It has been over 2 weeks since I have last posted but in my defense, I have been busy. It started with the week before finals and all the projects that came with it and then the week of finals consists of studying. Plus, I've been having difficulties thinking up topics to write about because my running has been going pretty nicely. Of course, that changed on Friday.
We were given a day off a school and because of our conflicting schedules, our newly nice coach decided to let us run on our own. In retrospect, this was a bad decision. We had a track workout consisting of 16 200's at 45 seconds with varying breaks on Thursday but I thought a 5 mile tempo run on Friday sounded good.
It was beautiful on Friday with temperatures above 50 degrees. This motivated me although I was running by myself. The first half I was struggling with a fast pace, my legs felt good but my stomach didn't. It felt like I was running on empty, but I wasn't. Looking back, I was probably partly dehydrated because I was just getting used to the temperatures. On the way back, I was forced to take two walking breaks before I found my rhythm again.
I was moving steadily, although a bit slowly, when I tripped on the sidewalk about a half mile from my school. I'm still not sure what exactly happened; I know I wasn't watching my feet so I might've been looking back at the traffic to find a place to cross the street or I might've been concentrating on my form. All I do know is that suddenly I was on the ground and had literally rolled into a dirt pile. My first thought was "what the heck just happened?" before standing up and looking around to make sure there were few witnesses to my lapse in gracefullness.
I then assessed my injuries and determined that although my palms were burning, they were only scraped and that the dirt caked to my shirt would come off. The focus of my attention was then on my right leg which had received some road rash. There was a big spot near my knee that was bleeding but my leg didn't hurt until twenty minutes later when it became extremely painful. The rest of me seemed okay so after a walking break where I regained my composure, I ran back so I could get my miles in.
Luckily, I had brought water with me so I could wash my palms and leg off. When I began driving home, I noticed that my right elbow was scraped up, similar to a teammate who tripped and fell on Thursday after coming into contact with a sprinter in lane one. The majority of my injuries was on my leg however, but it didn't look as bad when I cleaned it off.
On Saturday though, I found that both my hips were bruised, with my right one being the worst. I am no longer able to put pressure on my right side or cross my legs. Even an accidental touch to my bruise is painful. And I am sick. A runny nose combined with a shortage of Kleenex and a sore throat does not bode well for my first indoor track meet of the year on Tuesday. I have taken the rainy weekend off however, to rest up and heal in order to be in prime shape for my meet. Hopefully, it will work and I will be feeling better so I can show off what my training has achieved.
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
RUNNING UPDATE
A running update for the week so far.
I took Monday and Tuesday off and my quad felt like it was gradually getting better. It still hurt a bit when walking up stairs or any kind of incline, but I was worried I'd take too much time off and not ready to start track on February 16. I always worry about this even though I have been told over and over again that I should make sure my leg is better before starting to run again. On Wednesday it didn't hurt at all so I went ahead and ran a little more than my planned 4 miles.
I actually didn't feel like running, another reason I don't like to take too many days off, so I was intently looking for the slightest pain. I was kind of sore when I started out but that's because I took two days off. There wasn't enough pain throughout the run to find an excuse to stop, so I ended up running 6.5 miles. Yet there was still pain. Not where it has been hurting so that was good. But now the front of my right quad down to my knee hurts. The left side of my left leg was also kind of sore, but that might be from taking a break. My right leg is hurting right now though, so this might be a different kind of soreness. It almost feels like my knee can't support me, so I end up limping on the wrong side. I'm still deciding whether or not to run today but it depends on how my leg feels later in the day. I don't want to take another day off but I might have to.
Since the beginning of my run was spent making sure I wasn't hurt, I needed something else to keep my mind occupied when I did the extra miles. I ended up doing repeats along a flat stretch of sidewalk. A sidewalk that is now mostly cleared off because one of the houses with an icy sidewalk, has dumped about a foot of sand on it. This may be because they were reported to the city by a certain runner, but they could have cleared it off over two weeks earlier.
One thing I noticed while running along the road was that there was trash everywhere. Most of it was just sheets of newspaper or magazine ads but there were also two plastic bags. This was probably because it was garbage day and windy out but it made the street look like a dump. So I helped save the world by picking up some of the trash. I picked up the paper as I ran and dumped it in the recycle bin of some random person. I'm sure they were wondering why there was still trash in there, but they'd probably thank me for helping the environment once they found out what I was doing. Or they would give me a weird look like everyone else was doing. Not only did I save the environment, I also picked up a garbage bin that was in the middle of my street so someone wouldn't hit it. As a runner I felt it was my duty to do these little things. Plus, it made me feel guilty as I ran by but that is more of a minor factor.
