Shin Splints, Compartment Syndrome, Charlie Horse, Oh My!

I'm a big fan of recovery days, have been ever since I started swimming for Justin Jennings, Coe Swimming Head Coach Extraordinaire. He probably wouldn't agree, but I swear on my stickers that the recovery days are few and far between.

But when it comes to running, how do I know when to recover? If it's not broke, don't fix it, right? That seemed to work out well enough until recently, when a couple short runs in a row had my legs cramping up like leg cramps were going out of style.

The feeling was foreign to me- it wasn't a sharp pain that usually comes with a cramp. It felt like my muscles were just getting so tight they couldn't move. I expect the calf cramping- that even happens in swimming- so naturally it'll hang around for the higher impact sport too!

The feeling on the front of my legs? That one isn't explained away so easily. Could be shin splints- I read a handy dandy article on WebMD in an attempt to self-diagnose. But I am in denial about that one. My current theory is that I'm just not recovering correctly.

Runner's World had an interesting article on the subject:

Your Best Rest

Essentially, stretching, eating right, icing, resting- all of the basics are explained in the article, as well as when to do each, and how long. Pretty interesting stuff.

It fit in pretty well with what my training plan has laid out- don't take a recovery day after a long run day. Oopsy! I did that two weeks in a row- maybe that explains the cramps?

The recovery day can come before a long run though- something I was curious about. However, some kind of physical activity was encouraged, even on a recovery day, even if that activity didn't involve running. Enter, cross-training!

Creating a Route- The Easy Way!

MapMyRun.com is an impressive gift for people like me. Maybe you're one of those people too- the kind that couldn't tell you how far they've run even if their life depended on it. I'm not even

good at estimating, and usually I'm content with that.

However, my training plan has a 23 mile run somewhere down the road, and it's probably not a bad idea to know where I'm at in terms of mileage before I get too far into this thing.

I've used MapMyRun before, but I recently created a free profile because A) It will let me track my mileage; B) It will log routes I've created and let me use routes other members have logged; C) Let's get real. Who doesn't sign up for free things online all the time anyway? This is America. Free is my favorite price.

My favorite part of this website is the search option.

A. Maybe it seems obvious, but setting the location and distance is easy. I still think it's important to mention, just 'cause it's the first step.

B. Map Options. The image has the search result set to 'satellite,' but there is the 'map' choice with the streets labelled clearly, and the 'terrain' option, so I know exactly how many hills I will encounter on any given route.

C. Each of the routes meeting the search criteria pop up with a little blue flag and a number. The blue flag shows the starting point for the route, so I can decide if I want to drive there or add to the distance by starting from home. Also, hovering over the blue flag will cause a little box to pop up with more details about the run.

D. Ascent. Like the terrain option, I think the ascent is critical in my decision-making process. All of the routes are listed after scrolling down the page and they all show how far up I'll have to go during my run. This is a good, necessary, weed-out tool.

Thus far, I've only logged a couple routes- some basic ones around home and Coe so I have a good reference for creating routes later, as well as a route I've entitled "Death Mountain." I haven't run it yet, but it's going to be a beaut! Deets forthcoming!

Keep It Simple, Stupid

Here is my running philosophy.

1. Always keep running. Doesn't matter how slow. Just keep those feet a-movin'.

2. Don't run for time. Run til you don't feel like running anymore. Who wants to count minutes anyway? Let's get real: NOBODY. Because then all kinds of awful things happen, like trying to figure out your pace and sometimes that is just discouraging.

3. Don't run for distance. If you feel good, keep going. Don't plan a route- get lost! Take a right. And then another right. Maybe a left? Cut through a backyard! Go in a funny polygon shape when you're getting chased by the dog in that backyard. Run out of your way to go through a sprinkler. Or out of your way to avoid people throwing apples at you (true story).

Sometimes I make a playlist. Sometimes I like listening to the soundtrack of the birds and the evening news drifting out a living room window. I do what I want. The important thing is that I enjoy myself.

I Got 99 Problems, But My Kicks Ain't One

My Nikes were shot. And that's an understatement. It started during dryland at the beginning of swim season- I was doing girly pushups and scraped a hole in my knee. The blood flowed freely, right down onto my orange Dual Fusions.

A couple mishaps in the weight room involving carpet and newly-formed scabs resulted in a cool red polka-dot effect on the toe of Mr. Right Shoe, while my annoying habit of kicking myself while I run gave Ms. Left Shoe an aesthetically pleasing covering of blood spatter.

And that's just the blood. I put enough miles on those babies that my poor arches were begging for some new support. I took a field trip to Running Wild and picked up a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s:

Aren't they pretty? My last four pairs of legit running shoes have been the Brooks Adrenaline model. They provide good arch support, wear well, and are spacious enough for my big feet to breathe.

