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Unfortunately, the title of this post reveals the fact that I’ve been at the doctor lately… but I’ll get more into that in the next post. For now though, I just need to get this out. My vexations observed in this post reveal a little bit about why I want to be a sports medicine doctor. They are also feelings that I’m sure all of you as athletes have faced at one point or another if you’ve EVER been to the doctors for an injury. So here we go….

(Vexation: noun. She stamped her foot in vexation. Annoyance, irritation, exasperation, indignation, anger, crossness, displeasure, pique, bile, disgruntlement, bad mood; informal: aggravation. That was your bonus word of the day BTW.)

Quick background: Since the beginning of June, I had been feeling some “stuff” going on in my left shin. Remember that day I said I had the run from hell? Turned around after two miles because my anterior tibialis muscle felt like it was made of steel? That was the start. At that point it was solely muscular feeling.. and I was thinking, oh crap… compartment syndrome?

Fast forward about a week (2^nd week of June) and the muscle tightness was pretty much gone. Raced New Bri Tri and felt fine. Then towards the end of that week (around the 10^th…) I started to feels some tenderness midway down the shaft of my Tibia. That’s your big shin bone for those that aren’t anatomy freaks. I say tenderness intentionally because that’s what it is – not pain, but feels almost like it’s bruised. Which does happen, so I sort of hoped for that.

However… I’m also not stupid. I might have been able to pull off the “well I didn’t know it was feeling bad….” thing off in high school. Since fracturing my hip and all having surgery on it in December 2008, I would like to say that I am a little bit smarter. No… I will say that. I am a much smarter athlete than I was several years ago. I love running basically as much as life, but I love it enough to know that I’d rather take the present moment to heal so that I can still enjoy running in my future.

Wow… I’m getting off track.

So I say my tibia was “tender” … but let’s be real – that’s still somewhere on the spectrum of “hurt.”  I had Manitou the Sunday after New Bri, and it was Friday when I had that “ohhhh crap” moment. I spoke with my doc, and we agreed that I’d go ahead and race Manitou. It was just a sprint… so that race (and really, just the 5K run) wasn’t enough to make or break any injury. So race Manitou I did. It was “tender” afterwards.. but still wasn’t “pain”.

By that Tuesday though (June 15^th)… I knew I was not in a good spot. Tuesday nights are my regular runs with my guys group, and I went out with them with the intention of just doing one lake. Well one lake turned in to 7 miles, and let me tell you, those might have been the longest seven miles I’ve run in my life. There’s nothing like being out there on a run, KNOWING something is wrong, and having to just. get. home. Tell me – have you been there?

From that night, I said, “OK… running’s out for a while.” The words no runner ever wants to hear (or think…) – stress fracture – were like this high frequency buzz in the back of my mind. The thought was there, but I wasn’t fully aware of or accepting of the possibility. I think because I’ve been through stress fractures before (two – both fibular.. aka your “little” lower leg bone) I am almost able to minimize the situation – because in the end I’ve come through them stronger and faster than before.

So because ‘running was out’ … I ran 7 miles on our camping trip at Baker. Still no “pain,” but it definitely wasn’t one of my standard feel-good 7 milers. More than anything because I was just cognizant of it the whole entire time.

Which brings me to the doctor’s appointment. Because of my super awesome Student Health “Benefits” insurance plan that has such fantastic coverage… (I am declaring this the official color of sarcasm) I am not able to see my regular sports medicine doctor or treatment team. I was less than thrilled with this, to say the least. However, I was able to run the situation by him… because we’re neighbors.

Doc’s thoughts: it is less likely to be compartment syndrome. I should definitely get in for an MRI to figure things out and get started on a treatment plan. I should see Dr. F through my [one singular allowed and covered] clinic… he’s a good guy.

So I called my [one singular allowed and covered] clinic to schedule, and it turns out that Dr. F was booked out for quite a while. But the scheduler told me that Dr. A also “works with some athletes” and he would be just as good to see. And he was available the next day. So I took the appointment and the next morning I was off to the doc.

[Wait - did I say this was going to be a quick flash-back? Psych! Sorrrrrry.]

I will say right up front that I was a bit on edge before I even saw the doctor. I was not feeling good about seeing someone other than my USUAL doctor – the guy who has treated me for years throughout various injuries. Knows my history. Knows my personality. Knows my mentality. Knows my lifestyle. I was also a little on edge because I didn’t go in for my appointment for an HOUR after I was scheduled. If you know me… you might have realized I’m not the most patient person in the world.

So yeah, I was a little uneasy. And good Lord, I’m also long winded.

My doctor lost my faith in FIVE steps.

ONE // He entered the room, didn’t shake my hand, and just introduced himself. To me, at least in the professional world, that is sort of like the equivalent of saying “Hi. I’m  Important. I’m glad you have the chance to meet me.”

TWO // He took my patient history, and instantly had an impatient tone with me. I know I just said that I’m the one who’s impatient… but really? He asked when I first started noticing pain, and I said during the middle of an easy run on June 3^rd. He asked told me “Can you please Be more specific.” Roughly how much more specific were you looking for Señor? The number of days out from the next Hailie’s comet?

THREE // He had me stand up barefooted and took a look at my feet anatomy. By just looking at me standing (stationary…), both facing forwards and backwards, he told me I “greatly overly” pronated. I’m not saying he’s not qualified to make such judgments… I’m not. But I’ve spent a lot of time with both my own sports medicine doctor and my physical therapy team. During that time I’ve had TWO video gait analyses done both at the beginning of treatment and several [rehabilitated] months later, and have definitely not been told I overly pronate. There is a slight bit of pronation on one side because I have a decent leg length discrepancy. That’s quite different than “severe over pronation” – much less “severe over pronation” deducted by watching me stand still for less than 15 seconds. Moving on…

FOUR // Not only have I fractured my femoral neck, but I have also had stress fractures in both fibulas in high school. I don’t say this because I’m proud of it or something… but to demonstrate the fact that I do know a thing or two about stress fractures. Not to mention… my field in school is kinesiology and sports medicine. In talking to this doctor, I got the impression that he thought I was about as bright as a box of rocks. I know that x-rays don’t typically show sfxs until they’ve already begun to heal. I know that I have a leg length discrepancy… in fact I just told you I have a leg length discrepancy before you responded with, “Well, you have a pretty big leg length discrepancy.”  I know that orthotics might help, and in fact I’ve been given several prescriptions for them, but your Student Health Shit Benefits insurance doesn’t agree that they’re necessary and won’t cover them. I don’t know any college student working to save and pay for rent/school/groceries/a car/gas/LIFE that can shell out $500 multiple times a year for new orthotcis, nor do I feel your 3^rd degree interrogation of why I’m not wearing orthotics will help the cause.

[I love how each consecutive point is getting longer and longer and increasingly “vexated”….]

FIVE // Speaking of those x-rays that don’t really do much for sfxs (sfx = stress fracture… btw)… I had spoke with my usual sports med doc before going in to see Dr. A, and my usual doc told me to get an MRI. So when I go in to see you, tell you this, and you say, “Why would we do an MRI? An x-ray is all we need.” I will be slightly defensive, a) because I have complete faith in my usual doctor, and b) I have had wayyy more radiation than anyone my age should have by now. I do not want more (Sam I am). Not here, nor there, nor anywhere. Five minutes following the two x-rays taken, when you find them inconclusive and “suggest” we do an MRI, I will be slightly exasperated, frustrated, and annoyed. That exasperation, frustration, and annoyance will rise on the scale of 1 to insanity when you tell me that this MRI is also not covered by my Student Health Benefits, and will cost me roughly $260 out of pocket. Plus $500 because I really need to be wearing orthotics.

AAAGHHHHH! I feel something along the lines of this:

Flickr -> "Angry Redhead"

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When I first started writing this post, I wanted it to stay all cool-and-collected sounding, and keep more of a pleasant yet humorous tone. But over the two days plus that it has taken me to finish this, it has become apparent that I’m really kind of PO’ed. Not only because of the way I felt this doctor treated me, but because yet again – stress fracture or not – this is an injury.

So did I get the MRI? No. There is a point when you know what your prescription will be, pretty much regardless of the actual diagnosis: rest.

Resting I am. I haven’t run since June 15th (aside from that seven mile run while camping…) and I’m going to give it to at least the end of the week before trying it out again. I’m doing my best to maintain my sanity, because although I can swim and bike, it just doesn’t do it for me like running. And I am getting to that point where seeing other people/hearing other people talk about running is making me mad. I don’t like me mad.

Fortunately my July racing schedule was pretty skimpy. I might do a swim race (the Great Prairie Open Water Swim)  in the middle of the month just to still be racing. I thrive off having a goal and competition! And I’m PRAYING that I’m good to go for August, because my month is packed and FUN, and I want to be there for it. I will accept donated prayers as well.

That post on pool running recently? Karma? I’m just sayin….

READER QUESTIONS: Have you ever “been there”? Do you have a good doctor, or one who makes you want to pull your hair out? Any of you currently dealing with an injury? What is it, and how are you hangin’ in there?

