#127: First AMR Reading/Running Book Club with Rachel Toor
Rachel with her dog, Helen: The duo ran a half-marathon earlier this year, and Helen was the 4th-place dog out of 42!
Sarah and Dimity welcome author/ultramarathoner/
Thanks to a new Google Voice number (470-BADASS1), mother runners Beth and Becky get to ask their [recorded] questions on the air.
*If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes. Many thanks.
**Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
#126: A Chat with Saucony 26Strong Cadets Mid-Training
Kelly Pollock, Dimity’s Saucony 26Strong cadet, ready to step up from 13.1 to 26.2.
In this almost hour-long episode, Dimity and Sarah introduce their “cadets” in the Saucony 26Strong program, Kelly Pollock and Alison Pellicci, respectively. Kelly and Alison are both relatively new runners—hitting the pavement (and treadmill!) for two years or less—and now they are midway through training to run their first 26.2, the Philadelphia Marathon, with Dimity and Sarah at their sides. The cadets tell how training is going, including sharing their biggest hurdle and greatest surprise thus far. Kelly talks about the success of doing run-walk pattern, and Alison lets listeners in on what it’s like to marathon train with her husband. Finally, each mother runner debates the all-important topic: race-day attire.
Reminder: The first selection for the new Another Mother Runner Reading/Running book club is On the Road to Find Out. This young adult novel focuses on a high school senior taking up running while navigating the gauntlet of college admissions process. Author Rachel Toor will be on the September 13 podcast; readers can submit questions for her now through Tuesday, September 9 on our brand-new Google Voice line. Leave your question or comment by calling: 470-BADASS1 (470-223-2771). Join in the discussion!
*If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes. Many thanks.
**Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
martini fridays: bad run + syracuse meet-up
I wasn’t sure how my body and mind would respond to getting back on the running horse — hey, there’s a thought: half-marathons on horseback — after a week away. Would my IT band and growly right calf simply say “Nope” and force me to limp home? Would my brain respond to speedwork with a “Nope” and spend the workout reminding me of how much I suck?
Turns out the answer to both of those questions was, mostly, “Nope.”
Cans, clams, and sausages this week!
With one exception, the runs have gone well — but that exception was a big one. Last Saturday’s long run was so bad I decided during the middle miles I didn’t really even like running. The hardest part was not bursting into tears when I got home. Some of the crying would have been happy tears because I was finally done. Most of the crying would have been because every minute of the 2-plus hours was absolute misery.
True confession: I haven’t been strictly following the 13.FUN race plan. I’ve been shaving a mile or two off of the long runs because I can’t fit them all into my life. Saturday’s long run should have been 14 miles. I planned to do 12 and call it good enough. Had I committed to 14, I’m pretty sure I’d still be out there, balled up on the side of the road, rocking back and forth while whimpering.
My first mistake was planning to do my long run in the afternoon, which was pretty much the only time last weekend I could fit it in without breaking it up into smaller bits. I’m not a great afternoon runner. My biorhythms are such that all I want to do at 2 p.m. is nap or, maybe, have a cup of tea if a nap can’t happen.
Once I’d realized that it had to happen in the afternoon, I hoped it would be a cool one. We finally got our summer weather last week and, sadly, the heat and humidity hadn’t broken by Saturday and my hopes were dashed.
One of my neighbors was flocked this week. It’s a local high school fund raiser.
I did plan a little bit ahead, though. I knew I couldn’t carry as much water as I would want on my body and decided to just go to the high school track, where there is a water fountain. I was also having the kind of day where I just wanted to lose myself in my audiobook without having to keep an eye out for cars. And while I know some can’t stand the hamster-wheel-ness of the track, I love it, even for long runs, as long as I have something great to listen to.