I took Monday and Tuesday off and my quad felt like it was gradually getting better. It still hurt a bit when walking up stairs or any kind of incline, but I was worried I'd take too much time off and not ready to start track on February 16. I always worry about this even though I have been told over and over again that I should make sure my leg is better before starting to run again. On Wednesday it didn't hurt at all so I went ahead and ran a little more than my planned 4 miles.
I actually didn't feel like running, another reason I don't like to take too many days off, so I was intently looking for the slightest pain. I was kind of sore when I started out but that's because I took two days off. There wasn't enough pain throughout the run to find an excuse to stop, so I ended up running 6.5 miles. Yet there was still pain. Not where it has been hurting so that was good. But now the front of my right quad down to my knee hurts. The left side of my left leg was also kind of sore, but that might be from taking a break. My right leg is hurting right now though, so this might be a different kind of soreness. It almost feels like my knee can't support me, so I end up limping on the wrong side. I'm still deciding whether or not to run today but it depends on how my leg feels later in the day. I don't want to take another day off but I might have to.
Since the beginning of my run was spent making sure I wasn't hurt, I needed something else to keep my mind occupied when I did the extra miles. I ended up doing repeats along a flat stretch of sidewalk. A sidewalk that is now mostly cleared off because one of the houses with an icy sidewalk, has dumped about a foot of sand on it. This may be because they were reported to the city by a certain runner, but they could have cleared it off over two weeks earlier.
One thing I noticed while running along the road was that there was trash everywhere. Most of it was just sheets of newspaper or magazine ads but there were also two plastic bags. This was probably because it was garbage day and windy out but it made the street look like a dump. So I helped save the world by picking up some of the trash. I picked up the paper as I ran and dumped it in the recycle bin of some random person. I'm sure they were wondering why there was still trash in there, but they'd probably thank me for helping the environment once they found out what I was doing. Or they would give me a weird look like everyone else was doing. Not only did I save the environment, I also picked up a garbage bin that was in the middle of my street so someone wouldn't hit it. As a runner I felt it was my duty to do these little things. Plus, it made me feel guilty as I ran by but that is more of a minor factor.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
ACHES
I finished up my 33.7 mile week with a short 2.8 mile run this morning. I saw another runner which was pretty unusual so I raced them for awhile. My run was nice because it was still a little warm out at 31 degrees but.....my leg hurts. Not my whole leg, just my thigh or my quad as it should be called. It's been bugging me for a few days but now it's a steady ache. This has happened to me before and strangely enough the only time it's hurt since then is when it rains heavily. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's like an internal ache or a dull pain deep in the center of my leg. It doesn't really hurt, it just aches. No matter how much research I do, I can't seem to figure out what it is. It doesn't seem to be getting better but I need it to. It's frustrating because it's not enough to take a day off but it's enough to make runs miserable. It's bothering me though and it won't stop aching.
Friday, October 24, 2008
I DID MY BEST
Well, my miracle didn't happen. We didn't make it to state, we got 6th out of 9 teams. I'm not that disappointed but I still am a little. You always have this hope at the back of your mind that you will do whatever you set out to do. What I'm most upset about is that xc is over. Sure, I hate it sometimes but I really love it. I can barely walk right now, my right hamstring hurts so bad, but I'd give almost anything to go to state and continue practice. Right now my life seems empty. A week without running is basically empty. So to make it seem like xc hasn't ended yet, I must do my race report.
First off, it was a good day for a race. Only 42 degrees, pretty windy (although the wind was mostly gone by the time we had our race), and it was misty with only a little rain as I made my way to the starting line. It had raining before though so the ditch we usually run through twice was now a stream. They had to change the course so we went over another little bridge instead of through the ditch, which adds around 20 seconds to your time. I would rather have run through the ditch, we could have just jumped over the stream. They should let the runner's make these choices, it would have been around 3/4 of a mile with wet spikes which I would willingly go through to get a better time.
We actually warmed up as a team for the first time this year and we had 9 people warming up because, also for the first time this year, we were running a full varsity team (with 2 alternates). We warmed up 50 minutes instead of an hour before, which is what I usually do, because it gives me more time to stretch and do all my stuff. My right ankle was hurting a little bit but my hamstring felt pretty good. I was wearing all my under armour so I wouldn't freeze although I liked the weather. As I walked over to the finish line, it was beginning to rain. But around 3 minutes later it stopped. We did the usual strides but we didn't do a cheer or have a pep talk like the other teams.
