Injury – frustration, appreciation…wait what?

Posted on 6 February, 2013 by Melvin

Injury is something that happens even to the best of runners. Too much work, too little rest, overexertion, weaknesses in your kinetic chain – any number of factors can be attributed to why an injury occurs. (Or all of the above)

I’d like to say that I’m “fortunate” in my previous injuries – they’ve been relatively far and few between:

- IT band – right leg – typical ITB issues in the right leg. Cured with foam rolling and Graston – I’d say out of action less than 2 weeks. (Back up and fully running again with no issues)

- Achilles – right leg – had some minor issues with weakness in my Achilles from running in Vibrams. Needless to say, I did not do the smart thing in transitioning to Vibrams. I count myself lucky I didn’t have anything worse, like a torn Achilles occur.

- IT band – left leg – more severe version of what occurred in the right leg. Took a cortisone shot and some ART over the course of a month to get healed up. Also did a lot of hip strengthening exercises to alleviate the root cause for both issues.

- Posterior tibial tendonitis/flexor digitorum longus strain – left leg. Started to occur about a month after the NYC Marathon. Despite multiple sessions of ART, icing, rolling out – still lingered. Only after taking 3 weeks off (2 cross training, 1 off completely from cardio) did it heal up completely. Out of running approximately 2 months.

- Posterior tibial tendonitis/flexor digitorum longus strain – right leg. Started in late July/early August, and issue still exists 6 months later.

Never in my head did I ever think this issue would be lingering for 6 months. It started after a track workout one day, made worse during a 18 mile long run. Took a week off, then decided to go out for a 6 mile run anyway – it hurt 3 miles into it and continued, as I stupidly ran through the pain. Woke up the next day and couldn’t take a step without searing pain, which, subsided after stretching/getting some bloodflow into that area.

Didn’t attempt to run on it for a month. Even putting on running shoes and taking a single step running caused pain. Tried ART, which offered some relief/help for the issue, but I probably underestimated the severity of the issue. (IE, it wouldn’t help if it wasn’t healed up yet)

I iced, took NSAIDs, and finally after a month and a half – went to the doc, got some meds and got authorized for physical therapy.

Long story short – PT did nothing to help it. It was less PT being the issue and more the actual therapist not doing a good job even diagnosing the issue, muchless treating it. He is a very well respected therapist in the DFW area, but took zero time to try to figure out the issue. My frustration there is another story for a different day.

I took his advice and ran on it, even though it didn’t feel “normal”. His advice – run on it until it hurts, then stop if it does. I tried running for a few weeks, took a few weeks off to cross train and let it heal, and repeated that process. That process continued up until before Christmas, when I was out for an easy 3 miler and felt some sharp pain. Needless to say, I haven’t tried to run since.

My cross training routine consisted of what I thought was low impact, safe cardio in lieu of running – cycling, stairmaster, rowing, and walking. Only lately did I find out that my cross training, notably the stairmaster and heavy resistance/standing during cycling, actually probably hurt the situation more than it helped. (Caused more impact/stress than I had initially thought)

At one point, I thought it’d be easier to just become Oscar Pistorius and to chop it off, but that was a fleeting moment. The thought of surgery scares me, but if that’s what it takes to get it fully healed, that’s what I’ll do.

I have since seen an orthopedic surgeon, who pinpointed my issue at more of a stress fracture and/or inflammation of the bone lining than posterior tib. He said no load bearing exercise (like the stairs/heavy cycling) and told me to head to physical therapy again. I opted for a different PT at the recommendation of a good friend and athletic trainer. Haven’t done any load bearing exercises in about 3 weeks at this point.

This time – PT was a world of difference. He spent 30 minutes alone asking questions, performing tests, and doing manual therapy to try to pinpoint the issue. At the end of it all, he disagreed with the doc and thought it to be more flexor digitorum longus than stress fracture. Introduced me to dry needling (not as bad as it sounds), and found some kinetic chain issues with the rotation of my right hip.

As of now, it’s been 3 weeks since starting PT. I’m noticing some results, but still feel a certain tightness in that general area. He noted some knots in that general area during the first few rounds of needling. I’m anxious not to get back to running, but to get back to feeling normal. I guess I’m frustrated that I’m not feeling back to normal again, but understanding that whatever therapy we are doing isn’t a magic bullet to fix things.

I long for the day where I can throw on a pair of shoes and just go out for a run, rather than resorting to having to drive to the gym to sit my ass on a bike/rowing machine to work up a sweat. Even then, it’s just not the same feeling as going out for a run.

Not being able to run gave me a greater appreciation for other things in life, like alternate forms of working out, like the sanity of having a normal life again, like being able to spend more time with family. I enjoy the benefits of running and the thrill of racing, but at some point, how much do you let running run your life? Missing spending time with family or friends because you have a run early in the morning, or a race to prep for, or a certain kind of meal you have to eat. The sacrifices we make to do what we love – where does it end?

The obvious answer is finding the right balance between everything. I went to the extreme and put everything I had – every last free minute training, preparing to train, exercising, watching my diet, and ignored the other important parts of my life, most notably, family and friends.

I realized how much I enjoyed and missed the other facets and aspects of life during my “time off”. It was rather enlightening and a real eye opener for me. I need to learn to find better balance in my life, whether it’s work, play, RDB, family, friends, etc.

The irony of having said that is, both Stacey and I decided to book a trip to Chicago during marathon weekend in October. She is committed to running it. Me – I have two weeks to figure that out, dependent upon how much progress is made with my bum leg. (Registration starts on February 19th) If I do commit to doing it, I’ll need to remember to find that careful balance again.

So the moral of the story is:

A) I have far too much to say, and far too much time on my hands

B) Even something as nagging and drawn out as this injury is has become a blessing in disguise. I’ve re-aligned myself and my priorities in life.

