Making a runner: Asheley's training journal (Comments Welcome!)

[asheleycs]

So, I decided to start a training journal here, because this journey has become pretty bumpy. But I want to think of them as learning bumps!

My Story: I'm a pediatric obesity researcher. It's hard to have obesity and also be an obesity expert. I've run off and on (so, probably 90% off) for 7-8 years. This year, I decided I wanted to run a half marathon, and I love Disney, so 2017 GSC it was.

Training: I started in June of this year, at 250 pounds and dying after 30 seconds. I finished my first-ever 10k in September. Things were going really well...

Injury: Starting mid-October my hip hurt. Just a little nagging pain. Not enough to stop me. Got progressively a worse until I was in pretty significant pain. I had to travel the first week of November, so took a week off from running. Ran again a week when I got back, but definitely through pain I shouldn't have.

I stopped all running and any unnecessary walking on November 17, as the orthopedist was concerned about a femoral neck stress fracture. This was confirmed on MRI 11/23. A femoral neck stress fracture is a really scary thing, as you can complete the fracture, which is a devastating injury.

The good news: There was no fracture line, and some would call it a "stress reaction". Which means the bone hadn't actually broken yet. My the time it was diagnosed, I had no pain. Although time off for a completed fracture would easily be 8-12 weeks, pain is also an important component of deciding how to proceed. After two weeks of physical therapy, my PT has me started this week on my "return to sport" plan.

The hard part is the plan is based on pain, but pain is such a psychological thing. What is a pain level 1 vs 3? I don't have pain, but I can "feel" the bone. Is that pain? When do I stop?

At this point, I'm down 30 pounds and have three main goals:

1) Finish the GSC. I'll be happy if I can walk it.
2) Dopey. 2018? 2019? Not sure.
3) Keep running.

That's it. Just keep running.

 

[asheleycs]

The current challenge is the return to sport plan. I ran yesterday. I get 5 minutes of running and all the walking I can do without pain, which I broke up into 1 min run/4 min walk x5. It didn't hurt, but my hip flexor is a little tight, so I'm paranoid. I don't have to take a rest day, so I'm trying to decide if I should "run" today. No pain, but I can "feel" it. This injury is really crazy-making!

 

[roxymama]

Just stopping by to wish you luck. That injury sounds scary, but seems like you are motivated to keep on your running journey as you heal. I can't help you with listening to your body (I'm so bad at feeling phantom pains) but I can say that listening to your body is super important. You'll be finishing your first half a little before me in 2017. We can do it!

 

[FFigawi]

The current challenge is the return to sport plan. I ran yesterday. I get 5 minutes of running and all the walking I can do without pain, which I broke up into 1 min run/4 min walk x5. It didn't hurt, but my hip flexor is a little tight, so I'm paranoid. I don't have to take a rest day, so I'm trying to decide if I should "run" today. No pain, but I can "feel" it. This injury is really crazy-making!

My $0.02 worth is to rest. Give yourself time to fully heal before resuming any serious running. If you're worried about losing fitness, try swimming or cycling instead. Being hurt now is depressing, but it's better than being hurt again if you push too much too soon.

 

[asheleycs]

Thanks! It's going slow, but I've been carefully taking a day off in between every run. I'm up to 10 minutes now! LOL. It is hard to slow down when your instinct is the opposite!

The best thing about all of this is the advice I've gotten from PT about running form and specific strengthening needs. I've also had to think about how to maximize the run/walk (a strategy I avoided before). Ultimately, I think I'll be faster and better protected from future injury, even if it's not particularly fun right now.

 

[asheleycs]

I got released from physical therapy. She says I'm well on my way back. Now I'm just fighting the paranoia of a new injury!

 

[McNs]

Have you been to a shoe specialist? The only injuries I have had running were through shoes not suited to me.

Good luck with your program!

 

[asheleycs]

So, today I completed my longest run ever--8 miles, with about 14:45 pace. With the hip injury I'm so far behind in my training. GSC is only a month away! By my calculations, if I can repeat this feat, I can walk the last 5 miles at about an 18 minute pace and not get swept. Right?

 

[Ariel484]

Good job!

I think it'll be tough mentally and physically, but never underestimate the power of race day adrenaline!

 

[asheleycs]

9 miles today, at 14:54/miles pace. Felt good.

An injury really messes with your head. Every twinge makes me worry.

 

[croach]

9 miles today, at 14:54/miles pace. Felt good.