So we take the sweats off at the last minute of course and right away the gun goes off. I was going to try to keep track of my teammates so I could try to keep up with them. I was actually trying to pace myself this time, but at the beginning you don't pace yourself. You run with everyone else who has to sprint the first 800m. My first 800m was in 3:07 before I settled into the pace I wanted. I was going to try and run 6:30's throughout which on a normal course would get me around 16:15 but around 16:35 on this course. Before we went over the bridge to get to the other side of the course, we always go through this huge crowd of people. When the race started it seemed like no one was there, and although the crowd was a little smaller it seemed a little louder. After we cross the bridge, we go up a slight hill and there is usually people lining the sides. I kind of like this part, because even though it's a hill, it makes me feel like I'm in the Tour de France riding up a mountain. As I went up that hill, I kept repeating to myself that this might be the most important race I have ever run, so I must run fast now and breathe at the end. It also helped that another coach was screaming at his runners that they weren't going fast enough. Our coach is more supportive during the meets, although he's not always the greatest at practices. My first mile was in 6:30, right on the mark.
I really don't like the middle part of the course. It seems long and it's pretty hilly although it doesn't really look that way. There's a bunch of trees too where people tend to bunch up around. The second mile, my hamstring started to hurt. I had put some Bio Freeze stuff on it so I tried to make it feel better. What really helped me during the second mile was the fact that the guy's team cheered for my by name. They've cheered before but this time they called me by my name which mattered more than the other people cheering for me (we also had more people cheering for us this time). I also passed this girl who I really wanted to beat, we kind of have this friendly rivalry thing going on, so I told myself to beat her. I also kept telling myself that I could rest later. At the 2 mile mark, I didn't look at my watch but a coach yelled out 13:30. I started sprinted around this point.
Around 500m to the finish, I started slowing down a little. This girl I had been running with (from a different team) told me that I could do this, that I could keep up with her. Besides wondering why she would tell an opposing runner this when we are all trying to beat each other so we can go to state, it really inspired me. I immediately sprinted and I tried to keep up with her as long as possible. At about the 400m mark there was a lot of people yelling and cheering. On the left side I could see the finish line and people cheering. I knew that I had to make these last 400m good. Then there was almost nobody and everyone was sprinting. I sprinted the straightaway, but the last 100m I was exhausted. I was running myself into the ground, I wasn't standing tall. It was a weird feeling. Around 10m from the line, me and the girl who talked to me caught a member of the team that runs together. My coach had told me to try and catch these girls and now 3 of us were sprinting for the line. I accidently (and it truly was an accident) elbowed the other girl. The fact that I was sprinting and I was tired was making my form get sloppy. All of a sudden the other girls elbow each other and we all started elbowing each other. The other girls beat me across the line, but I really gave it all. My time was 16:46 which was only 2 seconds faster than last week but they had made the course around 20 seconds longer. I think I could have dealt with wet shoes though to maybe get a new PR. My coach was happy with me and another girl and even though we didn't make it to state I still am proud of my team. I beat the girl I wanted to win against and it helped the fact that I got caught at the finish line. I think I improved a lot mentally and physically in this race though. I'm going to miss xc. I tried my hardest and I did pretty good.
On the plus side, after my race when I got into the car one of my new favorite songs, "Gotta be Somebody" by Nickelback comes on. They always make you feel better.
First off, it was a good day for a race. Only 42 degrees, pretty windy (although the wind was mostly gone by the time we had our race), and it was misty with only a little rain as I made my way to the starting line. It had raining before though so the ditch we usually run through twice was now a stream. They had to change the course so we went over another little bridge instead of through the ditch, which adds around 20 seconds to your time. I would rather have run through the ditch, we could have just jumped over the stream. They should let the runner's make these choices, it would have been around 3/4 of a mile with wet spikes which I would willingly go through to get a better time.
We actually warmed up as a team for the first time this year and we had 9 people warming up because, also for the first time this year, we were running a full varsity team (with 2 alternates). We warmed up 50 minutes instead of an hour before, which is what I usually do, because it gives me more time to stretch and do all my stuff. My right ankle was hurting a little bit but my hamstring felt pretty good. I was wearing all my under armour so I wouldn't freeze although I liked the weather. As I walked over to the finish line, it was beginning to rain. But around 3 minutes later it stopped. We did the usual strides but we didn't do a cheer or have a pep talk like the other teams.
