Since I started working out regularly last summer, I have managed to accumulate a lot of aches, pains and flat-out injuries along the way. It all started with training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day - after my walks reached the 10-mile mark my right calf would cramp up and cause a LOT of pain. Sometimes I could walk through it, sometimes I was just done. I tried ice, rest, elevation, ibuprofen...but since I needed to keep training I would only take a week off at a time and never fully recovered - I just ended up learning to live with it. Of course, as soon as the training was over I gave it a proper rest and it healed with no problems!
Then came the Achilles pain - I developed stiffness in my right Achilles and a tender knot just above my heel. This injury never became unbearably painful, but it was always worse after sitting or lying down for awhile and I worried about the lump. Rest, ice, elevation, ibuprofen, stretching...no real improvement. So off to the orthopedist I went, returning with a diagnosis of Achilles Tendinosis and instructions for some exercises to help strengthen my calf. The area is definitely on the mend now.
There have been lots of other aches and pains along the way, most of which flare up and then disappear, but for the past week my right hip has been bothering me a lot. It's fine when I'm sitting or lying down, but as soon as I stand up there is stiffness and soreness between the joint and my pelvic bone, right on the side of my body. It subsides a bit after I walk around, but I did a treadmill run on Thursday morning and by the end of my workout I was in pain and starting to limp.
I'm inclined to think that the root cause of these injuries is my extra weight, but I'm also seeing a pattern - everything is on my right side and it seems to be moving up my leg. Could it possibly be related to with the way I walk or run - maybe something I'm doing to compensate for having extra weight to move around, or perhaps I'm compensating for pain elsewhere and throwing my gait off? Today I'm going to pick up some new running shoes, in case that's the problem (my old ones are starting to wear out anyway). I've also decided to take a full week off from my Couch-to-5K program and focus on non-weight-bearing cardio to see if that helps.
I've been so dedicated to my workouts and have been careful not to add running mileage too quickly, so it's REALLY frustrating to have this happen! Of course I've got alternate cardio options and I'm working out with weights and doing yoga, but running is a really efficient way to burn calories so I'm anxious to put this latest setback behind me and move on. Since I can't change my weight overnight I guess I'll just have to keep working around my limitations. So it's off to the pool this morning to swim another 1000 yards.
Has anyone else out there encountered hip pain like this, or suffered from a string of injuries?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday Weigh In
It's a happy morning here in Shrinking Jill's house, because I hit a new low this week!
Woohoo! That's a 2.2 loss from last week. I'm very pleased :)
This morning, however, I can't seem to find a pair of spring pants (it's going to be 90 today!). I have bins and bins of smaller clothes all over the house and I know they are somewhere in one of those bins...but alas I have to leave for work in 15 minutes and it doesn't look good. I'll write more later, but in the meantime I'm going to look for something to wear!
Update 4:38 pm - I found the pants I was looking for and even had time to iron them before I left for work - yippee!!! When I got to work I opened a new jar of almond butter (the natural kind with a layer of oil on top) and spilled it all over my freshly ironed pants - BOOOOOO!!!!!
Oh well. They were really too big for me anyway!
238.4!!!!
Woohoo! That's a 2.2 loss from last week. I'm very pleased :)
This morning, however, I can't seem to find a pair of spring pants (it's going to be 90 today!). I have bins and bins of smaller clothes all over the house and I know they are somewhere in one of those bins...but alas I have to leave for work in 15 minutes and it doesn't look good. I'll write more later, but in the meantime I'm going to look for something to wear!
Update 4:38 pm - I found the pants I was looking for and even had time to iron them before I left for work - yippee!!! When I got to work I opened a new jar of almond butter (the natural kind with a layer of oil on top) and spilled it all over my freshly ironed pants - BOOOOOO!!!!!
Oh well. They were really too big for me anyway!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Fun in the Deep End
After 3 days of heavy cardio plus a great strength training workout I decided to give myself (well mostly my right hip) a break and go for a swim tonight. There is a really nice pool about 3 miles from my house and they have about 10 lanes dedicated to lap swimming plus a sweeeeeet aquatic play area with slides and waterspouts. I stopped off on the way home from work and surprised myself by swimming 1000 yards in less than 30 minutes! Woohoo!