(An aside: the audiobook in question is Ben Aaronovitch’s Midnight Riot. If you aren’t a big genre fan, you likely won’t like it. But if you love a great, wry fantasy detective story, it is bliss. Of course, I can think of another audiobook you might like…)
The first mile (of the 12) was rough. I pushed through anyway because the first mile is always rough. The second mile was, too. And the third. I gave up caring by mile four and just put my head down to grind them all out. My goal was to run sub-12 minute miles so that I could hit about 2 hours and 24 minutes for the whole shebang. Instead, I averaged 13+ minute miles and was out there for, conservatively, six years.
When I got home, I glared at all of the humans in the house and took myself to my room for a time-out, during which I stretched. Then I simply practiced my corpse pose underneath the air conditioner until I no longer wanted to sob or scream.
I looked a lot like this, except more sweaty and less serene. (image from prevention.com)
By Monday, though, I was ready to get back on the horse and ran a perfectly fine three miles, as called for in the plan. On Tuesday, I knocked out a tempo run that checked all of the boxes I needed to while I racked up four 10:45ish miles, which is a first for me. I’m doing my best to forget what happened on Saturday so that I can be where my feet are. But, oh, it’s not easy.
Before I forget — and because it’s speeding up faster than you might think — I’d love to organize a mini mother runner meet-up for Saturday, Oct. 18 for all of the mamas who are in Syracuse. Party planning, however, is not one of the clubs I have in my bag. So, this week’s question: does anyone know of a downtown venue in the ‘cuse that wouldn’t mind a gaggle of runners in it?
And if you’re interested in joining the gaggle, can you please email runmother [at] gmail [dot] com with Syracuse meet-up in the subject line? We’ll compile names/emails and keep you posted. Thanks!
AMR Traveling Ultimate 6 Kit, Episode 6: Sciatica
In this episode of the AMR Traveling TriggerPoint Ultimate 6 Kit, we’re trying to find relief for Susan, a mother runner who is suffering from sciatica. She’s already bailed on most of her races this fall, but is looking for her redemption marathon next spring…with the improvements she’s already seen with just six weeks of the TriggerPoint releases, we’re confident she’ll be crossing 26.2 when the flowers start to bloom again.
What sciatica is: The official sounding diagnosis? Sciatic nerve pain due to disc degeneration of the lower lumbar spine.
Explanation, please: Each hard in the spine disc is surrounded by a jelly-like substance that absorbs shock to the spine. As the disc becomes worn over time or through injury, the jelly-like center can squeeze through the disc, resulting in spinal nerve pressure and inflammation, which can cause sciatica.
Sciatica begins with compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back. When the nerve gets compressed and angry, you’ll feel it in varying degrees of pain and numbness in the glute and hip, as well as running down the back of the leg.
Not illustrations of sealife; a herinated disk. (From American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.)
On a scale of 1 (band-aid, please) to 10 (ambulance, please), I’d rate this: Sciatica is a chronic condition for me: a nagging, ever-present discomfort. On the pain scale, I’d describe it as a 1 to 2. Often it feels better after a workout—I credit endorphins for that —but may bump up to a 4 or 5 following an intense workout.
What causes sciatica: Sitting for long periods of time. Bending at the waist. Lifting with your upper body, not your lower body. Poor posture. Aging. Basically, all of the standard activities that come with being a mom.
What sciatica feels like physically: Sciatic nerve pain feels pretty much like piriformis syndrome; it’s just the cause is different. I have a nagging low-level pain in my glute, and it usually radiates down the back of my leg. Sometimes I also have a stiff, sore lower back. Ironically, when my back feels stiff the sciatic nerve pain abates. I can’t win!
Susan when she felt like she was winning!
You might have sciatica if: Sciatica can be a squirrely one to diagnose. WebMD notes that, “Symptoms of sciatica include pain that begins in your back or buttock and moves down your leg and may move into your foot. Weakness, tingling, or numbness in the leg may also occur.”
