my hip bone and not the front. (um ok, yea, whatever…how do we fix it???)

Although the TFL doesn't have a primary function, it does assist with hip flexion, abduction, and stabilization. When running it is active during the pick-up of the foot as well as the strike of the foot.

Dr. Bri suspects I'm suffering from the perfect storm of under active glutes, a weak left quad (thanks torn meniscus), and some over-pronating that is causing a strain on the right TFL at the insertion point on my hip bone. He performed some Graston (it was too painful to do Active Release) and then applied an electric cortisone patch.

The cortisone patch uses iontophoresis to deliver the medicine through the skin directly to the target area. Dr. Bri put the patch on my hip and then charged the little battery on top of it. This was a little uncomfortable because it felt like pins and needles, but it only lasted for a few minutes. I wore the patch for a couple hours and my hip felt better than it had in days.

So even though it feels like my injuries are taking me on an anatomy class journey, I am determined to overcome yet another injury and get strong again.

Since I didn't run this weekend, tell me what you did!

Training Truths: Packages of Happiness

I wanted so badly for the 13 days I took off from running to fix my hip/sartorius muscle problem. I had a sports massage, active release therapy, and a chiropractic adjustment. I tried to not think about the message waiting for me on my running watch.

As I waited for the non-running days to pass, I focused on what I could do: basic sit-ups/crunches. Nothing fancy or intense. After the first 7 days, I finally felt safe to take a walk.

Then the rain descend upon New Hampshire and didn't let up for days. As much as I dislike rainy weather, it made it easier to resist pushing my body too soon. Instead of lacing up my running shoes with the Run Club, I enjoyed littleCs damp soccer game and an indoor strength workout.

The frustration of not running was mitigated slightly during the week when I received little packages of happiness:

First, ZOOMA notified me that I had been chosen to be a 2015 Cape Cod Ambassador again!

Then, Mizuno satisfied my running shoe obsession by sending me another new pair of shoes!

I've been having shoe envy, but then today #Mizuno sent me these!! Thanks @mizunorunning, you're awesome! #WaveRider18 #IfEverybodyRan

A photo posted by AmyC (@runningescapades) on Oct 10, 2014 at 2:17pm PDT

Thursday's strength workout with Run Club left me feeling stronger. Strong enough to approach the weekend like I used to.

Friday - another strength workout, but at home. I did a couple of rounds of my favorite Tabata workouts in the basement.

Saturday - After a month away from SurfSet, mrC and I struggled through the morning session. There were brief moments when I felt a little tug in my hip, but really I just felt the loss of every single one of the 520 calories I burned during class. Afterward I happily pushed "OK" on my watch and then we took our new Mizunos on a 2 mile trail run. During the run, my hip felt a little tight, but better than I expected. 

That's right, mrC is now wearing Wave Rider 18s too!

Sunday - I woke up and immediately felt the workouts from Saturday. My calves, quads, and abs were sore from SurfSet, but my hip was sore from the run. I spent the day in compression pants, icing off and on.

The week ahead will be day-to-day with hopes that my second sports massage on Tuesday will be another package of happiness for my hip!

What was your last package of happiness?

My Notorious Sartorius

After a painful finish of the Newport half marathon, I had a sports massage and learned that the tenderness in my hip was actually caused by an issue with the longest muscle in my body.

Ironically, one week ago I had never heard of the sartorius muscle (apologies to my high school A&P teacher).

My problems no doubt started in August when I had a knot in my calf…right around the insertion area of the tibia. Running on it probably put a strain on the entire muscle resulting in my hip pain.

At the recommendation of my therapist, I took the week off. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be because until getting some active release therapy on Thursday, even walking was painful. 

So I spent much of the week icing, rolling, and taking it easy. Finally yesterday it felt like I could go for a low-impact walk without worrying that I was hampering the healing process.

me and my buddy

After breakfast, mrC and I took the dog for a walk on the local trail. Despite the sun there was a chill in the air, but my Athleta be free tights kept my legs comfortably warm. I'm eager to wear these on a run.

The walk also gave me another chance to lace up the GOrun 3s sent to me by Skechers. There is still time for you to pick out your own breast cancer awareness gear from the Skechers Performance Division (here) and support the American Cancer Society.

This week I will be taking more time off to let my muscles heal and hopefully be able to run the CHaD Hero 5K with my Team Nuun teammates on Sunday.

What is YOUR "notorious sartorius"?

One More Thing

Why does it feel like running keeps handing me one more thing to deal with?