So…should I commit to doing Chicago, or just enjoy Chicago for all that it is? :)

Posted in Mel's Blog, Running | Leave a comment

Clarification from the previous post: “Hello, Goodbye, RDB”

Posted on 1 February, 2013 by Melvin

I’ve heard a lot of emotions and feedback from a lot of people about my last post – sadness, anger, understanding, amongst others. Some called me selfish for “killing” the group. Some wanted to know what is happening with future events. Some chose to “Unlike” the group on Facebook. All appropriate reactions.

I wrote with a concise theme in my mind, but if you’ve ever met me – my mind is something of a different story. I think what I had intended and what was put down on paper (virtually) didn’t mesh up 1:1. It’s the equivalent of trying to put a cube block into a L-shaped gap in Tetris – an oops, meant to put it two spaces over but hit down by accident.

Some might see this post as a retraction from me, in a fury to ease the minds of the community built up. It’s really a clarification – I still stand by what I wrote, and the ambiguity in it was chosen carefully. So I’ll try to separate fact from fiction here.

 ”Was that the end of RDB?”

The unequivocal answer is no. Sprinkled throughout the many times I said “end of this chapter”, or “..the end of RDB” were the words “as it currently stands”. What does that mean? Fuck if I know. Kidding.

My intent is, the half assed events for the sake of having an event. I hadn’t realized we had become the lunch outing with that coworker at Subway for the 4th time this week. You know what I’m talking about – Subway is a decent alternative for a “healthy” lunch, but 4 times a week? No thanks, no matter how much you might like your coworker. We became the UFO Club Happy Hour guys – it got beaten to death. I’m trying to think of what other events we put on that were monotonous, and that was also the issue – we kind of stopped having events in general, once it was the same 6 people that showed up to every event.

The 4 times a year blog posts. I go through spurts on posting, but it’s something I thoroughly enjoy doing, as did some of the contributors. It’s kind of therapeutic to put your opinions down for all to see. Whether anyone reads it or not – different story, but based on the feedback I got – plenty of people I barely know (my work stalker – you know who you are) – commented on my blog postings. I had the urge to immediately write another blog about my thoughts and feelings as soon as I wrote the last one, so it’s a good sign.

“Was this the end of events?”

See above – no. It’s an end to the boring, same old. A commitment to do some different things. How often and what things – I can’t and won’t commit to at this point, but I’d like to do some of the fun things that brought new and regulars out – beer tastings, other fun events in the community that we can tag onto.

I will say – Greenville St Patrick’s Day Parade will still be happening. Even if it’s only me out there – it’s an extremely fun time and I cherish that day more than Christmas. Just have someone call a cab and pick me up around noon please – I’ll be the guy passed out in front of the Vitamin Shoppe wearing green. Oh wait, that describes 50 people every year…never mind.

“What does the future hold for RDB?”

This much I can say – I don’t know. Again – I came to the realization (due to a major life event recently) that my priorities and focus in life has made a dramatic change/shift for various reasons. All for good reasons though.

Sometimes it takes things like that to get this little thing in life called perspective. Too often in life we have tunnel vision, solely focused on thing X or thing Y, and disregarding everything else around you. I was fortunate enough this past fall to be blessed with an injury that made me look at my running and just the obsessive devotion towards it.

“God forbid I miss a run” – how many of us have that attitude? I can raise my hand and say guilty as charged. Replace run with “workout of some kind” and that’s how I am now…still not healed. (To go into further discussion in another blog posting)

It helped me gain a new outlook on what’s really important. Even with that, I still debate signing up for the Chicago Marathon this year, even though I’m only 50% of the way wanting to do it. You can take the fat kid out of the candy store but no matter how long it’s been, he still craves candy.

In so many years past I’ve had this desire and drive to do things…and have done nothing about it. 2013 is a turning point for me – so much is happening and will happen in the near future, whether this year or even the following. I’m not a young chicken anymore – it’s time to make it happen. Go big or go home. I realize I’m old now, because sadly enough – I was listening to the radio and they mentioned that ’90s music is now “vintage”. The songs I grew up with in high school are now classified in the same category as the ’70s once was when I was growing up.

I guess the moral or what I meant to say in the previous blog (whether implied or not) – time’s a ticking…give 110% effort or don’t do it at all. I obviously was giving all of 5% effort, if even that much, with RDB. I’d rather not do it at all (events) than half ass it. I can and will commit to more blogging (as mentioned previously in the last blog), but I’d like to find a few events that are 110% fun for the group than many events that are 50% fun.

And with that I am done writing for the time being. Enjoy whatever this weekend holds for you.

- Melvin

Posted in Beer, Group News, Mel's Blog, Running | Leave a comment

Hello, Goodbye, RDB.

Posted on 29 January, 2013 by Melvin

Credit goes to The Beatles for the title of their song: “Hello, Goodbye”. I think it’s a perfect, albeit dubious title, to what this post is about. In short, we’ve reached the end of RunnersDrinkBeer as it currently stands.

This decision has been a long time coming, but something that should have been done a long time ago. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the friends, relationships, and everything that has come out of RDB, but it’s not what it was in the beginning – fun.

The goal of RDB was simple – build the community of runners into something more than that, and to have fun doing it. Enjoy the benefits and fruits of having fun without just being a runner, mostly in the form of beer. And we did that. We did that well. I can’t begin to count the number of beers, hours spent partying and drinking, and the unmeasurable amount of fun the group has brought.

At some point though, things have to change. We didn’t evolve past that. Several attempts have been made in the past to evolve, but too little too late. Co-founder Kyle Hemmer and I had a stark disagreement about the future of the group – he saw what was truly important in life – his family and being more involved. I disagreed, and we parted ways. In hindsight – he saw what was truly important, and I can totally agree with his viewpoint now.

The community, my priorities, and friends have all evolved and moved on. I’ve shifted my own priorities, and after taking a look at what we have (or haven’t) accomplished over the past year – I think it’s time to write the final chapter of RDB, as it currently stands.

