Mileage Monday

Running update for the week of March 24th - March 30th... this was a week of complete rest for my legs. I did not do a darn thing, which was probably a good idea. After PT last week I continued to hurt while walking and going up and down steps. I was feeling pretty depressed because I didn't seem to be getting any better, but on Wednesday I finally started walking without hardly any pain. Thank goodness!!! I went to my PT appointment on Friday feeling anxious but hopeful. I received another scraping treatment, stretches, and did a short run on the treadmill with little to no pain at all. YAY! Before I left my PT did an ionization treatment on both knees. It is similar to receiving a Cortisone shot, but without the damaging side effects.

Basically, she put these two sticky patches on my knees where I have been having the pain. She then attached a battery packet to them and I left them on for 2 hours. During that time it feels like hundreds of tiny bee stings all over that area. The treatment injects medication into the area and is suppose to reduce any inflammation that is still lingering.

 

It was a very uncomfortable 2 hours as well as later that night. However, I'm really hoping it completely clears up any issues I'm having. My PT instructed me to start running again. First time I do just a mile. If I don't experience any issues then I can increase my runs by one more mile each time. I also no longer have to go to the PT unless the pain starts creeping up again!

I'm very much looking forward to running again. It has been almost an entire month with very little activity. I have found myself dreaming of running, which tells me I'm missing it badly. I'm going to take things very slowly. I plan to slow my pace way down on these first couple of runs just to see how things go. Let's hope I'm on the upswing and I can start training again for my Half!

Total miles ran this week : 0 miles

Photo a Day Challenge : Week #12

Day 23 - I'm Loving... (Game of Thrones)

Day 24 - One of a Kind... (my grandma)

Day 25 - Soft

Day 26 - Here We Are (doing a therapy dog visit)

Day 27 - Something I Made (this collage)

Day 28 - Nostalgia (I miss this sweet puppy, but not his orneriness)

Day 29 - Sticky

Mileage & CrossFit Monday

Running stats and CrossFit WOD's for the week of March 17th - March 23rd... things definitely aren't exactly getting better. I'm still not able to run pain free. I'm lucky if I can walk during the day pain free. I'm not happy.

Went the the PT on Friday to have my muscle scraping done again. She told me that my scar tissue has broken up quite a bit, which is a really good thing. I didn't scream or cry this time. She gave me some new exercises to do and asked me to try to run a mile this week to see how the pain was and to make sure I know exactly where the pain is coming from in my knees. She was a little surprised that I was still in pain.

Next week, I am suppose to bring my shorts and running shoes and let my PT watch me run. She also might try a new procedure on me if things aren't progressing like they should. I'm really nervous about if I'm going to be able to run this Half in May.... sigh....

Monday, March 17th, 2014 - Tried to run... absolute disaster... ran 10 minutes and took me 30 minutes to hobble back... total 2.62 miles! Hurt so badly afterward I could hardly walk to my car! YIKES!

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014 - 50 sit ups, 50 push ups, 50 squats / Stretch / Ice / Foam Roll / Aleve

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 - 75 sit ups, 75 push ups, 75 squats / Stretch / Ice / Foam Roll / Aleve

Thursday, March 20th, 2014 - 100 sits ups, 100 push up, 100 squats / Stretch / Ice / Foam Roll / Aleve

Friday, March 21st, 2014 - Physical Therapy Session

Saturday, March 22nd, 2014 - REST DAY / Stretch / Foam Roll

Sunday, March 23rd, 2014 - REST DAY / Stretch / Foam Roll

Total miles ran this week : 1 mile

Photo a Day Challenge : Week #11

Day 16 - Beautifully Ordinary (just hanging with my bud)

Day 17 - Today's Weather

Day 18 - Five Years Ago... (who would have thought these two would end up being friends)

Day 19 - Cropped

Day 20 - Letter

Day 21 - Full

Day 22 - Morning... (banana break)

I Feel Like a Real Runner

It's pretty sad that I had to get an injury to make me feel like a real runner... but I actually feel like one now. You see, now I feel like I'm a hardcore runner because those people get injured!! WOOT! I must admit I have learned a lot in the few short weeks that I have been dealing with my IT Band issues that will hopefully benefit me during my life as a "real" runner! Here they are...

