Well, it was kind of a frustrating week! Nothing that I would call an Injury, but I had a couple Issues. We’ll get into that, but first, thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown! Check them out for more inspiration and fun. Okay, here’s how the week played out…
Sunday
This was a great run (for the most part.) I went to the park and ran on the cross country trail, then finished off with some hill repeats! Well, those of you who live in hilly areas would probably call this a “slope,” but it feels like a hill to me! I ran up and down it four times to end my run, 4.5 miles.
I really enjoyed this run, except for… cue the ominous music… a nagging pain in my right hip. This hip has been tight ever since my race. I was trying to ignore it (always a great strategy) but I finally had to admit it needed some attention.
Monday
I know just what to do! A strength workout on Sally McRae’s app called “Bulletproof Runner.” I like the sound of that! It was a great workout focusing on hips, glutes and hamstrings.
Tuesday
On my schedule for today was an easy run, but I decided to take an extra day off and repeat the Bulletproof Runner workout. It’s mostly bodyweight, except for a couple exercises with bands, so I figured why not do it two days in a row. I added in a couple other things that help me as well, like side planks.
Wednesday
After two days of Hip Boot Camp, I decided to try running again. My hip felt achy in the beginning of the run, but felt better as it went on. It was my scheduled “speed” day, so I threw in some one to two minute intervals of a slightly faster pace. Everything was feeling GREAT until… more ominous music… (boy, if there’s ever a soundtrack to my life it would have to include a lot of ominous music) my CALF started to hurt. WHAT THE…???
It was the same thing that happened during my race- started with a pulling sensation around my achilles, then moved up to the middle of the muscle. I was near home anyway, so I ended the run at 3.5 miles.
By the way, this run was during a very short break in our torrential rain this week. It was a crazy, soaking wet week. i can’t even believe there are little patches of blue sky in this photo!
I went home and did my new plank routine, which is regular plank, side planks, and reverse planks (one of the moves from the Bulletproof Runner workout.)
Thursday
Well… the only thing to do was the Bulletproof Runner workout AGAIN. I took out a couple moves that didn’t seem to help me, and added some other things with heavier weights, like Bulgarian split squats. It was a HARD workout- I ended with side planks and could barely hold them for 30 seconds- my legs were shaking.
Friday
Ooookay. I had no idea how my calf was going to hold up, so, after some thorough foam rolling, I went to the gym and got on the treadmill. I figured I would try a run and if anything hurt I could get right off and onto something else. But I started the run and it felt okay! For about 3 1/2 miles- then the same painful pulling sensation started in my calf muscle. At that point I figured- screw it. I ran for 23 miles in my race with it hurting and nothing bad happened- I can run another half mile. 4 miles for the day. Oh, and here’s a fantastic photo…
It wasn’t until later in the day that I realized- “hey, my hip didn’t hurt at all!” That’s good at least- better if I only have to deal with one pain at a time.
Saturday
Off! Was able to sleep in a little before going to work.
Sunday
Sigh. I’m incredibly frustrated with the calf situation- I don’t understand what’s going on so I don’t know what to do about it. My strategy for the next week is to limit my runs to three miles (since it seems to start hurting between 3-4 miles.) I know, that kind of sucks- but three miles of running is better than zero miles! So, on tap for today- a 3 mile run. Lots of foam rolling. We’ll see how it goes!
By the way, thanks for putting up with my whining. Anyone who’s been reading for a while had to hear about my left foot for almost a year… then there was the sprained ankle, now this. Hopefully my next Weekly Rundown will be whine-free!
How was your week? Did it involve rain, or whining?
36 Responses
It’s always something.
Now the bottom of my foot hurts. PF? Not when I run but the next day.
Hope both our bodies hold up until Nov.
Is it around your heel? I have PF in BOTH feet now, but it doesn’t hurt when I run. Getting out of bed in the morning is fun though.
yes around the heel… more in the morning.
I’ve been having something similar going on with my right ankle/achilles as well. I’m not sure what it is, but like you, I’m doing the basics to try to sort it out. I hope both of us feel better, lol
And that rain can just go away! I woke up to storms–will I get my run in this morning?
Alright, well if you find a magic cure, let me know! I hope you get your run in… you can always get on your treadmill, right?; )
Ugh I am sorry to hear about the random pain from this week! That is so annoying. Would you consider seeing a ‘active release therapy’ chiropractor? I found that super helpful when I was training for marathons. They can help you figure out why you feel pain in certain places. Like a lot of my issues were from my IT band and glutes being too tight.