I keep referencing as it currently stands, as I don’t want to close the book forever, shut down FB/all sites, but at least want to address the lack of updates on both FB and the blog site.

What is the final chapter? I don’t know, exactly. The Facebook page has remained semi-abandoned for months. The attempt at making a community of contributors hasn’t worked out as well as I had planned. We haven’t tried an event since Oktoberfest. To be transparent – my heart isn’t into some of the events we used to put on in the past.

I’d rather go home and cook dinner/unwind after a long day than go to happy hour. I’d rather try to be a better fiancee/husband to be/father than get drunk on a Saturday night outing. I’d rather enjoy a nice Crown & Sprite or glass of wine than have a beer. I’d rather look forward to the future than hold onto the past, no matter how fun it was. Some of my favorite memories and factoids from the group from the past few years:

- RDB and it’s events are responsible for two marriages. One is John and Amber, aka, Jamber Thompson. They met at an early October HH at the Flying Saucer. A chance meeting, but it was meant to be. (They probably had a lot more in common than just beer and may have ended up together regardless of RDB, but their first meeting was at the HH) The other is my own and Stacey, to take place in July. Ironic too, considering she doesn’t like beer.

- 3 beer tastings were had with our members. One took place at my house, one at Genevieve’s, and one at Teresa’s. I can say, it truly is a great way to try new beers without breaking the bank at a bar. Everyone brings a 6 pack of non commercial beer and all beer becomes community property/open for all to try. One thing to note – don’t try cooking for that many people…order pizza. We quickly learned that after the first one.

- First outing ever was with a similar running group called Team Sprinkles at Ozonas. Instead of beer, their fuel of choice was Sprinkles Cupcakes. That team was made primarily of DRC members. One of my fondest memories.

- Shirts. Always a sticking point. RDB was funded out of my own pocket, so shirts were always done in batches. Some were better than others…I have a pile I still wear out, some I shudder to think what my design side was thinking when I created the design. Your (community) support in helping to promote RDB simply by wearing the shirts was always truly appreciated. (And I mean that from the bottom of my heart)

- Oktoberfest – our 2nd favorite event of the year. Why? Because it’s German food, German beer, and drunk dancing. What’s not to like?

- Greenville St Patrick’s Day Parade – our favorite event of the year. Regardless of where RDB goes or becomes, we will always be loyal to this event/continue to go. At what other time of the year can you have a beer in the middle of public at 7AM? Have jello shots for breakfast? See 50,000 other like minded individuals come out to see a parade and partake in the partying? My favorite memory was the year in which…I don’t remember. Let’s just say there were too many beer bongs, me passed out in Kyle’s truck bed, and a single whole french fry. For those who know the story, enough said. Oh, and Jerry getting whooped in push-ups by Celena. :)

- Snuggie Pub Crawl – an amazing time, held by a bunch of traveling drunkards wearing Snuggies. We had custom Snuggies printed up with the logo on the front.

- Warrior Dash – let’s face it – WD isn’t a hard event. Most of us run 3.1 miles for fun as a warm-up to an actual workout or a run. Throw in some mud and flames, and it’s no worse than running at White Rock in 95% humidity. But it was the newness and the fun of the event, seeing other teams/costumes, that made this a fun event. It was probably the best turn-out we’ve had at any event, despite the distance driving to Roanoke, or wherever in BFE it was held at.

- RNR Beer Station – a fun idea that everyone really enjoyed. Logistics were not as well planned out as I had hoped, (my own fault for underestimating demand) but a great way to support the runners during the race, and get our group involved in something other than just us drinking.

- The supporters, fans, and readers of RDB. Regardless if you are in Dallas and have been to an event, or are located in Alaska – your support from even just a “Like” or a comment has always been welcomed and appreciated. Your following and readership was always a driving force behind everything we did.

- Even moreso, your support as a catalyst for pushing through the pain during the Chicago and NYC Marathons. There’s something to be said about crashing and burning in a marathon. Hey, I’ve done that in 5 different marathons – I know what it means to suck. Having that extra motivation knowing you have a few hundred/thousand people reading and watching what you are doing is a whole different type of motivation. You can’t mentally or physically quit then, at least in my mind. Somewhere deep down, I had to find that extra gear and push through the pain/mental weakness. I hit goals in both runs, and I attribute it to the folks that were my audience during those races.

- Being featured in the Dallas Morning News. Has to be the pinnacle/favorite memory. We enjoyed our few seconds of fame and a spotlight for not only the Dallas area, but throughout the US after the article got passed around/syndicated. Even friends growing up called/sent messages to my family and myself stating they were excited to read about how the group had grown.

Those are some of the things that stood out to me about RDB. Part of where this post/goodbye came from is from my list of New Years Resolutions I made, which are listed below:

(Click to enlarge) Part of it was being the best me that I possibly can, and the other part – no excuses. For too long in 2012 I ignored what RDB had become, because I was interested in other things – family, growing myself and the future, and wanting to look ahead.

The concept of RDB was getting old – we had become one note, with no variety in events or anything else. Other groups have popped up that have sufficiently taken our place/foster a better sense of community. We lacked fun and originality.

So that leads me to the inevitable question of – is this the last we will ever see of RDB? No – I think there’s still the opportunity to hold events from time to time, to keep (or rather start) more consistent blog posting, and to still give back in some way. But as to trying to grasp onto the straws of years of past, the things that we had become known for and associated with – I think I can say that we need to move beyond that.

Rather than trying to mimic or imitate other groups in an attempt to stay relevant – it’s time to shut the book on that chapter of RDB. What the next chapter holds – again, I do not know, but I can’t keep pretending and making excuses for what the group has become.

I have lots of thank yous to make to people:

- To our contributors who have guest blogged – thank you. That was a hard thing to contribute to when I didn’t bother contributing myself. I didn’t lead by example and it showed.

