Don’t Tell My Treadmill BUT…….

July 8, 2015July 7, 2015 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 17 Comments

I’m kinda digging these early morning runs lately 🙂

I’ve been doing as many runs as I can outside these last few weeks. Why? Well, its gorgeous outside for one and really, REALLY, who wants to run on a treadmill if they have the option to run outside?!?! Don’t get me wrong, you know I LOVE MY TREADMILL but right now I’m loving running outside.

Also, I’m testing my leg. If I can run outside for my long runs or multiple runs in a row then training for a half marathon has to be adapted…..but so far it’s going really well with my hamstring. Might even have my last physio appointment this morning!

I’ve run on paved trails, dirt trails, side walks and gravel roads. I’ve run in direct sunlight and shady spots. My poor treadmill is probably wondering where I’ve been!

Early morning sweat

The fresh air, the cool temperatures, the sun on your face, the breeze against your skin and yes the sweat DRIPPING off your body in places you didn’t think you’d sweat.

Yesterday morning’s run started off with me rolling out of bed – literally! Sai had just brought Hilary into our bed after she’d been crying for a bit and I didn’t want to get her going. I quickly reached in my sock drawer, then for my shorts and shirt and then found a sports bra. I tip-toed out the bedroom, down the hallway and went to our basement bathroom to wake up.

I was so tired, I didn’t even bother putting my contacts on, something I ALWAYS do! Once I was changed, I laced up my pink Asics (love these) and went out the door to start my Garmin.

Foggy glasses

When I got back my glasses started to fog up and I was only able to take a foggy selfie and the sun rise before heading in the house. It was a great start to my day which had me sitting in my car traveling to a meeting all day.

Oh, and you can’t forget getting home after your morning run before everyone in your house wakes up – oh that’s awesome too! They were all sound asleep! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Don’t worry treadmill, our date later on tonight is still on. You’ll get your 7k with me….unless I decide last-minute to go for a runch as a runner is always prepared with their running gear at all times!

Are you running outside or inside right now?

How’s the heat treating you on your runs?

Do you try to beat the heat and for an early morning or a late night runs?

Injury Running Recovery: Minimal Pain & Moving Forward

June 17, 2015 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 19 Comments

It’s been two weeks since I saw my Physiotherapist and I’ve managed to have very minimal pain! That’s a BIG win in this long road to recovery. I’ve been running almost every other day, fitting in my PT exercises and planking {1:55 today}.

My PT exercises haven’t changed from day one. I have four of them that I do and they take me a half an hour to complete!!!!! Crazy, eh! Though they haven’t changed, they have been modified over the last 5 weeks. My first physiotherapist gave me way to many exercises to do rather than just focus on a few – she also focused only on my hamstring.

Chris is more focused on this injury and giving me exercises that will help me get stronger and are more focused towards strengthening my running muscles; if that makes any sense. What I mean by that: each exercise he has me doing, is directly related to running or the motions of running. He’s also assessed my whole body and identified that my glutes and lower abs were weak, so we have been working on those too.

Current Pain level: is anywhere between 1 – 4 out of 10 and usually sets in about 24 hours after a run but not every run. One run out of four/five it tends to hurt. I usually ice it and the pain goes away. Apparently this is normal and good.

I had a physio appointment this morning and I was really looking forward to it. My hamstring is getting stronger *yeah* but my glutes are still not there.

New adaptations to exercises: I only have to change one exercise to put the stress on my glutes a little more. Single leg bridging! So I will do:

Bridging (10 normal, 5 single leg and 10 normal) 25 in total
Bird/Dog x 10 / each leg/arm
Hamstring swing/curl with a band (not sure what it’s called). It’s all about controlling the eccentric movement (controlling the movement) x 20 – three times (hope I said that all right)
Lunges x 20 each leg – twice (This has been adapted from a lunge lean forward to a stepping lunge).

As I’m getting my treatment done by Chris this morning he says to me “we’ve done cupping before, right?” and I respond with “no”. He suggests we try it as I am game for anything! Just before putting the cup on he says “it could hurt but we can stop when/if you want to”. I say…”okay, go for it”.

He puts the cup on and rubs it from one end of my hamstring to the other and back again a few times. Well…it hurt but I figured I could handle it. He does it a second time and I start to say a few words – none of them were swear words {Mom you’d be proud}.

I couldn’t stop “laughing” as he was doing the treatment. It was that “laugh” that you are hurting so much but don’t want to cry in a roomful of physio patients kind of laugh. Each time, it hurt even more. Honestly, after that I can’t remember if he did it once or twice more but it HURT SO MUCH! Not once did he say “wanna stop”….BUT he did encourage me and told me I was doing great!

And you know what? That’s what you want in a GOOD physiotherapist or coach. Someone who is knowledgeable, sensible but can push your limits because they know you can handle it and you will be better off for it.

Afterwards, it felt SO GREAT!

