Game Changer

The alternative title for this post is: If you don’t like one doctor, shop around!

I’ve been pretty vocal lately about my frustration re: my scoliosis and the fact that I believe it causes most of my running injuries. The right side of my lower back is weaker as a result of it, and because of the curve, there is also pulling of the muscles to one side, which causes a chain reaction all the way down my right side. Every single running injury I’ve had has been on my right leg – not a coincidence.

After my marathon in March and the incredibly horrible physical state I found myself in afterwards, I decided I finally wanted to see if there was anything that could be done about my scoliosis. At the very least, I should be able to strengthen the right side of my back so that the muscles don’t pull so much to the left, right?

So my first stop was an orthopedic spine specialist. I won’t get into details, but let’s say I was extremely disappointed. He’s rated one of the top docs in Phoenix, yet I felt like I was rushed in and out, told I needed unnecessary and very costly tests, and told that my only option was surgery, which I was not even a candidate for. I left unsatisfied and refused to get tests I don’t need. Needless to say I won’t be going back.

I was later telling my stretch therapist about my experience and she said that she had a friend who had a great experience with a chiropractor who does various things to actually correct the spine – called spinal remodeling – and not just adjust it. So I paid a visit to this chiropractor, who conveniently happens to be a mile from my house, and I am suddenly finding myself hopeful and optimistic about my scoliosis and future running career.

The way he explained it makes perfect sense. We basically need to determine how the muscles/ligaments/tendons (do you even have all of these in your back?) in my back are wrapped around my spine and then pull them in the opposite directions to “unravel” the twisting and pulling. We start with a baseline x-ray and then determine if it’s working through subsequent x-rays. The traction machines/equipment looks a little scary and weird, but if it works I will try anything. It’s not a quick fix – we’re looking at a correction of 2-4 degrees per year (my scoliosis is currently at 28.3 degrees), but I’m willing to be patient. It sure beats waiting and watching as it gets worse and then having surgery when I’m 60 because it finally reached 43 degrees.

So the moral of my story is: if you don’t like a doctor or what he/she tells you, get a second opinion. Seek alternate medicine, if needed, and believe that there are options when it comes to your health and body.

The Difference Between Running Safely Through Injury And Taking Time Off

First of all, I want to thank everyone that has joined Team Ashley so far for September Miles Madness! Anyone can join at any time during the month, so keep spreading the word and recruiting your friends! We’ve got more awesome prizes lined up, including something from my most favorite running company ever, and more things keep coming in. So trust me when I say that you and every runner you know want to join Team Ashley!

Okay, on to today’s topic: just how important is running form? There is a lot of discussion these days around form and what is proper. If you can master proper running form, you are far less likely to get injured. That is, unless you are me and sit improperly at work.

If you’ll recall, my knee started bothering me sometime around May and it felt like a typical case of runner’s knee. It was nothing serious, but certainly annoying. That pain has come and gone several times over the past few months, but never really got worse. That is, until recently. I’ve also had this incredibly tight hip (opposite side as the knee). So Friday I finally paid a visit to my amazing chiropractor, who always tells me where I am imbalanced and how to stretch and strengthen my weak spots in order to fix what ails me. What I learned is that all the places I am tight indicate poor sitting posture, which when done for hours on end can lead to significant problems.

I went back to work at a “desk job” at the beginning of August, so the timeline matches up. That’s about the same time that my hip got noticeably worse and my knee started acting up again. I am 100% guilty of slouching in my chair, crossing my legs, sitting on one foot tucked under my butt – all of the no-no’s when it comes to sitting posture. So I got some tips from my chiro and I am determined to knock all that bad stuff off! I may even take an exercise ball into the office to use as a chair.

So, how does running posture relate to this story? Over the past few days, my knee has started to really hurt, to the point where I know I shouldn’t be running. I took a few days off and this morning I thought I would go for a short run to assess everything. And I realized that running form means the difference between running safely through in injury and being forced to take time off. By engaging my core and moving my legs with my abs instead of my quads and knees, my knee didn’t hurt. As soon as I get lazy or tired and disengage my abs, my knee engages and starts hurting.

It sounds almost impossible, right? Moving your legs with your abs… I learned this when I took the Chi Running workshop and it was probably the most valuable piece of information I took away. Try it next time you run. Engage your lower abs and move your legs with your core instead of with your leg muscles. It not only helps prevent injuries, but it also prevents muscle fatigue in your legs (or at least keeps it away longer). If your quads are always sore after a run, you are using them too much. Instead, you should be using your abs. This also gives you a stronger core – which helps your form. It’s all circular.

So, what this means to me is that I don’t have to take time completely off from running until my knee feels better. It just means that I have to take it easy and make sure I use proper form. And in the meantime, I have a lot of foam rolling and stretching to do to fix what I’ve done to myself and have to consciously pay attention to my sitting at work. I’m suddenly a little more optimistic and hoping my training isn’t derailed for too long.

A Crappy Week With A Good Ending

I was just thinking to myself last week how I have been so lucky throughout this whole training cycle to not get injured (or at least get an injury that seriously affects my training). All I had to do, I said, was get through one more week, which included a 22-mile run, and then it was all downhill from there. And then…..then I woke up on Monday morning feeling like I had been hit by a bus. Every muscle and joint in my body ached. I felt like I was 80 years old, my knee was aching pretty seriously, and my run that morning took every ounce of energy I had. There was no way I was going to get through a 22-mile run feeling this way – or at least, no way I would come out on the other end unscathed. Running like this would cause an injury – I could feel it.