The pool is uber-nice - very clean, not over-chlorinated, nice cool temperature (I absolutely hate lap swimming in bath water) with wide lanes and lifeguards that appear to be actually watching people swim instead of reading books. Most of the pool is at least 10 feet deep but there's a little ledge that runs around the edge about 4 feet down so you don't have to tread water when you're taking a break. There are lots of windows so it *almost* feels like you're swimming outside. The locker room was huge, clean and had a scale that looked like something out of The Biggest Loser (someday I'll post a picture, this thing could weigh farm animals). Best of all, at 5pm there weren't too many people there so I had a whole lane all to myself! This is a true luxury - I usually swim at LA Fitness where they only have 4 skinny lanes and I always seem to get stuck sharing with someone who flails about like they're drowning. One time I got kicked in the head. But I digress.
Anyway, 1000 yards is the farthest I've swum (swam?) since I was on the swim team in 9th grade and had to do a 2 mile (3600 yard) swim for charity (I puked afterwards). I guess you could say I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now!
The pool is uber-nice - very clean, not over-chlorinated, nice cool temperature (I absolutely hate lap swimming in bath water) with wide lanes and lifeguards that appear to be actually watching people swim instead of reading books. Most of the pool is at least 10 feet deep but there's a little ledge that runs around the edge about 4 feet down so you don't have to tread water when you're taking a break. There are lots of windows so it *almost* feels like you're swimming outside. The locker room was huge, clean and had a scale that looked like something out of The Biggest Loser (someday I'll post a picture, this thing could weigh farm animals). Best of all, at 5pm there weren't too many people there so I had a whole lane all to myself! This is a true luxury - I usually swim at LA Fitness where they only have 4 skinny lanes and I always seem to get stuck sharing with someone who flails about like they're drowning. One time I got kicked in the head. But I digress.
Anyway, 1000 yards is the farthest I've swum (swam?) since I was on the swim team in 9th grade and had to do a 2 mile (3600 yard) swim for charity (I puked afterwards). I guess you could say I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Bed of Nails?
I came across a cool blog this evening: The Everything Yoga Blog. And the second post I read reviewed a yantra mat. Apparently this mat is not for asanas, but rather for lying on and relaxing. I've seen photos of these mats in Yoga Journal but this is the first time I've ever read a review. I'm intrigued! Has anyone else out there tried one of these mats? What was your experience?
And speaking of yoga, there's a 2-hour special on PBS this Wednesday (April 7th) about the life of Buddha, narrated by Richard Gere. Click here for more information and local listings. I can't wait to watch this - already set my DVR!
And speaking of yoga, there's a 2-hour special on PBS this Wednesday (April 7th) about the life of Buddha, narrated by Richard Gere. Click here for more information and local listings. I can't wait to watch this - already set my DVR!
Off to a Good Start
Today is off to a good start - I got up early and hit the treadmill, showered, and then packed a yummy breakfast and morning snack (2 slices of whole grain bread, almond butter and a mango). Lunch will be sushi and a salad at Whole Foods, YUM! After work I have a training session with Rena. In order to get in all the workouts for my triathlon training schedule as well as keep up with my strength training and yoga (and have a social life!) Mondays have now become a double workout day so I can take Friday off. I've been doing it for a couple weeks and it really gets the week off on the right foot. Tomorrow night I'll swim to give my legs a break - there's a really nice pool at the local community center that I've been itching to check out.
Don't have much else to say today, so I'll leave you with a link to a great website I found this weekend - the Stand Up and Eat blog from the Cooper Institute.
Don't have much else to say today, so I'll leave you with a link to a great website I found this weekend - the Stand Up and Eat blog from the Cooper Institute.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Outdoor Ride!
This morning I decided to get my bike out and ride on the Schuylkill River Trail instead of doing spin class. Last weekend Ken got my bike tuned up and ready to go, so I took advantage of the good weather and drove to Conshohocken to start my ride.
When I got to the trail head I realized my tires were a little on the flat side. Since I didn't have a pump with me I just rode slowly and enjoyed the scenery. It felt great to be outside and getting some exercise for the second day in a row - the fresh air and sunshine were amazing! I ended up doing about 8 miles in 40 minutes, which is a little over half the distance of the SheRox Triathlon. The ride back was a bit tougher than the ride out - I didn't think to check the direction of the wind and it was a bit gusty on the return trip. But there were lots of other people on the trail, the sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid-60's. A completely and utterly perfect day! After a quick lunch of tortellini with pesto and a mango for dessert, I'm off to give my dirty car a full-on spring cleaning and then plant some summer bulbs. Happy Easter everyone!
