So a few weeks ago, I was having a great day. I had a good run, kids weren't driving me insane, and I had a brand-new issue of Runner's World magazine waiting for me on my Kindle Fire.
(I love it when I have a new issue of Runner's World.)
This particular issue was spotlighting the upcoming track and field trials for the Olympics, including a story on hurdler Kellie Wells.
Kellie was participating in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympics trials, when her hamstring popped.
Popped, y'all.
As the story says, "When her hamstring tore, it sounded like the pop of a firecracker. It felt like a gunshot."
I am nowhere near the level of anyone who would participate in the Olympic track and field trials. Like, I'm pretty sure that if I tried to attend the trials as a spectator, they'd stop me at the gate and say, "Ummm...no. You're old and slow. Bye."
But the reality is that hamstring injuries are pretty common among runners, particularly those who put in long distances.
From my research, what happens is that when you run long distances, your quadriceps become super strong and powerful. The hamstring acts as a "brake" and takes the force of your quads, so if your quads are powerful enough, and your hamstrings aren't flexible enough...well, there's your firecracker.
Hamstring injuries take a lot of time to heal. (Meaning, no running.) You might as well kill me.
There was a time in my teens and early 20s that I was extremely flexible. Extremely flexible.
Those times are not now, though. And while my 50-ish miles a week don't stack up to the extreme mileage an aspiring Olympian runs, my age plus that mileage plus my inflexibility puts me at risk.
So I've been stretching, stretching, stretching. Every night, while I watch my super-exciting TNT drama or my super-pathetic reality shows, I stretch those hammies. I use my foam roller like a mad woman.
I am not taking weeks off because of something I can prevent.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Remember this.
In two weeks (or hell, tomorrow), when I don't want to get up at 5 a.m. and run, I will remind myself of these things:
1. It's still a bazillion degrees at 5 a.m., but it FEELS much cooler.
2. You run and then you're done. It's like gaining an extra hour or two. I'd just be sleeping anyway; might as well DO SOMETHING, right?
3. Running when it's still dark outside reduces the whole sock tan line thing. (Also the sports bra tan line thing.)
4. If I want to run/walk/bike in the evening, I still can for a bonus workout!
5. Frees up my evenings for all the mad partying I do (falling asleep before 9 in the recliner while watching shows on TNT).
6. I know how many calories I've burned before I start the day. So if I want to be all crazy and have...ahem...cookies and cream fro-yo with dark chocolate chips mixed in for...ahem...lunch, I can. (I really have never done this. Really. I'm serious.)
7. I feel more alert, and I know I'm more relaxed in the morning. I'm not all trying to fit life in and run.
8. With the exception of a few neighbors who have to leave for work that early in the morning, I'm alone. That's always been one of the big attractions about running for me -- I'm literally never alone. I'm am at home with the kids (who even at 10.5 and almost 13 still have this innate sense of when I'm in the bathroom and inevitably knock on the door to ask some horrifically urgent question: "Ummm, Mom? Can I have some popcorn?") or I'm at work or at the grocery store or, or, or... When I was running in the evenings, my kids were usually outside playing (which is awesome), but they always wanted to flag me down to ask, again, some urgent question: "What are we having for supper?" "How many miles do you have left?" "What would happen if you were our mom, but Dad wasn't our dad? Would Kyle still have blue eyes?" (I am not making this stuff up, people.)
9. I feel more accomplished. Yes, I know. It's not like I discovered a cure for cancer or something, but I got up at 5 and ran 6 miles!
10. I'm able to run faster. When I was running in the evenings, I was averaging 12- to 13-minute miles. UGH! In the mornings, I can consistently run 9-minute miles. That means I'm done with my 6 miles in less than an hour! I'm going to move to 8 milers next week.
1. It's still a bazillion degrees at 5 a.m., but it FEELS much cooler.
2. You run and then you're done. It's like gaining an extra hour or two. I'd just be sleeping anyway; might as well DO SOMETHING, right?
3. Running when it's still dark outside reduces the whole sock tan line thing. (Also the sports bra tan line thing.)
4. If I want to run/walk/bike in the evening, I still can for a bonus workout!
5. Frees up my evenings for all the mad partying I do (falling asleep before 9 in the recliner while watching shows on TNT).
6. I know how many calories I've burned before I start the day. So if I want to be all crazy and have...ahem...cookies and cream fro-yo with dark chocolate chips mixed in for...ahem...lunch, I can. (I really have never done this. Really. I'm serious.)
7. I feel more alert, and I know I'm more relaxed in the morning. I'm not all trying to fit life in and run.
8. With the exception of a few neighbors who have to leave for work that early in the morning, I'm alone. That's always been one of the big attractions about running for me -- I'm literally never alone. I'm am at home with the kids (who even at 10.5 and almost 13 still have this innate sense of when I'm in the bathroom and inevitably knock on the door to ask some horrifically urgent question: "Ummm, Mom? Can I have some popcorn?") or I'm at work or at the grocery store or, or, or... When I was running in the evenings, my kids were usually outside playing (which is awesome), but they always wanted to flag me down to ask, again, some urgent question: "What are we having for supper?" "How many miles do you have left?" "What would happen if you were our mom, but Dad wasn't our dad? Would Kyle still have blue eyes?" (I am not making this stuff up, people.)
9. I feel more accomplished. Yes, I know. It's not like I discovered a cure for cancer or something, but I got up at 5 and ran 6 miles!
10. I'm able to run faster. When I was running in the evenings, I was averaging 12- to 13-minute miles. UGH! In the mornings, I can consistently run 9-minute miles. That means I'm done with my 6 miles in less than an hour! I'm going to move to 8 milers next week.
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