So, I decided that I would do everything in my power to feel better. Monday I had an hour of stretch therapy, Tuesday I had acupuncture done for my knee, and then a 90-minute massage, followed on Wednesday by a visit to my chiropractor. My biggest concern at this point was my knee, followed by my calves. My stretch therapy appointment went as usual – I have this done every week and really do feel like it has saved my body and allowed me to stay injury-free. The acupuncture was okay, but I don’t know that it did much for my knee. The massage: WOW did I need that! I didn’t realize exactly how tight my entire body was. My massage therapist, in my humble opinion, is the best in the entire Phoenix metro area – and I have been to a lot of different massage therapists! I only had a 60-minute massage scheduled, but she did a full 90 minutes because I needed it so badly. She said my calves were destroyed, along with my hamstrings, neck, and quads. I left feeling like an entirely new person! (If anyone in the Phoenix area wants her info, message me. She is AMAZING!). So then I went for a short, easy, and super slow run on Wednesday morning and I felt great except for my knee. It felt like a classic case of runner’s knee. I used a patella strap and that seemed to help, but it’s not a long-term solution. I needed something that will get me through 26.2 miles.

So, I decided to pay a visit to my chiropractor, who is also amazing and has helped me with every other running injury I’ve had over the past few years. I told him about my knee and after having me do a few exercises, he knew right away what the cause was and how to fix it. It turns out that my left lower back is really tight (because of my scoliosis), as well as my hip flexor and quadricep muscle, which causes the knee cap to be restricted rather than move around like it is supposed to. So, I left with the instructions to foam roll the hell out of my hip flexors, back, and quads, so I did on Wednesday night and Thursday – and when I did, the knee pain was gone! And I was finally feeling confident that I could overcome this, run the 22 miles on Friday, then taper and take it easy for three weeks.

So this morning I ran my 22 miles and I felt great! My knee bothered me a little, but it was nothing debilitating. I kept a steady pace the entire way and at the end I felt like I could have kept going. It was the final bit of confidence that I needed before the marathon. Now I just have to keep on top of my knee, use my foam roller religiously, and treat my body extra nice for the next 23 days. Let the countdown begin!

Nagging Foot Pain

It seems that every time I train for a marathon and my mileage gets up to 35-40 miles per week, there is a spot on the inside of my left foot that starts to nag me. And it turns out that this round of training is no different. I’ve tried to ignore the pain, but I know that ignoring it won’t really make it go away (as much as I would actually like that to happen).

Back when I lived in Seattle, I had a great chiropractor/sports medicine doc who was good at what he did. So I figured I would take advantage while we are in town and go get my foot looked at.

It turns out that the problem, like most running injuries, results from an imbalance and several weak spots through my hips, glutes, and psoas muscles.  This causes a chain reaction all the way down to my foot, causing some inflammation. The good news is that it is nothing major and that I don’t need to stop running. All I need to do is stretch more, foam-roll more, and strengthen those weak muscles. He also taped my foot and ankle, which for a few hours afterwards felt so tight I thought my foot was going to go numb. But I really do think it has helped as my foot has felt great for the past couple of days during my runs.

All of this is to say – again – how important it is to pay attention to your hips, glutes, and the rest of your core. All of the traveling I have been doing lately has made it too easy to slip out of my routine and forget to incorporate strength training exercises into my training. Even though I have been swimming and doing yoga, it hasn’t been enough – there are still imbalances and weaknesses. A pain in the foot, after all, is not likely the result of something happening in your foot. It could come from your hips, back, glutes, etc. So while icing and ibuprofen may good in the short-term, a good overall strengthening program for your entire body is best for the long-term.

The hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the…

Something that most of us runners forget is exactly how interconnected all the parts of our body are. An injury in one area of the body, for example, could be the result of a totally different part of the body. Take the current injury I am healing from, for example. I have a grade 2 strain in my gastrocnemius muscle (one of the calf muscles) that has been giving me trouble for quite some time. Just because I am a coach does not mean that I am infallible to injuries – although I certainly wish that were true!

A quick tangent…I have the most amazing chiropractor that is far more knowledgeable, patient, and patient-centered than any other chiropractor I have visited. Dr. David is his name and he is just as concerned about finding the cause of the problem and fixing that as he is the injury itself. Every time I suffer a pain or discomfort from running, he is always the first person I see because I know that he will spend more time with me than any other doctor and will help me fix the root of the problem.

Several months ago I strained my calf out on a long run. I felt it happen, like someone stabbed me with a knife in the back of the leg. I limped home, took a few days off, tried running again, then realized the problem was more severe than I was hoping. So I took about 8 weeks off and tried again. After that I was able to run, although somehow and somewhere the pain always came back. A few days off though with a lot of ice, massage, and TLC to the area, and I was out there again. After several months of this, I finally succumbed to the pain and went to a sports medicine doctor to get an MRI, something I was putting off because of the cost. The MRI revealed the strain in my gastroc muscle as well as some swelling of the tibia right behind the strained muscle.

I took the MRI report to Dr. David because I knew that he would be able to help. After a full evaluation of my muscles, tightness, and alignment, he found out the the cause of my strain wasn’t anything wrong with my gastroc muscle. It was the result of a tight foot muscle and soleus, which caused a chain reaction and found itself in my gastroc. So all of the stretching, massaging, and icing to the gastroc muscle I had been doing was not helping to fix the problem. It kept coming back because the foot and soleus muscles were still tight, which I was neglecting to massage and stretch.

This whole experience has reminded me how interconnected all the parts of our bodies are. An injury in your hamstring could be the result of a tight hip, or pain in your knee could be the result of weakness in your core. This is why it is so important to strengthen and stretch all the parts of your body and not just those that are screaming at you. It is also helpful to have a trustworthy and knowledgeable professional that you can consult when you are experiencing pain to determine exactly what is causing the trouble.

I recommend to all of my clients to incorporate strength training for specific muscles as well as stretching particular areas of their bodies into their training. And this is further evidence of why that is so important.