Speed Trials

My silence has been ominous this week, hasn’t it?

I’ve spent the last four days wondering how I was going to tell you what I decided shortly after my run on Sunday. I figure the best way to do it is just to say it, and get it over with:

I won’t be racing at the 2010 Fall Colours 10k.

Looking back on my training, I am so proud of myself for my accomplishment, coming back from an injury and training hard with an aggressive goal in mind. I am proud of the mental strength I’ve gained since I took up running again, and how much more sane, calm, and serene I am now that I run regularly.

And I really, really wish I could have brought all of that training and newly-found wisdom together into a race I could be proud of.

Sunday’s race should have been that Race.  And up until two weeks ago, it was that Race.

But if I raced this Sunday, I’d be in pain, I’d be slow, I’d be disappointed and I’d be upset. I’d also be acting recklessly, pushing my body that is in a state of crisis at the moment.

I wish I was racing on Sunday, but I’m not.  I wish a lot of things, and things don’t always turn out the way you expect.

But I am still hopeful. I am hopeful that I will be back on my feet in the next two to three weeks; that I’ll be back on the roads and feeling that running love that’s in the air (especially in the Fall).

PS. I will still go to the Fall Colours Race on Sunday, because there are two people who are racing that I want to cheer on! My friend Christine is racing the 5k, her first race after the birth of her daughter; and my brother Martin is running his first 10k, and hopes to take on my goal of running a sub-50min 10k.  I can’t wait to be a spectator this time around, and take LOTS of pictures, which I haven’t been able to do in years past.

Hi Everyone.

I’m still here, I’m still alive.  Things are fine, and I scheduled a doctor’s appointment yesterday, where I was packed off for a blood test.  Nothing major, just a little run down.

So I’m takin’er sleazy in the meantime. Instead of running a 50 minute tempo run, I made a trip to Bulk Barn and made granola and faux sausages.  Instead of Sunday’s 80km bike ride, I’m going to make Perogies with a friend. And instead of worrying about my goal time for the Fall Colours 10k, I’m just going to go with the flow and know that there will be other opportunities for me to run a sub 50min 10k.

Life goes on, I guess…

Still feeling run down, I opted to turn my planned 7k run into a 7k walk.   That way, I would still cover the same distance, but just at a slower pace. I also hoped a brisk walk would boost my mood and my energy, maybe even get a little sweat-on to try to wash out any toxins that were making me feel poopy.

The walk promised to be lovely, along the Rideau Canal, on an overcast, albeit very warm, afternoon. I snapped a few pictures of the beautiful fall foliage. I was listening to some tunes on my iPod, and I was starting to feel a bit better.

But about 2/3 of the way home, something changed, and I started to feel really uneasy and anxious. I was having a hard time walking in a straight line, and instinctively I put my hand to my forehead for comfort. That’s when I felt it: a thin, viscous layer of sweat all over my forehead. I didn’t even realize I had been sweating, but as I looked at my fingertips, wet and shiny, I felt a bead of sweat pool on the edge of my eyebrow and drop heavily onto my shirt.  I tried in vain to wipe the sweat from my brow, hoping I wasn’t being too conspicuous on this widely used trail.  I reached around and wiped my hand on the back of my thighs, and felt that they were wet too. I was, in fact, sweating profusely from every pore of my body. I could feel my pants stick to my thighs as I walked, I could feel a bead of sweat run down between my boobs under my shirt, I could feel it collecting in a pool under my arms, in the crick of my elbows and the backs of my knees. I couldn’t stop it; I was hemorrhaging water from every ounce of me, and there was no discernible reason why.

I tried to walk more quickly, but lacked the energy. That’s when I started to panic. What do you when you’re still a few kilometers from home, and WALKING is unbearable? It’s not like when I’m on a run and I can slow down to a walk; I was already walking! I didn’t know what to do, so I just kept walking. I tore my earbuds out of my ears, all of sudden irritated by their very presence, and I started feeling aches and pains all over my body. My toe was throbbing, I realized, and my knee was tweaked and I couldn’t get it to snap back.  My hip also seemed out of line.  And then, my stomach joined in.

