The Money Hip

In my desperation for a quick recovery, I've asked everyone I can think of for advice and remedies. The results have lead to a bit of a dent in my most recent pay check. C'est la vie. (French just looks better in italics, don't you think?)

First, Facebook came through for me when I updated my status and asked if anyone knew good foods to eat for muscle repair. Most responses were jokes like, "beer" and "meth," but then two people told me about Arnica Cream/Gel (turns out professional athletes use it) and Arnica Montana c30 (which are tiny little pills that you let dissolve on your tongue three times a day--kinda fun and tasty). It's sold at health food stores, so I went to Henry's and found a $12.99 combo pack of Arnica gel and Montana c30 pills. I've got that going full force...when I'm not icing or heating, I'm gelling.


This is the arnica flower. Cute, but poisonous. Don't eat it.

I did some further internet research and found a place in Pacific Beach that received good reviews from local runners for their expertise and helpfulness when it comes to finding the perfect shoe for your body. It's called "Movin' Shoes." Despite the name, that for some reason bothers me, I decided to go and see what they had to say about my current shoe situation. I'm not very good at asking people in stores for help. I never have been. When I walk into a store I usually know what I'm there for and like to get in and get out without making eye contact with anyone. So, I wasn't really looking forward to going there knowing I'd have to talk to people.

When I walked in, I saw four men sitting in a circle talking in front of a wall of shoes. Three were older, 40ish, 50ish and 60ish, and one about twenty-something. No one else was in the store. When they saw me standing at the outer edge of the circle, they stop talking and look at me...I never know what to say first...do I explain my whole situation or just cut to the chase? I settled on,

"Do you all work here?"
"Yes," they said at the same time.

I don't remember what I said after that, but I definitely said "marathon" and "hip" and "shoes" which made them all jump up and start grabbing stuff (from the store, not me!). One guy studied my current running shoes as if they were some archaic treasure. Another guy told me to take off my Tom's and stand barefoot so he could assess my ankles. Another went to the back, brought out 3 pairs of shoes and said, "You look like an 11, right?" And the twenty-something guy asked if I like my Tom's (he was sort of a slacker...typical20yearold.)

Wow!
They were amazing.
And yes, I do wear a size 11. (They are also long and narrow like water skis... in case you were wondering.)

After about half an hour of jogging around the parking lot in different shoes, I walked out with a size 12, narrow, men's shoe!
Seriously? Size 12? Cooome oooon.*sigh*

But, I can already tell they fit a hundred times better than the shoes I have been wearing. And, that they're also a thousand times uglier than the shoes I've been wearing. It's sort of like the "equal and opposite reaction" theory. The uglier the shoe, the better it's made. The worse the food tastes, the healthier it is for you...the list goes on.

Turns out I'm a pronator...not sure what kind. (My ankles collapse in a little when I run, sooo... that kind of pronator.) Apparently, what I need in a shoe is cushion in the toes and support on the sides and heal. I've been wearing the Nike Zoom Vomero and they said it has great cushioning but zero support. My hip issue could be that my ankles aren't getting what they need. It makes sense.

I ended up with a different Nike shoe (the Span 6) and we'll see how it goes when I get back out on the road next week.

The third thing I am doing for my hip is electrocuting it!

I remembered today that, years ago, my husband invested in a Dual Channel Stimulator Kit for his own battle with tendinitis. Basically, I put two self-adhering neurostimulation electrodes on my hip and let 'er rip. Electrical pulses send (hopefully healing) shock waves deep into the muscle via a 9V battery.

I think I'm doing just about everything I can. I even bought a small canister of powdered Goji juice at Henry's because someone I know once told me it's practically a magic potion: cures everthing. (For $20 I guess it's worth a shot.)

Even though this forced rest is making me anxious, I feel good about taking action against it. My wallet, on the other hand, is rather unhappy. But I guess it, too, will recover soon enough.

Gotta keep on truckin'.