1. Sometimes you just have to give in and see a doctor

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I refuse to see a doctor unless I'm dying. This is how my husband knows I'm in real pain because I finally gave in to go to one. I'm especially lucky that I have one who is my actual friend and who I know only wants the best for me! Doctors aren't all bad, even the ones who give you bruises.

(P.S. This picture makes me what to cut my hair off)

2. Drugs are good for you (come on, you know what I mean)

For the most part I'm totally against any types of meds when it comes to pain. I want to know what I'm really feeling like and not have pain meds just mask my symptoms. However, recently pain meds have enabled me to sleep and get a little relief this week. Praise the Lord for that!

3. Ice every second of every day

I have been icing icing icing! Especially during my work hours when I'm sitting around. I have no shame that I'm 29 years old and can hardly walk right now! Icing my IT Bands not only numbs my pain but it is suppose to reduce my inflammation and I need both to happen.

4) Foam rollers are my new best friend

Who would have thought something that makes you want to cry would make you feel so dang good afterward. This orange beauty will be with me throughout my future running years! I pledge to never finish a run without giving a little attention to this new friend of mine!

5) Stairs can be a mortal enemy

The past 2 weeks I have cursed the stairs... the two flights in my building at work and the one flight in my home! I'm not less of a person because I sometimes have to crawl up them on my hands and knees or scoot down them on my butt. Whatever gets me through my day....

6) Cross training is important

Once I decided to run this half marathon I pretty much stopped doing any type of cross training so I could focus my energy on getting my runs in. This probably wasn't the best idea because it caused me to lose strength in my core and elsewhere. I fear this probably had something to do with my IT Band flare up.  

7) You must let go of control sometimes

I am not the one in control anymore and it absolutely is driving me insane. I can't do what I want to when I want to do it. I am so frustrated that by the end of the day I can't help but scream!!! Being the control freak that I am... this has been the most difficult to deal with. I have to give in and rest when I don't want to.

In the words of Juan Pablo... "It's okay!" HA!

"Real" Runners Rule!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of March 10th - March 16th... my legs are a mess. Like I told you last week, I rested them for an entire week after I began experiencing horrible pain in my knees. On Monday I decided to give running a try. I made it through 4 miles, but hurt pretty badly at the beginning of the run and afterwards I could hardly walk. Later that night I was up all night long because I was in so much pain. After a little of convincing I called a PT friend of mine to see what was going on. The PT said that it was definitely my IT Bands and I had a ton of scar tissue built up in there. She gave me several things to do... stretches, ice, exercises, and foam rolling. She also scraped my muscles to break up the scar tissue, which was one of the most painful things I have experienced. I was literally screaming with tears running down my face during the process. The day after my appointment my legs looked like this...

They had bruised up pretty badly, but I was feeling a little better. I decided to take another full week off of running to see if I could get my IT Bands under control. I'm very frustrated at this point with how I'm feeling even after another week of rest. My knees are very tender and I'm still having pain, however it isn't as bad as it was. I have to go back to the PT on Friday to have another muscle scraping done, which I'm not looking forward too at all! I'm going back and forth with whether I should try out a few miles this week. The PT said that running will not hurt anything, its more if I can withstand the pain I'm in....

Monday, March 10th, 2014 - Ran 4.1 miles around UIndy's campus

Tuesday, March 11th - Sunday March 16th, 2014 - REST DAY!

Total miles ran this week : 4.1 miles

Photo a Day Challenge : Week #10

Day 9 - 10 a.m. (daylight savings started today... I lost an hour of sleep which I'm not happy about)

Day 10 - Far Away

Day 11 - Something Good (sharing a pillow with Dad)

Day 12 - Partial (partially awake)

Day 13 - Fresh (my fresh bruise... my IT Bands are a mess)

Day 14 - Care (not a care in the world)

Day 15 - Evening

30 Before 30 - French Braid my own Hair

My hair it getting pretty long... at least for me! I look at myself most days and I just see long straggly looking locks. I have been trying out different ways to wear my hair lately so I'm not horribly bored with it, which only makes me want to chop it off.