I hope the rest of my runners out there are runnin’ strong. Keep up your XT and your pre-hab!  I will tell you that I indulged in a little retail therapy at the AWESOME sale going on at Pure Blue right now. (Sale is ONLINE too for all you non-local folks!) I have two new swim suits, a matching cap (Oooh gosh… really?! Yes. Really.), and a new pair of tri shorts. In the mean time, you can find me in the pool!

-E

I wanted to make sure and get this posted before my friends all heal, rendering all of my expertise useless. [UN]fortunately though, there will always be an injured runner out there, so I hope at least one person can find some use in what follows:

Some of you may know my buddy Kelly. Awesome lady, smart, funny, gorgeous, and sadly, injured. (Although since I wrote this post, things have definitely taken a swing in the right direction. I’ll keep prayin’ for you!) She, and another blogger, contacted me with questions about POOL RUNNING – something I have [far too much] experience with. I ended up writing them an email that took an hour and a half to finish… full of information and workouts, and I thought I’d share it here with you guys! This will be added to the Train On Top files, along with Pool Running: Part I.

Pool running isn’t only for when you’re sidelined with a stress fracture, or a torn ____. It can be incorporated into your training as PRE-hab, and help to keep you fit, and injury free. Sorry for being so lazy that I’m just doing a copy/paste of our email, but I have a pool to go swim in (or at least I did when I wrote this!!), and the longer I wait the greater my chances are of talking myself out of it. (Success!! I feel like my swimming hours are directly correlated with the temperature outside. It’s. HOT.) Train on amigos!!

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BASICS

Like I said (in Part I), a pool belt is definitely helpful, unless you just want to do a shorter workout. There were always about 4 or so injured girls on the XC team in Boston, so I almost always had someone to pool run with. We would get irritated because the injured track kids would be in and out of the pool in like 20 minutes and we’d be in there for an hour!

Haha Kelly, sorry for the confusion. No water shoes required. The “two feet never touching the ground” thing was just my attempt at trying to hold onto some of RUNNER identity.

A watch where you can set up intervals is also helpful, but not necessarily necessary. Some pools will have a big electronic wall clock that you can look at, but truthfully, you’ll wish they didn’t. You could easily find yourself looking at the clock every 30 seconds wondering how it’s possible for time to go so effing slow. Not that I speak from experience or anything….

Deep Water vs. Shallow Water – I prefer deep, but you can do either. For you, Kelly, I’d definitely say deep. When you do pool running in water shallow enough that your feet touch, it changes the form, muscles used, and forces applied. Although it still seems like it’s 100% non-impact, you actually can make an injury worse if you’re not careful. Imagine running in like knee-deep water or waist-deep at a beach. A) it’s hard as HELL, and B) it can put an uneven strain on your hip flexors, because there is such great resistance to forward movement, but only from the waist down.

If I’m pool running, you can bet your butt it’s deep water. We used the diving well at school in Boston, but I have also pool run (ran?) in a regular lap pool, a crappy/steamy 6 foot pool, and even the lake. Any depth of water where you can’t touch is just fine.

FORM

If you’re not used to pool running, just know that it might will be frustrating for the first workout or two until you get a hang of it. You might feel like you’re doing absolutely nothing, but I promise you will break through… AND you can break a sweat! Know that your HR may be lower, but that’s because you’re in cool water which is cooling your body temp which (… full circle here …) helps keep your heart rate low. Instead of focusing on HR, pay attention to your breathing.

For your form, keep in mind forward motion. And by that I don’t mean that you need to be actually moving forward in the water, but restrict movement to the midsagital (front to back) plane. None of that crossing over, left to right  business, capish? It’s the same as running on land – crossing your arms (or feet, I guess) over the midline of your body is inefficient. It slows you down and hinders forward momentum. The pool is actually a GREAT place to really focus on and perfect on your form. I swear I came out of my sentence of pool running with a better and more efficient arm swing than I did pre-injury.

PACE & BREATHING

You’ll see me refer to pace in the workouts. I mentioned above that you would be better off focusing on your breathing (and therefore pace), and going by feel rather than scrutinizing your heart rate. However, when I say “focus on breathing,” that assumes that you’re very familiar with what your breathing sounds like and how it changes when you’re actually running, and running at different paces. Personally, I could tell you what my running pace is (give or take about 10 seconds) based solely on my breathing pattern – whether it’s 4/4 (basic, steady state), 3/3 (10K to 5K), 2/2/4 (mile repeats), or 2/2 (400 repeats). But again, everyone has a unique style of breathing when they run. You know you.

That also assumes that you’ve raced all sorts of distances, from the mile to the marathon, and multiple times to be that familiar with your breathing. If you haven’t, NO WORRIES! Just know that you’re on a gradient from a hard effort to easy or recovery (all out // 400 // 800 // mile // 5K // 10K // steady state).

[I don't have a huge difference between my half marry and marathon pace (though hopefully some day I will!), so that's why I didn't differentiate those two above. Personally, anything half marathon and above feels pretty "comfortable" - but by all means separate out the two if you have two drastically different paces!!]

ENTERTAINMENT

I’m telling you right now – nothing will make you more mentally tough than having a two HOUR steady state “long run” in the pool. Alone. Sans music. It can be like counting scales on a fish. Or watching paint dry. But truthfully it can also be kind of fun! Having other girls in the pool with me was obviously a huge benefit of being with a team, but there were many days when I had to go it alone. These are the things that helped me pass the time:

Music – As often as I say I don’t really like music while running, pool running is a different story. Our pool in Boston had a big sound system that was pumpin’ all the time. You might not be at a pool where you can blast music though. Towards the end of the year the sound system at the pool broke, and the coach decided not to fix it until the next year. SO, I took a leap of faith, put my ipod in a ziplock sandwich baggy, and tucked it up under a baseball hat. I had the headphones dangling down out of the sides, and I tightened that baby up, praying that the ipod wouldn’t slide out the back. And it worked WONDERS. Use the tempo of the music to your advantage. I have a couple workouts I based entirely on the songs I was listening to.

[I also have an underwater mp3 player now, which I use for swimming. If you want info on that... let me know. I love it!!]

Nu Dolophin Underwater Touch

Podcasts – Probably not as important to either of you, but I listened to “Dr. G’s Anatomy & Physiology” podcast and reinforced everything I was learning in lecture. Really cemented in my mind the concepts of T-tubules, mitochondria, and the like. But for RUNNING and keeping hope and faith and your sanity, the podcast Phedippidations is pretty cool. Maybe a little cheesy at times, but there is some great information and cool interviews tucked in there. I used to listen to it all the time… in the pool, but also on long runs. Good stuff.

“Mental Organization” time - I only say that slightly jokingly. Yes, I do have an extra Martha gene in my body. If you have an hour of solid, uninterrupted time, it’s great for planning out your next post, a paper you’re working on for history of world architecture, your shopping list, etc. Use that time to your advantage.

WORKOUTS

What you really wanted in the fist place! All of these are based on an hour in the pool, just because that was pretty much always a minimum on the schedule. If you want to cut it in half (which would be recommended if you’re just starting out, or just trying to get your form down) go right ahead! They can also be extended as you like, but I have a feeling that after an hour in the pool, you’ll be ready to get out.

PYRAMID – only uses two “paces” – steady state, and hard. My favorite for making time feel it’s passing quicker. Once you get over the 5 min. interval, the build-down feels so much shorter!

15 min w/u
1 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
2 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
3 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
4 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
5 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
4 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
3 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
2 min @ hard
1 min @ steady state
1 min @ hard
12 min c/d

8x3s – I used my “5K pace” for the 3 minute intervals… You’ll have 24 minutes total of your 5K pace, but for the “recovery” intervals, it’s important to not just slack completely. Like when you’re running intervals, don’t go to a “walk” to recover – keep working, just take it down.

10 minute w/u
[3 min @ 5K pace // 2 min @ recovery] x 8
10 min c/d

5x5s – I remember sometimes loving the longer intervals, and sometimes hating them. The shorter “recovery” intervals ensure that you keep working hard, which is why there is a longer warm up and a longer cool down.

15 min w/u
[5 min @ 10k pace // 1 min @ recovery] x 5
15 min c/d

THE MIXUP – uses not only pool running, but a kick set, and a set sans belt. This one I think is “fun”…

10 min @ steady state (with belt)
5 min kick (across the pool or up and down a lane) with a kickboard
5 min pool run without a belt
[repeat for a total of 3 sets]

I guess that’s a good place to start!! Once you get the hang of it and reach the point where you’re feeling like you’re sweating and getting a good workout, you can work in sans-belt pool running for your “working” intervals!! Trust me… it’s harder than you’d think. I hope this offers a little variety to your workouts, and if you’re injured – KEEP THE FAITH. You are only on the disabled list temporarily. You will be running again!!

Let me know if you have any more questions. All the best, and lots of love,
-Erika

First of all, I hope everyone had a nice long weekend to recharge, spend time with the fam, friends, and get a little R&R. Whether that means running & racing or rest & relaxation is up to you! I didn’t race, and I had a definite restFAIL, but the running and relaxation were accomplished! I had a nice 10 miler with my good running buddy on Sunday – his last LR before the Minneapolis Marathon this weekend. And I also had a great relaxing run with my mom for a total of 11 miles on Monday. Killing two birds with one stone.

