Looking Back on 2012 and Ahead to 2013

As 2012 comes to a close, it’s time to look back and reflect on all that’s happened this year, the lessons learned, and to set new goals for 2013. I’ve been very blessed this year in so many ways, but I’ve also learned a lot along the way – lessons that will hopefully help me achieve my goals for the New Year.

2012 Achievements

This year was pivotal for me because I began to take my training seriously and became more competitive than I ever have in the past (mostly with myself, mind you). It started in February when I won my very first Age Group award. I won 3rd in my AG for a 10K and realized that maybe I’m better (i.e. faster) than I ever gave myself credit for. If I could achieve that without “serious” training, what would I be able to achieve if I started to incorporate targeted workouts and real speed work into my routine? A fluke, maybe, but then in April I was the 3rd woman finisher and 2nd in my AG for a 5K, which further motivated me to push my training harder. In the end, 2012 would yield me a new PR in every distance I ran: 5K, 10K, 15K, Half Marathon, and Marathon.

2012 will also be remembered as the year I became a part of the Oiselle Team. As an ambassador for the most amazing women’s running apparel company out there, I not only get to spread the love for the products and get great discounts, but more importantly, I have been connected to the most amazing network of women runners. Some are amazingly fast and winning races all over the country, but most are average runners like me who simply love the sport and want to spread the love of running to others. Though I have only met a few of them in person, I feel like I know them all through Twitter and blogs. They are the most supportive, loving, and friendly group of women and I am so honored that I was chosen to be a part of it. Oiselle has done an amazing job growing their Team and it is very representative of them as a brand and a company. I know I talk a lot about Oiselle, but it’s because they have become my “running family” – and they really do make amazing products!

Things I Learned Along the Way

As the years tick by and I slowly get older, I am learning the importance of treating your body with the utmost respect. I only had one minor injury in 2012, which sidelined me for a few weeks, but was ultimately able to keep running. And the reason I was able to remain healthy and injury free was because I started incorporating some very important preventative and maintenance practices into my routine:
• I turned up the volume on the core and strength work. This not only helped with injury prevention, but made me a much stronger runner in 2012, too.
• Cross-training. I try to swim at least once a week and do hot yoga once a week, which I believe also saved me from injury.
• Regular fascial stretch therapy sessions. I always feel so good after these sessions! My stretch therapist has become really good at working my trouble spots and getting the kinks out, helping me stay loose and recover faster.
• Regular massages. A few months ago I decided that regular massage sessions were a good investment in injury prevention and would be cheaper in the long-run than if I were to get injured and pay for treatment. So I became a Massage Envy member and have been fortunate to find a few really great therapists. I try to go every 3-4 weeks, or more often if I’m training really hard or feeling sore.

I also learned that when you do get injured, it is important to have a doctor, or team of doctors, who you can rely on to get you healed fast. I was fortunate enough to find a great doctor who works with a lot of elite athletes and knows that it’s not always practical to tell a runner to just stop running. When I injured my hip, he was able to treat me through ART and some other methods while I maintained a very low running base. He never told me to stop running altogether, which made me really appreciate him. Sure, it would heal faster if I did, but us runners can be stubborn folk! So if you can, find a doctor who works with a lot of runners and who you can trust at the first sign of injury. And don’t wait to see him or her until you are hurting to the point of not being able to run. Go during the first stages of pain.

The last major thing I learned in 2012 was the importance of having a great coach. I had never had a coach before, but after my disastrous performance at the Tucson Marathon in 2011, I decided that if I was ever going to qualify for Boston, I needed help. So I found a coach based out of Los Angeles and worked with him through June when I ran the San Diego Rock N’ Roll Marathon. He was a good enough coach, and helped me achieve a new PR in a few distances, but I don’t know that he was the perfect fit for me. Once again, the Oiselle Team proved invaluable when I was introduced to Derek and Allison Delancey. Allison is on the Oiselle Team and her and her husband, Derek, are amazingly fast runners. I decided to hire them as my coaches back in October to help me work up to a BQ marathon in March. So far I have loved every second of this relationship and think that they are great coaches for me. They see the potential that I have and push me towards that – something that I have a hard time doing when I coach myself. I feel like they believe in me and my goal of a 3:40 marathon in March and that makes me believe in myself. I’ve already seen big improvements since I’ve started working with them, and am finally getting the confidence I need to tackle my big BQ goal.

Goals for 2013

By far, my biggest goal for 2013 is to qualify for Boston. I’ve attempted this feat twice before, both with less than stellar results. But as I just mentioned, I’m finally – for the first time in my running career –becoming confident in myself and my ability to make it happen. I feel stronger and faster than I ever have before, and barring any injuries or sidelines in the next 2 months, I actually believe that I could make it happen.

