Starting Over, Foam Rolling & Being The Man Of Lead...

  After being a long distance runner for so long, I've come to expect certain things as the rule of law. I'm different than most people. I get great enjoyment from spending my free time out there on the roads, I no longer warm up after just half a mile and don't start to feel "in the groove" until three and can lose myself for hours during my long distance runs on the weekends in what seems like just mere minutes. The list goes on and on and on and on... No matter how fast of a distance runner you are, there's one thing that you will always do well, be able to run long distances. It's been that way for so long, I can't remember the type of runner that I was before then. 

   If you're reading this, then you know the challenges that I've been facing for the last two weeks with regards to my running. Calf pain, hamstring pain, ankle pain, muscle spasms, extreme muscle tightness, soreness and the worst leg fatigue I've ever experienced have been my best running friends lately. It seems like everything is shutting down all at once. What I once ran as my easy warm up pace, now feels like hard speed work. An easy six miler has turned into an epic battle just to get back home alive. Not very encouraging considering that I'm not even halfway through the 366 days of the Project.

   Many people have urged me to stop running everyday, give up the Project and remember that I'm turning 40 this year, not 21. "It's time for me to stop this silly stuff and succumb to the inevitable conclusion. It's over. You're an adult who should be taking naps, drinking beer by the case and the longest distance you should travel should be from your recliner to the refrigerator."  

   Like any other runner I've had my share of injuries, aches, sprains, pains and days that it's challenging to get out there. But those have always been temporary things that didn't last long and when they did, I was able to develop a treatment plan which quickly resolved the issues. So, when I got bombarded with all of these things at once, I must admit that I was at a total loss why and was intimidated by the thought of trying to put myself back together. One thing was for sure though, there was going to be NO quitting here or sailing off into the sunset riding my recliner with a cold beer in my hand! 

   As I've said before, I started the Project to remind me that the joy in running isn't about the fast times or PR's. It was about the experience itself. I'm a huge believer that speed doesn't make you a runner. Being out there RUNNING, makes you a runner. It was time for me to take some of my own medicine. The new marathon pace was erased and replaced with my easy pace. My speed work day was replaced with an easy running day. My long run pace has gotten slower. A good rule of thumb I've been preaching for years is, if it doesn't hurt, then run, but the minute it begins to hurt, walk or stop completely. I've decided that being gentle with myself and listening to what my body was telling me is more important than setting another marathon PR this year. Goals have been adjusted. I still want to run a marathon. But now, who cares about the time? I have been humbled beyond belief by this experience.

   Long ago in the beginning as a new runner I seriously injured myself by foolishly running myself into the ground in shoes that didn't fit my stride, gait or support needs. I went to a highly reputed sports doctor, got schooled on the different types of shoes and who they're right for. During his  flexibility exam we discovered that my hamstrings were unsurprisingly tight. Typical for most distance runners. Years later I developed that dreaded IT band injury. It took well over a year to make that disappear. Since those painful times, I now practice a dedicated yoga stretching program that I try to do right after I train. But, my hamstrings and IT band haven't been an issue for years. So, I don't spend time stretching them like I should. After some advice from my good buddy, Coach Jeff I tried using a foam roller. To say that I was surprised that rolling my IT band, which hadn't been sore at all, brought tears to my eyes and was painful as hell, is an understatement. Yowza! I also started rolling my glutes, which lo and behold, eased most of the nagging back pain I've experienced for years. This roller thingy has become my new best friend. My wife's starting to get jealous! I now have begun to stretch after EVERY workout and again at night. It's time well spent, I hope.

   I was griping to a coworker this week how freaking annoying these constant muscle spasms are getting. For goodness sake, my wife even said they were happening while I was sleeping! He commented that I need to look into my iron intake. I scoffed, iron intake? I take a multivitamin. I don't need to look into iron, do I? As it turns out, mine and most men's multivitamins don't have any iron in them. I was shocked. I then referenced my wonderful little iPhone app, My Fitness Pal, which is a weight loss tool that can graphically display your vitamin and mineral intake in a given day. I discovered that routinely I only take in about 30% of my daily iron requirement. These days I don't eat red meat all that much and apparently the form of iron you receive from plant sources isn't absorbed as readily as the type found in animal protein. After additional research, I further discovered that distance runners who train with the mileage that I do are prone to iron deficiency due to the hard pounding out there on the roads. Many of the symptoms I've been experiencing are experienced by iron deficient runners. It's important to note here that, 1. I'm not a doctor 2. Should not be listened to for health advice. Most doctors recommend a blood test to check for this particular problem. But, I hate needles and yes, have been known to pass out a time or three when getting blood drawn. So, I've decided to do a little experiment on myself. I'm now taking iron tablets at night. According to my research, it takes two to three weeks for a noticeable change. I'm anxiously awaiting to see if this is the culprit and remaining wary of taking too much!
   I think that there's a combination of different things that have happened. I'm going to continue to be cautious and approach this using the knowledge that I've gained over my years of running and continue to research the issues. After all, every runner's different and only you, really know what's best for you. At least the muscle spasms, calf and hamstring pain are gone. I must be doing something right. Just have to get a handle on the leg fatigue and ankle pain and we'll be back in business. Going to do some shopping this weekend for an ankle brace that I can tolerate wearing when training to give it some extra support. If you have some free time, check out your local pharmacy and pick up some velcro ice wraps. They're a handy neoprene sleeve with an inner pouch that you can place an ice bag into, then the wrap can be tightly secured to your injured area with velcro. Very inexpensive, versatile and easy to use on running related injuries. I'm sucking down the tart cherry juice instead of taking pain relievers. There's compelling information out there that taking pain relievers for extended time periods can cause numerous problems, including hindering the injured area from healing completely. Use them only for two to four days.
   Little nervous about today. Going to try for a long run of eight miles after work. Hopefully it'll be smooth and enjoyable like it used to be. But as I type, the ankle is throbbing a little. Happy Father's Day out there to all you runner dads! Really looking forward to an easy mile, going out to breakfast and taking my little man to see the new Superman movie tomorrow as a father and son day! Many of the things that you learn when becoming a distance runner can be applied to your everyday life. Some runs have bad patches, times when it seems daunting to just finish. What kind of an example would I set for my son if I just gave up? Yes, bad patches suck ass. But you will endure, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. I'm not giving up the Run for the Sun or the 366 Project anytime soon. Run for your lives my friends...