An injury really messes with your head. Every twinge makes me worry.

If I'm reading correctly you have another new longest run ever right? And at pretty much the same pace, so that's awesome. Injuries definitely messes with you head but sounds like you're doing great.

 

[asheleycs]

If I'm reading correctly you have another new longest run ever right? And at pretty much the same pace, so that's awesome. Injuries definitely messes with you head but sounds like you're doing great.

Yes! Thanks, @croach, I really appreciate the encouragement. I'm actually feeling like the GSC is feasible!

 

[croach]

Yep you got it. No stress.

 

[huggybuff]

So, today I completed my longest run ever--8 miles, with about 14:45 pace. With the hip injury I'm so far behind in my training. GSC is only a month away! By my calculations, if I can repeat this feat, I can walk the last 5 miles at about an 18 minute pace and not get swept. Right?

This is basically what I did at the Rebel Challenge a couple weeks back. I didn't have the excuse of injury, just crappy training and some tummy trouble. And that's not even taking into account your recent 9 mile run. You've totally got it on lockdown.

Following...

 

[ZellyB]

Joining in. I totally understand what you mean about after an injury you imagine all sorts of things and question every little ache or pain. It sounds like you are back on track though and doing well!

 

[asheleycs]

TEN MILES!!! I RAN TEN MILES!!!

My pace was beyond my wildest dreams even a month ago (14:24/mile). But the last few miles were HARD. It started great. I've been 3/2 run/walk for everything, built up to that as part of the return to sport after the hip fracture. And since Galloway is right, I do get a better pace when I walk some, I'm sticking with it for now. The first 7 miles were great, including an incidental PR 10k. By mile 8 I had to switch to 2/3, then 1/4 at mile 9. By mile 10, I was really struggling, and walked most of it. Legs heavy and brain foggy.

I know some of this is simply improving fitness. But I also suspect I need to fuel better. I'm heavy (225 pounds), which Strava calculates to 2000 calories for the run. Maybe one pack of GU blocks (160 calories) is just not enough energy to keep me going? I'm sure @DopeyBadger has an exact way to calculate exactly what I need! Would love any advice (on fueling or other things I can do to help this.)

Thanks for the support, everyone!

 

[ZellyB]

Congrats on completing 10 miles!!!!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I know some of this is simply improving fitness. But I also suspect I need to fuel better. I'm heavy (225 pounds), which Strava calculates to 2000 calories for the run. Maybe one pack of GU blocks (160 calories) is just not enough energy to keep me going? I'm sure @DopeyBadger has an exact way to calculate exactly what I need! Would love any advice (on fueling or other things I can do to help this.)

Wahoo way to go!!!!

I would say in between runs you want to be calorie even (or if you run a deficit no more than 50-100 calories per day). So if you truly burn 2000 calories during the run and your BMR is 1200 (a pure guess). Then you want to make sure you consume 3100 calories or more on that day. If you run too much of a deficit (100 calories or more below workout+BMR), then you start to compromise the training and actually don't lose weight as well. Losing weight slowly (50-100 deficit per day) will balance maximum training gains and losing weight for the long term.

Here to help for during run needs as well. I indeed have a calculator for that. All I would need is your VO2max (and if you don't know it we can loosely estimate it using your resting HR and this calculator LINK). The calculator that I've built from two sources (Hansons and Rapaport) uses the "average" person because without a muscle biopsy we can't quite be sure what your %leg muscle of total body weight is. Regardless, the calculator does a decent job projecting. So send me that info and I can give you a personalized projection for carbohydrate needs.

There are three key reasons to take in nutrition during running:

1) Medical condition that requires glucose to be stabilized by taking in carbohydrates while running.
2) The need for electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium). Some but not all nutrition options include electrolytes to replenish what's lost in sweat. If an imbalance occurs with these then the body sends signals.
3) Staving off glycogen depletion. When your muscles literally run out of energy (or the ability to make more). Literally stops you in your tracks.

#1 is probably best diagnosed by a doctor. This could be the issue, but isn't terribly common and not my first choice when these events happen.

#2 is important and would most likely related to cramps and possibly dizziness.

#3 typically only plays a role when dealing with the marathon. Many runners take in nutrition because they believes it's necessary to have enough energy to finish a race. However, it takes a much higher level of effort or longer duration than most run the half marathon at then will be necessary to consider this. So when someone runs out of energy during a half marathon it's likely not due to glycogen depletion but moreso a level of fatigue that is no longer tolerable. The thing I can figure out without any data is this. The average person would have to run 81% VO2max to run out of glycogen in their leg muscles when running 13.1 miles (if entering the run with full energy storage). A value of 81% is around where most people run 3k-5k pace. So, no where close to HM pace.

