What I Listen to When I Run

I have noticed that whenever I am at the gym or out on a run everyone around me seems to have earphones (earbuds) in their ears.  I obviously don't know specifically what they are listening to while they are working out or running.  But I am sure that each person has a different type of music, audiobook or podcast plugged into their heads. 

Listening to music when you hit the gym or head out on the road to take your mind off of your effort isn't a new concept.   It is proven that listening to music distracts you  from the pain and effort caused by your workout or run.   I have found in speaking with some of my runner friends controlling and finding music to be in time with one's pace has a profound effect on perceived effort during a workout.

Although there are times when I just go out for a run without any music or podcasts, I run with my iPod almost every time I head out. I enjoy it because it takes my mind off of the miles I am logging out there.  Plus I can catch up on news and events from some of the podcasts I listen to.  It also allows me to pass the time without really thinking about it because as we runners know all too well...it can get lonely out there.  I will admit that sometimes I am so distracted that I don't remember what I listened to on my run.  This is due to the fact that my mind is wandering off to things I need to do at work or home or just trying to solve some problem I have been working for some time.

So what I am putting into my head when I am out there on the road getting in my training miles or at the gym?  It varies a lot.  First, I have quite an eclectic taste in music.  Plus I really enjoy listening to podcasts.  Podcast episodes are usually pretty long, which really helps when I am going out for 5 plus miles.  If you are wanting to listen to podcasts like me, you need to think about your own general mindset when running. In other words, when you are running can you concentrate on what you're listening to, or does your mind wander easily?   Depending on your answer you may want to listen to something more intellectually stimulating like NPR podcasts or if you have trouble concentrating choose something more entertaining like an old time radio program.

Here are the podcasts I listen to regularly:

1.      Relic Radio Thrillers (Old Time Radio)

2.      NPR Series: Sunday Puzzle Podcast    

3.      Sherlock Holmes Adventures Podcast (Old Time Radio)             

4.      APM: A Prairie Home Companion's News from Lake Wobegon              

5.      Case Closed! Old Time Tales Of Crime  (Old Time Radio)           

6.      PRI: Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?         

7.      Phedippidations: The Podcast for Runners

8.      This American Life   

9.      WBUR-FM: Only A Game Podcast      

10.   Orson Welles On The Air (Old Time Radio)      

11.   The Moth Podcast

12.   NPR Programs: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Podcast   

13.   WTF with Marc Maron Podcast          

14.   NPR Programs: Fresh Air Podcast

15.   Radiolab from WNYC             

As you can see it is quite a variety.  I find that when I am in a mood where I don't want to concentrate, I typically listen to the Old Time Radio broadcasts.  They are just a bit of fluff and not too different from an audiobook.  If I am focused, I will listen to Fresh Air, Radiolab or The Moth as they have heavier content.

When it comes to music, I listen mostly to classic rock and roll.  This is probably because it is the music I listened to when I was a teenager.  But you will find that I have all kinds of music on my playlists. I mix and match my playlists depending on the mood I am in that day.   Sometimes, I just listen to one artist during a run that is less than an hour.  If I am going to run for more than an hour and don't want to listen to a variety of artists, I will pick one who I have a large number of songs from like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, etc.  I create playlists to match how I am feeling that week or for a particular race.  Here is a typical play list I use for a marathon:

1.      Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve    

2.      Eye of the Tiger - Survivor     

3.      Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas

4.      Hot Hot Hot - Buster Poindexter and His Banshees of Blue       

5.      Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones

6.      Black Dog - Led Zeppelin

7.      Beautiful Day - U2

8.      Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C+C Music Factory 

9.      Kickstart My Heart - Mötley Crüe       

10.   Shut Up And Drive - Rihanna 

11.   Nowhere Fast - The Smiths

12.   Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen

13.   Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival        

14.   Who Will You Run To - Heart

15.   You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates

16.   What I Like About You - The Romantics

17.   Roar - Katy Perry

18.   Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

19.   Rev It Up & Go - Stray Cats   

20.   Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day

21.   Middle of the Road - The Pretenders

22.   Runnin Down A Dream - Tom Petty

23.   Walk This Way - Aerosmith & Run-D.M.C.

24.   Gives You Hell  - All American Rejects

25.   Wild Thing - Tone-Loc

26.   Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

27.   Cheers (Drink To That) - Rihanna

28.   Beat It - Michael Jackson

29.   Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera

30.   Viva La Vida -  Coldplay         

31.   London Calling - The Clash

32.   Get On Your Boots - U2

33.   I Fought The Law - Stray Cats

34.   Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

35.   Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney & Wings

36.   Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

37.   Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down

38.   Cum On Feel The Noize - Quiet Riot

39.   Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan

40.   End Of The Line - Traveling Wilburys

41.   Peace Train - Cat Stevens

42.   Mr. Brightside - The Killers

43.   Come Together - Aerosmith

44.   One Way Or Another - Blondie

45.   Lose Yourself - Eminem

46.   F**k You - Cee Lo Green

47.   Hey, Soul Sister - Train

48.   Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy

49.   Vertigo - U2

50.   Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys

51.   Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers

52.   Hips Don't Lie  - Shakira Feat. Wyclef Jean

53.   Always On The Run - Lenny Kravitz

54.   Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

55.   Oh Sh*t! -  Buzzcocks

56.   Kashmir - Led Zeppelin

57.   Run In Place - The Nadas

58.   You Better Run - Pat Benatar

59.   Walk - Foo Fighters

60.   Runnin' With The Devil - Van Halen

61.   Funky Cold Medina - Tone-Loc

62.   I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

63.   Wake Me Up Before You Go Go          - Wham!

64.   R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. - John Mellencamp

65.   Figure It Out - Plain White T's

66.   Dry Town - Miranda Lambert

67.   Objection (Tango) -Shakira

68.   Hot Girls In Love - Loverboy

69.   Joker & The Thief - Wolfmother

70.   Hold My Hand - Hootie & The Blowfish

71.   How You Remind Me - Nickelback

72.   The Pretender - Foo Fighters

73.   American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

74.   Up Around the Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival

75.   Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry

76.   Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers

77.   Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

78.   Muscle of Love - Alice Cooper

79.   Stay Away - Nirvana

80.   Back In Black - AC/DC

81.   Hey Ya! - Andre 3000

82.   Can't Get Enough of You Baby - Smashmouth

83.   Ticket to Ride - The Beatles

84.   Get The Party Started - P!nk

85.   Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

86.   I Hate California - Uncle Kracker

87.   Happy (From "Despicable Me 2") - Pharrell Williams

88.   Elevation - U2

89.   Detroit Rock City - Kiss

90.   Midnight Special - Creedence Clearwater Revival

91.   Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves

92.   Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

93.   Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

94.   Walk Like An Egyptian - Bangles         

95.   Burnin' For You - Blue Öyster Cult

96.   I Ran - A Flock Of Seagulls

97.   Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad - The Grateful Dead

98.   I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses

99.   Ramble On - Led Zeppelin

100.          Run for Your Life - The Beatles

As you can see it is quite a variety of musical types and artisits.  I like listening to upbeat songs that help keep me pumped up and motivated especially during the latter miles of a marathon.  All I know is that when I listen to music while working out it makes me happy.  All types of music whether it be happy, beautiful, or peaceful can help me feel good inside and make the effort seem easy. When I am sad, angry, or frightened, good music can help me feel happy again and want to finish what I have started.

Now that I have shared what I enjoy listening to, what do you listen to when you are on the road or at the gym?

June 23 – 5.10 miles (46:20, 9:04 pace)

June 24– 6.20 miles (58:08, 9:23 pace)

June 25 – 3.20 miles (29:32, 9:14 pace)

June 26 – 4.10 miles (38:16, 9:23 pace)

June 27 – 5.10 miles (47:04, 9:14 pace)

June 28 – 10.20 miles (1:40:49, 9:50 pace)

June 29 – 6.20 miles (58:07, 9:23 pace)

June 30 – 5.10 miles (45:15, 8:49 pace)

July 1 – 6.20 miles (57:50, 9:23 pace)

July 2 – 2.10 miles (19:44, 8:57 pace)

July 3 – 6.20 miles (58:04, 9:23 pace)

July 4 – 6.20 miles (55:36, 8:57 pace)

July 5 – 8.20 miles (1:17:20, 9:23 pace)

July 6 – 6.20 miles (58:18, 9:24 pace)

July 7 – 5.20 miles (48:31, 9:23 pace)

July 8 – 6.20 miles (59:30, 9:31 pace)

July 9 – 2.20 miles (19:26, 8:49 pace)

July 10 – 6.20 miles (55:52, 8:57 pace)

July 11 – 5.20 miles (47:45, 9:14 pace)

July 12 – 8.20 miles (1:17:16, 9:23 pace)

July 13 – 6.20 miles (58:18, 9:24 pace)

Total Miles:  119.7 miles

2014 Total Miles:  1,164.0 miles

Lessons Learned From Being a Runner

In 2009 several running organizations got together to establish National Running Day.  It occurs the first Wednesday in June every year now.  It is the day that we runners can declare our passion for the sport that keeps us healthy and in my case sane.  It is also a day that all runners across the globe can go out for a run to celebrate this day.  As a runner it is our obligation to celebrate our sport by planning and going out for a  run, infecting a friend with our passion for running, signing up for a race, or even setting a new running goal for ourselves. I have embraced this challenge and plan to celebrate it every year from now on.