I have been practicing for quite some time to learn how to french braid my own hair all by myself. I understand how to french braid, but training my fingers how to do it on my own hair has been a challenge. This past week I finally got to the point that when I did it I felt like it looked decent enough to wear out of the house!

It isn't perfect, but with every passing day I'm getting better at it! 

Time to check "learn to french braid my own hair" off my 30 Before 30 List!

Mileage & CrossFit Monday

Running stats and CrossFit WOD's for the week of March 3rd - March 9th... this week didn't turn out the way that I had imagined it. After a quick 4 mile run on Tuesday I started having horrible knee pain in both of my knees. After talking to several of my running buddies and doing some Google searches I figured out that my problem was probably IT band syndrome that was causing the pain. I guess it is one of the most common running injuries that people experience.

If the band is inflamed or tight is can start causing pain on the outside of the knees, which is exactly what I was experiencing. Some of the things that can help with the pain is taking a break from activity, doing specific stretches that focus on the band, and foam rolling. I started doing all of these immediately in hopes of getting rid of the pain ASAP! For most of the week my knees hurt, especially going up and down the stairs. To tell you the truth I felt like an old lady walking around. On Saturday I started feeling better, but took another day to rest up. On Sunday I had the best intentions of running, but took another day off to make sure I was 100% for the awesome weather we were going to have on Monday and Tuesday! I'm still feeling pain once in a while, but I do plan to start slowing running again this week. Hopefully, I don't have any other issues.

 
Monday, March 3rd, 2014 -  At Home WOD: 100 sit ups, 100 squats, 100 push ups

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014 - Ran 4 "fast" miles

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 - REST DAY... IT Band stretches & foam rolling

Thursday, March 6th, 2014 - REST DAY... IT Band stretches & foam rolling

Friday, March 7th, 2014 - REST DAY... IT Band stretches & foam rolling

Saturday, March 8th, 2014 - REST DAY... IT Band stretches & foam rolling

Sunday, March 9th, 2014 - REST DAY... IT Band stretches & foam rolling

Total miles ran this week : 4 miles

Photo a Day Challenge : Week #9

Day 2 - Something Borrowed (this recipe was borrowed)

Day 3 - My Name Is... (uncommon)

Day 4 - On My Mind (this guy is always on my mind, but food is always on his)

Day 5 - Something Beginning With I... (ice, Remi's favorite low calorie treat)

Day 6 - Chair (UIndy's famous egg chairs)

Day 7 - Fly

Day 8 - In The Corner

30 Before 30 - February's Healthy Dinner (Tortellini Vegetable Bake)

Sorry I'm behind on my healthy cooking posts... February has no doubt been a crazy busy month for our family! PHEW! But here I am... only a few days late! I ran across this recipe and thought it would be good for Dan and I to munch on for several days afterwards. Let's face it, we are left over people since neither of us are home much together. In terms of healthiness, I saw several veggies were included in the ingredients and figured it would work ;)

Tortellini Vegetable Bake (www.bhg.com)

Ingredients

• 2 - 9 ounce packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 1/2  cups fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot (1 medium)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red or green sweet pepper (1 small)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding sugar snap peas and carrot for the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

  

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet.

 

In a screw-top jar combine broth, flour, oregano, garlic salt, and black pepper. Cover and shake until smooth. Add to the same skillet; add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cream cheese; cook and stir until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.

 

Stir tortellini mixture, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sweet pepper into cream cheese mixture. Spoon into an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Bake, covered, about 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

    

Surprisingly Dan was more of a fan of this meal than I was. Eh, it was okay... but nothing spectacular in my book. Dan on the other hand gave me several compliments. You all know that I'm no Betty Crocker so I'll take whatever I can get :)