ART

I could easily be a lady who lunches

December 30, 2011 by Kristy 10 Comments

I definitely have this not working thing down pat. What day is it? Does it really matter? Every day feels like Saturday!

I’m pretending this is my normal lifestyle – a lady who lunches – in order to avoid the reality of work come Tuesday. Let’s review the last 24 hours…

Thursday
7:45AM – a glorious 5 mile run, although cold (41:14 / 8:15 avg pace).

10:30AM – my last PT session. I graduated! I’ve been going faithfully twice a week for the past 4 weeks. My hamstring feels strong and I haven’t had a twinge of tightness in 4 weeks. I no longer need the ART so I can just continue my exercises at home. I must give a huge shout-out to Excel Physical Therapy (Villanova location) and my PT Desirae. I highly recommend her and Excel.

1:00PM – lunch with Ann and Sara. I coached Ann and Sara for the Philly RnR Half this past September (easiest coaching gig ever – both are seasoned half marathoners). They took me to lunch to thank me! Thanks ladies! My goal during lunch was to convince them to run a full (Ann’s 2nd full and Sara’s 1st). I think Ann is on board; we just need to work on Sara 😉

7:00PM – coffee with Beth. This was a total surprise. Beth texted me in the morning and said she would be in the area. I’ve been friends with Beth since 1st grade and she is my pseudo sister-in-law. She is married to Matt’s brother. So we married into the same family (duh). It’s awesome, having your best friend at all the family parties. And no, Matt and I did not set-up Beth and his brother. Ages ago, when I first started dating Matt, we all ended up at the same bar one night. I merely introduced Beth to Matt’s brother and the rest is history 🙂

Friday
7:30AM – 10 mile “long” run (1:26 / 8:36 avg pace). I’ve been alternating between 10 and 13 miles on Saturdays. Beginning next week, it’s only 13 miles and up!

And…tonight Matt and I are seeing The Nutcracker and going to dinner. Yes, I could get used to this!

Plans for NYE? I loathe NYE…highly overrated. We are hanging in and I’ll probably be asleep before midnight.

Friday Updates

December 2, 2011 by Kristy 14 Comments

TGIF! It has been a long and busy week. I’m heading down the shore this weekend to see my parents (not that shore, there will be no fist pumping). I haven’t posted since Tuesday so here are the latest and greatest updates:

Hamstring
Good news here! I’ve been running this week with minimal tightness. A huge improvement over my Thanksgiving run. This morning I did my long run – just 10 miles – and felt good. I’m aiming to hit 30 miles this week with all easy runs. Next week I’ll add in some speed work as long as my hammie still feels OK. I’m hoping to be back to my old self by the end of the month for Boston training.

I am weak
I started strength training this week. And this time I am sticking to it. Mark my words. I know my hamstring issues exist because my core/glutes/hamstrings are all weak. I really can’t “just run” anymore. I would love to jump on the BodyPump bandwagon but can’t find a class around here without joining a gym. So I’m going to my yoga studio’s Whole Body Strength class twice a week. And I bought a Groupon for some CrossFit classes (ouch!). CrossFit scares the crap out of me.

ART with a PT
Yesterday I had my first appointment with a PT (I was previously seeing a chiropractor) and WOW, what a difference! I actually have a plan to nip these hammie issues in the bud. I have exercises to do each day to build up my right hamstring (it is significantly weaker than my left). And the ART was amazing, way different than the chiropractor. I’m happy I made the switch.

Oiselle Burke Jacket
I consider a lightweight, waterproof, and windproof jacket a winter running essential. There is nothing worse than the bitter cold wind penetrating through your clothes and hitting you smack in the chest. I love this Oiselle jacket: the fit is perfect (streamlined but you can add layers underneath), it’s reflective, it has 2 front pockets, and the sleeves are long. The orange was sold out so I got the white instead.

That’s it folks! Have a great weekend!

Ever go to a CrossFit class? Do you strength train? Do you enjoy it? I’d rather just run but I’m going to have to learn to enjoy it!

I bought the Oiselle Burke Jacket myself and decided to do a review because I liked it!

Adjustments

October 25, 2011 by Kristy 8 Comments

10/25/11
7 miles
*Pseudo speed work. I went to the track this morning and it was occupied…at 6:30AM?!?!? Peeved, I drove home and attempted a speed workout on my usual paved bike path. I managed 3 x 1-mile repeats at HM pace. I can’t do speed work without a track. I need to be able to count down the laps!

Last night I went to the chiropractor for the first time.

Remember how I raced the Philly RnR Half the week after my marathon and got all sorts of tightness in my right hamstring? Well, it’s still there. It comes and goes. The 2 weeks of rest I took helped but my right hamstring, hip, and glute just feel off. Hard to explain. I’m not in pain; my right side just feels abnormal compared to my left. The tightness is directly proportional to how fast I run. The faster I run, the tighter my hammie gets (I’ve been conscious of my overstriding too). Since I’m not in pain, I’ve been running but I’m keeping my overall mileage low and not doing all-out speed work. And I’ve been icing, foam rolling, and yoga-ing.

I decided that I want to nip this in the bud before it became an injury, especially with 2 races coming up in November. I have heard such great things about ART but I wasn’t sure if I was a candidate since I’m not really experiencing pain. I chose a chiropractor that performs ART over a physical therapist since my insurance covers it and I didn’t need a prescription from my primary care doctor to make an appointment.

Fast forward to last night. First, I couldn’t believe that people were getting treated right in front of everyone (it’s a small office). People are laying down on these crazy beds right near the waiting room. And these people looked like they were in so much pain! Ice packs, traction, etc. Scary! I got the whole work-up (x-rays, foot analysis, my oh my) and then laid down on a crazy bed. The doctor immediately told me to put both of my arms out in front of me (if I was standing up, think of the mummy walk) and resist while he tries to push my arms down. My right arm was fine; I was able to resist. My left not so much. I tried with all my might but I could barely keep him from pushing my left arm all the way down. Strange. Then he did something with my feet and my left was hanging lower than my right. Hmmmm. He did an adjustment to my left arm and then he tried to push it down again and it didn’t budge. I was shocked! I was pretty skeptical going into the appointment but maybe this will work???

I’m going back next Thursday for another appointment to discuss my x-rays and possible ART. I just want to be in tip top shape for my upcoming 12K and the Philly Half.

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? I’m trying to keep an open mind about it…
Do you prefer the track for speed work? I’m OK with the treadmill too, at least it passes the time quickly.