This past National Running Day I went out for a short run as part of my participation in the Runner's World Run Streak challenge.  It was my 10th consecutive run of the streak that started on May 26th and ends on the 4th of July.  I have never run consecutive days without a break since I started running back in 1985.  I thought it would be interesting to see how I would do especially given that I have been recovering from a hamstring injury.  As I ran that day, it dawned on me how much my running has taught me over the years.  I wanted to share with you what I have learned and hope that you have found similar truths during your runs.

The most important lesson that running has taught me is that there is always going to be someone faster, more seasoned or who has run more races than me.  I now know that comparing myself to other runners is a pointless exercise.  Measuring my ability against someone else’s is unfair and truly a waste of my time.  All runners (including me) have a tendency to make these evaluations.  The truth is that all I or any other runner can do is the best that we can do on any given day whether it is in a race or just a training run.  I no longer compare myself to anyone.  Rather I focus on being the best possible runner I can be and try to always run my own race. 

I have always considered my runs to be my personal time.  It is the only time during the day where I get to reflect  and focus just on what I want to focus on.  It is the perfect time for me to think without a lot of distractions.  I sincerely enjoy the sweat and labored breathing that comes with each run.  I find that it is the time where I can release pent up frustrations, tensions and explore those esoteric ideas that help me improve who I am with my family and friends.  I try to enjoy the silence when I can because as we all know there is just too much noise in the world around us.  Sometimes it is just nice to listen to the sound of your my own breathing and foot falls on the pavement.  Most importantly, I know that when I am finished with my run that I am much happier and ready to take on whatever comes my way.

Running has taught me that to be good at anything, I have to put in the time and effort.  So many people are looking for the easy way to success.  I have found that success is never going to come easy.  Without strong effort and dedication you will remain stagnant.  I know that anything worthwhile in life is worth working hard for.  Sometimes the work to get there is not fun as anyone who has trained for a marathon can attest to.  But I can assure you that it is always worth the effort.   I learned that when things don't work out as planned that it is not a sign of failure but rather just a part of the process to get me to where I am going.  Every failure is just a chance to improve.

Which brings me to another important lesson that running has taught me.  No matter how hard I work and how well prepared I am, disappointments will happen.  This is a tough lesson and one that I still struggle with daily.  I have to constantly remind myself that finish times are just times. The fact that I started a run or race is the only way that I can ever reach the finish line.  My finishing time does not hold the power over me.  I do.  And if this year's Boston Marathon did anything for me it solidified that the most gratifying experiences in life usually come as a result of enduring the most painful trials.  And that if I can just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, I will eventually make it to the finish line which is an accomplishment to be proud of every time.

Lastly,  I have learned from running that I can do anything I set my mind to.  Over the years I have said, "I can't run that far" or "I can't train like that" only to prove myself wrong.  I now know that I can run new race distances, challenging relays, run faster, and most importantly find ways to actually become a better runner despite my advancing age.  I also have seen how running makes me stronger in all capacities of my life both mentally and physically.  Best of all, I know that I can keep this up for as long as I live.  Being number one is not important to me.  It is more important to know that with practice, patience and persistence, I can achieve what I set out to do whether it is running or in my personal and business life.

As I have said many times before, running is a way of life for me.  It is a huge part of the person I have become since setting out on the road so many years ago.  My running life has allowed me to be part of a beautiful community of people who come together as one because we all love this crazy sport.  I have made so many new friends through running.  They have all had a profound and positive impact on my life.  Each of them has shown me that although I may have not been born a runner, I have built myself into one over time.  And they accept me for who I am and don't care how fast or how far I can run.  They just enjoy the camaraderie that comes with a shared experience.

I know that am a bit of a zealot now.  Some people may even tire of my obsession.  That is o.k.  because running has shown me that  I can have anything I want and that I can be happy reaching for my own goals in life.   I can rest comfortably knowing that there is no finish line in life.  So I will just enjoy the ride while it lasts.  So I encourage you to get on the road because I know you will find similar lessons if you just let running become a part of who you are too.