So we take the sweats off at the last minute of course and right away the gun goes off. I was going to try to keep track of my teammates so I could try to keep up with them. I was actually trying to pace myself this time, but at the beginning you don't pace yourself. You run with everyone else who has to sprint the first 800m. My first 800m was in 3:07 before I settled into the pace I wanted. I was going to try and run 6:30's throughout which on a normal course would get me around 16:15 but around 16:35 on this course. Before we went over the bridge to get to the other side of the course, we always go through this huge crowd of people. When the race started it seemed like no one was there, and although the crowd was a little smaller it seemed a little louder. After we cross the bridge, we go up a slight hill and there is usually people lining the sides. I kind of like this part, because even though it's a hill, it makes me feel like I'm in the Tour de France riding up a mountain. As I went up that hill, I kept repeating to myself that this might be the most important race I have ever run, so I must run fast now and breathe at the end. It also helped that another coach was screaming at his runners that they weren't going fast enough. Our coach is more supportive during the meets, although he's not always the greatest at practices. My first mile was in 6:30, right on the mark.
I really don't like the middle part of the course. It seems long and it's pretty hilly although it doesn't really look that way. There's a bunch of trees too where people tend to bunch up around. The second mile, my hamstring started to hurt. I had put some Bio Freeze stuff on it so I tried to make it feel better. What really helped me during the second mile was the fact that the guy's team cheered for my by name. They've cheered before but this time they called me by my name which mattered more than the other people cheering for me (we also had more people cheering for us this time). I also passed this girl who I really wanted to beat, we kind of have this friendly rivalry thing going on, so I told myself to beat her. I also kept telling myself that I could rest later. At the 2 mile mark, I didn't look at my watch but a coach yelled out 13:30. I started sprinted around this point.
Around 500m to the finish, I started slowing down a little. This girl I had been running with (from a different team) told me that I could do this, that I could keep up with her. Besides wondering why she would tell an opposing runner this when we are all trying to beat each other so we can go to state, it really inspired me. I immediately sprinted and I tried to keep up with her as long as possible. At about the 400m mark there was a lot of people yelling and cheering. On the left side I could see the finish line and people cheering. I knew that I had to make these last 400m good. Then there was almost nobody and everyone was sprinting. I sprinted the straightaway, but the last 100m I was exhausted. I was running myself into the ground, I wasn't standing tall. It was a weird feeling. Around 10m from the line, me and the girl who talked to me caught a member of the team that runs together. My coach had told me to try and catch these girls and now 3 of us were sprinting for the line. I accidently (and it truly was an accident) elbowed the other girl. The fact that I was sprinting and I was tired was making my form get sloppy. All of a sudden the other girls elbow each other and we all started elbowing each other. The other girls beat me across the line, but I really gave it all. My time was 16:46 which was only 2 seconds faster than last week but they had made the course around 20 seconds longer. I think I could have dealt with wet shoes though to maybe get a new PR. My coach was happy with me and another girl and even though we didn't make it to state I still am proud of my team. I beat the girl I wanted to win against and it helped the fact that I got caught at the finish line. I think I improved a lot mentally and physically in this race though. I'm going to miss xc. I tried my hardest and I did pretty good.
On the plus side, after my race when I got into the car one of my new favorite songs, "Gotta be Somebody" by Nickelback comes on. They always make you feel better.
Monday, October 20, 2008
HOW WOULD.....
Well, I took those 2 days off. It didn't do too much for my leg either. It started out better when I did a whole 1.25 miles yesterday but then it got worse. The pain kind of spread too, the back of my knee hurt but then the side of my leg kind of hurt. My coach didn't even make me do the speedwork. One of the worst parts is that this is the easiest part of xc, when we sit around and watch movies and sip gatorade. If I had been hurt earlier than I could have gotten out of our long runs but no, now I just get out of a short run.
Butttt...good news! Even though my coach only let me run a total of 1000m, I felt so much better. My leg barely hurt and I'm going to keep putting this gel pain reliever stuff on it and of course icing it. I'm relieved though since I felt like I could run the whole course.
In the midsts of my beginning of my injury, I came across this post on Runner's World. I like it, because it is a good question. So I have come up with 10 ways my life would be different if I didn't run.
1. I'd have more and different friends. I wouldn't know any of my running friends, mostly because they are in different grades but I usually wouldn't talk to the people in my grade that do run. Also, being free on Friday nights greatly helps your social life. I'm so tired Friday from practices that I usually just sleep. Plus, I have to rested for Saturday morning practices.
2. I would think Porta Potties are gross. After using them about 2 or 3 times at least at every meet they don't bother me anymore. So I really don't get it when people refuse to use them. Or stand in line for 20 minutes when you'd only have to wait 2 minutes. They are just bathrooms, get over it.
3. I'd have to wear real clothes. I wouldn't have a bunch of running/xc/track shirts so I would have to wear the same clothing normal people do. That would mean I would have to find shirts to replace what I wear 4 or 5 days each week. I also wouldn't have my beautiful running shoes because there is no reason to buy running shoes if you aren't running and there's no reason to buy Nikes if you aren't exercising.