No three day “weekend” for me, as I worked every day. Good thing I love my job!! The highlight of my weekend for sure was watching the Minnesota Twins game on Sunday at my mom’s house. She made a comment around the 5th inning, and she made me promise I wouldn’t “put on the website” … but I can still say that lady is hilarious. Are you sure you work at an elementary school mom? Love. YOU.

post-race conversation about “the stick” – mama got jokes.

Anyways, unlike many others, this post does have a point. And that would be Using Your Friends. By that I don’t mean using them to score their employee discount, free tickets to a game, or their man. No, I mean using your friends to your training advantage. Whether you consider yourself an athlete, or just someone who is striving to live a healthy lifestyle, chances are you have friends who think along the same lines. If you don’t, maybe you can bribe encourage a friend to tackle a race, a new distance PR, or a healthy goal with you! Not only is it quality time with your buds, but a lot of people claim that they can work harder/longer when they do it with a friend! (twHs…)

I’m fortunate enough that being part of several teams and training groups, I almost always have someone to train with if I want the company. Depending on what kind of workout is on tap for the day, I might call on different people. Here are several ways you and your compadres can work together to get into peak performance:

1 // to go harder, faster, longer.

When I need to run fast, I know who to call to keep me on pace. My good buddy Dave is one speedy guy – not only did he just post a 2:46 at Fargo Marathon, but my tempo pace is essentially conversational for him, so he can distract me from certain death the pain. Distance is one of the things that just isn’t an issue for me – it’s my time to think, chat with God, and enjoy just being outside in the fresh air. But 20 miles can get long when you’re going alone, so having marathon buddies certainly helps.

When I need to ride… be it a faster ride or a longer ride, there are about a million people I can call on. Let me tell you, I have room to improve on the bike. Despite the fact that I’ve been riding a lot more lately, I don’t think I’m necessarily getting faster, which is frustrating for sure. Yes, you can do drills, intervals, and tempo rides, but I think the real key is riding with other people who are just slightly faster than you. Not so fast that they’ll leave you miles behind, but fast enough that you’re working, and working HARD. Let them do the chatting… you just focus on pumping it out. Enter, el novio. Although he easily falls into the camp of “leave me many miles behind”, he won’t. He’s wicked fast, and also super knowledgeable and gives me helpful advice. Sometimes it’s hard to hear “well, you need to be in a lower gear – you’re just fatiguing your legs…” when I’m sucking wind, but I know its only said with good intentions.

One of the things I have yet to bring back this summer, but did all the time in previous years, was have a bike buddy! I’ve posted about it before (throwback from August 28th 2008!!), but my dad is my all time favorite parter to keep me on pace, pass up a water bottle, just catch up on life, and help the miles go by. I miss you pops!! If you really don’t know anyone faster than you, try recruiting a bud to rollerblade or bike along with you!

Dave and I – 3rd place finishers at the Get Lucky 7K!

2 // to recover

It took me many years, and two fibular stress fractures to finally learn the importance of a “recovery run.” Back in the day, if I was going to get sweaty, I at least wanted to feel like I had worked hard. High school cross country and track years were filled with running, but back then I would say I only had two paces – running, and walking. My coach would always say, “your not giving your legs a chance to recover if you go all out all the time!” and I didn’t listen. Until my fibula went carrrack! and I couldn’t run at all.

Some days it’s still hard for me to slow down though. Last weekend when I bricked it, and my legs felt like beef jerky? I was still running 7:30s, despite telling my self go slowwwer! The 10 miler I did with my buddy on Sunday – we both kept saying “ok, lets take it down” … and yet we continued to hit faster times, mile after mile, until the very last lake when I think we finally dialed it in. Even if you’re telling yourself you want/need a recovery run, your body doesn’t always listen.

Enter, your slower friends. Haha – that’s not a bad thing! If you’re like me, you know people at all different places in their athletic life. Some are recreational athletes, some race, some just do whatever they want, when they want! In running with a slower friend, not only would you not leave them in the dust, but you get to talk, you get to be the motivator, and you get your recovery run/ride/workout! While you don’t have to tell said friend, “Hey, will you run with me? I need to go with a slow person so I can get my recovery day in…” you can let them know you just want to take it easy! Otherwise they might think you have an expectation of them to go at your pace, and not only will you not slow down, you’ll burn them into the ground.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being the “recovery person” – my mom is that person for me, I am that person running with Dave, and riding with my boyfriend. “Fast” is a relative term.

Him: shootin’ the breeze. Me: Gasping for air. Both: eating cereal.

3 // to motivate

Do you know anyone who has overcome some damn-near-miracles in their life, yet they continue to put themselves out there every day and put in the work? I do, for sure. Even if you don’t know anyone in real life, all it takes is a look at some of the pros. There are some amazing athletes out there who take on adversity like just a little sprinkling rain. Sarah Reinertsen is one of my idols, and no matter how many times I watch the Ironman 2004 DVD where she missed the bike cutoff by just 15 minutes, and they wouldn’t let her finish. She headed back to Kona in 2005 and became the first female above the knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship.

I don’t want this to come off as a pity party of 1 for myself, but I do know what it feels like to have your athleticism taken away from you. My hip was hanging on by a thread like a tooth attached by one single vein. The ability to run, jump, swim, ride, be mobile, run down the stairs, run to answer your phone, carry your own groceries… it’s not a given. It’s a gift. Remember that when you’re out on your next adventure… you get to do this. If you approach training with that frame of mind, you will find it a lot harder to moan and groan when you need to get in your workout.

4 // to try new things

Have you always wanted to try rock climbing? Or maybe rollerblading? There are lots of great cross training options out there, and XT is perfect for breaking up the usual routine and preventing burn out. Trying a new activity with a friend is tons of fun… and it makes you feel like less of a doof for being inexperienced! Here are some fun “new” things to try out:

• new class at the gym
• new route
• new race
• new activity – swimming open water, hiking, rock climbing, skating, snow shoeing, xc skiing, tennis, basketball, play catch, play frisbee, the list goes on!

A brand new form of XT is also a good way to get injured if you go at it too hard, so be cautious of that one.

Rollerblading battle wounds.

You didn’t think I’d end on a number 4… did you?

5 // to have FUN

There is definitely value to getting in your solo runs, your rides, whatever. I have sent the text many a time saying “sorry – I think I need to take this one solo today. Head clearing.” But training with other people, in addition to all the great benefits above, can be so much more FUN than going alone. Not gonna lie, we (me/mom, me/teammates, me/training buddies) gossip while we run. We crack jokes. We pull many a TWSS. We laugh. We cry sometimes, we vent, and we use each other as free therapists. We give high fives and hugs at the end of a challenging workout. We pass out in the grass. We foam roll and scream at the pain.

One of my most memorable runs was when we Traced Boston Backwards – myself and my best friend out at school in Boston, Maddie. I always knew that there would be something I’d miss from Boston when I moved back home, and this girl is it. It wasn’t necessarily that the run was amazing, but it’s the company and the memories I have now.

I’ve also found a really awesome training buddy here on my UMN Tri team – we run the same paces, we swim the same paces, we can talk about anything and everything. She’s awesome!! I feel so blessed that God has brought such amazing people in my life.

As always, 5 is a good number to end on. As is 3. Or 7. So that’s where I’ll wrap.

Next time your alarm goes off at 5am, or you get off or work at 7pm, and you’re dreading your gym trip/run/swim/etc… think about phoning a friend. Invite that speedy girl to help push you on your mile repeats. Call your couch-to-5K brother in law to go for an easy jog. Think of your friend dealing with _____, tough as nails, and remember that you get to make the most out of today.

READER Qs:

Do you regularly workout with friends? Your hubby? Your kids? Who motivates you? What workout do you need that extra push for, and when do you prefer to go solo?

Have a good one kids! Got some fun stuff, including a giveaway, coming soon!

-E

Current status: I’m only 21 minutes in to what will be 120 minutes on the X-Runner, so apologies if this gets a little lengthy! Today was officially declared a no-running day, as I’ve been trying to stick to only 4 days a week, and unfortunately I already capped that this week! Will be running tomorrow anyways, riding on Saturday, and racing on Sunday! Numerous items on the agenda today, and since I have 100 more minutes ahead of me… I think I have time for a little PhotoShop love:

Well that took long enough! I’m now at 55 minutes. Good thing I still have 1:05  to go…

1. Mail Bag

I mentioned last week that my next post would be comin’ out of the mail bag — it’s a question I’ve received enough times (or at least similar enough) from readers that I figured it was time to answer on the blog.

Hi I just found your blog. First of all, you are am amazing athlete! You are such a fast runner – so inspirational.

I was wondering what your diet is like so that you have enough energy to fuel your training and develop muscles and strength while staying so lean? Do you eat smaller meals more frequently? What are you meals like?

