Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I'm Running Again!


Guys! I’m running again! Woohoooo! Just in time for freezing wind and single-digit temps (anti-woohooo!). No but really, I don’t care if it’s negative a million – I am fully functional and able to put one foot in front of the other, so life is pretty freaking good again. Finally.

Don't be deceived by this sun-shiny day. It is 7 degrees with wind-chill.

I’m taking things slowly slowly – just three miles at a time for now, plus plenty of continued strengthening and stretching exercises.

What was my most recent “problem”? Ugh it barely even matters anymore – basically I started running again (pretty hard) back in August after months off (traveling), while at the same time starting school and sitting allllll day long. Result? Super-tight piriformis problems, which led to hip flexor problems, which led to minor low back problems, which, exacerbated by a soccer game, led to major low back problems, which led to nerve damage (I couldn’t feel the outside of my left foot). I know guys, I know. My life is a saga.

Moral of the story: when you start running again after a while off, do these Hip Flexor and Piriformis Stretching and Strengthening things every day. EVERY DAY.

And these Strengthening and Activating Your Glutes things every day. TWICE A DAY.


That's what I've been doing. And along with weekly incredibly painful massage (literally -- imagine a large PT leaning all his weight onto his elbow, digging into your piriformis), and yoga, it worked!

Like I said, I've been running just a little bit at a time. So I don't have any super-exciting routes to share with you -- just this lovely 3-mile out-and-back on the Minuteman Bike Path. (At this point, any and all running is lovely to me, even though it's difficult and awkward and freezing outside.) The nice thing about being in school is that I can capitalize on light and mid-day relative warmth and do this run in the middle of the day. 

Route details here.
Not running at all this first grad school semester has been interesting, and not an experience I would like to repeat. I don't NEED running -- this semester shows that I can cope with all the stress (intellectually, socially, and physically) a-ok without it. But everything is just so much better with running!

I'll end with wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving! There are just so many things to be grateful for!