June 9 – 5.20 miles (47:55, 9:14 pace)

June 10 – 3.10 miles (27:42, 8:55 pace)

June 11 – 5.60 miles (51:35, 9:13 pace)

June 12 – 6.20 miles (59:43, 9:38 pace)

June 13 – 4.20 miles (39:30, 9:23 pace)

June 14 – 8.30 miles (1:18:55, 9:41 pace)

June 15 – 7.20 miles (1:08:28, 9:31 pace)

June 16 – 2.20 miles (20:15, 9:14 pace)

June 17 – 2.40 miles (22:40, 9:27 pace)

June 18 – 2.10 miles (21:55, 10:32 pace)

June 19 – 5.10 miles (46:23, 9:05 pace)

June 20 – 5.20 miles (45:55, 8:49 pace)

June 21 – 9.20 miles (1:24:48, 9:14 pace)

June 22 – 6.20 miles (58:12, 9:23 pace)

Total Miles:  72.2 miles

2014 Total Miles:  1,044.3 miles

Running in the Heat of the Summer

It is that time of year again here in the Valley of the Sun where the temperatures start to soar.  When I get up at 5:00 am to go out for my runs, I am never sure how warm it is going to be.  It can be anywhere from 70 to 85 degrees and the sun will be just cresting the horizon.  I know that by midday I will be enjoying the triple digits when I head out to lunch or errands.  I am not complaining.  As the Valley residents say, "We are just paying back for the beautiful fall, winter and spring weather we enjoy here every year."

But I do know that as I run here in Scottsdale, I have to adjust my expectations for speed and endurance when I plan my daily runs.  The one advantage I have living here in Arizona is that the humidity is usually less than 10%.  While temperature alone can cause your pace to slow down, humidity makes it even harder to run strong.  When I run in high humidity while travelling for work, I find that my legs feel heavier than normal and breathing is harder. For me, taking deep breaths in humid air is nearly impossible.  If I have to run in high temperatures, I would rather it be in a dry climate like Phoenix.

As runners, we need to alter our actions and expectations as the weather gets hotter. We need to realize and accept that our bodies react differently in hot weather.  As the temperatures rise, so do our heart rates and perceived effort. Therefore, we can’t go out and expect to run at the same paces we have been running consistently during the winter and early spring.  More importantly, we should not press ourselves in the heat from a health and safety standpoint.  This is the time of year that you really need to listen to your body.  It is important to understand that your perceived effort is reality and you need to adjust your pace accordingly.

I have read so many different opinions of how heat will affect your pace.  One opinion states that for every degree of temperature above 65 degrees you should adjust your pace by 2 seconds per mile.  In my case, I was averaging 8:50 per mile consistently during my marathon training.  This would mean that when it is 75 degrees out (like this morning), I should expect to run 20 seconds slower on my morning runs or 9:10 per mile.  I have found that for me this calculation is true.

The second most common opinion states that for every 10-degree increase in air temperature above 55 degrees, there’s a 1.5 percent to 3 percent increase in average finishing time for your run.  The theory is that the slow-down occurs due to heats impact on runners at a physiological level through various means, including dehydration, increased heart rate and reduced blood flow to the muscles used for running.  I find that this one is a little harder to pin down because you could also be having an off day.  Regardless this is another good way to measure how you are doing when it is hot outside.

You also need to monitor your heart rate when running in the heat.  We all know that our heart rate rises when we exercise.  This is to get more oxygen to our muscles. But now we also have to cool our bodies while we are running in the heat.  When it is hot, our bodies push blood nearer the surface of the skin to dissipate heat, which means less blood available to your muscles.  This, of course, puts more pressure on the cardiovascular system making our heart rate rise. Therefore you have to slow down (sometimes drastically) in hot weather to stay within a comfortable exercise zone and not cause your body temperature to rise out of control.  An increase in temperature of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit could cause your heart rate to increase by 10 beats per minute for the same workout as you did on a cooler day.

I  know that we runners don't like to slow down because we see it as weakness.  While I know I shouldn't feel that way, I still do.  I find myself getting frustrated when my pace slows during the summer months even though I know it is temporary.  The key is not letting it shake your confidence.  Stay true to your training and slow it down.  In the end, you will be back to normal as the fall approaches.  You will be glad you got your miles in and be ready for some strong fall and winter training.