- To the leaders of RDB through the years – Kyle, Jerry, Teresa, Dianna, Stefanie, and Stacey – thank you for everything you did to make the group what it was and is today. Without your vision and focus, we would not have been as successful as we have been without it.

- To our fans, friends, and those who have partook in the fun (whether literally at events or online) – thank you for the support. It’s an honest and heartfelt thank you to you for helping us get to where we are at today.

The only things I have some small regrets about:

- Helped to commercialize the group. Not for monetary purposes, but to get the concept of having fun while training hard out there. I was approached by people in other cities about opening up chapters there, and at one point, by a company that wanted to take it national. The terms of both were not necessarily great, so neither opportunity was really taken. Not as much of a regret as it was an opportunity forgone.

- Forgetting that the group was about one thing: FUN. It started as a blog about feeling “energized” the next day for a run after drinking beer, but the concept of the group was about having fun. That’s what we lacked in all of our unsuccessful events – the stale happy hours and events, including the last Oktoberfest. We moved into tired, boring, ho-hum, and forgot what having fun/putting on an enjoyable time was all about.

The one thing I will end with is to expect more blog posts. And for the events that we do put on – finding the fun that we have lacked for so long.

Thank you for listening and for your support of RDB.

 

Sincerely,

Melvin Chu

Posted in Beer, Group News, Mel's Blog, Running | Leave a comment

Good Luck at the Dallas Marathon

Posted on 7 December, 2012 by Jim Nolan
Posted by Jim N.
This weekend is the Dallas Marathon.  If you are running it, I hope it is your best race ever!   One year ago , I ran my fastest marathon ever on the White Rock course and missed qualifying for Boston by less than 30 seconds.   The course is different this year and it is no longer at Fair Park.  The weather better be different.  I wanted to repost my race report to get you in the mood.   Everything is possible for you as it was for me.   GO GET WHAT IS YOURS!

Dallas White Rock RR 2011

After a disappointing October marathon in Chicago, I needed my revenge.  Literally, fifteen minutes after Chicago ended a friend told me, “you may not want to hear this right now but you should run again real soon.”   He was right.   Intestinal issues, warm weather and back spasms at the halfway point of Chicago trashed my run.
I decided on Dallas because I would have time to recover and get right back into top fitness without delaying it to spring. It was also inexpensive because we used points to fly and stayed at a friend’s house. Almost like a hometown race except for the time travelling.   Pfitz’s 8 week between marathons was used.  A piriformis issue flared after a hard 10k two weeks before race day.  But I was able to rest and stretch it enough to get back to healthy running after 8 days off.   My wife and I also have great friends that we had been promising to visit for two years.
My race really started with a change in my fueling.   I switched my energy replacement from Gu to ClifShots.   They aren’t as thick to me and I also wanted to avoid a repeat of Chicago.  I also switched my pre-race carbo load to rice from pasta.   Our friends are Cuban and we ate a wonderful pre-race meal of arroz con pollo.
Race morning I got up at 4AM to the sounds of thunder and lightning.  I drove the 20 miles to Fair Park and was one of the first cars into the lot.   It was 5:30 and I still had two hours before the start.   I sat in the car a while and finished up my bagel/peanut butter/banana breakfast.  There were several indoor building open to allow for an indoor bathroom stop.   It also kept us out of the rain.   I got the start line about 20 mins ahead of time.  The flyover had been cancelled due to the continuing rain and low cloud cover.   I was in third corral from the front based on a 3:30 guesstimation of my finish time.
Some facts about the Dallas course:  Start elevation 472ft, Max Elevation 627ft, Total Gain 430ft.   Hill ascents run from Mile 6 thru 9 and 20.5 thru about 22.8. From 22.8 it is all slightly downhill to the finish.
Temps were in the low 40′s and a mild N wind.  We were off at 8AM under a light rain. The first mile always makes me anxious  as far as pace goes.  Usually a forward corral means you are running with others your speed.  Ah, the joys of running without a Garmin!   Suddenly I look at my watch and it reads 8:42.   Missed the first mile marker.   Have to judge pace on Mile 2.   My watch now reads 18:xx and no mile marker.  This isn’t good.   I start to look for Garmin wearers and ask a guy how far we’ve run.  He said about 2.3.   I continue to run on feel.   I start to panic when listening to another runners say to their running partner, “right on our 9min pace.”  Uh, oh.  More time passes as I ask another Garmin wearer.  The girl is unresponsive and I realize her headphones make me inaudible.    We’re running through downtown Dallas and hit an area with cobblestones and trolley rails. I ask another guy and he tells me 4.6m in and he hasn’t seen any mile markers either.   I quickly do some math in my head and look at my 3:25 pace band.  Very slightly behind pace but not horrible.  I avoided a too fast start at least. It turns out my first 5K split was 24:25 (7:51).   I saw the Mile 6 marker and hit my watch lap button for the first time.    It wasn’t until this time that I finally relaxed.
10K split 48:27 (7:47 pace) Race Rank #479
We’re now running through an area of residential mansions.  The mile marker dilemma continued throughout the race and I could not monitor my mile to mile pace. Instead I was forced to run on feel.  A benefit of not owning a Garmin is that I run on feel a lot.   It continued to rain for the entire race.  Mile markers would show up intermittently or be turned around due to the wind.   When one did present itself I would check the pace and see I was about 2 mins slow of a 3:25 pace.
About Mile 9 nature began to call but I fought it off.   Mile 10 nature said it was time to sit down in a porta a potty and as luck would have it one appeared.   I’ve never had to do this in a marathon before so I knew it would cost me some time.   But running through it was never gonna happen.  Mile 11 we entered the loop around White Rock Lake.   Through 13.1m at 1:45:36 (8:03 pace) Race Rank#588.  I estimated it might have taken up to two minutes at my pit stop. The first hill section might have accounted for some lost time as well.  It seemed like every intersection had a giant puddle we had to leap or run through.  I chose to leap and mentioned to someone next to me that I didn’t think we had signed up for a steeplechase.