If you’re experiencing sciatica, it can be difficult to differentiate between disc degeneration and piriformis syndrome as the cause. You may or may not have lower back stiffness or pain. A physical therapist had me perform a series of range-of-motion exercises which led him to conclude it was sciatica, not piriformis syndrome, as I had self-dianognosed using Dr. Google. In my case, I feel at least a mild discomfort in my sciatic nerve on a daily basis; it isn’t healed by taking a break from exercise. In fact, it often feels better after exercising.
I tend to feel it most when I’m sitting; long car rides and movie watching can be distracting experiences. When I can no longer sit still during an at home movie watching session, you’ll often find me on the floor using the Ultimate 6 Kit. True story!
When and how I roll: Ideally, before and after a workout, and a couple of hours before bedtime. Let’s face it, though: it’s pretty difficult to find that kind of time. The idea behind self myofascial release is that everything is connected, so you should work out all the knots rather than focusing on just the problem areas.
As someone who has dealt with her share of compensatory injuries, this makes sense to me. At least three times a week, I make it a point to do the entire series of manipulations in the accompanying Ultimate 6 manual, plus a few more I found on TriggerPoint Therapy’s YouTube channel to target other problem areas.
As I’m a geek-by-marriage, my husband and I have been watching the original Star Trek series throughout the summer: Television watching is a great time to work through the manipulations, because it offers the added bonus of less time spent sitting, thus aggravating my back condition. If I only have a few minutes before a workout, I’ll prioritize the manipulations: piriformis, hamstrings, thoracic, quads.
The TriggerPoint Massage Ball has been a revelation to me: in the past, I’ve used a tennis ball as a practically free alternative. I thought the massage ball would feel the same. It did not; it was much more effective. It felt as though I had never released the piriformis before, and I had to make sure to breathe deliberately through the manipulations. I felt immediate relief in my glute and sciatic nerve.
The goal with chronic sciatica is to keep the nerve pain from traveling down the leg: the closer you can keep it to the top of the leg and glute, the better. Since I’ve been using the massage ball, there are times I don’t even notice sciatic discomfort. It’s really convenient, too. It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to roll out the tender spots, so there are times I’ll use it more than once each day on the piriformis area. The more time I’ve spent using it, the fewer tight spots I have in my glutes and hips: after weeks of using it, sometimes it’s harder to find tight spots to work on!
And another win! Redemption–via lots of releasing and rolling–is on its way!
What else works physically: I’ve been working on strengthening my core muscles: lots of planks, lunges, and bridges. I stretch by doing several sets of hamstring glides and press ups. What also works is what I avoid: stretches and strength exercises that involve bending or folding at the waist can put an unnecessary strain on my lower back. At this point, I’m able to engage in the occasional yoga or Pilates class but if something doesn’t feel right or I notice additional pain after, I stop doing it. One of my favorite strength exercises is a bent over dumbell row, but it’s also at the top of my Exercises to Avoid list: one set, and I’ll pay for it for several days.
If I feel like I’m overdoing it, I’ll replace a run with a session of pool running. In fact, I try to do this on a regular basis because I think it’s a great workout—even if it’s much less fun than a run outside.
Limiting the time I spend sitting also helps, and I figure this is a good choice for overall health. I used to park myself at the dining room table or on the sofa while I used my portable computer: now, I’m more likely to be found in my “office” at the end of the kitchen counter.
How I’ll avoid sciatica in the future: Well, it’s not like disc degeneration is going to go away. Although I can’t claim that I never slack on keeping up with stretching, strengthening and rolling, I’m pretty good about listening to my body and staying consistent in the big picture. I’m happy to say that I’ve been able to manage my sciatic and back discomfort so that it hasn’t interfered with my running or worsened over time. Adding the TriggerPoint Ultimate 6 to my arsenal of tricks has lessened my discomfort, and I’m certain it’s improved my hip mobility.
Have you had—or have—sciatica? What kinds of things bring you relief?
August in Four Acts
How I felt at the end of August: Victorious just to see the calendar turn.
As August drenched us in sweat and chlorinated water, I realized missed writing about my life and my running. So here’s a quick catch-up, with the promise—both to myself and you, lovely mother runners—that I’ll be better about documenting my miles here.