Freaking out

I was stupid to believe that I could never fall victim to one of the injuries that plague so many runners. But it's happened.

I'm officially an injured runner...

Remember when I posted my "fears" over some issues that came up on my 20 miler? Well, thanks to Google and some of you loyal blog-readers who offered your advice-I think I have the nausea one figured out. However, the pain in my upper-thigh that I complained about came back like a saucy wench (saw that on a bumper sticker last night and have been dying to use it) yesterday after an easy 4 miler!

Why now!? Why after only 4 miles? I did 13 on Sunday without a twinge. And whhhhhhhhhhhy with only 30-something days until the Napa Valley Marathon? Coooome oooon.

I went to the doctor today (I'm never this on-the-ball about going to the doctor) because... me not going to Napa will affect more than just my ego. Other people will be there. Other people who have booked hotels and plane tickets. As the title above states, I'm freaking out.

The doctor told me that I have tendinitis (fancy word for overuse) in my hip-flexor. Common pain-in-the-ass-(hip) issue for many runners. The prescribed cure? That dreaded, perverse, loathed word... rest. She said two weeks, I asked for one, she said maybe.

If you told me five years ago that one day I would beg a doctor to go for a long run--I would have laughed at you and probably walked away from you and your friendship. I hated running for nearly my entire life. It's the reason I quit basketball my junior year of high school--too much running all the time. But the anxiety I have to get back on the road is surprising. I miss it already and I was just out there yesterday.

But I'm going to do what the doctor said. I will rest this hip for a week. I will give it all the frozen peas, hot water bottles and ibuprofen it (responsibly) wants and needs. And then next Wednesday I will run with my friend "Twin" at our usual place...and hope hope hope for the best.

Dear Universe,

If you're listening, from this day forward I vow to be more responsible with my body. Is this because I call my thighs "Thunder?" I won't do that anymore. In fact I vow to:


1. Stick to the Galloway Method--no matter what! (I strayed and skipped my walk breaks...shouldn't have)
2. Properly warm up and cool down
3. ice ice ice after every run--even the little baby ones.
4. Think, "I am healthy, I am strong, my body feels great" over and over until it's true.
5. And only say kind things about the thighs you gave me.

I'm afraid this "rest" might be more difficult than my longest run.

More Things I Googled Recently...

Q: (So...just to clarify, once and for all...) Why do I get nauseous during my long runs?

A: (revised into my own words.) It looks as though it essentially comes down to a couple things. First is absorption. Water will sit in the stomach and cause nausea if it isn't helped along the absorption path. Salt is the help. (This I knew already.) The proper amount of salt intake on a long run is 1,000 mg/hour! Eating a couple pretzels or salty peanuts isn't going to cut it. I also learned that the night before a long run eating a salty dinner and then a salty breakfast in the morning will help absorption. I have to say, I'm really looking forward to fulfilling this requirement! I'll have to tell my father-in-law about this rule...he puts salt on his ice cream.

The other thing that can cause nausea is the flavor of the gel or sports drink consumed during a long run. Apparently tangerine and chocolate flavored gel's cause nausea for a number of people--especially late in long runs. This was a HUGE relief to hear...guess what flavor gu I had on my 20 miler when I started to feel sick? Tangerine. (It was actually the gel made by Powerbar that time.) If you're a Gu/gel user like me...the most mild flavors are Vanilla Bean and Just Plain (which has a simple, sweet taste). I feel like I learned a lot on this particular google search.

Q: San Diego massage therapy, runner's discount?

A: I found some places that offer first time discounts for sports massages...but I know that there are massage schools around here where you can get a massage for $20. Any one in SD know of them? If so, tell me please! I need to hit up a cheap massage soon.

I selected these two below as possible "test-runners" because they seem professional and reasonable...but you never really know until you try.

