Oh, the life of a food journal blogger. We’re a “special” bunch! š
Do you have any idea how many photos of my oatmeal I’ve taken in the past three years? It must be tens of thousands. Seriously. I only put 2-5 photos of my breakfast on my blog each morning, but just think about how many deleted photos never make it onto CNC.
This morning, for instance, I snapped nine photos of my oatmeal. The two that IĀ picked for my blog are below.
I ate a bowl of oatmeal mixed with almonds, raisins, chia seeds, and a big scoop of peanut butter. I also drank iced coffee with eggnog with my breakfast. Same old, same old.
Here are the ādeletedāĀ photos:
I’ve actually gotten quite a bit better with the number of photos that I take of each meal. I used to take closer to 20-25 photos, but I’ve streamedlined the process over time. š
Workout
If you missed Saturday morning’s post, I’m currently dealing with a bum foot. š Last night, I iced it and then used the Tiger Tail on my calf andĀ shin,Ā and then rolled theĀ Tune Up Balls on my foot. My foot is better today, but still far from 100%.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful Team In Training coach and she sent me an amended workout schedule for this week. I changed it around a little bit, but it’s a much more foot-friendly that the regular TNT training plan:
- Monday: Day off
- Tuesday: Elliptical – hard for 4 minutes then easy for 4 minutes for 60 minutes
- Wednesday: Spin class
- Thursday: Elliptical – 60 min easy/moderate pace
- Friday: Body Pump
- Saturday: 20 miler (or broken 20 miler with elliptical at gym)
If I’m well and fine come Saturday morning, I’ll run 20 miles with my team. If my foot starts acting up, I’ll run part of the route and finish the 20 miles on the elliptical at the gym. It’s not how I want to do my 20-miler, but it’s better than the alternative, which is getting hurt and not running the marathon at all. I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’ve come WAY too far not to run this thing!
Question of the Day
Have you ever changed your workouts to deal with an injury? Was your experience positive or negative? Any advice for those of us dealing with injuries?
77 Comments
Yes! Totally positive experience! I always default to running, I like it and it is the easiest thing to get myself to do. But injuries force you out of your comfort zone – you have to run less and do more of other things. I just wish it would “stick” once I’m able to run again. My advice is to keep the variety in your workouts! It’s so much better for you.
Yikes – hope your foot gets better, love. xoxo
Hang in there girl! Hope it feels better soon.
My half marathon training was pretty much dictated by my bad knee- if it didn’t feel good, I didn’t run!! My dad is an orthopedic though, and swears by the elliptical for athletes as a form of cross-training. Hope you’re better by this weekend!
I was “diagnosed” with anemia mid-way through training for a half-marathon. Although I appreciated finally having an explanation for why I was so tired, I wished that I could just RUN like I used to.
Ultimately, I competed in the half and although it wasn’t the time or performance I hoped for, it was still a great experience and a big accomplishment!
I’ve had the bum foot thing while marathon training. This may sound silly, but take lots of fish oil caps and rest helped a lot.
Good luck š
Can you run the 20 miler the following saturday?
I cracked my heel last summer…I was used to walking my dog 5 miles/day, running 5 times a week, lifting weights, etc. I couldn’t run for 3 months. I had to turn to riding my bike and doing a lot of pilates/yoga moves that didn’t require stress on my heel. It was difficult to accept not having 100% mobility at first, but I had to make the most of it and be creative!
@Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday: It’s Christmas Day, so I’d rather not. Plus, we need to start our taper.
I feel ya on the photos! I try and go through and delete when I can but since I started food blogging, the number of high-res photos on my computer as increased drastically! Worth it though š
sending good foot vibes! š
I’ve dealt with plenty. Aside from Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciits, I’ve had a knee injury for 6 years (patella femoral pain syndrome or, as I like to call it, the most annoying injury that won’t go away). I think you need to just be OK doing less. At first I was bummed I couldn’t run, but once I got to the point of working out just as hard but on the bike and elliptical I felt better about my workouts.
It’ll get better, I promise! Give it the time it needs.