In the meantime, here’s a rewind on the month that came and went:
The mother runner posse at Ironman Boulder,, ready to spring into action.
First up was volunteering at Ironman Boulder. A small army of mother runners and I had the privilege of helping in Transition 2, which is when athletes, fresh off a 112-mile bike ride, come in, regroup, change their clothes, and then head out for a short 26.2 mile run. The volunteers I encountered in Couer d’Alene couldn’t have been more helpful, and I was eager to repay the favor. So, for about four hours, we tied shoes and rubbed Vaseline in chafed armpits; we fastened number belts and stuffed snotty, sweaty, TMI clothes in bags they’d pick up later; we asked about the bike ride (good, mostly, although hot, hilly, and windy) and pumped them up for the run.
I loved it, and so did my fellow volunteers. We sweated crazy—note to self: wear a sports bra next time—and squated countless times to slip on socks and tie shoes, surreptitiously gave some athletes Nuun (ok, maybe that was just me) and did everything we could for them, minus run 26.2. Later, I heard were called the Nordstrom of Ironman Boulder. Sweet.
In between changing people’s shorts, we organized and moved bags. So.much.stuff.
I remember this: I was smiling in this picture taken towards the top.
Less than a week later, I took on the Pikes Pike Ascent. The whole race was a bit of a haze, and now, three weeks later, it’s even hazier. Here’s what I remember: it was mostly a fast hike in a conga line of people. There was little opportunity to pass—and even if I fired up my jets, I’d pass a few people and then get caught in the back of another conga line. With a few exceptions, the trail was pretty narrow the whole way up, and there were times when it was pretty rocky and techincal, so I mostly just cooled my jets until I felt like I really had enough energy and space to pass a significant group. The time passed pretty quickly—I was mostly concentrating on my footing and chatting with some folks (a crazy number of runners from Oklahoma there)—until I got above treeline, which meant there was about 3 miles to go. The last three miles took quite some time…I don’t know for sure, but over an hour. I felt strong through the whole race, which I credit to living in ‘rado (there were clearly some people having a tough time with altitude) and not having any expectations, other than to finish. I’d call that a win.
Behold the wild blue yonder.
Less than a week after that, Tales From Another Mother Runner: Triumphs, Trials, Tips, and Tricks From the Road was due. (And yes, that’s the Amazon link! Woo!) We’ll have plenty of time to promo it—it’s not out until next March—but let me tell you this: we LOVED working on this. So much good stuff from a variety of people from first time 5K’ers to Kara Goucher, half-marathon newbies to ultra-marathon pros. It is truly a reflection of this community, of our common goals and shared strengths, our lives as mother runners—sometimes balanced, sometimes, not so much.
An easy hike with part of the family—that’s my awesome stepdad and my kids with three working arms—in Rocky Montain National Park was a perfect way to bookend August.
And then, the next night, my daughter, Amelia, broke her arm as she stepped off a trampoline. Her right arm—the dominant, writing one—in two places. It’s been a week since then, so it doesn’t feel as crazy as it did last week. For those of you who listened to the most recent podcast and asked how she is, we got great news last Wednesday. (And thanks for asking!) The bones have stayed where they were supposed to, and a real, signable cast should be wrapped around her broken wing, above her elbow, this Wednesday morning. If all goes well with that, she’ll get a short cast (below her elbow) in about two weeks, and she’ll be cleared to try cross-country again.
So that’s my month in four acts. Add in the start of school and soccer, and it’s been beyond crazy. The good thing, besides a new book and a shiny medal and some good quality time with my daughter? Being so busy allowed me to keep Michael Brown and the Fergurson Riots, nine-year-olds shooting Uzis and other horrific news in the wings of my brain.
While I try to be a thoughtful citizen of the world, sometimes I’m grateful for diversions.
What happened in your August? Happy to see September wave hello or would you rather not see fall a knockin’?