4. I would have to find some other sport. Something that requires teamwork and yelling and possibly some type of ball. Like...eww volleyball or softball or tennis or soccer. I'd have to interact with people and I might have to wear like spandex shorts *shudder* or short sleeved jerseys. And other sports are big into the matching clothes, hair, and even paint their faces. I'm so glad I run.
5. I wouldn't eat so much food. Not because I wouldn't because I would be worried about my weight (although I'm sure I might be a couple pounds heavier but that is NOT at all why I run) but I wouldn't be hungry. I wouldn't be so incredibly grossed out by fast food or pop either. I probably would eat less Subway and pasta and more hamburgers and chips.
6. I would think 3 miles is long. Just like all the non runners I know, which is kind of sad. Because I consider 3 miles a really easy day. I could race 3 miles, but if I didn't run than I might not even be able to run the whole thing.
7. I would be a wimp. Running makes me believe that I can do anything. One day, to get through a 7.33 mile run around the lake, I was literally telling myself in my head that "you run xc, you can do anything". My belief that running and xc can help me do anything spills over to the rest of my life. The pain I put up with when running allows me to be a lot braver in other areas of my life.
8. I would not have the fantastic running tan I have now. I would really miss my glaringly white feet and the white bands around my arm where my watch and LiveSTRONG wristband are. I would not have to worry about how I look in flip flops and halter dresses (although I've mostly gotten over this). But I would not have the lovely leg muscles I have now.
9. I would have more free time, but not in a good way. I might get more work done, but I'd also be more likely to slack off since I wouldn't have disipline or a schedule. I'd have all this extra energy too but I think I would be depressed or something. Running makes almost anything better.
10. And finally, the most simple reason. I would not run. These words have a hard time registering with me. There's even a page from a magazine in my room that says "I'll keep running". I wouldn't be out in thunderstorms or on New Year's Day when the roads were slick with ice. I wouldn't be out when its snowing or when just going outside makes you sweat. Sure, I might be able to walk without pain or be able to straighten my leg, but I wouldn't get to experience life without running. Running allows me to do so many different things. It also gives me a lot of opportunities. So after looking at this list, I really can't find a way that not running would help me. So I'll keep running. To put it simply, I have to.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
NOOOOOO
I have hamstring tendonitis, starting last Wednesday, the day before our divisional meet. Besides the fact that it sucks for me, it sucks for my team, because it lessens our chance of placing highly at districts. To get to state, my coach said we'd all have to have our perfect race and my perfect race isn't going to happen if I can't straighten my right leg without pain.
This is my first real running injury though. I had runner's knee in middle school and slight shin splints earlier this season, but I don't count those as real injuries because I could still run. I ran 3 miles on Friday but I was in an extreme amount of pain. My coach even told me not to run at all this weekend, which is difficult to do. Difficult to do until I accidently straighten my leg or somehow stretch it and feel how hurt I really am.
This injury also makes me question what right I have to run at districts on Thursday. I could only run 9 minute miles on Friday, so how am I going ro run 2.5 miles in under 16:30? We don't have much chance of making it to state, but as one of five varsity runners, I have to run. My friend ran with a stress fracture in her femur earlier this year, so I think I might have to borrow some of her bravery and use it for my race.
After this week, if we don't make it to state, our xc season is over. If I am still hurt then I won't be able to run, and I won't be able to surround myself with running related things. I need to run though, or else I will fall apart. All these problems make me want to go for a run, but I can't which is the problem in the first place. I think my goal for track season will not to get hurt at all.
This is my first real running injury though. I had runner's knee in middle school and slight shin splints earlier this season, but I don't count those as real injuries because I could still run. I ran 3 miles on Friday but I was in an extreme amount of pain. My coach even told me not to run at all this weekend, which is difficult to do. Difficult to do until I accidently straighten my leg or somehow stretch it and feel how hurt I really am.
This injury also makes me question what right I have to run at districts on Thursday. I could only run 9 minute miles on Friday, so how am I going ro run 2.5 miles in under 16:30? We don't have much chance of making it to state, but as one of five varsity runners, I have to run. My friend ran with a stress fracture in her femur earlier this year, so I think I might have to borrow some of her bravery and use it for my race.
After this week, if we don't make it to state, our xc season is over. If I am still hurt then I won't be able to run, and I won't be able to surround myself with running related things. I need to run though, or else I will fall apart. All these problems make me want to go for a run, but I can't which is the problem in the first place. I think my goal for track season will not to get hurt at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