Here are a few tips I have found work for me to help when faced with running in the heat.  Please do not take heat lightly and be smart out there.

1.             Reduce your clothing.  Strip down to the fewest clothes you can wear and still remain decent.  I recommend picking light colors.  I prefer loose fitting shirts so that they don't stick to me as I run.  Yes, even wicking shirts will cling to you if you are a heavy sweater like me. (Sorry for that image).
2.       Run as early as you can.  Here in Arizona it is still in the triple digits near and right after sunset.  So, the only time I can run in relatively cool temps is before 7:00 a.m.  You should avoid running at the hottest part of the day which is usually between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
3.       Slow down.   As you know the ideal running temperature is between 50º-55º and overcast.  As I said above, your pace will adjust naturally to compensate for the heat.  Why not just slow down in the first place and run comfortably.  You will not lose any of your fitness level.        
4.       Hydrate.  I carry a water bottle with me when I am going out.  It is a 24 oz bottle and I try to sip off of it at each 1/2 mile.  If you can cache water along the route when you are going out for extended runs that would be ideal.  In some cases, you may be able to create a route that has places you could replenish your water like a local park or shopping center.

To ensure you are hydrating properly, it is a good idea to weigh yourself pre- and post-run to gauge how much liquid you lose during an average run.  This is typically known as your sweat rate.  One pound of weight loss equals 1 pint of water loss. Once you know your sweat rate you can use it to determine your fluid needs during a training run or race. For example, if you lose 2 pounds during an hour run, that's 2 pints or 32 ounces. So, you will need to be able to replace your fluid loss by taking in 8 ounces of water or sports beverage every 15 minutes.

One other thing to note when you are doing high mileage or logging several consecutive days in the heat is to add foods high in potassium to your diet.  Potassium helps you to maintain a healthy fluid balance in your body.  It also plays an important role in making sure our nerves and muscles work effectively. You will find potassium in most fruits and vegetables.  Besides bananas, dried apricots, figs, raisins and prunes are all excellent sources of potassium.  You can also get potassium from tomatoes and tomato products like spaghetti sauce, salsa and ketchup.  So you don't have to gorge yourselves on bananas to increase your potassium levels.

I am by no means an expert and there are numerous articles out there that you can look up for more detailed information regarding running and training in the heat.  I intend to run throughout the summer here in Scottsdale and will do my best to not let the slower paces get me down.  Instead I am going to focus on how amazingly fast I will be when the temperatures start to fall back to that ideal level.

May 26 – 5.10 miles (47:45, 9:14 pace)

May 27 – 6.10 miles (59:53, 9:49 pace)

May 28 – 2.10 miles (20:01, 9:31 pace)

May 29 – 6.10 miles (58:27, 9:31 pace)

May 30 – 5.10 miles (47:36, 9:19 pace)

May 31 – 6.20 miles (55:42, 8:57 pace)

June 1 – 6.20 miles (57:51, 9:23 pace)

June 2 – 5.10 miles (46:42, 9:14 pace)

June 3 – 6.20 miles (58:39, 9:27 pace)

June 4 – 2.10 miles (20:19, 9:38 pace)

June 5 – 6.20 miles (59:21, 9:34 pace)

June 6 – 5.20 miles (49:13, 9:17 pace)

June 7 – 8.30 miles (1:20:56, 9:45 pace)

June 8 – 6.50 miles (1:01:41, 9:31 pace)

Total Miles:  76.5 miles

2014 Total Miles:  972.1 miles

Hamstring Injury and Recovery

As you know, I injured my hamstring during the 2014 Boston Marathon.  The good news is that it was caused by overuse and was not torn.  The best description of my injury according to my physical therapist/masseuse was a pulled hamstring.  It is more commonly referred to as a hamstring strain.  Simply put, it is a tear of the hamstring muscle fibers.  My hamstring strain is rated as somewhere between a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 strain.  The injury has definitely limited my ability to run at all and walk comfortably.  I wanted to discuss with you what a hamstring strain is and how I am rehabbing it so that I can resume my normal running routine.

Let me start by describing what the hamstring is.  The hamstrings are the tendons that attach the large muscles at the back of the thigh to bone. The hamstring muscles are the large muscles that pull on these tendons.  These muscles help us bend our knees, extend our legs, drive us up hills, and power finish-line kicks.  It is important to have strong hamstring muscles. They also attach up onto your pelvis which is why a hamstring strain can cause some pain in the hip and gluteus maximus area.  As a runner, you need to make sure that your quadriceps are not stronger than your hamstring muscles.  If you don't maintain a balance it can lead to hamstring injuries.