Last week I came off a long run with mrC feeling really good and then I was hit with one more pain to add to my list of ailments. There is something very painful going on in my right hip bone area. Literally, it hurts right ON my hip bone. It hurts when I lean forward to put on a sock or shave my leg.

I'm getting a massage after school today, and I am hoping to get some answers…but ugh!
ONE MORE THING!

My training during the week leading up to yesterday's half marathon with mrC was limited to my one run with the high school run club, but since I needed to rest my legs (and my hip) it was for the best.

Tuesday - 2.7 miles on the trail. Every step of this run was painful. My recent sore spots were manageable, but a new pain in my right hip bone area was very tender.

I ended up icing my hip multiple times each day for the rest of the week. As race day loomed, I was worried that I might not be able to run 13.1 miles with mrC.

Sunday - Half marathon #12 with mrC (recap coming soon!)

Fortunately my next race is an easy 5K in two weeks, and then my 9 mile leg of the Manchester City Marathon Relay the week after that. Then it will be time to decide what to do about my knee. Oh right, almost forgot about that. At least all of my body parts will be able to heal at the same time if I decide to get my meniscus cleaned up.

Any suggestions as to what might be going on with my hip bone area? 

The Week After

As soon as I crossed the ZOOMA finish line last Saturday, I knew I had to go into recovery mode. It was a tough race. Since I'll be running the Newport Half with mrC next weekend, the week after the race is just as important as the training leading up to it.

POST RACE: The first thing I did was make my way to Buzzards Bay to soak my tired legs in the cold September water. There may have been a little stretching going on there too. After a sufficient soak and drinking two bottles of water, I made my way across the sand of Old Silver Beach to treat myself to a free 15 minute massage. Later, mrC and I took a leisurely stroll on the beach before going to dinner.

DAY AFTER: I started the day with some yoga stretches on the beach followed by some self massage of the tender spots in my legs. On the way home from the Cape, we stopped for some walking at the Outlet Mall.

DAYS 2-7:
Lots of foam rolling and some quality time with my heating pad to loosen up the two lingering knots in my calf and quad.

Tuesday - Easy recovery run on the trail. Still a couple of hot spots in the legs, so I grimaced through it.

Thursday - Another easy trail run. My legs were feeling much better on this run.

Saturday -  Not 100% pain-free, but this was the best run of the week. mrC and I ran a loop around the Manchester airport which has a good mix of rolling hills. I am trying to figure out a new pre-run fueling option after last weekend's disaster, so today I forced down a small banana (not a fan) and filled up my water bottle with Cytomax. The banana seems to be a working option for me and I didn't even feel like I needed the Cytomax.

Although I have been dealing with injuries more frequently than I would like lately, I cannot give up on running. There are three more races on my 2014 schedule and I'm going to enjoy each one of them…and recover after!

How do you get through hard times in your training?

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 11 - RACE WEEK!

I made it to race week!!!

Using bike miles to get me through my injury was the best decision I made during these 11 weeks of ZOOMA Cape Cod training. Somehow I survived the untimely knot in my calf, squeaked in a final long run, and maintained my fitness enough to toe the starting line on Saturday morning.

There were a lot of highs and lows getting to race day, but it was all worth it. ZOOMA Cape Cod is such a fun experience and I love being a part of such a big running celebration.

Monday: #FFWallSit challenge day 21 + planks

Tuesday: 3.5 mile run on the trail with the high school run club. My calf was not happy on the first part of this run. I took a quick stretch at the turn around and felt a little relief, but I was bummed. #FFWallSit challenge day 22 + planks

Wednesday: Another visit with Dr. Bri and he was stumped by what happened on Tuesday's run. More ART and 20 minutes of heat to loosen things up. Crossing my fingers! #FFWallSit challenge day 23 + planks

Thursday: Hair appointment = rest day. #FFWallSit challenge day 24 + planks

Friday: Off to the Cape! I wanted to do a short run once we arrived, but decided to just let the leg rest one more day. #FFWallSit challenge day 25 + planks

Saturday: ZOOMA Half Marathon! Although I had a ton of fun with the other ambassadors, this race was ugly. My legs cooperated for the most part (until the final 5K of hills), but I felt like crap: nauseous and light headed for most of the race. Luckily, mrC was out for a long run and joined me. We took  walk on the beach later in the day. #FFWallSit challenge day 26 + planks

Sunday: Started with a little #activenationday yoga on the beach to stretch my sore muscles. On the drive home, mrC and I stopped for a walk along the Cape Cod Canal where I ran my first leg of Ragnar. I want to run there again. #FFWallSit challenge day 27 + planks


How do you feel after all your training is complete and you make it to race day?