So if the run isn't related to #3, what is it related to? The most common reason is running too hard and hitting the lactate threshold wall. You accumulated a level of fatigue your body isn't use to yet at mile 8/9, and it forced you to slow down because it became increasing difficult to run. My advice to avoid this in future training runs is to train slightly slower (instead of 14:24 min/mile try 14:50 or 15:10 min/mile). Don't view slowing down as a failure or a sign you aren't doing well (quite the opposite of train slow to race fast). You should feel like you could do "one more" when you finish a run. When you see a fade, it means you pushed too hard in training. It's ok to do this on rare occasion in training (seeing a fade) but if you see it commonly it's a warning sign from the body that the training is too tough (could be duration? could be pace? could be cumulative mileage? Lots of possibilities). If you continue to see fades on future runs, then your body likely won't recover in time for race day and you'll verge on something called "overtraining". No matter how little or much or how slow or fast we are all at risk for overtraining. Specifically it's related to running at appropriate paces/duration during training.

 

[asheleycs]

Thank you so much, @DopeyBadger!

Man, I feel like I've been duped by GU. LOL. I mean, I'm an obesity researcher, so I have at least more than a basic working knowledge of metabolism and energetics. Anyway...

Pretty confident it's not a medical condition. Based on your description, also probably not #3. So, we'll go with fatigue and/or dehydration.

So, the plan for the next couple of weeks will be slowing down and ensuring I'm not overtraining. I'm not too worried about the short runs because those feel great. I'll probably do one more long run before the half, 11 miles. I'll plan to go slowly on that one. (I'll admit, I had a call yesterday that I was going to be late for if I didn't meet my 15:00 pace. Terrible planning, but couldn't be helped. Probably made me push too much.) I'm also terrible about hydrating during runs (because I hate to carry anything). I have a small bottle for my flipbelt, but probably not enough. I may have to accept the fate of a hydration pack--I really need my hands free.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Thank you so much, @DopeyBadger!

Man, I feel like I've been duped by GU. LOL. I mean, I'm an obesity researcher, so I have at least more than a basic working knowledge of metabolism and energetics. Anyway...

Pretty confident it's not a medical condition. Based on your description, also probably not #3. So, we'll go with fatigue and/or dehydration.

So, the plan for the next couple of weeks will be slowing down and ensuring I'm not overtraining. I'm not too worried about the short runs because those feel great. I'll probably do one more long run before the half, 11 miles. I'll plan to go slowly on that one. (I'll admit, I had a call yesterday that I was going to be late for if I didn't meet my 15:00 pace. Terrible planning, but couldn't be helped. Probably made me push too much.) I'm also terrible about hydrating during runs (because I hate to carry anything). I have a small bottle for my flipbelt, but probably not enough. I may have to accept the fate of a hydration pack--I really need my hands free.

No problem. If you think hydration could be an issue think of these three things:

1) It takes roughly 1 oz of water to absorb 2 g carbs. So if you consume 24g of carbs through a GU, then make sure you have also recently consumed 12 oz of water. Commonly when people refer to "gut issues" related to carb nutrition products, it's because they either 1) didn't consume enough water 2) consumed powerade/gatorade which is already at a 2:1 ratio and can not be used to absorb a GU as well. Keep in mind that an overly hot day with an excessive sweat rate means you will need to consume a little more than the 2:1 ratio to appropriately absorb the carbs.

2) Weigh yourself pre and post run without clothes on. In general, if hydrated appropriately your weight should be relatively close pre and post run. If it isn't, say down 5 pounds, then the weight loss is through sweat and you very likely have not hydrated appropriately during the run (or before the run dependent on duration of said run).

3) Use the restroom within 30ish minutes of finishing a training run. If you find after you finish a training run that it takes hours before you use the restroom, then this is another sign you may have not properly hydrated during the run.

Keep these things in mind to properly attack your hydration needs during training and racing.

Have you considered a "hands-free" hand-held (LOL funny to write that). I use this one (LINK). It doesn't force me to actually hold it since it fits like a glove around your hand. My hand can stay completely relaxed as well. I use if for races too and just fill it up as I pass aid stations. So it stays relatively light because it only holds enough water to do 3 miles for me (10 oz).