Also, how did you start doing triathlons. Did you know how to swim before? How often do you train? Sorry for all the questions. Take your time. I know you’re a busy girl! Any advice would help. Thanks!
–
Jessica Lee

First things first – THANKS!! – I have been running for a loooong time, so success has definitely required work. But I can promise you that there are lots of faster runners out there. Given that I’ve come back from a fractured femoral neck, twice, I’ll take what I can get!

Question one: diet. This year my diet has gone under some changes because I finally have the guidance of an awesome nutrition and strength coach, Jodi, from Model Per4mance. Prior to working with MP4, I had the opportunity to work with a pretty awesome dietitian in Boston, but a lot of my “theories” or beliefs just come from trial and error. Before MP4 I was eating about the same calorie-wise, but I definitely ate more processed foods. I’m not talkin’ like Ho-Hos and a Coke for lunch, but think Kashi GoLean Rolls… microwaveable meals… etc. My current diet is a 90/10 = 90% whole, fresh, from nature foods… and 10% fun. There has to be room in your life for going out to eat with the boy, or that biga$$ cookie you know you want. If there is no “it” you crave, or if all your cravings are for healthy foods, then fine. But if you DO ever want something “unhealthy” and you’re like me, you’ll just keep eating other things until you finally squash that craving, wishing you just ate what you really wanted in the first place. It’s a lesson learned, for sure.

Frequency of meals? Would be better referred to as “frequency of food” because “meals” don’t really happen per se. I’d like to work on balancing the food out a little more evenly through out the day, but essentially I graze, or small “meals” throughout the day. It works for me. You gotta do what works for you!

“Lean” is only partially attributed to diet. I would say more of it comes from strength training.

Question two: training. Like I said, I’ve fractured my femoral neck, twice. You can read about the first time + surgery, and the second time (no surgery).  I have a genetic condition called fibrous dysplasia… a condition where a section of my hip is super soft – more like scar tissue. After surgery (December 2008) I knew that if I was running at all, I definitely wouldn’t be running as much. Enter: triathlon. It gets me off of my feet for 2/3rds of my training. So I guess I should thank my geneticFAIL hip because that’s where it all started!

Swimming was a prior activity for sure – I had been tossed in a pool since I was like 1 year old. Swam for the YWCA Uptown Otters from 5th grade through 8th, and I also swam Varsity my freshman year in high school. If you haven’t concluded yet though, it’s not exactly my favorite.

I am part of two teams – the University of Minnesota Triathlon Team, and Peace Coffee Racing, so training happens… all the time. I take a rest day when I need to. I don’t always stick to the “schedule” because I feel like when you feel good, you shouldn’t “save it” for tomorrow’s tempo or interval or long ride. [If you have time...] You should let your body dictate what it wants to do.

I think that about covers it, and WOW – I gotta move on!

2. USAT Collegiate Nationals

[ETA: Hahah.. ran out of time. Used my last 30 minutes on the stair mountain because that’s something I almost never get to do.. and want to use this “free day” to (as my boyfriend’s Sundays are declared) do what I want. True story kids… want to know where I am right now? Doin' what I want, I can tell you that!]

“]Ahem… USAT Collegiate Nationals. The race I have been building up to be THE race for the last how many months. The ultimate in team bonding… 20+ hours in a 15-passenger van with the crew. And where am I right now? At the lake.

Say whaaat?

A couple weeks ago, some family events were presented to me that I had not been previously privy to. (Fun fact of the day… “unprivy” is evidently not a word.) I don’t need to waste time on details, but they involve my Singaporean relatives and sister and B-I-L coming to Minneapolis for the 16^th/17^th/18^th … and those days only – Singaporean relatives that I have not yet had the chance to meet. If you’ve been a reader for a while now, you might remember my qualms last year about leaving Boston and transferring back home to the University of Minnesota: the basis of my whole move was that I wanted to be closer to family. I was sick of missing Thanksgiving, missing Easter, missing birthdays, state hockey tournaments, missing FAMILY. So to have this big family deal going on this one weekend, and electively chose to not be there, seemed like it was going against my values a little bit. I know… its Nationals… but there will be next year. I have no clue when the next time these guys will fly all the way from Singapore. There are a couple other contributing factors, but overall, I feel very good about my decision.

I will still be acting as “reporter” for my team, and will be in constant contact with them via phone and online. If you want to stay up to date on the University of Minnesota Triathlon team and their venture to Collegiate Nationals, please see the first installment in my post on Minnesota Tri News! There will be more to come soon!

3. Peace Coffee Racing

Because I am not in Texas this weekend… I will be doing a race that Peace Coffee is sponsoring on April 18^th. Please believe that no matter what I was going to be racing this weekend. Its early enough on Sunday morning… not going to interfere with the fam-o plans… but I am very excited to be doing it! AND it’s for a good cause – EARTH DAY! I’m down.

4. Giveaway preview

Scroll up. Study the photo. Can you guess what the next giveaway is??

Aright… This gets it’s own collage…

5. LIFE

Here is just a little bit of life lately:

Upper left photo – note not me, with the “oh-shit-how-do-i-clip-out-not-funny!” face (new to the Kilo at the time of that picture), but the P.O.S. Honda in the background. I shouldn’t say that… she’s been a good car. Many many miles on her, like all Honda’s should, and many good times. Picked up my first puppy and she threw up all over the floor in the front seat on the way home. Crazy High school memories with the girls, one in particular possibly intoxicated with way too much Patrone and her feet out the window. Changing my first tire. Getting hit by my own friend in a rain storm. Like I said, many good times. I just changed the oil today, and turns out she has about $800 worth of work needing to be done. $800 worth of money that I don’t have. Conversed with the padre on this one, and we decided that this summer would be the right time for me to get a different car. Don’t think it’s just because of these repairs – this decision is about $5,000 in repairs OVERDUE. So if you have any [used] car shopping advice for me, I would take it all with open ears.

Upper right photo – That is a man. Sleeping in a box. And that is what I will turn into (not a man, but sleeping in a box…) if I don’t figure out my housing sitch for the next year. OK… truthfully it’s not at that point. My lease isn’t up until the end of June, but I really want to have it squared away – it’s stressing me out!! It would be sick if I was living with another kines. student because we’d be working on/interested in the same stuff, but obviously that’s not a requirement of mine. Ahhh I just want to decide!

Imaginary photo – Starting work back at the restaurant this week!! Those are legit exclamation marks. I am SO excited!

Wow. Record for longest D.T.R. post? Possibly. Apologies (or not – haha you’re ready for me to be done I’m sure!) but I got to get to some real work… aka this VO2 Max lab report that I have been working on for howw long? If you stuck with this whole post, I hope you can feel my love for you!! Till next time amigos.

-E

Do you ever have a time when you’re trying so hard to obtain something – whether it be a job, an internship, a business deal, a car, a personal record, or (c’mon people – we’re being honest here) a relationship? You apply, you search, you dig, you train, you knock, but it seems there is no answer in sight?

Let me tell you – I know a little something about that. My specific line of thought at the moment is with training, and more specifically, with teams. The very first team (non school/university related) I remember applying to was Bear Naked‘s endurance team. They have a handful of athletes scattered across the nation that race under the Bear Naked name, and in return, the athletes get to have teammates, swag like no other, and lets not forget, the simple association with an awesome company! When I applied for Team Bear Naked, I remember feeling so confident that I’d get it! Annnnd? No dice. I would like to say it was only because Minneapolis wasn’t one of the “hub cities” that they were recruiting athletes from – it wasn’t an option on their little drop down menu – but truth be told, I probably just wasn’t the right fit! There are hundreds of qualified athletes out there, and of the select group they chose, I just wasn’t one of them.

There was definitely a solid life lesson pulled out of that let-down. (Thinking back on it.. hahaha oh man, did I really cry? I’d like to think I’ve grown a little since then. ) No.. there were TWO solidlifelesssons. As follows:

1. ♪ You can’t always get what you want. ♪ (sing it with me!)
2. When it rains, it pours.

I don’t feel like I need to go into too much detail about #1, as it is pretty self explanatory, and something that everyone learns (or should learn) at some point. #2 can be applied to various sectors of life, (going after one guy for months, breaks your heart, and suddenly you have 3 guys trying to hollller. or something along those lines…) but here’s what I have experienced lately that really drives the message home:

• Joined the University of MN Triathlon Team
• Started working with Model Per4mance
• Signed on with Peace Coffee Racing
• Was offered a spot with the Nuun-Blueseventy tri project
• Was given a preliminary offer with Team Aquaphor

And hopefully the rain will keep falling, because this kinda rain.. I can dig, ya dig? It’s kind of like the saying “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” I would like to extend that to “but when life gives you a bottle of Grey Goose… drink up.” Now if only there were a way I could get Martha Stewart to sign on and sponsor me…

Pre-race whaaat!?

You heard that right – it’s time to pull out the racing shoes and see what I’ve got! Not only have I been doing practically zero speed work this winter (did 8 Yasso’s on Monday… that’s about it), but I have not raced since the Victory Memorial 10K/5K double header back in September (RACE REPORT!), AND this is a distance I’ve never raced before! It should be an interesting race to say the least.