By Mile 14 the exposed trail (read wind and rain)around the lake was getting to me a little and I had picked up my pace a little so I was brething heavier.   Suddenly my wife son and friends appeared.   It gave me a boost as the loop continues around the lake until Mile 21.  I did enjoy the views and would be a great place to do long runs if it weren’t in Texas’ summer heat!

Running downhill at about Mile 23 or 24

Mile 20 split is 2:39:41 (7:59 pace).  I’ve passed moved up 110 places since the half.  The Clif Shot station has Hooter girls…completely covered up from the rain/cold.   I’ve been stalking a bald guy in a neon green shirt for half the race now and I pass him here.   Legs begin to fatigue, but that is my only problem.  No pain or other issues.  I fight off the urge to walk through any stops the rest of the way.  The Dolly Parton hills appear but there are not overwhelming.   Just that they appear at Mile 21 of the course.   The last four miles are slightly and sweetly downhill.   I just keep the legs moving as fast as they will let me.   I pass a ton of people (which inlcudes half marathoners) and cross the finish line at 3:30:25.  I’ve passed an additional 89 marathoners in the final 10k and was only passed by 3.
I’m fully satisfied with my effort.   A tougher course than Chicago and remove that porta stop and who knows what might have been.   I loved the course, the State fair start/finish and even the weather.   Dallas also has one of the the coolest finishers stats sheet I’ve ever seen.  BQ can’t be far off now.

Jim N is a Brooks Fanatic and his personal blog can be found at http://justrunjim.blogspot.com/

Posted in Running | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Be Grateful for the Run

Posted on 9 October, 2012 by Jim Nolan

Five and half weeks since my injury.  I’m out of the gym. What kind of shape does one stay in without running for 4 weeks (biking and elliptical instead) after averaging over 50m for the previous 2 weeks? All of this time I could not push off with my right foot without pain or altering my stride.  Running on the roads every day again and no run has been longer than six miles.

I vowed to start the Chicago marathon on Sunday. But I decided I’ll only run halfway.   My PF tear has mostly healed but I still feel “something” there when I run. Not pain.   Friday was the first time in 6 weeks it felt normal.   The perfect weather forecast was making me jealous of others.     Will I restrain myself if the foot is feeling good?

The weather was clear and cold.  Just a light breeze and I declared it epic weather for a fast race.  I got dropped off on Michigan Avenue and headed for the charity village.   Little did I know there were three charity sections and it wasn’t in the first two I found.  I met a younger girl who was running her first marathon for PAWS just as lost as I was.  We found our charity in the last section and I wished her good luck.   Just enough time for a team photo and we headed to the corrals an hour before the start.

It was going to be a weird day for me.   I didn’t need to worry too much about pacing.  Only stay healthy.  Too much fitness was lost.   I decided to bring my cell phone alone and capture pictures of the day.   Drink it all in and be grateful I could run.  Such a simple thing but in the view of a runner, it is everything!

At the start with 40,000 of my closest friends

The elites were announced and we were off.   I took my satisfaction that I was able to run from the B corral which was the top 4500 qualifiers excluding the elites and elite development runners.   I was happy to raise money for a great charity.  The Diabetes Action Team raised over $90,000 for the marathon.  I enjoyed the crowds and the fact that I could run pain free.   And high fived as many people who were looking for one.   I took it in and enjoyed every step.

I ran every step to my race end. No stopping, no injury and pain free.  I was grateful just to be out there. There will be many more races to run. Run happy.
Posted in Group News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Twin Cities Marathon weekend!

Posted on 4 October, 2012 by Melvin

On some random day in February, about 4 or 5 mimosas deep into brunch, the idea came up about the Twin Cities Marathon, which occurs this weekend. People tend to say a lot of stuff with a good buzz. There’s nothing like unlimited mimosas to start making you promising stuff that you may or may not mean.

Regardless, the idea was sprung, registrations were completed, and we were committed. It feels like an eternity ago that we had talked about it, and now, in 3 short days, the marathon will actually be here.

Unfortunately, I will just be there for moral support for my fiancee Stacey. She has put in the time and the miles in and has seen such huge improvements in her running. We have a full weekend planned, with some time spent with family and friends in Minnesota, so it’ll be a jam packed vacation for us.

I sit here, happy for her, and even happier that the Boston Marathon registration is still open. (I am confident that she will qualify, and subsequently, beat my PR time) Whether or not she decides to wait until 2014 is a different story, and yes, we’re assuming she will BQ, but everything I’ve seen out of her this past training season has shown nothing but a BQ time.

I waver between happy and sad. Happy, in knowing the pain and frustration of running a marathon and not having it go your way. You can prepare and do everything right and have a horrible day, whether it’s something you did or the weather. (Starting weather Sunday will be 32 degrees, not bad but colder than ideal) Cheering and not having to actually suffer the pain and misery of a full marathon and the unknowns mentioned above, the gimp walking the next week, and knowing that perhaps, to someone out there, your cheering and support on the sideline made a difference in their performance.

And then the sadness. I want to run this like nobody’s business. The money and time already invested in airfare, hotel, planning, vacation, training, the blood sweat and tears. I’ve thought back and I’ve literally been on the sidelines out of running for over half of this year now. My cautious optimism a few weeks ago probably was that – in the few test runs I’ve tried since, I’ve had the same lingering soreness/issues.

I’ve finally gone to see a doctor and have an appointment with a physical therapist. Honestly, probably things I should have done earlier, but I was stubborn in thinking  it’d heal on it’s own. Here’s to hoping I can fully recover and salvage something out of the winter/spring racing season. There’s been times where I’ve thought I’ve been 100% healthy, but it’s just been a tease.