Hamstring issues usually arise because your hamstring muscles are weak.  It is believed that very flexible people are prone to hamstring problems because their overly stretched-out muscles are more vulnerable to damage.  I have been really diligent in my stretching over the years and now wonder if it was a partial cause of my injury.  I am not suggesting that you should skip stretching altogether because it is also known that people who can barely touch their toes or who sit for long periods of time (like me at work) are also at risk for this type of injury. As most of you know when you have tight or shortened muscles you are placing them under greater tension during exercise.  And as I alluded to above, runners' with strong quadriceps can overpower their hamstrings, which sets them up for injury.

What I have discovered in speaking with my physical therapist and reading up on the injury is that treatment of a pulled hamstring is dependent on the severity of the injury. But all of the data I have collected says that the best treatment is to simply rest. As a general rule, if you have a hamstring strain, you can do activities that do not aggravate your recent injury. What I needed to do was rest until I was pain free giving time for the injured hamstring muscles to heal.   Allowing time for the muscle to rest is the first step in treatment of most hamstring injuries. Rest allows the swelling to subside and inflammation to settle down.  If I resisted this treatment, I was sure to prolong my recovery time. 

Secondly, I was going to have  to stretch.  Stretching can begin soon after an injury.  But you cannot, aggressively stretch the area or you will exacerbate the injury. Stretching should be gentle and not painful. What my physical therapist told me was to use the normal stretches that I have been using for this portion of my legs.  She told me to stretch to the point of discomfort but not pain.  This is a very fine line.  You should never have pain while you are stretching -- even healthy muscles.  If you are experiencing pain you need to back off the stretch before you cause an injury.

If you are a runner like me, you should be seeing a masseuse regularly. I also recommend that you find one who is also trained in physical therapy.  This person can help guide you with appropriate treatments for any number of running maladies.  For this injury my physical therapist has been using ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and therapeutic massage.   After 3 session with her, I have been able to resume my running although at a much slower and less impactful pace.  I intersperse some street running with elliptical machines.  Running a slow, easy pace is usually less bothersome than attempting intervals, speed work or hill repeats. She also recommended that I could bicycle, pool run, or swim as good alternative activities. The good news is that I am feeling much less pain now when I exercise. 

What I am now starting to do is strengthening my hamstrings with one-legged hamstring curls (raise the bar with both legs, then slowly lower it one leg at a time) and one-legged dead lifts. I am also including bridges.  This is where you lie on your back with your feet on a chair or exercise ball. Raise your hips, then lift one leg into the air. Slowly lower your hips back down to the floor, using the supporting leg. Return that leg to the ball. Repeat with the other leg.  I am not very coordinated at these yet.  And I have purchased a  foam roller to alleviate tightness before and after my runs. In addition, I will be seeing my physical therapist at least monthly to have her use active release technique (ART) and deep-tissue massage  to keep me on the roads.

It has been over a month since the marathon.  I am happy to be nearly recovered from the injury.  I will need to be a little careful over the next several weeks to make sure that I don't reinjure the hamstring muscles.  Running has become such a huge part of my life and I don't want to lose the ability to run.  I also have to recognize that I am getting older.  Slowing down is a natural part of this sport as you age.  I am just not ready to give in.

May 5 – 5.20 miles (45:44, 8:49 pace)

May 6 – 6.00 miles (1:00:00, 10:00 pace)

May 8 – 5.70 miles (1:00:00, 10:32 pace)

May 9 – 5.20 miles (45:57, 8:49 pace)

May 10 – 7.10 miles (1:05:33, 9:14 pace)

May 11 – 6.10 miles (1:03:00, 10:20 pace)

May 12 – 5.20 miles (48:11, 9:14 pace)

May 13 – 5.30 miles (1:00:00, 11:20 pace)

May 14 – 6.20 miles (54:02, 8:43 pace)

May 15 – 5.10 miles (58:20, 11:26 pace)

May 16 – 6.10 miles (55:57, 9:10 pace)

May 22 – 5.20 miles (47:55, 9:14 pace)

May 23 – 5.20 miles (49:05, 9:23 pace)

May 24 – 5.50 miles (1:00:00, 10:55 pace)

May 25 – 7.10 miles (1:05:48, 9:14 pace)

Total Miles:  86.2 miles

2014 Total Miles:  895.6 miles