The Knot Stop (University Ave) $55 for first timers
San Diego Sports Massage (Point Loma Avenue) $75 an hour

Three Things I Googled Recently

Q: Why do I shiver sometimes after a long run?

A: (revised, in my own words) After an intense workout, the core body temperature can drop suddenly, especially if one stays in sweaty/wet workout clothes. The best way to stop the shivering and prevent possible hypothermia, is to immediately remove wet clothes and take a warm shower (even on warm days the shivering may happen if you enter a cool place.) If no shower is immediately available, say for example you are at a race and won't be getting home for a while, get a space blanket from a medic station. I always wondered why these were handed out after races--even when the race takes place on a hot day--but I definitely used one (actually two) after the first marathon I ran in May 2006. It was a hot day, but when I finished the race, my body temp dropped and my husband found the space blankets while I shivered on the grass next to a trash can. It was pretty amazing....

Q: How do I get the mildew stink out of my "high-tech"/CoolMax running clothes?

A: Penguin Sport Wash Laundry Detergent. "Its residue-free, non-allergenic formula is designed to keep high-tech fabric at peak performance and odor-free by washing away residues left by regular detergents, removing dirt, neutralizing bacteria, and restoring breathability, moisture-wicking, and factory applied waterproofing (DWR). And it's biodegradable, so your conscience is as clean as your gear."












Q: Are electrolytes salt?

A: Yes. More specifically: sodium (table salt), potassium, magnesium, and calcium are all electrolytes. Huh. So all those fancy sports drinks we buy... all those "gu's" and "blocks" and "beans" can be replaced--at no cost-- by a packet of salt from In-and-Out and a wrist to sprinkle it on and lick off (tequila-shot style!) Well...medically, that's probably not the best idea, because during a long run you need both the calories and the electros. So, maybe hang on to the Gu. But, I do plan to grab a salt packet the next time I'm at In-and-Out and give the salt lick a try.

Weird Week

What a crazy week. Today is Saturday, but it doesn't feel like it. I didn't do a long run....I just wasn't ready for it to be Saturday yet.

We had a number of storms hit San Diego this week. It was great for many reasons-- the first being that the storms caused the power to go out at my school two days in a row. I know, I know...I'm not supposed to be happy about that. I'm the teacher. Only the kids are supposed to be happy. But, sorry kids...teachers are just as pleased as you are about skipping school--if not more so.

The days off allowed me to work on my submission for the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness Short Story Competition. Wheew. Still a keyboard full. Not very happy with the Drama/Computer Hacker story I came up with...but at least I did it and it's properly edited, unlike last year when I sent in a story with the word "comma" instead of "coma." Kind of a big difference that little "m" makes.

Because of the storms, I wasn't able to run outside as much as I would have liked. On Wednesday morning, when I heard school was canceled, I got in a great 5 mile hill run before the second big storm came. It was pretty awesome running in the sunshine, but also seeing the storm approaching over the ocean--ominous and beautiful.

School was canceled Thursday as well, but the weather was too bad to run. I'd like to clarify one thing. I have no problem running in the rain--and I have done it many times. I actually like running in the rain. A lot. However, the reason this particular storm prevented me from doing so is because the winds were so strong. Trees fell on peoples cars and homes...in fact a friend of ours had a cypress fall on his car and totaled it! And do you have any idea how big palm fronds are? And how easily they are ripped from the tops of the trees? I imagined running along, running along, running along, BAM! Newspaper headlines read: "Runner suffers brutal bitch slap by palm frond in hurricane force winds. May have brain damage." (Also the longest headline ever.)

With all my extra free-time indoors, I discovered a fun site called The Daily Mile where I can meet other San Diego runners and track my mileage and races...all for free. It's fantastic. If you're training for something (or not) check it out.

So. Since it's been a weird week and I have my days all mixed up... I'm going to move my long, slow, distance run to tomorrow. We'll see if I can make it happen. The weather cleared this afternoon. San Diego has returned to normal. Maybe my schedule will too!