My feelings have been all over the place. Anger, frustration, sadness, acceptance, more frustration, brief moments of happiness, and that’s just daily. It sucks when all you want to do is put on a pair of shoes and just go for a run to start the day or clear your head. But you can’t…because you are uncertain or fear the after effects, pain, and soreness that will come along with trying to do so.

In the end though – there’s a reason everything happens. I’m not as young as I used to be. I’m certainly not bulletproof like I thought I was. And based on some cross training, not in the shape I thought I was either. This weekend is about supporting and being there for my fiancee, which, I am happy to do.

And to everyone who is racing this weekend – you crazy folks at Chicago (which, for once is going to be great weather) – good luck. Race hard, and leave it all on the table.

 

Melvin

Posted in Mel's Blog, Running | Leave a comment

Cautious optimism in the face of uncertainty.

Posted on 20 September, 2012 by Melvin

I feel like Luke Skywalker does at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Flashback to the movie…Luke is on a ship and just got fitted with an artificial hand. The robot pricks him for sensitivity…and has him move all his digits around to ensure it works properly.

After last week’s post, I had a good in-depth conversation with my physical therapist about it and on-going steps. He asked a series of questions about it’s current status, what I have/have not done to it lately, the exercises I’ve been doing, etc. After answering all the questions, his response simply was: “Go test it out.”

My initial reaction was a bit of confusion and WTF. The last two times I had tested it out, had resulted in less than satisfactory results, in my opinion anyway. The first resulted in soreness that lasted 3-4 days. The second resulted in my leg feeling tight and wound up. Last week was all cross training and walking.

Ultimately, his point was, how would I know where my progress is if I didn’t test it out? Running 6 miles on it to test it out would be a bad idea, which is how I got to this point in the first place. Baby steps leads to progress. But it just made me nervous. On the one hand, hell yea I want to try it out. On the other, I just don’t want to be out more than I have to be.

This weekend was a double whammy of races I was signed up for, but didn’t get to run. The first was the TDF 10K. The first year since 2008 that I would have to miss it. It’s one of my normal training routes (the 20K route anyway) so I’m familiar with the hills. It’s one of my favorite races in that it’s well executed and has a great after party. Even better – this year was the best weather I’ve ever seen for it, hands down. A mild 67 degrees and it got cooler as the morning went on. (Much better than 85 last year) I still drank my fair share of the beer at the after party, but it was so hard sitting on the sidelines. Being a cheerleader wasn’t so bad though!

Sunday brought on the City of Richardson Corporate Challenge 5K, the run that got me hooked on running. I had volunteered to coach the team at Hilton. Had I done TDF, I certainly would not have raced it, but had planned on at least going out to jog/run with some of the runners. Instead, I took pictures on the sideline…in the rain…as everyone ran. Despite the rain and some crappy organization on my part, everyone had a smile on their face and had a great time running. More than one person commented that I looked like a proud dad taking pictures cheering people on…but they loved that they had a cheerleader.

Being the cheerleader this weekend gave me the nerve to actually try running. Otherwise, I’d have doubted myself and just cross trained, yet another week, sitting on a bike. The advice given for my run: if it hurts or feels unnatural, stop. Go only if it felt ok to run on. Afterwards, get a good deep stretch in – with all the bloodflow going through the tendon after a run, it’ll help.

And so, Monday rolled around – I had my usual cycle class. Afterwards – I nervously went out for an easy 5 minute jog, and surprisingly, felt great. Some slight tightness near the end, but surprisingly good. Got a great stretch in and surprisingly, despite a tiny bit of soreness, felt great the rest of the day.

I prepared myself to go out for an easy 1-2 miler Tuesday morning. I was nervous beyond all get out…you’d think I was running a marathon that morning with as much dynamic stretching and warm-ups as I did. I think I warmed up for 20 minutes before I turned on my Garmin. But I put one foot in front of the next, and then again, and again. My Garmin hit the one mile marker and beeped…at a speedy 9:52. Ok so not so speedy for most people, but I was ecstatic. Stopped and stretched…and went again. Before I knew it, my watch hit mile 2: 9:39. I stretched again, walked another mile, and called it a day. The smile on my face went from ear to ear…you’d think I just won the lottery.

It had been almost 2 months since my watch had seen action of any kind. A mile is better than zero, hands down. Not the fastest or the slowest times my watch has seen, but it’s times nonetheless.

After a nice deep massage and rolling with the marathon stick yesterday, I got a little over 2 combined miles today. (Was a run/walk day) Nothing ground breaking, nothing earth shattering – just another little test to see where it’s at. A little bit of soreness when I stretch it out completely, but fine otherwise.

I write this post with a certain cautious optimism. I want to tell everyone at work who doesn’t give a shit that I ran this week. I want to head down to Katy Trail for some tempo work. I want to go to Richardson for some hills. I want to eat a whole pizza by myself to say I’ve carb-loaded. I want to head out Saturday for a nice long run through Lakewood and down Swiss. But…I have no idea where I’m truly at currently.

I’m hopeful that things are on the up and up. This week has given me hope that the tunnel is ending and I’m almost at the other side. I’m hoping that next week I’ll be able to push myself past two miles. I’m hopeful that next week, I’ll have no soreness at all. And finally, I’m hoping that I can finally call myself completely healthy again.

I wonder if I’m jinxing myself by writing this. Perhaps tomorrow the tendon will be sore and throbbing. Perhaps next week I won’t be able to take a step without being in pain. Or perhaps next week, optimistically, I’ll be running with minimal to no issues. To be continued next week…until then, Run Happy and be thankful for good health! Oh, and Beer Up!

 

Melvin

Posted in Mel's Blog, Running | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Physiology of Movement (Part 1)

Posted on 17 September, 2012 by Oscar Baeza

Friends, RUNNERS, Countrymen…Lend me your ears.

If you can make sense of what I am about to state, you have a chance to become a BETTER Runner.