I’ve had plantar fasciitis, and the best help for me was to ICE ICE ICE it! 4 times a day for 20 minutes. Mine flared up 2 weeks before a big race, and by icing and taking days off from running, I was cured by race day! š
I haven’t run in 3 months because of a stress fracture in my foot from half marathon training. The elliptical and spin class have become my best friends.
I’ve had plantar fascitis before and it’s a bitch. You wouldn’t think something like a little foot pain could wreak so much havoc but it does!
When I had it I rolled my foot on a tennis ball constantly and rested for a few weeks. New shoes will help too!
Good luck, I hope it heals quickly!
I’ve changed up my workouts to deal with injury in the past. When I was training for my first marathon, I was getting a lot of irritation in my hip and IT band. Rather than trying to hammer through it, I switched up my cardio and did spin classes and the elliptical instead. This was about 3 weeks before my race so I was skeptical about not running, but I ran pain-free on the day of so it was a good choice I think! š
Aww Tina, I’m sending get-well vibes your way! I think it is seriously smart to take most of the week off from running. I hope you’re able to complete your 20-miler without any discomfort on Saturday.
I’ve definitely had to amend my workouts on account of running-related injuries. In fact, I had to totally scrap my last marathon due to my IT Band Syndrome š It wasn’t exactly the highest point of my life. Nevertheless, I learned that recovery should be your FIRST priority when you’re injured. You’ll always be able to go back to your sport once you’re better. Running won’t give up on you! I’ve been running without IT Band pain for nearly two years now, and am currently training for my fourth marathon.
I’ve had what I now think is a stress fracture on my right leg for 3 weeks. I’ve had to stop running, and while I hate that, it’s much better than the alternative of making it worse. The best way to recover is to rest it.
As hard as it is, you are doing the right thing!!! You want to make it to the start of the marathon 100% healthy. Hope your foot feels better soon! š
I had to totally change what I was doing last spring when I tore my Achilles tendon during half-marathon preparation. I had to essentially do nothing for a month and then stationary bike and then elliptical. It was close to six months before I could go three miles outside on pavement again.
PS – Yoga and orthotics were dual godsends for me!
@Angela: I really admire your approach! Too many runners “run through the pain” when they’re training for marathons, and end up making whatever ailment they have that much worse.
I have had to change up my workouts after surgery and it is tough, but completely worth it in the long run. I hope you feel better soon!
I can’t tell you how many pictures I took of Christmas cookies last night, only to choose 1 or 2! Seems silly, but that’s the life of a food blogger, right?! Putting your food through a photo shoot before you eat, gotta love it! š
Unfortunately, I can’t answer the question of the day (knock on wood!) But much much much good luck to you with training and the race!
-Samantha
I’ve definitely had to modify a number of workouts over the course of 4 marathons plus other races. The key is to be smart by avoiding letting the ambition and determination take over. Also to not become mentally defeated and remember that injuries happen to everyone. Hang in there, it’ll get better with rest!
Pilates, yoga, walking, and the elliptical have kept me moving through more than one recovery period.
Keep in mind that above all else it’s important to make a full recovery so take care of yourself!
i totally know what you mean about taking tons of pictures of the same food. when i bake, i take dozens of pictures of a muffin or a plate of cookies š
good luck with your modified workout this week! hopefully your foot will heal fast!
hi tina! gosh i have so many friends who have been side-lined with a foot injury of some sort either in basketball or in running, especially when they increased their mileage. and it almost ALWAYS got worse and worse, even when they tried to cut back, but still trained.
i think you are in a crucial point with your injury right now… i’m not sure exactly how much/how bad your pain is… but i find foot pain to be a potential time-bomb. i would almost suggest not running at all this week to heal it completely. you could see an orthopedic about it, for a professional opinion?… i just think it’s better to recover 100% than try to modify but still potentially prolong the problem. could you take this week off from running/ellipticalling completely and do some biking and a lot of icing and then use this scheudle/run your 20 miler next week? i only suggest that because i have seen so many foot problems persist and turn into stress fractures, even when the person “cut back” but was still doing enough to keep the problem around. i would definitely recommend seeing an orthopedic!!!! especially if you experience any pain at any time this week… and keep icing š ice is a miracle worker š good luck!!!! š
When I trained for my marathon I had to take 2 weeks off – I had really bad knee pain, my doctor didn’t know what to tell me — it was just really tender and sore and hurt like hell when I ran. After two weeks of rest (and new shoes, and a new stretching plan that included foam rolling) I was as good as new.
