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ZIRCADIA's Recent Blog Entries
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Monday, September 12, 2011
So..... I think I have figured out my biomechanical issue.
I kept feeling something was out of alignment, right?
At that race I volunteered to hand out marathon bars I got a little consult with a Chiropractor that did an alignment check - my right shoulder and hip were lower than my left.
This can supposedly potentially be an alignment issue in the back, but is commonly a leg length discrepancy. I was standing w/ my running partner on Sunday and told her I thought that was it and she looked at my hips and to get them even I had to hike up my right hip and my heel was off the ground.
I'm going to do some self analysis in a mirror as suggested but considering the symptoms and my own feelings I really think this is going on:
"1. Iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outside or lateral part of the knee).
2. Piriformis syndrome (butt pain, not to be confused with sciatica, where the pain runs down the back of the leg).
3. Hip pain.
4. Low back pain."
I have had all of these. All on the left side, which is the "longer" side.
"Step far enough back so you can place your thumbs on the bony points in front of your hips. Can you tell if one thumb is lower than the other? Is it on the same side as the lower shoulder? If so, chances are you have an acquired or functional shortage. This commonly happens on the same side as your dominant hand."
My shorter leg (self diagnosed) is my right leg, same side as my dominant hand.
WELL THEN!
"In addition, this functioning shortage puts a mild tweak into the sacroiliac joint, further compounding the motion inefficiency. A visit to a chiropractor will help, but only temporarily."
Well I think I'm gonna skip the chiropractor for now then...
If the difference is more than 1/2 an inch, then I apparently need more help. If it's like 1/4" then I can try a cork heel lift apparently and that should help. There is also mention of stretching and conditioning... I really gotta get back on my grind with ST.
Now that I don't have a race for a long time, I'm less nervous about re-integrating ST. I was worried about taxing my body and getting sore right before a race effort, but my next race effort shouldn't be until like 11/12 - I plan to race but as a fun run a 5K in October - not worried about that, plus that's about a month away anyway.
I have been slacking on my PT which involves hip rotational and stability exercises - the description of an aquired leg discrepancy talks about hips rotating:
"Contrary to popular belief, the acquired shortage is a pronation problem, first and foremost. The reason is that, while you may look identical on both sides of your body, the left and right don't work exactly the same. The same goes for pronation. As you develop, the brain picks up on the patterns of two feet, recognizing the slight variation in gait. The body compensates by rotating one of the hip bones (called the ileum). The ileum can rotate either backward and downward (called PI Ileum for posterior inferior) or forward and upward (AS Ileum for anterior-superior). This pulls the leg higher into the hip socket, causing the leg to function short, changing the alignment of the muscles around the hip and spine. Unfortunately, this causes those muscles to work unequally and inefficiently, and ultimately causes pain."
Anyway. More stretching, more single sided exercises to make sure each side is getting the same workout, more core and stability strengthening is all in order.
And maybe a chiro visit at some point....
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Race Details: Tupelo, MS -
There is a full marathon (which is out and back) and the 14.2, which is point to point. I think the roads loop to make it 14.2 from start back to where they have the finish and they decided screw it - why does a race have to be 13.1? We're doing 14.2! Haha. There was a sticker available at pickup for 14.2, but it was $5 and although I thought it was funny I thought that was a big much for a sticker. I don't even have any 26.2 or 13.1 decals and those would represent more than one race!
Race Slogan: Hurdle the Weak, Trample the Dead
Race Logo: Always skull and crossbones, tie dye Shirts as well.
Race Start: 5AM!
So a Labor Day halfish&full in the south - but it starts at 5AM. Which means weather will probably either be tolerable (not too crazy hot cause of early start) or potentially nice... this year, the weather was drizzly for the half, and after I finished at some point it really started to come down for the full marathoners still on the course.
The race actually started hotter than it finished because at first it wasn't raining but the humidity was stifling, then it broke into drizzle and there were these fantastic cool breezes coming around.
The course was not flat, but not bad - it was rolling, but never a really steep climb. Nearish to the beginning there was one sort of steeper down and then up, which one of the Marathon Maniacs behind me commented: "You're gonna hate this part on the way back" to his fellow maniac, but lucky for me I was only running the 14.2 :)
Another fantastic part about the start time was running in the dark!
I got to meat two fellow Team Marathon members - here is myself and Andrew at the start:
As you can tell, it was dark. :)
Nicholas (ABSOLUTEZER0) met up with us right before things kicked off, but my DH had already headed off with my camera so our photo op would have to wait.
I called CLOVERR1 (Heather) before the start because I picked her packet up on Saturday and turns out - she was lost. OH NO! :( We never met up with her before the start! DH also had her Packet with her bib so he wanted to try to make sure she could find him.