Let me introduce you to two physiological laws, Wolff’s Law, and its corollary, Davis’s Law. Wolff’s Law states that bones adapt to the loads placed on them. This means that bones under stress remodel themselves to become stronger and to better bear those loads. Conversely, bones that undergo little stress will remodel themselves to become weaker, the result of less metabolic cost to maintain denser bones. Davis’ Law states the same for soft tissues. Tissues that get the most use through tension/lengthening relationships; will result in tissues more suited for that demand. If you perform bicep curls repetitively, you will gain a bigger muscle of the biceps as well as stronger tendons and ligaments that attach the biceps. If you spend time in static stretches, the muscles and tissues remain elongated to be more efficient the next time it is performed. This isn’t necessarily a good thing! If you wish to run faster, elongated muscles exhibit less power.

This is why we see that after we break a bone, muscles surrounding the injured (and casted) area atrophy as a result of disuse. This is also the reason that once we can begin to train the injured area, muscles and surrounding connective tissues grow back and bones become as dense as prior to the break.

So why is this part of our new understanding? This is one of the single most important components of training that the majority of fitness experts and practitioners do not recognize. The Wolff’s/Davis’ Laws are evidence that our bodies get better at exactly what we do.

It is the very reason we practice a movement. If we want to get better at shooting free throws, we practice shooting free throws. This will eventually develop the proper movement mechanics, i.e. force, tension, direction and release, because the body is laying tissue along those lines of movement and stress. This is similar to the SAID Principle, or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. This principle states that all training is specific to a particular task. These are complimentary concepts.

Because of this, we now have to become aware of how we move…for anything! One example is the squat. We often see people who squat with their feet wide, toes pointed out slightly. So we ask, “Does this move us towards our goal?” For many runners, this may actually move us AWAY from our goals of more efficient movement. Why?

Examine the way we walk. The most efficient and effortless way of walking is often knees and toes pointing forward. If our body lays tissue along lines of tension, wouldn’t a wide stance squat promote a wide stance gait. While the difference in angle may seem negligible, we must recognize that to do so has a cost.

When we observe people walking, we often see a gait that has toes pointed out slightly, or some degree of it. So what is the cost if we tried to take this form and run fast or run for distance? Eventually, the body will break down because this is often a less-than-ideal movement. We compromise our structure when we compromise our form. This is simple mechanics now. Our goal should be to improve our form, thus improving our movement, which leads to increased efficiency and less pain.

So here is our takeaway for today.
Does your activity move you TOWARDS your Goal? If not, why practice it? If so, at what COST? or Is there BETTER?

Check back in next week when I take you through the running analysis that PACE Labs performed for me and how we use that information to become more efficient runners with less pain.

-Coach Oscar is a fitness and wellness coach in Plano, TX. His goal is to simply move his audiences to happier, healthier lives through the application of philosophy, strategies and actions. He can be found at www.MyCoachOscar.com
Posted in Group News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Patience is a virtue

Posted on 12 September, 2012 by Melvin

Patience is defined as state of endurance under difficult circumstances, or the level of endurance one can take before negativity.

Virtue is defined as moral excellence, or a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good.

It goes hand in hand with the phrase “Good things come to those who wait.” This cat, if it waits long enough, will get what it wants.

Unfortunately for the average runner – it’s not a virtue we are willing to accept. Runners are creatures of habit. Routine is our friend. We go to bed while it’s still light out. We wake up when some people are just getting home from a night out at the bar. We run 10 miles before work, which is more than what some of our co-workers drive to work. We eat pasta by the pound while others shun the thought of a carb hitting their tongue. We instantly bond with other runners no matter what the situation just because of an interest we both share.

All for…what? The average answer for most people is a PR, aka, Personal Record. It’s the constant drive to be better than ones previous self. To rise up to the challenge of besting your personal time. To cross the line faster than you’ve ever crossed it before. Whether it’s a 5K, 10K, half, full, or ultra marathon – it’s what motivates us. It’s the light at the end of an intense training plan. We reach the race, assess, re-assess, and do it all over again, just for a shot at besting our PR, yet again.

For some of us, it’s that and much more. Running provides an outlet, both physically and mentally, to prepare ourselves for the day, to de-stress, or just to have that alone time. I once referred to running as a drug, and myself as an addict.

It’s not to say that it’s a drug or deadly for everyone, but it’s that needed fix, that runners high, that selfish moment that no matter what else is going on in life, we have to have. Screw your boss, your wife, fiancee, GF, BF, kid, old lady crossing the sidewalk – Ihave to go run.

For those that are runners or compulsive/selfish in that same manner in something else – they get it. How else can you justify all the time, money, and blood and sweat spent in a sport that has you logging miles daily all across the city? “Let’s get a beer?” “No, I gotta run.” How else do you explain such illogical behavior?

And that leads me back to patience being a virtue. As referenced by Oscar in his post “Run Happy, Run Easy”, No Pain, No Gain is a Fallacy. We often times tend to push through it to get our workout in. All miles logged. That last 800m around the track. Finishing off the 18 miler versus cutting it early. Pushing through that random pain and hoping you’ll work it out later with a foam roller and some ice.

I’m the perfect example of the failed attempt at pushing through the pain. I’m in my 7th week of recovery from an injury. I’d say it’s truly 8 weeks at this point, considering the 6 miles I ran the week after is what caused my now 7 week hiatus. Had I listened to my body and been patient…I might have been out another week or two and back on the road. Nope, no pain no gain was the motto.

I’ve only DNF’ed or skipped a race due to injury once. Now, I’ll add 2 others to that list – this weekend’s TDF 10K and the Twin Cities Marathon. In previous years, I’ve blogged about my experiences and training leading up to the race. This year, I’m blogging about sitting on the sidelines, while everyone I know posts PR’s, awesome training improvements, and raving about the very mild summer we’ve had in Dallas. (IE, faster times) I’m not looking for sympathy – what’s done is done, and is ultimately my own doing.