When I got to the trail head I realized my tires were a little on the flat side. Since I didn't have a pump with me I just rode slowly and enjoyed the scenery. It felt great to be outside and getting some exercise for the second day in a row - the fresh air and sunshine were amazing! I ended up doing about 8 miles in 40 minutes, which is a little over half the distance of the SheRox Triathlon. The ride back was a bit tougher than the ride out - I didn't think to check the direction of the wind and it was a bit gusty on the return trip. But there were lots of other people on the trail, the sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid-60's. A completely and utterly perfect day! After a quick lunch of tortellini with pesto and a mango for dessert, I'm off to give my dirty car a full-on spring cleaning and then plant some summer bulbs. Happy Easter everyone!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
For the past few years I have occasionally woken up in the middle of the night with a numb left hand. The first couple times this happened I panicked, thinking it was a sign of a heart attack. After awhile, however, it became apparent that it was most likely tied to my sleeping position and I kind of assumed it was due to being overweight - I'm a side sleeper and figured that lying on my left side must be cutting off the circulation. But about a year ago, I noticed that sometimes my left hand would go numb even though I was lying on my RIGHT side. I did some googling and found that other people have the same problem, and it is often due to sleeping with elbows bent - which is without a doubt my favorite sleeping position. Unfortunately, even though I make an effort to fall sleep with my arms straight, I occasionally wake up with my arms bent and my hands curled under my pillow.
The numbness is usually limited to my pinky and ring finger, but last night I slept so well on my new mattress that I must have stayed in the same position for a few hours - I woke up to an arm that was numb almost to the elbow! It took awhile to come back to life and I started to worry that I might be causing permanent nerve damage. So I googled again and came across a lot of useful information - it turns out that this condition has a name and lots of treatments options.
Cubital tunnel syndrome (also called ulnar tunnel syndrome) occurs when there is pressure on the ulnar nerve, which runs from the spinal cord through the elbow and into the hand. When the elbow is bent, the nerve can be stretched against the bones in that area of the arm and cause a variety of symptoms. The syndrome is common in people who sleep with their elbows bent, or who have a tendency to lean on their elbows a lot (also something I do). Over time, weakness, pain, numbness and ultimately nerve damage can occur. It seems to me that I have a bit less feeling/strength in my left pinky than my right (which might also be my imagination) but other than that I don't seem to have any permanent damage. The website I found lists a few treatments, surgery being one of them, but the easiest and cheapest seems to be 'splinting' the arm with a towel at night for a few weeks to retrain yourself to sleep with straight elbows. That's what I'll try first.
Every time something doesn't feel right in my body I'm inclined to assume the worst (and also blame it on myself for being overweight). My parents have had cancer, diabetes, heart disease and ALS, and I sometimes feel like it's just a matter of time before one of those conditions comes my way - that even though I'm working so hard on my health now, the damage is done and a devastating illness is inevitable. It was a relief to discover that CTS is a common syndrome that is relatively harmless and easy to treat.
I'm off now for my Saturday run - the weather is so amazing today that I'm going to hit up a local trail instead of the treadmill!
The numbness is usually limited to my pinky and ring finger, but last night I slept so well on my new mattress that I must have stayed in the same position for a few hours - I woke up to an arm that was numb almost to the elbow! It took awhile to come back to life and I started to worry that I might be causing permanent nerve damage. So I googled again and came across a lot of useful information - it turns out that this condition has a name and lots of treatments options.
Cubital tunnel syndrome (also called ulnar tunnel syndrome) occurs when there is pressure on the ulnar nerve, which runs from the spinal cord through the elbow and into the hand. When the elbow is bent, the nerve can be stretched against the bones in that area of the arm and cause a variety of symptoms. The syndrome is common in people who sleep with their elbows bent, or who have a tendency to lean on their elbows a lot (also something I do). Over time, weakness, pain, numbness and ultimately nerve damage can occur. It seems to me that I have a bit less feeling/strength in my left pinky than my right (which might also be my imagination) but other than that I don't seem to have any permanent damage. The website I found lists a few treatments, surgery being one of them, but the easiest and cheapest seems to be 'splinting' the arm with a towel at night for a few weeks to retrain yourself to sleep with straight elbows. That's what I'll try first.
Every time something doesn't feel right in my body I'm inclined to assume the worst (and also blame it on myself for being overweight). My parents have had cancer, diabetes, heart disease and ALS, and I sometimes feel like it's just a matter of time before one of those conditions comes my way - that even though I'm working so hard on my health now, the damage is done and a devastating illness is inevitable. It was a relief to discover that CTS is a common syndrome that is relatively harmless and easy to treat.
I'm off now for my Saturday run - the weather is so amazing today that I'm going to hit up a local trail instead of the treadmill!
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