Just be patient with your body. It is needs rest, it will scream for it! Just listen š
I’m really sorry about your foot š
I’ve run 5 marathons myself, Boston twice and have had PLENTY of injuries. One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to STAY POSITIVE. It’s so easy to succomb to the “poor me” attitude. Just know that you WILL get better.
The elliptical can be boring, but between that and spin classes, don’t worry about losing any cardiovascular fitness. I’ve had some injuries where I was forced to the elliptical for a while, and if you push yourself on that thing, you may even notice an improvement in your running once you hit the concrete again!
Wishing you a speedy recovery!!!
ps
frozen water bottles, tennis balls, and the Strassburg sock
http://www.thesock.com
In February of last year, right at the beginning of marathon training, I broke my foot! For the next three months I used swimming and stat. biking as my main forms of exercise and did a lot of relaxation yoga to conquer the mental aspect of the injury. I learned the value of rest!
I think not worrying about how many miles you’re “supposed” to do and really listening to your body will help get you back out there this weekend!
Wow 25 pictures!
Good luck with the injury recovery this week- it’s great that your coach can send you an amended schedule!
Yeah I’ve had a weak ankle for years since I sprained it skiing, so it’s hard for me to run long distances without my ankle hurting. I have to do PT exercises for it, but there’s only so much I can do since I have flat feet and overpronate (this means no heels either!) . I have difficulty running on a treadmill for too long, so I try to run outside as much as possible. Then I mix it up with spinning, pilates, and the elliptical/stair climber/rowing machine to avoid overusing my ankle. I also bought amazing shoes for my messed up feet from Marathon Sports, that give me more support!
I have definitely had to switch my schedule around! Last year I was training for a half and something got tight and painful at the point where my thigh meets my pelvis…it’s hard to explain, I think I strained something, but I had to take it easy running for weeks! I still took ten minutes of my half time, though, and it all worked out.
I’ve been running for years so I’ve certainly dealt with injuries. The key is not only to switch up your workouts, but to switch to something that gets at the root cause of your injury. So if you’re cutting back miles because of runner’s knee, make sure the exercises you’re swapping in are lower impact AND work to strengthen the muscles around your knee and even out any imbalances between your legs/muscles groups that may have caused the pain to begin with. Getting injured is a totally normal part of running, especially when you’re body is just getting used to it, so training smart is key.
i have…i had to stop running when my knee started acting up and it was a really hard transition at first. i didn’t feel like i was getting the same workout and tried several times to push myself too hard. now i know that i have to take proper precautions so i can still walk when i’m 80, and that’s OK š
i am going through an injury right now!
I have been running about 25 miles a week. And after a few runs noticing my knee acting up, I realized my shoes were “dead” too. Just like you!
A few years ago I had a ski accident and injured my knee. I resisted surgery and did bikram yoga, which really helped. However, now i have to watch out with the running I do.
I have to lsiten to my body….I have been walking and doing more weight training, but i just dont get the same feeling as a run. My body hasnt changed, but my mood definately has.
Hi Tina!
I think you’re doing the right thing by being safe rather than sorry. I had a knee issue, and I changed my workouts because of it. I didn’t do certain moves, I stopped running (which aggravated it) until it healed. I kept active with activities that didn’t hurt. I’m healed now and back doing whatever workouts I want now!.