Gearing up for the Victory Memorial 10K with my guys

Preparing for Race Day!

It’s not uncommon for runners to have certain “pre-race rituals” that they stick to every. single. time. There was a period of time during my 2nd year of cross country where I was convinced that candy corn was my “magic” pre-race fuel.. I had raced ONCE really well after eating candy corn, and thought “that must be it!” That misconception was quickly erased a few meets later when I got out-kicked in the chute.  What you do for a 10K will likely be different than your pre-race plan for a marathon, but there are definitely some guidelines I adhere to before the big day.

How to ensure a smooth start on Race Day:

1. Packet Pickup. If possible, get it ahead of time. Scan your chip to make sure you’re racing under your own name, get your chip on your shoe, get pins on your bib, look at the course map, look at the race-day schedule. These are little things you don’t want to be worrying about in the morning.
2. Outfit. Lay it out the night before. In fact, lay out a couple options and bring a short sleeve or long sleeve alternative should conditions change on race morning. Some people can’t deal with cold, I know personally I don’t race well if I’m too hot. It’s a personal thing and it takes experience racing to figure out, but it definitely won’t hurt to be prepared. Included in this “outfit” would be ensuring your number is with/on your clothes, your watch, your garmin (aka Gomer… awww – throwback!), etc.
3. Fuel. Raise your hand if you’ve been to a pasta party the night before a marathon. Or a cross country meet. Or any race. And how did that work for ya? I can’t tell you what is going to be ideal for your body, but for me, I typically do any sort of “carbo loading” two days prior to race day, or the week leading up to it, but not the night before. And “carbo loading” might be a bit of a misconception – I just make sure I’m eating well, eating balanced, probably up my carb ratio a bit, and up my overall calories a bit. The day before the race I stick to my regular diet and regular foods. Don’t need any surprises or emergency pit-stops.
4. Sleep. I can’t emphasize this one enough! One of the best best best tips my mom passed on from her many years of marathoning was MAKE SURE you’re sleeping well the whole WEEK leading up to the race! Many people have trouble sleeping the night before a race because they feel like they need to. “If I don’t sleep, I’m going to be so tired tomorrow and crash and burn!” If you have a solid week of sleep behind you, you will feel 20x less stressed come night-before, and you’ll know that if you’re a little short on sleep, it’s not a biggie. If you’re going to take any “vitamins” (cough*tylenol pm*couch) as I tend to do, make sure you know how they affect you and how long they last in your system.
5. Have 1 or 0 plans. There are races I do where I just wing it – whatever happens happens, and I’m going to have a good time no matter what. There are also races I do where I know I want to see that 1-mile split clock and it damn well better read 6:20. Or 6:40. Or 7:15. Depending on my race. Both of these scenarios are 100% fine, but what I think is key was that I decide before the race if I’m gonna go or just go. You follow? There have been a few races where I was kicking myself (possibly literally in the last 400 yards…) because I went out thinking I just wanted to have fun, and then half way through I changed my mind and wanted to race. And my time obviously reflected that because half of my race was waisted dinkin’ around. You do what you wanna, but I’m just sayin… I like to have a plan.

Ragnar Race Bible

And there you have it… my top 5 tips for starting out race day smoothly! As always, you can find this and all other TRAIN on Top volumes under the TRAIN on Top tab at the top of the page!  There are so many more things that could be included in this list. Uh oh.. sounds like READER QUESTION time! Feel free to answer any or all!

1. What is a tip you would add to my pre-race-prep list?
2. Do you have any funny pre-race rituals?
3. Are you part of any kind of team?

No Friday Confessionals today kids… got a power point to power through that is supposed to be going with my [due Tuesday] speech on Steroids in Dietary Supplements that I am supposed to be working on right now. Expect an addition to the RUN hard Race Reports after tomorrow! Over n’ out.

-E

Sunday Long “Run”

Poppin (Remix) – Christ Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana

Today, being a Sunday, would mean it’s a long run day. We haven’t discussed my running status much as of late, because well, there really isn’t a status. It’s been constantly changing! For the month of December, running was super minimal. (read: like 30 miles for the entire MONTH maybe?) No – its most def. not because I can’t handle the Minnesota winters – we all know I’ve got that covered. Unfortunately.. it would be the hip. Again. My next “big” Dr. appointment is February 8th. Maybe I’ll know more after that, but at this point, this is what I do know: (words of my lovely sports med doc:) “It’s not going to just break through while you’re out there – if you want to be running, and it isn’t excruciatingly painful, you might as well.”

High Definition – Lupe Fiasco ft. Snoop Dog & Pooh Bear

So since January, I’ve taken that and run with it, literally. My milage is still NOTHING like “normal”, but at least I’m running a few days a week. However, no weekend long run for me. So today’s “long run” is brought to you by my Octane Q47 (or what I refer to typically as my “xRunner”) machine… lookin a little like this:

Dirt Off Your Shoulder – Jay Z

And since I have two hours scheduled with this bad boy, I figured what a better time to give you my ellipti/run/music rundown. What you see in BOLD and PURPLE are the songs that are playing currently while I am typing. Yes. Blogging while working out is pretty much the only way I have time for this right now. And since right now I have, oh… an hour and 44 minutes left, you get lots of songs.  My iTunes is on Shuffle btw, but I’m skipping around a bit if I hit a song I don’t like.

Beggin – Madcon

As you can also see, I’m not writing a ton in between what are anywhere between 4-5 minute songs. That’s because blogging, as I’m sure all of you who have your own site know, takes mucho tiempo.

Track 7 – Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack

(Don’t know the actual name… really not a fan of this song… but it gives you an idea of the eclectness of my iTunes.) Which brings me to the next item on my agenda…

Future Updating Schedule:

Guarantees – Atmosphere

It’s no joke that I am super busy this semester. But this blog is really important to me, and I actually really LIKE doing it! My iCal last week looked a little like this, and this is even just a four day week, with school just having started, so not a ton of homework yet. This also doesn’t show the 6 credits of online classes I have currently going on! Ayyy. Contemplating dropping Physics this semester, but that doesn’t seem like a good plan because I still need to take it at some point. All the classes I’m taking right now are ones I need to eventually take! Thank you God for inventing iCal…

This Is What It’s Made For – Usher

Because of this insanity, my posting schedule will most likely be once or twice a week. It will also probably be a bit more to the point and content driven than all this extra curricular stuff. Actually.. no, it probably wont. That’s just how I roll. If you’ve seen some of my tweets lately though, you know I got a lot going on:

• 20 credits
• 2 labs
• 2 jobs
• boyfriend
• family/friends
• the Tri team
• Dr. TriRunner
• the Tri team’s website – I just took this one on, but I’m excited about it!

There’s no blame or fingers to be pointed (other than at myself )… this is what I get myself into. Welcome to the life of a Type A (+) overscheduler. Moving on…

Real As It Gets – Jay Z ft. Young Jeezy

On Friday I promised you a gear review, and that’s what I have for you now!

Cycling & Winter Running Socks: Review

You – Atmosphere

First up, my loves of all time: SMARTWOOL. More specifically, their Ultra Light Cushion Women’s Cycling socks:

These were a gift from the boy, and damn, does he know how to pick em’! I love the way these hug my arches in just the right spot, and I don’t have to fold them over because they’re so effing big or have the “heel” be sitting at my ankle! I wear these in spin right now and they are PERFECT! They come up just high enough so my shimano shoes don’t cut into my leg, but they’re still “ankle socks.” Final Grade: A

Dirt Off Your Shoulders Vs. Bittersweet Symphony Remix – Jay Z & The Verve

Next: CRAFT Pro Warm Quarter Running Sock

Alright.. when I told you everything  you’d ever want to know about WINTER RUNNING… I told you how much my feet/hands circulation sucks. Well that post needs a revision: my feet/hand circulation SUCKS when I’m not properly prepared!!

Jesus Walks – Kanye West

This was also included in a x-mas gift from the boy (he’s winning in all corners here!) and DAYYYNG. I. Love. Keep in mind that these were not sent to me by the company – this review is solely based on my usage of said socks and happy warm toes. These. Are. FANTASTIC. On a run where my fingers were frozen solid through… think permafrost frozen… my feet were SO toasty, but not sweaty! Just happy, happy toes. Thankkk you to novio and thank you to Craft! Final Grade: A+

Real World – Match Box Twenty

(Haha! I told you it was on shuffle!)  While were on the subject of SOCKS, I will say that I am yet to wear my supafly Kayano Left and Right specific running socks that my mom gave me for Christmas. I feel like these need to be reserved for races or special occasion / monumental runs only. Q: Do you have any clothes like that? I definitely have a racing only sports bra!

Push It Remix – Camron ft. Jim Jones, Juelz, and Lil Wayne

Annnd that’s one hour down! Love it! What I don’t love is this weekend is “Open House” weekend at my gym. Read: Way super overcrowded!! Un momentitio chicos… bathroom break.