I felt that first gurgle in my belly, all too familiar to me from my days of chronic stomach upset. I had to get home. That was my only thought. I had to get home, and lock myself away from all these passersby who were seeing me in such a state. I subconsciously brushed my hair in front of my face whenever I crossed another pedestrian. The blocks seemed to stretch on for all eternity, and no matter how fast I thought I was walking, I couldn’t make any headway.

Finally, I was turning onto my street, and thankful to see the familiar entrance to my home. I walked into the house and straight into the washroom. That’s when I took a look at myself in the mirror. My face and neck were shiny with a film of salty sweat. My skin was pasty, and to my surprise and horror, it was not pink or white or even grey, it was… yellow. It was yellow, and it was frightening. I slowly peeled off every item of clothing I had on, dropping them down on the floor in a heap.  Some dropped with a plop, heavy with sweat; finally there was a little mountain of fabric that contained within it all my shame and worry. I stepped into the shower and turned the water on hot. It was so wonderful to finally feel something clean and soothing cover my skin, and wash away all the sickness from the walk. Once I was done, and clean, I turned on the faucet and ran a shallow bath. I dumped in a boat load of epsom salt, and submerged my tired and weary legs. Finally, sitting in the tub with my legs outstretched, feeling the salt tingling and relaxing the muscles, I started to relax myself, and even closed my eyes for a brief moment or two.

When I felt I could pull myself together, I got out of the tub and donned my flannel pyjamas. The ones I only wear when I’m sick or distressed. Tonight I am both.

A friend of mine once made a claim that “Too many people say they have food ‘allergies’.  Only those who have fatal reactions to certain foods should call it an ‘allergy’. Everyone else just has food ‘preferences’.”

I don’t know why he decided that only the most severe kind of reaction to a food (i.e. an anaphylactic one) could be graced with the name “allergy”, but I never really gave it much thought or concern. Until today.

As you know, during my elimination diet, I determined that my soy intake was causing all of my intestinal problems (The constipation, the bloating, the general stomach pains and the sharp shooting cramps). When I stopped eating soy daily, the symptoms reduced significantly.

Still, when I talked about my reaction to soy, I only ever said things like “I don’t like soy. Soy is no good for me. When I eat soy, I can’t poop.” But I never said “I have an allergy to soy”. Until today.

Today I wanted a Booster Juice for lunch. I was all psyched for it – it’s payday, and this was going to be my special, worst-value-for-money-but-who-cares treat to myself.  But when I got to the counter, I panicked on which flavour to get, and went with an old standby (one that I know has a reasonable amount of calories). It is called “Sonic Soy”. It contains soy milk AND soy protein booster. Double-whammy.

I drank it, thinking, “Whatever, I haven’t had much soy in ages, this ONE little meal isn’t going to make that much of a difference…” Well, not 20 minutes after consuming the smoothie, I started to have shooting pains in my stomach, and I had to untie the button from my (previously) loose-fitting pants. My stomach swelled 3” (yes, I measured).

The pressure I’m feeling right now, coupled with the knowledge that my bowels will be in turmoil for at least 24 hours makes me ashamed at how stupid it was to order that drink. I know what soy does to me, each and every time I eat it, and yet I still put myself in harm’s way…

I’ve decided that if ANYONE is going to take my condition seriously, I have to take it seriously first. And that means owning up to the fact that I have a bonafide, honest-to-goodness physical ALLERGY to soy. Just because it’s not anaphylactic doesn’t make it any less real. It is “acquired, predictable, and rapid” (definition of an allergy by Wikipedia).  I’m also going to take it up a notch and completely eliminate soy from my diet. For example, I still consume soy in the following forms (in order of frequency):

1. Splash of soymilk in my morning coffee
2. Packaged granola bars
3. Earth Balance
4. Tempeh
5. Soya sauce

So the coffee thing is a no brainer. Either I keep a carton of almond milk at work, or I make my own coffee at home (save $$ too!). The granola bars are easy to avoid – I can make my own or just find better snacks (like fruit). The Earth Balance, Tempeh and Soya Sauce simply need to be eliminated altogether. (this makes me especially sad because it means no more Tempeh Sandwiches from Bread and Sons )

I’m hoping that a more stringent avoidance of soy will also help in my waist management, and I might drop an inch in my mid-section simply by not having any inflammatory food in there. Works for me – easiest inch I’ll ever lose!

As for Booster Juice, next time I get a craving, I’m going for “Strawberry Storm”. May not be vegan, but I bet it’ll make me feel a whole lot better!!!