Every pair of running shoes is good for 300-400 miles. I fall into the category of people that doesn't actually track mileage, so I rely on feeling. If my ankles and shins feel like they are taking a beating, or my calves start getting tight on a run, I know to look back and say "Hey, I've had these a few months now. Maybe it's time for a new pair."

And then I scoot on down to Running Wild and drop several ten dollar bills on some sweet kicks. Can't argue with a 10% student discount! They also measure your feet and will watch you run to make sure they fit you with the right kind of shoe. This is an invaluable service.

Especially because of the recession and shoe cost-inflation. Especially because 300 miles is quite a long distance to run in a pair of shoes that doesn't fit correctly. Especially because you, my dear, are worth it.

Choosing a Training Plan

As far as I can tell, there are not a lot of very different methods for training. I came up with a quick-and-dirty method for choosing a training plan, just for you.

Three Step Questionnaire for Selecting a Marathon Training Plan:

1. Are you looking for Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced training?

2. Would you like a 12, 16, 18, 20, or 24 week training plan?

3. Would you like boring workouts or cool workouts with a relatively good deal of variation?

Three Step Answer Rationale for Amanda's Selected Training Plan:

1. Advanced, naturally, because I've never done a marathon, so that makes total sense. I justify my choice because A) I was super-fit for swimming, and I ran all through swim season; and B) I will be going directly into swim season after doing the marathon, and the other training plans didn't actually look like they would keep me at a high enough level of physical condition. I could be wrong...

2. 18. From the online literature I perused, this seems like the most common and manageable length for a training plan. Also, 18 weeks out from the marathon is just a couple days after my birthday. It seemed like good timing.

3. Variation! I'm gonna be doing fartleks and interval runs and all kinds of funky business. This is gonna be sweet.

There were a few different options from there on out- I found a nifty chart option that had everything laid out with some consistency. There are shorter runs during the week with a rotating schedule of the different structured workouts. I have Saturdays off, and Sundays are my long runs!

Get excited, guys! In the next post I'll show you my new shoes!

Dear Iowa: Finding a Marathon

Dear Iowa,

You are a beautiful place to run. A couple miles in any direction and I can find a dusty stretch of abandoned road, surrounded by plowed cornfields and ramshackle barns. The sky is always blue and the clouds are always white.

I get friendly waves when I pass old-timers driving their hayracks. I get honks when I am passed by rednecks in flannel driving their rusty four-by-fours. Occasionally, I get a special finger from the soccer moms driving minivans when their kids are late for practice.

Such a welcoming environment for recreational running and competitive training- I am so blessed.

But why, oh why, Iowa, don't you offer any good marathons? The timing is off or the location is bad, or any number of reasons. I searched high and low. Half-marathons? Check. Triathlons? Check. 5ks? Check.

Get it together, man.

I finally settled for the Quad Cities Marathon on September 23rd, no thanks to you! Now you owe me. Over the next 25 weeks, I expect beautiful running weather, with an occasional thunderstorm. A couple tornados would not be remiss, either. You owe me.

Love,

Amanda

Reason Number One: The gift that keeps on giving

Let's get one thing straight: I swim for life, I run for fun. So why am I doing a marathon? There are a couple reasons, but let's go back to where it all started...

“Cool!” I said when I unwrapped my Christmas gift from Thomas. My 14 year old brother had given me a water bottle. But it wasn’t just any water bottle- this one had a hot pink cloth cover with a zipper pocket and- was that a hand strap?

“That’s so you can take it with you when you run,” said Thomas in a matter-of-fact voice.

“Did you see the zipper pocket?” asked my mom. “There’s an emergency identification card in there for you to fill out.”

“Yeah! For when you get hit by a car!” said Sean.

I looked at them suspiciously and thought back to a week before Christmas, when Thomas walked into the house with a mysterious bulge under his coat. He took one look at me and darted to the stairs. I smiled and asked, “Whatcha got there Tom-o?”

He was never very sneaky but no matter how hard anybody prodded, he never broke down. He had long held the reputation as the best secret keeper in the family.

“Nothing you can see before Christmas,” he said, “but you’re going to love it.”

The week passed, and my anticipation was rewarded on Christmas Eve when Thomas handed me a wrapped package that looked very much like a water bottle…

“Well, what do you think?” he asked. I looked at his expectant face and then back to the water bottle. The garish pink seemed to be mocking me. “Well, buddy, I think it’s great,” I said.

“Really? I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to use it very much.”

“No problem! I’ll just start doing longer runs so I can use it more.”

“Like, you can train for a marathon! That would be sweet!”

“Yes? A marathon? Of course. A marathon. I’m going to do a marathon.”

So there you have it. Reason numero uno. A gift that keeps on giving. Follow me on my training journey- I'll do all the work for you!