OK! Hour two.. start it off with an all time favorite:

I’ll Be Missing You – P. Diddy ft. Faith Evans

This is also where I switch to going backwards and up the resistance a bit! Annnd make sure I’m continuing to hydrate:

Baby It’s Cold Outside – James Taylor ft. Natalie Cole

(Hahaha!! Don’t judge!) Ok so I’m starting to really enjoy this live blogging thing. Pictured above (excuse the blurriness.. I took it one handed and moving) is the new LEMON LIME Powerade Zero! But not only Powerade kids.. that would be Lemon Lime PowerDew. If you haven’t done the PowerDew yet.. hop on it. And make sure to tell me what you think!!! And because we’re talking about beverages and hydrating….

Nilla’ Mint Coffee Recovery Shake:

Hotel California – The Eagles

I also told you last Friday that I had a recipe coming! I fell in love the second this cool, creamy shake of shining glory touched my lips. Not exaggerating.

Always Coming Back Home to You – Atmosphere

Thankfully that was not a 4:26 am photo! Here’s what we got goin’ on:

• Chocolate Mint Coffee, (.5 – 1 cup, depending on preference of taste and texture) cooled (a la Ghiradelli – sent to my by my absolute fave SwimBuddy Lizzy)
• 2 scoops Vanilla protein powder
• Xanthan gum
• Ice ( I use about 6 regular sized cubes)

If you tragically are not able to find this miraculous mint coffee, as I no longer am because I ran out and apparently this is a seasonal delicacy, I have moved on to using regular coffee (or espresso to be more accurate), dark coco powder, and mint extract. Place all ingredients in blender of choice, and get to town.

Say Shhh – Atmosphere

(If you’re from MN.. GET that song. Has been a favorite of mine for a lonnnng time!) Depending on the type of protein powder you choose to use, you can get upwards of 20g of protein here! Other variations: you could use chocolate flavored protein powder and nix the cocoa powder. You could do half coffee/half milk (or milk alternative). If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover Girlscout Thinmint cookies stashed in your  freezer… send them all to me one or two blended up in the drink would lead to nilla/choco/mint ecstacy. Caution.

When’s the Last Time – Clipse ft. Pharell

As you can see, I did this in my Magic Bullet and it barely fit. I’m still praying that the folks from VitaMix HQ over in Cleveland, Ohio will find this lil runner/triathlete/future doctor and realize:

Dang – this girl really needs a Vita Mix in her life. Her future depends on it. How can we help?

I have an extra kidney if any of your employees need it. We could work out a deal. KIDDING!!! Kinda…

Bout It – Yung Joc ft. 3LW (Step Up Soundtrack)

Alright – decision time: I have half an hour of this “run” left… and there are still about a billion things I have on my “to post” list. I wanna give you a GU2:10 (or Goal Update for those who haven’t mastered the Dr.TriRunner terminology…) but I think I will wait till January is over and  give you a complete one month perspective.

Maria Maria – Carlos Santana ft. Wyclef Jean

(Yes, I really did only type that much in the time it took to play all of Bout It. Not a short song.. but I’m sweating more liquid than my shower gives on a good water pressure day. Haha what an attractive mental picture..) What I think needs to happen right now, since I neglected it on Friday, is a little guilt relief. That’s right kids – sounds like a…

Sunday Friday Confessional:

What We Talkin’ Bout – Jay Z ft. Luke Steele

You know the rules of the game: there are none. Nothing is off limits. You fess up, I fess up. We all feel better. This is a practice I have very much loved ever since my very first ever Friday Confessional back in November of 2008. One year ago I was fessing up to this:

1. I’ve become rather spiteful without running. I’ve seen other people running outside or hearing them talk about running and wished they couldn’t run too. It’s like if I can’t run, no one else should. 
2. I stole my roommates pack of Cinnamon Spice gum off her desk. Sorry Laur – I owe you.
3. I ODed on Cinnamon Toast Crunch one night in the beginning of the week. I literally had FIVE bowls. Just dry. Back to back.  And I felt sick as hell afterwards/the next morning. It was completely emotional and very delicious. But I don’t need to do that again.
4. I paid $55 for unlimited group fitness at the Marino. And I’m yet to take ONE class. I signed up for abs tonight and spinning tomorrow morning.
5. I accidentally brought home a pool belt from the Y. And it is sitting under my bed. And it’s mine.

Ever The Same – Rob Thomas

Have I changed? Let’s see…
#1 – I am currently running, but nothing like “I used to.” But my thoughts on that one are much more stemming from frustration.. not “spite.” Or at least I’d like to think so.
#2 – No stealing gum. I have a plentiful stock of my Stride favorites.
#3 – No more CTC sadly – I no longer have “the caf,” and therefore no longer have open access to crack this goodness. Probably a good thing.

Nothing Ever Hurt Like You – James Morrison

#4 – $55 seems like a steal when you’re paying $68/month for a gym membership. Nuff said.
#5 – That pool belt fits me perfectly

This week I’m going to confess only one thing to you in the blog word, because a) I only have 7 minutes left and I want time to make a song wrap-up, and b) I’ve been pretty darn good this week if I do say so myself. Here we go:

Move If You Wanna – Mims

1. I have become increasingly reliant on sleep aids. Tylenol PM, Simply Sleep.. the melatonin ain’t doin jack isht. It’s at the point where if I don’t take anything, I just don’t get tired. No matter what. Friday night – took nothing. Fell “asleep” around 4 am. Was already awake when my alarm went off at 8am. I’m fessing up to this one because it’s actually a problem. I plan on talking to my doc about it at my next appointment. Which I am yet to schedule. :/

That’s all I have time for kids! This was a GOOD POST if you ask me! Sorry if I overwhelmed you with all of  this at once though. Here is the…

Long “Run” Song Wrap-up:

Encore – Jay Z (good song to end on!)
Poppin (Remix) – Christ Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana
High Definition – Lupe Fiasco ft. Snoop Dog & Pooh Bear
Dirt Off Your Shoulder – Jay Z
Beggin – Madcon
Track 7 – Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack
Guarantees – Atmosphere
This Is What It’s Made For – Usher
Real As It Gets – Jay Z ft. Young Jeezy
You – Atmosphere
Dirt Off Your Shoulders Vs. Bittersweet Symphony Remix – Jay Z & The Verve
Jesus Walks – Kanye West
Real World – Match Box Twenty
Push It Remix – Camron ft. Jim Jones, Juelz, and Lil Wayne
I’ll Be Missing You – P. Diddy ft. Faith Evans
Baby It’s Cold Outside – James Taylor ft. Natalie Cole
Hotel California – The Eagles
Always Coming Back Home to You – Atmosphere
Say Shhh – Atmosphere
When’s the Last Time – Clipse ft. Pharell
Bout It – Yung Joc ft. 3LW (Step Up Soundtrack)
Maria Maria – Carlos Santana ft. Wyclef Jean
What We Talkin’ Bout – Jay Z ft. Luke Steele
Ever The Same – Rob Thomas
Nothing Ever Hurt Like You – James Morrison
Move If You Wanna – Mims

[Change of location - the workout went wonderfully! No pain, sweated my a$$ off, and feel good. At home now.] Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did! I have two pages that should be up and running soon: music, and the return of my blogroll (finally)! There are more layout/style changes to come too. For now, if you’re looking for music (like the Reader’s Choice Ultimate Mix) just click on the “music” tag in the right column! Gotta go for now peeps – my VIKES are playing tonight!

-E

WELL. Seeing as how life goes back to “normal” in four days, I figured I better get my rear in gear and get ready for practice to go back to normal too. Collegiate Nationals are on April 17th, and without time to count the actual number of days between now and then, I’ll just say it’s gonna come up sooner than we think!

Over break, there has been a much more slacker relaxed attitude with the practice schedule. Yeah, I still get my time in, but I’ve also gotten to change up the cardio a bit and do things like the stair mountain. (Which I really grew to like actually! Might have to sneak that in on the weekends… )

My view from the top!

Here’s an early “Friday Confessional” for ya – I’m pretty sure I have been in the pool all of ONCE over this entire break. Part of practice going back to “normal” would involve me in a pool and 4000+ yards three times a week. I’m not saying I’ve entirely forgotten how to swim, but this is a pretty clutch time for me to be honing in on stroke technique and intervals. To pour on a lil’ more lame-sauce, I even got the ONE thing I really wanted for Christmas to make my swimming “more enjoyable” :

That would be the NU Dolphin UNDERWATER mp3 player. Haha one kid on the team called it “spoiled”. Since that was my one big gift and it was just over $100, I wouldn’t go that far.. NTM the word “spoiled” leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I would like to call it “dedicated” since the intention was that it would help get me in the pool more often and help keep me focused. Haha, well I guess I ALSO can’t go that far because I clearly haven’t gotten in the pool more. YET! For fairness sake, the first time I was headed to the pool with this lil guy, I had music all loaded and everything, decided to check it at home just to figure out the controls and everything, and nothing played! Turns out it plays only mp3 files (just like basically every single non-i-ANYTHING….), and so I had to convert a whole bunch of songs to transfer.