I would also love to continue the PR trend and run a sub-1:40 half marathon, plus set new PRs in the 5K and 10K.

On a personal level, I am excited to continue to get to know and connect with all of the other Oiselle Team members. I am running the Ragnar Relay in WA with 11 other Oiselle teammates in July and I am beyond excited to meet them in person and continue to grow my running family.

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!

Fascial Stretch Therapy Results Thus Far

Several weeks ago I wrote about a new weapon in my training regimen: fascial stretch therapy. I have noticed some amazing results thus far, so I wanted to provide a little update on what has it done for me up to this point.

I started off getting the fascial stretch therapy twice per week (one hour sessions) for two weeks. According to the therapist, this frequency would help flush out all the build up in my muscles, fascia, and ligaments and restore me to where I should be. Since those initial two weeks, I’ve been going once per week. After the old kinks were worked out, once-per-week sessions would help build improvements in my muscles and ligaments. After four weeks of that, I’ll be down to “maintenance” sessions and can go in anytime I feel the need for some stretching or to simply maintain what we’ve worked on.

The biggest result I’ve noticed so far is that I’m less sore and less stiff. You know the feeling, particularly after a long run, when your body is stiff and sore for a few days? Gone. I had a 22-miler a week ago and expected to be really sore the next day. I woke up and felt completely fine – no soreness and no stiffness.

Another huge benefit of the stretch therapy has been a feeling of being balanced. Because I have mild scoliosis, the right side of my body is always a bit tighter than the left side. In the past I believe this has led to several of my injuries because it can throw off my gait and cause me to overcorrect while I’m running. My stretch therapist always works on this and I always leave feeling balanced again.

One of the biggest benefits of stretch therapy touted to me was a gain in speed. I PR-ed in the half-marathon I did a few weeks ago, so I am giving stretch therapy some of that credit. Of course, hard work also plays a big role. The real test of speed will come in less than two weeks when I run the Tuscon marathon. Stay tuned…

Can Fascial Stretch Therapy Make You Faster?

Last week I used a Groupon for a one-hour stretch therapy session at a local women’s fitness center. I will admit that I was a little skeptical at first – I mean, I can stretch on my own, so why would I need someone else to help me stretch? I had the choice of using the Groupon for a massage or for stretch therapy and I went in actually looking for a massage. But then the woman who owned the place told me more about fascial stretch therapy and I decided to give it a try.

I knew I was a little tight – I’m in the peak of my marathon training, so being tight is normal for me. But apparently the therapist thought I was equivalent to working on a piece of wood. And I will say that one hour on the table being stretched by someone else was awesome. It was almost as relaxing and felt just as good as a massage. And when I got up, I felt looser, taller, and more relaxed.

So what exactly is fascial stretch therapy? As I’m told…Fascia is the material surrounding all muscles in your body. Like other tissues, fascia can become tight and less mobile. The result is decreased range of motion (ROM), discomfort with stretching, and decreased ability to recover from activity. The stretch therapy helps release the tension in the fascia, resulting in an increased range of motion, decreased pain, and improved athletic performance. By extending the stretch to the joint capsule, you increase the benefits of traditional stretching, and the assisted nature of the treatment allows for greater gains than traditional stretching.

Fascial Stretch Therapy has some unique characteristics that distinguish it from other types of assisted stretching. It is guided by ten principles:

1. Synchronize your breathing with your movement.
2. Tune your nervous system to current conditions.
3. Follow a logical anatomical order.
4. Make gains in your range of motion without pain.
5. Stretch the fascia not just the muscle.
6. Use multiple planes of movement.
7. Target the entire joint.
8. Use traction for maximal lengthening.
9. Facilitate body reflexes for optimal results.
10. Adjust your stretching to your present goals.

According to my stretch therapist, she was able to help one woman decrease her running time by 45 seconds per mile through regular stretch therapy sessions. For someone who is trying to qualify for Boston and not feeling very confident about it, she certainly had my attention. And I definitely noticed a difference after that first session, so she didn’t have to work too hard to convince me to buy a package for more appointments. Since I am so stiff, I am going to go twice per week for the next two weeks and then once per week thereafter until my marathon in December. Then I can give you a more true report as to whether fascial stretch therapy really can make you faster. In the meantime, I will at least feel less stiff and more relaxed.

If you’re interested in trying fascial stretch therapy, the Stretch to Win website can help you locate a certified therapist.