The first 5-6 miles (for me) were in the dark, it just started getting light at some point before the 6.5 mile mark.
Runners had flashlights, headlamps, shoe lights, strobey lights, glow necklaces and bracelets... and several runners did without. It was pretty easy to just follow someone with a light on them. :)
Because it was dark (and apparently I have no idea how to use my Garmin) I couldn't see my pace. I need to learn how to use the backlight because according to a quick google search I just did, it has one! HAHA But I wasn't about to start just pressing buttons in the middle of a race to figure that out.
So I selected someone in front of me that I thought was going about the right pace, paced them when we came up to a light so I could check and see if they were about where I wanted to be.
This worked pretty well. I tried not to push it, and if I came up on someone, I passed them. Occasionally I was passed, but not too much. I think due to my pace, I was running with a lot of full marathoners so they were in no hurry.
Mile 1: 11:13
Mile 2: 11:37
Mile 3: 11:42
Mile 4: 11:53
Mile 5: 11:42
Mile 6: 11:45
There was an aid station during mile 4 according to Garmin - right after the aid station is when Mr. G clicked over to mile 5, so you can see that other than my brief walk there to not choke on water, my pace was pretty good using that method for those dark miles. :)
Also - the mile markers had glow sticks hanging from them for those dark miles.
My goal half marathon pace in order to get a sub 2:30 is 11:41 :) so I was thinking as long as I don't go too much faster than that, I'll be in good shape.
By now it was getting light enough that I could see Mr. G and I was just thinking that I was going to at least try to hold this pace till mile 10, if I made it that long then I would try to hold it to the half mark at LEAST so I could see if I could get sub 2:30 half during the 14.2.
Mile 7: 11:39
Mile 8: 11:35
Mile 9: 11:25
Mile 10: 11:56 (GU & aid station)
Mile 11: 11:44
During these miles at some point I came up behind my fellow Team Marathon mate AND Fellow Sparker, Nicholas - AKA ABSOLUTEZER0 - and I was SHOCKED. I know for a fact that he's way faster than I am. I passed him, but later on there was much leap frogging until after mile 11 at some point when I was fading BAD. At one point though, we were running side by side - behind the tallest most patriotic looking marathon maniac (I think) I have ever seen. I don't know who that man was, but he was funny and he had some maniac friends side by side. Nicholas was running w/ a friend of his from the Arkansas group I think... in any case - I was in a little PACK for a second. Didn't really say a word, but it was nice. Then I had to let them go as we came down a hill.
At some point I apparently went past them again, because I definitely remember when they came up behind me and Uncle Sam was like - "Hey there's Snickers Marathon girl again!" And I was mentally giving him curses because I didn't want to get passed by them again. RAWR! But things were not cooperating digestively now.
Mile 12: 12:34
Mile 13: 12:47
Mile 14: 13:49
Final .23: 13:31 (pace)
I actually passed a portojohn somewhere around mile 12, but they were full right up until I was JUST running past and had already made up my mind that since it felt like a serious bathroom visit was needed, and I didn't want to risk an un-equipped portojohn, and I only had 2 miles left... I was just going to suck it up and keep going.
Unfortunately this meant I had to walk a bunch.
I did put on a happy face and better posture for a couple of photographers, and slouched and stuck my tongue out and sighed as soon as I got past them. HAHA. I even waved at those Photogs!
In the final mile I was walking up some hills and running down - some how this felt better on the clenching abs and whatnot. That area of my body was soooo crampingpainful at this point. I was walking up the hill right before the entrance to the parking lot where the finish was, and I hear my husband in the parking lot - there's my wife! RUN DANA! RUUUUNNN YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!!! So of course, I had to run. HAHAHA.
Coming into the finish I even raised my arms up over my head - I've never had a finish photo like that so I decided to try it out. We'll see if it looks awful. HAHA. I grabbed my medal and said - I have to go to the bathroom. And made a beeline - the finish was right next to a building that had bathrooms inside and the door was straight to the left of the finish.
I did not hug husband.
I did not pass go.
I did not collect $200.
HAHAHA. I didn't even put the medal on. And of course I chose a stall with no TP so I just waited until someone came in because I knew it wouldn't be long and a fellow runner helped a girl out.
I stopped Mr.G after I entered the building on the way to the restroom -
2:50:23 - average pace 11:59
Obviously my stats might have been SLIGHTLY better had I stopped it a few seconds earlier, but really, I didn't stop it that late and I wasn't walking leisurely at that point anyway. HAHA.
Although my official time is 2:51:07, I consider Stretch Goal A) REACHED!