Current Plan: So what now, you ask? I asked the same question too, to Chris. I can increase my volume (distance) but not my speed. I’m super happy about that because I’m keen to run longer but my body isn’t ready to run faster yet.

I asked if I can start Half Marathon training next week and he said “yes”!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’m just a little excited and extremely happy! Next week will officially be 12 weeks before my 3^rd half marathon and 17 weeks before my 4^th half marathon!

Though I’m not 100% yet, I am FINALLY on my way! I can’t wait to run tonight, I feel like a kid standing outside a candy shop just waiting for the doors to open. I have to get through my work day and night with the girls so I can jump on my treadmill tonight and get running!

If you’ve missed other recent posts about my recovery, check them out: Injury Running Recovery – Low and Slow Running Recovery – So Far So Good

Have you ever had cupping done before?

Ever cried at a physiotherapy appointment?

Anyone starting to train for a race? (5k, 10k, ½ or Full?)

Runching Again

June 16, 2015 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 8 Comments

Lately, my workout plans is to run every other day, plank and follow my PT exercises in between those days. A big piece of my current recovery plan is to run outside! I’m super thankful I have a treadmill but LOVE to run outside. I knew I was going to be in the office all day Monday so I packed my bag so I could “runch”. I love having evenings free and by “free”, really I mean having time to get shit done around the house/blog/email/phone people and maybe relax a little 😉

The plan was 5k on the trail and then hit up the sidewalk, a.k.a. hills for the return route back to the office. Around noon, I got my running gear on and hit the trail. It was sunny, hot and there was a perfect breeze – best running weather you could ask for! I was a little worried I forgot my sunscreen but hoping that I could hide away a little in the shade on the trail.

Runch time selfie!

I’m not going to say this run was easy because it wasn’t. My pace is slow (for me) and I’ve accepted that for the time being. All my runs seem to be hard lately and I am okay with that. I need to build up my fitness and strength again and that’s going to take some time. Hard runs are good runs.

Running on the trail was great, I could smell that scent of “hot summer trees” and felt the sun on my face. I’d dodge over into the shade every so often and then crossed the main road to the sidewalk and faced my first HILL. Of course, the longest slowest incline ever! At one point I had to walk because it was a big struggle in the direct sun going up that hill.

I kept trekking along, glided down a long hill and then faced my second hill that I ran all the way up….then walked again 😉 As I ran back towards my office, I picked up my speed and finished off with a last fast kilometre. Again, my pace was slow for me but I averaged a 6:17/km pace which I can’t complain about with my fitness level, the hot sun beating down on me and the hills.

Oh, that feeling of a good run, an accomplishment achieved, a sense of the runners high. I ran 6k and it felt great. So far, I’ve been pain-free in my hamstring unlike last week I had some minor pain about 24 hours after running. Today I did my 1:50 plank, will walk 4k (getting car work done and walking home/to the shop) and will follow-up with my PT exercises later today.

Speaking of planks, they are still hard but I haven’t given up yet. It’s not easy at all and I’m finding I need to distract myself from my timer which is challenging to do when planking. Maybe I should put music on next time and focus on a song. I much prefer to do my planks first thing in the morning before the girls get up. It’s nice to have a few minutes to myself and it’s so much harder doing planks later in the day when my body is exhausted.

What time of day to you work out?

Plankers – what time of day do you plank?

Runners – how’s your pace lately? Slowing in the heat or speeding up because of training?

Remember When 5k Was….

June 9, 2015 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 28 Comments

Remember when running 5k was….

HARD! The hardest thing you think you could put your body through (minus giving birth). Then it got manageable and part of your weekly routine.

Five kilometres here, five kilometres there and by the end of the week you accumulated numerous 5k runs. You may even dabble in longer distances which then become your new struggle.

Remember when 5k was EASY. As you zoom pass your normal 5k loop and decide to continue on racking up the mileage, feeling strong and confident.

Then after a surprising (at the time) injury you can barely walk without pain, you can’t put your shoes on or place your child in their crib because your injury hurts too much. Five kilometres seems so long, whether you are running outside or trying to hit up a treadmill at home or gym, like GoodLife Fitness.

Resume running 5k again

Remember when 5k became HARD AGAIN! You never thought you’d return to this point. You may have even taken those EASY 5k runs for granted. Thinking you can just pop them out when ever you want, no need to stretch, no need hydrate or fuel afterwards. You’ve got this, right? You used to do it before, right.

Eventually, you realise the mistakes you made with those EASY 5k runs as you struggle to get stronger again. Running 5k is HARD again and for some reason you are loving it. You are loving the fresh air, the (slow) speed, even the amount of dirty laundry you have accumulated. You love how it makes you feel; physically and mentally.

You remember when 5k was EASY and know you will get back there. It may take a while but you are thankful you are able to pound out those 5k runs again with little to no pain.

Do you remember when 5k was EASY for you?

Do you remember when 5k was HARD for you?

How often do you run 5k in a week? or 3 miles?