Here is ME, holding ME accountable. I am leaving to the pool the second I hit publish. I have my mp3 player loaded with a bunch of songs that better motivate my a$$ to swim hard. I will be crazy sore because muscle memory can only last so long, and baby, it’s been a lonnnng time. (TWSS. Bahaha. Sorry.) ”Base building” stops today tomorrow (I can promise today won’t be “fast”). Lubbock, Texas.. watch your back!

I will report back, complete with workout, playlist, and plenty of DOMS. If you find yourself in the same situation as this lil red head, I encourage you to wander over to the Train On Top tab at the top of the page, and explore your various training modalities that you may or may not be neglecting. As I just did with SWIMMING: VOLUME 1.

Going. NOW.
-E

Hahah lied. Had to do this first – Shelly’s having her first giveaway, and Katie’s having a giveaway too!

[EDIT-EDIT-EDIT-EDIT-EDIT]

Success!! I was really surprised at how easily I jumped right back in. I was expecting a not-feelin-it kind of workout, but the whole swim I felt like I was pulling strongly and efficiently. I LOVE IT! Annnnd, the mp3 player was a BIG HIT. Aside from kinda hurting my ears, because I pull the swim cap over the ear buds to stay in tight, I was really impressed with the sound quality and volume in the water! Expect a complete product review to come!

WORKOUT:

(I like to split my workouts into 1000′s – for some reason it just feels like it goes faster!)

SET ONE: warm-up
1000 yards free, straight. minus two stops to dump out goggua (goggle agua. oh so clever.)

SET TWO: kick intervals
200 kick flutter
200 free
200 kick dolphin
200 free
200 kick flutter

SET THREE: IM distance mixup
100 free
100 back
100 breast
100 free
200 free
200 back
200 breast

SET FOUR: SKIPS COOLDOWN
200 swim (free)
200 kick (alternating btwn flutter on back and sides)
200 IM
200 pull/hypoxic drills
200 swim (free/breast/free/breast)

I gotta get out the door NOW for spin with the boy, and make it home by 8:00 for Grey’s! Talk about a perfect Thursday! If you really do want the playlist from today, lemme know and I’ll throw it up there!

NEXT UP:

1. Reader’s choice playlist! Don’t miss your chance to get your song on there!
2. a GIVEAWAY!! make sure you keep checkin’ back!
3. NU Dolphin Underwater mp3 player

Ciao!
-E

Aright… advice for my fellas (I know for a fact I have at least three, hahah so you three can share this with your amigos): I would strongly advise you NOT to come at a girl – especially a girl you have intentions of scoring a date with – and tell her,

“Hey, do you want a biking buddy? I can even slow down so you can keep up. ”

1. Seriously? Dog… strap on some Asics. I’d smoke your ass.
2. You are the guy who time and time again prefaces a workout of any sort with, “well I’m not going to be fast today because ______.” (I lifted hard yesterday. I just ate Chipotle. I have a sliver.) Cry me a river homeboy..  you’re just not fast period.
3. Your little smiley face does not make up for your cockiness. Confident ≠ cocky.

And then when I respond to your cute little offer to slow down with letter 1) above, and you come back at me with,

“Don’t kid yourself. ”

expect retaliation. Or better yet… expect nothing. Nothing at all.. because you señor D. Bag are not worth my time, much less a date or any of my precious QT with the Roo. Time to rework your game buddy.

[End rant]

In general I think of myself as a nice, compassionate person. But redheads are known to be feisty for a reason. Remember when someone stole my bike?

LOL and if you think I’m being hard on the guy.. I guess just know that he is a repeat offender and I just don’t play that game.

Glad to hear some people might have a new motivation to jumpin in the pool this week! I definitely had to remind myself of the 5 second ultimatum this morning, but it was a great workout! If you have continuing questions, feel free to leave comments on the Train On Top: Volume One – SWIMMING post (I’ll still be notified even if it’s an older post), or leave any questions in a comment on the Train On Top page! And of course, you can feel free to shoot an email to RunDogMpls at gmail dot com.

The next venture in this series will be regarding CYCLING/SPINNING, and I believe I’ll be calling in some expert testimony here since biking/cycling is my least strong of the athletic trifecta. (And I am aware that that is entirely an incorrect use of the word trifecta, but I like the way it sounds, and that’s just my style. )

(p.s. That’s absolutely the photo my mom wanted to use as my picture on our xmas card this year. Alright with me!!)  Alllright. Feeling much better now that that’s out… and I should head over to Gold Country – doin’ a little early birthday shopping for myself! Haha sometimes the only way to get what you REALLY want is when you are the one to buy it!

Till next time amigos,

-E

[edit: p.s. Lizzy got the golden beans, and she's sharing!]

MY BEGINNING:

First, I think it’s good to tell you a little bit about my swimming history. That way if you’re just flapping around in the pool and swallow too much chlorine if anything goes wrong, hey – it’s not my fault. I can’t even remember how old I was when I first got in the pool, but I know by age 4 I was taking lessons at the YWCA, so I assume my parents tossed me in some time before that. I LOVED swimming. My favorite day in lessons was the day the instructor brought out the canoe, and we would to a “practice tip” (because all of us 5 year olds so often find is in an unstable canoe, and therefore should be prepared). Once we were tipped out of the boat, we would all swim underneath the upside down canoe and stick our heads up in the air pocket it made.. haha my sister has the recollection of this being the most scary part of lessons.. but I was definitely loving every minute. It’s like parachute day in gym class… c’mon – you know you loved that too.

looked a little somethin' like this...

Anyways, I kept up my swimming throughout my childhood. I swam for the Uptown Otters YWCA swim team from 5th grade through 8th, and then swam for my high school my freshman year. 9th grade is when I hit all the problems with my coach and competition and whatnot,  but that’s either a story you’ve already heard, or one for a different time.

MOVING ON.. I didn’t swim a ton from 10th grade through my freshman year in college. In fact, maybe “not a ton” is even overstating it. I swam at the beach Lake Calhoun and Harriet. I swam from the boat to the tube up at the cabin. And… nope. That’s it. Running was definitely my priority, and high school + my freshman year I was really not cross training aside from my trusty Arc Trainer. Then came my sophomore year – I found out I had a fractured hip, which = no running. The coach obviously had experience with injured girls, because that is when I was introduced to POOL RUNNING. <- (Click for a blast from the past regarding everything and anything THAT from 2008). I pool ran pre-surgery, post-surgery, and honestly it would probably be a good idea to keep it up now, but now that I can swim again…

Yep – “real” swimming. As in laps. And lots of them. Pool running was great, but let’s be honest here – it’s about as fun as watching your ice fishing hole freeze shut. Swimming (IMO) isn’t a whole lot better, but the more skilled you become at it, the more you’ll find you can zone out and still work hard. Sounds kinda like going on a nice long run, right? Hahah, no? Ok.. but it’s good for you.

After I had surgery, I knew I was kissing track goodbye for the spring. So… I joined the club swim team at Northeastern. If you can’t beat em, join em. At first I was nervous about going to practice since it had been SO long since I had actually even attempted “real swimming”, but I just sucked it up, hopped in LANE ONE (aka the sloww lane) and gave it my best. I was so surprised at how fast everything came back to me.. even flip turns! It helped that my roommate of the time was on the varsity swim team, so she was always there to give me good workouts and advice when I needed it. I remember the first time I swam 2,000 yards again and I thought it was such a huge accomplishment. Now, my practices are no less than 4,000 yards! That is one of the reasons I love individual sports.. and it’s so type A of me, but I’m OK with that: the rate at which you improve, your success, your goals, it’s all ON YOU. No one else is responsible for your triumphs, your let downs, or the effort you put in, besides YOU. If you put your mind to do something, and find yourself having fears or reservations, make sure you ask yourself – what’s really stopping you?

The #1 reason I hear from runners about why they don’t want to swim?

IT’S TOO EFFING COLD!!

Haha.. that my friends, is something you might not get over. Honestly… pretty much every single M/W/F on the bus on the way to practice, my train of thought looks something like this….

The water’s gonna be cold today. I realllly don’t like being cold. Or being wet. Or being cold and wet. Ohhh and they lowered the temp for this weekends meet. And I’m cold already!! Why am I swimming again?

And then I get to the pool and am standing at my lane.. just looking at the seconds on the clock go by but not making any move closer to getting in. It could take forever. Somewhere along the lines I realized how dumb this was because its not like I was going to go home without swimming.. I was already in my suit, goggles and cap on, ready to go. I implemented a 5-second-rule, meaning that I would finally look at the clock and say you have no other option but to be in that water and kicking in 5 second. I can’t say that really made it easier.. but it for sure helps if you dive in.