It rained ALL FREAKING DAY yesterday which made it the longest day ever. Why can’t it rain all day on a week day? I was so happy when the day came to an end. It’s going to be a rainy week here with lots of thunderstorms. Le sigh. I was able to run 6 miles yesterday morning before the rain started. My flare in my hand seems to be getting worse so I am avoiding ST this week since grasping things hurts too much. I get an injection in the joint on Friday so hopefully I am back to feeling better by the weekend! I could do a body weight kind of workout today but am feeling kind of mopey about my situation.
Ugh, I would be mopey too. I was hoping you were going to say the hand was better, since you just had the infusion. How frustrating. But- you got a good run in, which is nice. Yes, I would imagine yesterday was a loooooong day for you guys. Well, i hope today is better! Hang in there… monday will come.
Oh, and I do have a sports chiropractor. Trying to decide if I’m going to see him- sometimes he helps me and sometimes I end up frustrated, and $80 poorer. Plus I’m having visitors this week. sigh.
This sounds so frustrating Jenny! But it really seems like you are doing a great job of listening to your body and finding good workarounds while your hip and calf sort themselves out. I hope your three mile strategy works well!
Thank you Suzanne! I’m going to focus a lot on strength this week- I figure you can never go wrong with getting stronger.
Silly question, but do you ever get a massage to address issues like this? Especially the hip? But that seems to have resolved — yay for that!.
Are you doing lots of calf stretches?
I should add some reverse planks into my life.
Well, great question. I got a massage after my race, but because of that weird heat related “rash” on my legs, she didn’t do any lower body. In retrospect I wish I had gotten some work done then. I’ve been massaging my calf and using the Bob and Brad massage gun, which feels great while I’m doing it but doesn’t seem to make any difference afterwards.
Reverse planks are great! I had forgotten about them until last week.
Well now that you mention it, it’s been a while since your left foot has done anything blog worthy. Is no news good news?
Just because I don’t run anymore doesn’t mean that I don’t remember the “is it or isn’t it” aches and pains so well, and the constant experiments…what happens if I ignore it, what happens if I stop running, what happens if I run just a little bit…there was never a clear cut answer.
The left foot has been pretty good! Now the right foot has plantar fasciitis, but I’m ignoring that (it doesn’t hurt while I run.)
Yes, it always hard to decide what to do! I like to err on the side of reckless, rather than caution. I figure, you never know unless you try. Sometimes that works out well for me and sometimes it doesn’t.
Sorry to read about these new little aches and pains. So annoying. Do you warm up before running? I especially have to warm up my hips or I am in trouble. Sounds like you need a super intense massage. Do you ever swap out with any colleagues? I had the best 90 min massage this week and so appreciate my therapist. He helps to keep me up and running w regular visits
Yes, I think a super intense massage would help. Something painful with trigger points, as opposed to just a “feel good” massage. There’s a therapist at work who does a GREAT job of that, but of course she’s on vacation this week. AND, I’m having guests, so.. .great timing. But that’s good advice- I’ll get in for a massage soon.
So sorry about your calf! I used to say to my students “if you listen to the whispers, you don’t have to hear the screams” – meaning, definitely take care of things when they are just in little “achy” stages, because your body is telling you something. If I hadn’t ignored my achy hip, back in 2019, I wouldn’t have ended up with an injury that sidelined me for months!
Now, what is your calf telling you, I have no idea. But there’s nothing wrong with shorter runs for a while, and a good stretching routine! Take it easy on yourself, I always get worried for friends who I think might be pushing too hard, and Jenny, you are one of those friends! You are definitely a mind over matter kind of gal, and I worry about you! Take care of that calf, if there was nothing wrong you wouldn’t be feeling pain.
Thank you Nicole. You’re right- the calf is definitely trying to tell me something (I just wish my body would be a little more clear, and less cryptic with these messages.) Maybe I should look at it as a mystery to solve- you know I like mysteries!
As always, I appreciate your kind words and advice.
I’m so sorry your hip and calf were giving you grief! Hopefully keeping your runs shorter for now will make your calf happy and you can ease back into running longer again.
I’ve been dealing with inner ankle pain (posterior tibial tendonitis?!) on and off since a couple weeks post-race. I’m not sure why because I haven’t made any huge mileage jumps and have just now started getting back to my usual weekly mileage base in the low 40s but it’s frustrating because I’m only 6 weeks out from my next race! I can still run through the discomfort but I don’t want it to turn into a bigger thing. I hope we can both figure out our issues and get back into running pain free!
No rain over here, just more heat! But that’s just the norm for the next several months. I have a 3 day weekend this coming week and planning to stay with my parents but it’s gonna be in the 110s while I’m there and I’m not looking forward to that!