I love that I’m not the only one who takes tons of shots before finding the “Right one.” A couple years ago I hurt my foot and one of the toes in some way; at that point I was exercise obsessed so I just kept running on it and hoping the pain would go away…I think I took one day rest, max. More recently I rolled my ankle and I skipped the high impact cardio and did yoga and strength training instead. The better you treat your injury the better your body will treat you back š
I’ve made minor changes before and had good experiences. BUT, I have to tell you about a friend of mine! She was training for a 1/2 marathon in May and early March got injured. She worked with her PT and developed a plan where she did WATER RUNNING 3x per week until April, then slowly added 1 longer run/week. She nearly PR’d in the 1/2 marathon!!! The training conditions were far from ideal, but they got her to the start line AND the finish line. It was pretty amazing!
Good luck with the foot!!!
I had some hip issues while training for my most recent marathon, and I ended up flipping around some low mileage weeks and high mileage weeks, which saved my butt! I know some people are also advocates of breaking up mileage and running half in the morning and half in the evening.
Ha, I just had pretty much the exact same post on my blog last month! No kidding! I wrote about how I always take so many pictures of my food, only to post a select few! And what were my photos of in that post? Oatmeal! Ha! You gotta check it out! Here’s the link to the post!
http://www.fabanddeliciousfood.com/?p=15143
Tina, as sad as it is to take a week off of running, I think it’s the smartest thing you can do right now. Give that footsie some time to heal and hopefully you will be as good as new by saturday. Thinking happy healing thoughts for you!
I love the Tiger Tail!
And injuries SUCK, but you just need to be smart about it. Take time off, rest, do other stuff, and don’t dwell. You’ll be back out there before you know it.
Also, ice and ibuprophen are often the cure for everything according to my doctor.
I definitely feel your pain! I’ve trained for 6 marathons, but only ran 3 because of injuries. š The good news is that you have gotten in your 18-miler and you’re taking all of the proper precautions! Have you heard of the Graston Technique? It’s supposed to work wonders for PF. One of my friends has had PF on/off for a year and she swears by it. And I definitely agree with other commenters that you’ll be fine if you keep up with the elliptical/spinning/other cardio – your foot will thank you for the rest! š
It really sounds like you are doing everything you can. Keep it up and good luck š
If I had a dime for every picture I have taken of a single breakfast, I would be very rich! I take soooo many pictures of the same thing!
I had to change the entire second half of my half- marathon training schedule to deal with my IT bands injury. I hurt them about a month ago, and I had to take 2 weeks VERY easy and I am now just getting on track. My furthest run is 10 miles (I was supposed to do 12 this past weekend), but I am working my way back up. I am hoping to do another 10 miler before the race, but I am still nervous about that last 5K when I am actually in the race.
My ongoing experience with this injury is neither positive nor negative…just very humbling. I’m learning to listen to my body more and I’m learning my limits. However, I am very frustrated!!!! Haha
I’m sure you will be fine by Saturday! Rest up girl! You’ve gotten this far! š
I feel like heart rate monitor is the best tool when changing workouts. That way you get the same intensity doing another form of exercise. When you’re on the eliptical, try to get your HR as high as it is when you run.
I’m in the late stages of training for my first half – Disney, January 8. Two weeks ago, I pulled a groin muscle. Very painful – still recovering. A lot of the pain was mental – I took 4 whole days off in a row, and I was really scared that I wouldn’t be able to run in January.
I’m still in some pain, but am semi-back on my schedule. I am 88% sure I can be ready for January, but I am acting like I am 100% certain. Of course, I am still being careful. My goal is to finish my runs – even if they are very slow.
Advice from me, who dealt with plantar fasciitis on and off for a couple of years:
-it’s really common for it to come on in the winter when you are running outside and your muscles are cold/tight – honestly, i gave up running outside in the winter because of it
-get some massage or physio/chiro (ART) immediately for your calves and feet to break up the scar tissue and loosen up your muscles
-keep your calves and feet warm – I wear leg warmers and wool socks if I run outside in the winter
-topical anti-inflammatory medication can help with the inflammation part of it – my doctor prescribed Pennsaid (that way you won’t have to take oral anti-inflammatories that could bother your stomach)
-calcium and magnesium supplements to ease muscle tightness/tension
-keep well-hydrated, again to prevent tension in your muscles
Good luck!