Want a recap? I had a major setback last fall when I seriously injured my knee. Read all about it in this post, and find out about my MRI results in this post.

Do you know what the real tragedy of all this is?  All of these epiphanies I’ve had in the months following my injury have been said MANY times before. There are countless articles on injury prevention in running magazines, on other blogs, and in training books.  But it wasn’t until it happened to me, until I got injured, that I really understood what precautions are needed to stay injury-free.

And so, in another attempt to impart some wisdom, share some preventative knowledge, here are some thoughts regarding my injury, and how it’s changed how I look at running and training:

1. Weight training is SO important. Spending a lot of time in the weights section at the gym is new to me and way outside my comfort zone.  But I do some sort of weight training at least twice a week now, to compliment my cardio workouts. 

These weight sessions often include exercises I learned in physiotherapy to maintain the muscle development needed to protect my joints and ligaments.  Many of these exercises are weight resistance training – where you use your own body weight for resistance – and target my “weak” spots (my glutes and the muscles around my knees)

These workouts allow me to run better, more efficiently, and with no pain.  Think of the way that Eating well + Exercise = A Complete Weight Loss Plan. If you do one or the other, your chances of success aren’t as high, and you’re bound to come up on a few more pitfalls. Well, the same goes for Weight Training + Cardio = A Complete Training Regimen.  Sure you COULD just do one or the other, but both is best for results and sustainability.

2. Protein is SO important. I know that these seem like really simple observations, but really, this is the kind of stuff I used to ignore pre-injury.

Let me paint you a picture: Here’s how a typical 5-day training program used to look like for me.  Monday’s run would be great and I’d feel pumped. However, post-run I wouldn’t refuel properly (because I was trying to lose weight).  Tuesday’s run would still good, and even though I would feel a little tired, I’d like it because I figured I was creating a “calorie deficit” and losing weight. Wednesday’s run would be tough, but I’d fight to get through it.  Thursday’s run would be a disaster and more often than not, I’d get a pain somewhere that would make me stop.  By Friday I just wouldn’t be able to muster the motivation to even put on my running shoes.

Why was this happening, I’d ask myself? I’d beat myself up for being so weak.  But in reality, I was wearing out my muscles and not properly refuel after each and every workout. As a result, I certainly couldn’t get through more than 3 workouts in a row before having a serious crash. This is where Protein comes in. Muscles require water and protein for fuel, and they are more responsive to refueling soon after a workout (where they get depleted of their water content). So I’m not advocating eating steak for dinner after every run. (By the time you’ve gone home, cleaned, cooked, eaten, and digested that sucker, your muscles aren’t in the mood to absorb the protein anymore)  I’m talking about ingesting a source of protein right after your workout that is easily digested and refuels those muscles so that they’re raring to go the next time you are.

I’ve recently added a protein supplement to my training regimen, and the results have been AMAZING. I’ll dedicate an entire post to protein in the next few days, so come on back and check it out!

3. Pacing is SO important. John Bingham blew my mind when he described how lungs, muscles, and ligaments all have HUGELY different progression timelines.

You can improve your cardio in a matter of weeks, but your muscles will only catch up a few weeks later, and your ligaments won’t reach that same plateau for another few MONTHS! So just because your lungs are telling you that they can run for an hour straight doesn’t mean your joints can. This was really huge for me, since I was so concerned with heart rate and calorie burn, that I wasn’t paying attention to my muscles and joints. Nowadays, when I do wear my heart rate monitor, I don’t care too much about the number at the end. I know that every run I log, every kilometer I run, every weight I lift is helping me build a base a stronger, and become a fitter person.

4. Accepting my body shape is SO important. Truths about me: I don’t have much of a defined waist. I don’t have much of a rack. These are things that won’t change (without surgery, anyway). More truths about me: I’m practically 6′ tall.  I’m surprisingly strong and easily get defined muscles. These are good things!

So at the end of the day, I should stop worrying so much about trying to look like I have a 28″ waist and spend more time thinking about how I’m improving, how much fun I’m having, and how great I feel after each workout.

So, armed with these new insights, this new knowledge of how my body performs at its best, I’ve been able to maintain a healthy training regimen and I have seen amazing improvements in my performance, and in my overall health.