I’ve tried the previous two weeks to run, with marginal success. A few minutes of bliss followed by another day or two of soreness. Even now, I know I’m not at 100%. I’ve iced. I’ve rehabbed. I’ve had ART done. I’ve done NSAID. I’ve cross trained. I’ve done everything I can think of. Unfortunately, the only remedy in this case…is time.

Today for the first time in who knows how long – I took a walk. A long walk. A solitary, 3 mile, hour long walk, with 30 push-ups thrown in every 5 minutes along the way. Walking is often chastised as running’s pre-ejaculatory baby brother. Why walk when you can run? But walking is human’s primary mode of transportation.

And as a concept of recovery pushed by the RRCA – it’s one of the best modes of exercise and recovery short of running that you can engage in. I’ve been cross training on a bike for 7 weeks now, and it was a welcome change. It allowed for that same zen/focus I get when I run, just in a much slower minute per mile than I’m used to.

I’d say I’m around 80-85% healed…it doesn’t hurt to run but I feel it later on. It’s not that sore feeling of not having run for a while…it’s that same sore feeling I had when I first got injured. Note to self – stay off of it! We all look for that miracle drug, that InstaCure remedy, the cure-all. The only thing that can be counted on is time…sometimes nature has to run it’s course. I’ve been patiently waiting, and am content with waiting this thing out, for the day that I can finally run again.

Our bodies are resilient – we’ve been hardened over time to build immunity, to build resistance, to build endurance, to fall down and pick ourselves back up again. Patience is a virtue…you have to be willing to endure difficulty before you can find success. And so…I wait.

I haven’t been the easiest person to deal with during this time – swinging between sadness, anger at myself, guilt for letting down my training partners, frustration with this whole ordeal. I’ve put on visible weight. I’ve grown tired of cycle class at the gym. I’ve grown a goatee, only to be shaved off once I’m 100% healthy and running again. It’s symbolic to a certain extent. It’s a ridiculous looking reminder that sometimes, you just need to be patient.

I thought I had learned my lesson earlier this year with the same injury…on my other leg. You’d have thought ~3 months of no running would teach yourself a lesson. Acknowledged, but ignored. I’d like to say I’ve learned something this time around, but only time will tell the next time if that’s the case.

And so…I continue to wait. I’ve plotted out my make-up marathon, and make-up half marathons, and a training plan to get me back in the saddle again. All of it’s contingent upon being 100% healthy again, but when you have nothing but time, you start to wonder. I look forward to the day that I can finally shave off the goatee, put on a pair of running shoes, and just go for a run.

The moral of the story is, be patient. Listen to your body. A few days or weeks off your feet away from running is better than a few months. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me. And that’s not such a good thing :)

Melvin Chu

Posted in Mel's Blog, Running | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Run Happy, RUN EASY

Posted on 11 September, 2012 by Oscar Baeza

What do these people have in common?

Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Wayne Gretzky, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Mother Theresa.

Besides being recognizable names, they were the best at what they did.  They made basketball, influence, hockey, dance, and sacrifice look easy.  They perform with relatively little effort.

How might this be different from when YOU play basketball or dance?  Is this idea of performing with ease only reserved for the few?  You may know others who are good at what they do.  Why can they do what they do, but you struggle with it?

As a fitness coach, I ask people to think about this scenario.  When you go to the gym and the person next to you is grunting with each lift or is breathing heavy as they run on the treadmill, are those considered traits of effortlessness?  Or does it show that they are working hard?  Chances are, they probably ARE working hard, but hard work does not translate to efficient or BETTER performance.  So how do we become more effortless?  The answer, SPREZZATURA!

We define SPREZZATURA as “making one’s craft as to appear without effort.”  This is one of the words that govern me most.  It is further defined as the ability to display “an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them.”

When we want to become BETTER at what we do, like running, we introduce more practice, more effort, and greater commitment.  We take on additional tasks and responsibilities believing that the outcome will be a result of doing more of what we need to get where we are going.  For us, this means more miles, more hill training, so forth and so forth.  We accept all of this because we believe this is what runners do.

We should, however, examine what we can eliminate to get better, an addition-by-subtraction approach.  When we look at improving our efficiency, or our ability to do more work with less effort, we have to look at what actions directly take away from our ability to be more efficient.  We will call these actions the Elements of Effort.  When we talk about the body, we have found that we can improve efficiency by eliminating (in most cases):

  • Pain – No Pain, No Gain is a fallacy.  I can appreciate pushing through pain when you are in an event, and even then, it’s questionable.  I definitely have little tolerance for training in pain.
  • Disproportionate Tension – A clenched fist, an effortful facial expression, trying to run with a certain posture, all affect our ability to perform efficiently.
  • Disproportionate Breathing – so a certain breathing technique may have worked for some of you, great.  If not, I say…relax and do what feels natural.
  • Misalignment – head forward, slouched running, or hips out of alignment not only affect performance, but are probably the biggest reason for injury.  (more on this next week)

When we aim to eliminate the above elements, we find that we remove much of the burden of any undertaking.  When we remove these elements from our workouts, we progress better.  When we remove them from our lives, we can experience a similar outcome.  So we ask ourselves, “What are the things we do that are painful, and if we removed that pain, how will it serve us?”  Can we become more efficient by eliminating them?

When we apply these thoughts to our work life, our relationships, our parenting, our leadership, and even our RUNNING, we find that the world around us settles into a peaceful equilibrium that will move us all closer to our goal of happier, healthier lives.  After all, don’t we want to make an enjoyable experience MORE enjoyable?

-Coach Oscar is a fitness and wellness coach in Plano, TX.  His goal is to simply move his audiences to happier, healthier lives through the application of philosophy, strategies and actions.  He can be found at www.MyCoachOscar.com
Posted in Running | Tagged , , | 2 Comments