I was seriously impressed with myself for the pace I kept so long in the race. I've never run that fast for that long ever. Stretch Goal was based on me reaching an average pace of 12mm, so regardless of if Mr. G was slightly off at the start or finish (no chip start, but I'm pretty sure I started it at the right time), I still averaged a pace of 11:59 over the distance of 14.2 and I am totally thrilled with that, AND the fact that until my digestive issues I was doing even better!
I am still holding off on registering for the Soldier Half because we want to be sure we'll be here in the area, but I'm more amped than ever about running it:
Soldier is supposed to be pretty flat and fast, a PR friendly course - and it will be even better weather I'm sure. :)
Here I am at the finish with Sparker ABSOLUTEZER0:
Talking with him after the race - you KNOW he's been racing like a madman... he did a hilly trail 14 mile race the weekend before this, has been struggling with IT Band pain in the knee, and ran a race the day before this so.... this explains why I even saw him at ALL during this race. :) We had a great conversation, talked some football w/ my DH, watched the super fast marathoners rolling in... it was great. I ate a cookie, an apple slice, and drank some liquids.
Then I get a call from Heather's phone! Her man, B, told me she was through mile 16 and wanted to try to get her packet for her. By this point the rain started to really pour, so during a lull we headed to the car (which was RIGHT at the finish line - yay DH for moving the car while I was running!), and waited for him so we could give him the packet. The race director knew she was on course, she started about 16 min late (doing the FULL obviously), and B was able to deliver the bib to her around mile 20 and she finished with her chip and everything. Official time was 16 min off due to the late start and no chip start, but she still was able to finish well below the cut-off time which I think is awesome.
So we headed home and I took close-ups of my medal in the car:
Since I ran just over half a marathon, my medal was just over half of the full marathon medal. HAHAHA.
SLIGHTLY different - the full has Trample the Weak Hurdle the Dead at the bottom of the medal instead of 14.2 Miler, but otherwise they really looked very similar... only ... fuller. HAHA :)
In the car I was freezing (decided not to change right after the race) and added my Team Marathon Jacket, so I wanted to take a picture when we got back of the full get up:
Then after cleaning up we eventually headed out for food - my stomach was just not interested, but when we decided to leave, I stood up and got a little dizzy so I knew it was needed. I finally got hungry in the restaurant while we were waiting for our food - and it was fantastic.
In my shirt with my friend Jamie that we stayed with -
Yeah you can't really see the shirt, but it has the logo on it and it's awesome and tie dye. :D
So there you go! The FULL report.
Things to do better:
1) don't eat red beans & rice as a pre-race meal
2) eat earlier and get more sleep so you can eat something in the morning (I didn't eat pre-race)
3) try to do all gu's (I planned for 3 but only gu'd twice - I could've done another but my stomach was not into it and I did get tired, but I think the digestive issues were the primary culprit of the slowdown because the painful cramping in the abdomen area was the reason I had to walk, not just cause I was tired - BUT - I won't ignore the tired part as well!)
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
NAILED IT. Well .. almost. :) hahaha was nailing it, then had some digestive distress that caused me to walk a lot in the last few miles, but still finished almost right on my A goal???
I call that a resounding success! And next time no red beans and rice as a pre-race dinner. *sigh*
The splits will tell the story, but more details on everything and pictures later:
Splits:
Mile 1: 11:13
Mile 2: 11:37
Mile 3: 11:42
Mile 4: 11:53
Mile 5: 11:42
Mile 6: 11:45
Mile 7: 11:39
Mile 8: 11:35
Mile 9: 11:25
Mile 10: 11:56
Mile 11: 11:44
Mile 12: 12:34
Mile 13: 12:47
Mile 14: 13:49
Final .23: 13:31 (pace)
The race was chip time finish, but no chip start - I forgot to turn off my garmin right away, but not tooo long after, Official time is 2:51:07, Garmin time with bonus after finish line (doh) is 2:50:23 - still avg 11:59 mm for the race which exceeded my stretch goal of 12mm! :)
Friday, September 02, 2011
Everyone, immediately, please go to her page:
www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=PI
TTIEKISSES
And see the awesome transformation.
She used Medifast program to help her lose weight - her body definitely responds better to a balance of macronutrients with less carbs, she is a carb sensitive person although not diabetic at all. She is now moving through transition into maintenance, increasing her carb ratio somewhat, but still keeping it low compared to someone like me who doesn't have a negative carb reaction (unless it's super refined! Sugar binge = bad business for anyone!).
The best thing? She's a member of the gym I go to, and is turning into a gym rat. :D I love it!!!
And since I live in her house, we help motivate each other to make strong, healthy food choices for ourselves.
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Member Comments About This Blog Post:
Another great race Dana! You are becoming quite the running rockstar!