THE BASICS:

To have a successful swim or pool running workout, here is what you need to get started:

• A swim suit
• goggles (if swimswimming)
• a pool belt (if pool running)

That’s it! Of course there are other things you can use once you get yourself comfortable in the pool, but if you’re a newb to the water.. you don’t really need to get fancy. I think it’s important to have a good swim suit, and especially if you’re planning on making swimming a routine part of your training. Look at how many swimsuits I’ve gone through just since December:

Minus the [once] blue/orange/white one on the left.. that is my freshman-year-high-school competition suit. Hahha it’s definitely reserved just for drag purposes now, since it’s basically see through. As you can see (or maybe not.. not a huge picture) I’ve worn Nike, TYR, and Speedo. I have found I go between TYR and Speedo suits, and they are usually pretty durable. I like wearing Nike for running, but that 2 piece trainer you see there… I think I wore through that in about 6 weeks – no joke. You’ll decide for yourself based on comfort/feel/how cool it looks. I definitely picked based on LOOKS on my last purchase – it was an early birthday present for myself.. haha it matches my swim  cap, and it makes me feel fast:

hangin on my locker like the cool kids do

Down the line, here are some things you may find useful to have with you:

• A pull buoy
• A kick board
• Flippys
• a PLAN!
• h2o, and not the large amount that is in the pool. Preferably not chlorinated.

I stress having a plan because howww long did I just go to the pool and swim for time… and howww bored was I?! I would look at the clock pretty much every lap just wanting the hour to be over (even though I was swimming every lap at basically the same speed…). Having a workout lets you change it up and definitely helps the time pass more quickly. That goes the same while pool running. Here are my essentials:

So.. my #1 piece of advice if you are just a begging swimmer is – YOU ARE A BEGINNING SWIMMER! And that is great because you have to start SOMEWHERE, and you’re taking the first step! Don’t set your expectations too high in terms of distance or time. Don’t expect it to be super easy. Just give it your best!

And my #2 piece of advice to ALL swimmers is – you’re not going to heat up the water by glaring at it. Just get in already!

If you are REALLY REALLY a beginner – ie never swam a day in my life kind of beginner – I’d recommend checking out Beginner Triathlete’s website, maybe taking lessons to get yourself familiar with different strokes and proper breathing. I would imagine it wouldn’t be to pleasant to have to doggy paddle out to the buoy and back.

WORKOUTS:

If you’re training for a TRI, know that sprints are anywhere from 1/4 mile to 1/2 a mile (yeah… I like the continuity there guys..) so you will want to know that you can at least swim that far (in OPEN WATER much less!!) before race day. If you are swimming in a standard pool.. the [U.S.] length is 25 yards. However, if you’re a dork like me you might not realize your pool is in meters, and then you’ll get super happy when you realize you’re swimming just that much farther. There are obviously lots of great tips and workouts out there online, but I will just give you a) my favorite, b) my standby (when I feel like I don’t have any creativity or motivation in me whatsoever. It happens.) and c) what I started out with. I will also leave you with my old favorite pool running workout in case that’s what you’re looking for!!

MY FAVORITE: “THE JENN”

WARMUP
200 swim / 200 kick / 200 pull
8×50 descending by 25s
300 kick (flutter/dolphin by 25s)

SET 1 (2x through)
4×100 free descending 1-4
2×100 IM
2×50  free descending 1-2

SET 2 (4x through)
75 BD / 50 BU / 25 EZ
(BD = build down, BU = build up, EZ = easy! The 75/50/25 is meant to be continuous – don’t stop until you’ve completed that whole set, and then repeat 3 more times!)

SET 3
16×25 IM
(For those who don’t know… IM = fly/back/breast/free)

WARM DOWN
100 swim / 100 kick / 100 swim

TOTAL: 4,000 yards

THE ZERO CREATIVITY WORKOUT: “THE STANDBY”

WARMUP
1000 SKIPS

SET 1
5×200
(200 free / 200 IM / 200 kick / 200 free / 200 IM)

SET 2
10×100
(100 free / 100 IM / 100 kick / 100 free / 100 IM / 100 free / 100 IM / 100 kick / 100  free / 100 IM)

WARM DOWN
1000 SKIPS

THE OLD OLD STANDBY: “GENISIS”

4 x 1000 SKIPS

S = 200 swim
K = 200 kick
I = 200 IM
P = 200 pull
S = 200 swim

(and then you do it all again. And again. And again. BORING! But it is sometimes good when I need to work hard but not really focus… like when I’m trying to write my research paper in my head before class.)

ALL TIME FAVORITE POOL WORKOUT EVER: THE LADDER

This is based on time, and T = 60 minutes. Listo? Lets go:

1-15: 15 min. warm up – steady state – enough to feel like you’re working, but not gasping for air. you can think of it as a “conversational pace”
15-16: 1 min. hard. some say “5K” pace.. but lets face it. You’re likely doing this because your injured. You’re not running. Just do work!
16-17: 1 min. steady state
17-19: 2 min. hard
19-20: 1 min. steady state
20-23: 3 min. hard
23-24: 1 min. steady state
24-28: 4 min. hard
28-29: 1 min. steady state
29-34: 5 min. hard
34-35: 1 min. steady state
35-39: 4 min. hard
39-40: 1 min. steady state
40-43: 3 min hard
43-44: 1 min. steady state
44-46: 2 min. hard
46-47: 1 min. steady state
47-48: 1 min hard – last one.. really make it count!
48 – 60: 12 min. cool down

That looks like a helluva lot of numbers now that I write that.. but it’s really simple. Maybe better written like this:

15 min. warm up
1 min. hard / 1 min. easy
2 min. hard / 1 min. easy
3 min. hard / 1 min. easy
4 min. hard / 1 min. easy
5 min. hard /  1 min. easy
4 min. hard / 1 min. easy
3 min. hard / 1 min. easy
2 min. hard / 1 min. easy
1 min. hard / 1 min. easy
12 min. cool down

Advice on pool running – the more you do it, the easier it is to actually get a WORKOUT from it. At first you will feel awkward and  you will always be wondering “am I doing this right?” but you can get to the point where you’re actually working up a sweat. And yes.. the water will still be cold when you get in, but you’ll be thankful when you’re going all out for 5 minutes!

I hope this was a good intro post to swimming as either cross training (for my solely-runners) or just training (for my triathletes)! If you have any other questions.. please let me know! I also have a good bloggy friend who was/is a very accomplished swimmer herself, and I think she might be down for giving some pointers too! Please note, this post, and all future “VOLUMES” will be accessible through the Train On Top page to make them easier to find! I also threw in the link to the post on pool running!

Have a happy SUNDAY! Im off to get hot n sweaty my boys – the Vikes, and my love – the xRunner, from my spot at the gym. I have been doing some REAL running lately too! Haha my blinding white legs are proof that I had to miss the last final weeks of sunshiney running:

I can’t complain though – running is running! And at this time of year especially, I am THANKFUL! Hasta luego mis amigos!
-E

[[EDIT** Ummm p.s. My Dear Popchips Fam: I have yet to see/find/try these "hit of butter", "wasabi", and "salsa" chips. WHAT?!]]

I know you’re excited.. maybe even as much as I am! In collaboration with Random.org we were able to fairly choose a winner for this poplicious giveaway. So without delay, the lucky lady is…

HOLLY!

One of my favorite should-be-Minnesota-mamis (hahha gross.. is that something I got off of b.96?) If you haven’t check out this lady’s blog.. go hit it up and look around. She is super creative and all about good food, and I know she’ll put these bad boys to good use! Congratulations to youu my love!! Please email me at RunDogMpls at gmail dot come with your mailing address so I can get it over to the folks at at the Popchips HQ  and they can get the chippers off to YOU asap!

Reading all your suggestions gave me lots of new ideas for dressing em’ up, but Susan definitely came in with my favorite/most common use for these crunchy bites of gold – taco salad. My taco salads are RIDIC. As in I eat them out of a 2 quart serving bowl, and they are often still overflowing. You don’t wanna come between me and my tactac ensalada.. I promise you, it would get ugly. My taco salads are made for bowls of the following proportions:

click for photo credit!

Aright chickadees… here’s what’s coming in the near future at Dr.TriRunner:

A post regarding everything and anything SWIMMING. I got a great email from a reader and fellow injured runner asking about swimming as a cross training option. Here is what she said:

Hey! Ive been reading your blog for a while now, and was just wondering if you could help me with a little advice. I just recently was diagnosed with stress fractures of my femoral head and pelvis, as well as a torn hip labrum, so clearly no more running for me for a while (gahhhh hardest thing ever!). I know this is sort of similar to what you had expereienced, just a lot less intense and serious, but the doctors have told me I can begin to start swimming and thats basically all I can do for exercise.

Now Ive never really used swimming as a form of exercise, and Im curious if you have any helpful tips for me.. what you did, or how you started and knew what you were doing? I know its kind of a vague question but anything you can help me with Id really appreciate!

Thanks so much, and so happy your back to running 

It was the kick in the butt I needed to finally WRITE this post, because it has been on my “to-do” list for… forever. In turn, I will also follow up (eventually ) with a post on cycling and spinning as cross training options! After all.. this is Dr.TRIRunner!!

If YOU have any burning questions regarding swimming – it can be anything from getting started to specific workout ideas to what can I eat that won’t upset my stomach before getting in the pool to POOL RUNNING (because we all know I’m a pro at that) – please send them to me! You can either leave a comment on this post, or shoot me an email at RunDotMpls at gmail dot com. Looking forward to hearing from you!!

Peace out homefritos,

-E