Ah, yes I know that type of pain. You’re trying to figure out if it’s something you can just run through, or are you making it worse? And, like me you’re probably thinking, I just ran an ultramarthon and this wasn’t hurting! Why is it hurting now??? You said it’s hurting “on and off” which seems promising (as opposed to constant.) Hopefully it will resolve itself!
Ha, 110s- I remember that feeling from when I was in Waco last summer. It was in the 110s and wow- that was hard.
Gosh, my massage (almost two weeks ago) had some intense deep-tissue moments. I almost screamed a few times, and I’m sure she could tell I was tensing the very muscles she was working on, LOL. BUT, I walked away feeling so good 😉 I hope these “issues” take a sabbatical soon…you deserve a break from all that unnecessary drama.
Yes, I’m thinking a painful deep tissue massage would help- I just can’t get it done this week (grr.)
I am so sorry you had hip and calf issues this week. The most frustrating thing is when you don’t know why this is happening and what to do about it, but I think foam rolling and (more) rest is the best course of action.
We haven’t seen any rain in weeks now, so now wet runs for me. In fact, I have to get out early before it gets too hot, but mornings have been so pleasant here. So no whining either.
It seems like everyone hasn’t had rain in a long time, or is absolutely soaked with too much rain. Can’t we just even this out somehow?
Could you do 3 mi running and then combine with some other cardio (rowing, biking, ??) for some of the days to mimic longer runs? I 100% get the frustration! I hope it works itself out ASAP!!!
Since we’re having visitors this week, I’ll probably just stick to the shorter runs and try not to stress about it. If the issue isn’t resolved next week (noooo!) I’ll start doing longer cardio-combos. It’s a good idea.
Oh dear, I hope yuo can fix these niggles. Maybe you need a bit more time with easier running/less weight to recover a bit more? I am out of the boot half the time and started strength training. It’s going to be a slow rehab.
Yes, I’m wondering if I didn’t let myself recover properly after my race? Easier running is definitely in order this week. Good luck with your rehab… I know it’s hard.
Sorry about the calf pain, Jenny. It sounds like people have a lot of great suggestions to follow up on. I hope it resolves itself… and soon.
Do you run with a companion who takes your amazing photos or are all of them of the phone-and-water-bottle variety?
No, I don’t run with anyone. I wouldn’t call all my photos “amazing” (but thanks for that!). On my usual running routes, I have a couple places (fire hydrants, etc.) to prop my phone. Running on the trail is harder, which is why those photos seem to be at weird angles sometimes. I’m just looking for a rock or something to prop up my phone.
I think you should write a post about taking your running photos because we’re all really interested. I’m also interested in how you take photos at the gym. Does anyone ever say anything to you about it?
I am struggling with a sore muscle in my right glute that has been the bane of my existence for over a year at this point. I keep foam rolling and doing the exercise my PT recommended when I went, but I think I might have to actually talk to someone about it. I don’t know if I should be doing MORE weightlifting to strengthen the muscle or rest it, to be honest. Why isn’t there a handbook on this stuff?
I’m sorry about this new pain Jenny, how frustrating! I am not a doctor, but I know my sister made her calf injury even more painful with too much foam rolling, vs. rest…but every person’s body and injury is so so different! Hoping this is a short lived little hiccup.
Ugh, what a pain (literally) -it seems like you can’t catch a break! I hope you aren’t overworking it – I know that I had some issues and then overstretched/overmassage gunned it and it got worse. You never know what you’re supposed to do – rest? Stretch? massage? Who knows. Good luck and feel better soon!
I actually like the treadmill running picture! It’s a nice action shot. Sorry about the pain. I wish I knew all the answers on how to make them better!! I hope it’s behaving this week.
I’m sorry you’re having so many different aches and pains, especially recently. Whining is always allowed when running isn’t going well. I hope you can get them behind you quickly.
Our rain was pretty much limited to ten miles during our gravel grinder last Sunday. Bad timing, but what’cha gonna do?
this is so frustrating Jenny. You’ve been dealing with assorted injury and niggles for a while. I wonder if you’ve talked to a PE for do a full assessment and address the imbalance/weakness before they get worse. I’ve watched so many videos when I got my ankle inssue and it seems that many parts of niggles are linked. Hope you figure it out soon and can run without worry.
Jenny! I hope you’re able to figure that whole leg situation out! It’s got to be so frustrating to be doing all the right things, with all the strength and stretching, and still not have any idea if it’s going to be a problem or not on any particular day. I really, really hope things get better soon.