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 10 - Taper Week

Before the start of official taper week, my hopes of running the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon strong and healthy were starting to dwindle. After all, my premature tapering started more than two weeks ago after feeling twinges of a shin splint. I spent a lot more time doing low impact activities like riding my bike. (ICYMI here and here).

After a session with my PT last Monday, I was back in business and ready to run. Turns out I never had a shin splint; it was a knot in the muscle that just needed some active release therapy.

Monday - Visit to the PT + #FFWallSit challenge day 14

Tuesday - Ran 3.5 pain free miles on the trail with the run club and mrC. I cannot explain how happy I was to be running! #FFWallSit challenge day 15

Wednesday - barre3 Rejuvenate Core + Cool Down and #FFWallSit challenge day 16. I also became a member of a new run club.

Thursday - Another 3.5 miles on the trail with the run club and mrC. #FFWallSit challenge day 17 + planks.

Friday - A little Friday at the Barre with some co-workers before hustling to littleC's soccer match. #FFWallSit challenge day 18 + planks.

Saturday - Back to SurfSet for some sweatfest fun with the TI Fitness gang. #FFWallSit challenge day 19 + planks.

Sunday - Final long run before race week begins. We set out to run 8 miles on the trail, but at some point my GPS watch lost accuracy. Instead we ran 9.33 and felt great! #FFWallSit challenge day 20 + planks.


What do you like to do during race week?

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 9 - Peak Week!

Peak Week: the most challenging week of half marathon training. Once you make it through, you should be in "peak" condition for your race. My peak week came two weeks ago, when I hit my highest mileage before the dreaded shin splint pain began.

So during my scheduled "peak week", I spent more miles on my bike than in my running shoes. With ZOOMA Cape Cod only two weeks away, I have 14 days to be a smart runner and get over this shin pain for good!

Monday - #FFWallSit challenge day 7 and barre3 Studio Strength: Legs + Glutes. These 10 minute videos may be short, but they pack a punch! Yowzer!

Tuesday - Inaugural run with the GHS Running Club. Nice and easy 2.7 miles with chatty teenagers on the Goffstown Trail. #FFWallSit challenge day 8

Wednesday - #FFWallSit challenge day 9 and barre3 Studio Strength: Core + Stretch.

Thursday - Another trail run with the GHS Run Club. It was super muggy, be we were speedier than the last time. #FFWallSit challenge day 10

Friday - Stayed after school for a Faculty Barre class led by a colleague. It was a nice change from watching the videos. #FFWallSit challenge day 11

Saturday - Still feeling a little twinge of tenderness in my calf, so I opted for a long bike ride instead of a long run. mrC and I took the bikes on a 9.5 mile ride around Mine Falls Park. I love finding new places to bike (and run)! We will definitely be going back. #FFWallSit challenge day 12

Sunday - It was a beautiful fall day, so we took the bikes out for 14 miles on the Peterborough Trail. #FFWallSit challenge day 13


What is your favorite low impact activity?

Training Truths: ZOOMA week 8 - Increase Intensity

ZOOMA training week 8 was supposed to be about upping the intensity of my training with more miles and longer training runs. Instead I increased my sensibility and took care of the tight calf that turned into a full-fledged shin splint with some days off from running, lots of icing, compression gear, and self-massage.

I also learned some other great tips for dealing with shin splints from my runner friends:

• pick up newspaper using your toes
• air-write the alphabet with your toes
• rub ice cubes in circles on your shin
• drink more water

Monday - REST + barre3 No Props: Legs + Core

Tuesday - REST + #FFWallSit challenge day 1

Wednesday - REST + barre3 Studio Strength: Legs + Glutes ---> lots of shaking going on! #FFWallSit challenge day 2

Thursday - REST + #FFWallSit challenge day 3

Friday - REST + #FFWallSit challenge day 4

Saturday - Changed up my long run to not un-do the healing of my shin splint from the week of rest. Instead of a 12 miler, I ran 7 and then rode my bike the remaining 5. It was warm and humid, but I took it very easy and felt ok. Felt a little tightness in the evening, so I know I still have healing to do. #FFWallSit challenge day 5

Sunday - #FFWallSit challenge day 6

ZOOMA Cape Cod is only 3 weeks away and even though next week is Peak Week in my training program, I'm going to keep things easy and let my shin splint finish healing.

I'm also starting some fun fitness projects at school with the students and faculty this week. I'm looking forward to sharing more soon!