“Running” to the bathroom: Advice for the LADIES (only*)…Beyond Kegels *(seriously guys, leave now)

If you pee when you sneeze, you really must read this.

The Running Commentary

The first time I heard of vaginal weights I was listening to Howard Stern on the radio, he was interviewing this guy who was complaining because he had divorced his wife a year ago and she started using vaginal weights soon after. She came back home just long enough to shag him once and show him what he was missing. At that point I was in my early twenties, was newly married and had no kids. I assumed that vaginal weights were some sort of dirty sex toy. 

Now fast forward 15 years. I am older, (almost 40) wiser, (I know there is no such thing as a dirty sex toy!) I have kids, (two to be precise) and I am a #runner. I hang out with ladies who confess to me that they plan their run routes according to available pee stops. I know women who examine race routes…

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“Running” to the bathroom: Advice for the LADIES (only*)…Beyond Kegels *(seriously guys, leave now)

The first time I heard of vaginal weights I was listening to Howard Stern on the radio, he was interviewing this guy who was complaining because he had divorced his wife a year ago and she started using vaginal weights soon after. She came back home just long enough to shag him once and show him what he was missing. At that point I was in my early twenties, was newly married and had no kids. I assumed that vaginal weights were some sort of dirty sex toy. 

Now fast forward 15 years. I am older, (almost 40) wiser, (I know there is no such thing as a dirty sex toy!) I have kids, (two to be precise) and I am a #runner. I hang out with ladies who confess to me that they plan their run routes according to available pee stops. I know women who examine race routes, studying where every port-o-poty is to determine if they can in fact finish the race without peeing themselves. Some ladies I know will only run at the gym on a track that is within just yards of the nearest restroom.

Not me, I’m just fine when I run…as long as I don’t stop. I can run ten miles and never have to worry about losing control, it’s when I stop briefly to let my dog sniff a mailbox that the floodgates suddenly open and I find myself bent over, clamping my crossed legs shut while yelling at myself for being an incontinent fool.

As women runners, we have two problems: we are women, and we are runners. Most women have had children and this drastically affects the muscles that control our bladder (pelvic muscles). The pressure of carrying a child weakens the pelvic muscles and seems to weaken the sphincter muscle which keeps the urethra (urine tube) closed. Even if you haven’t had kids, eventually you may have problems just because you have gone through menopause, which also seems to weaken the pelvic muscles.

But above all, as runners, we are continually pounding those same muscles, weakening them. Imagine yourself running and unless you are always squeezing your muscles, like you are actively trying not to pee, then your pelvic muscles are bouncing up and down freely like a huge bungee cord stretched loosely between to people. They stretch out and loosening more and more over time. Sadly, because we are runners, we are adding to the problem.

I’m sure you’ve tried Kegels; you know, the exercises where you stop your pee mid-stream repeatedly in an attempt to strengthen your pelvic muscles. The problem is, you have to remember to do them all the time in order to see any improvement. And if you take a break for a few days, you are back to square one.

Enter the vaginal weight. I can’t recall how I discovered these little things but I have to tell you that every day that has passed without me telling you all about them is a day I have felt guilty. I feel like I’ve been keeping a secret from a close friend…a secret that will make you stop peeing yourself. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

Vaginal weights usually come in sets, mine came in a set of six weights, each progressively heavier. You first figure out which weight is a good starting point for you. You do this by inserting the lightest, see if you can walk around without losing it, (i’m sorry, you just have to bear with me here) you should do this while wearing underwear because these things could break tile if dropped on it correctly. Once you find a weight you can’t hold, you use the weight that is one step lighter. This weight should be used for 15 minutes twice a day until you have no problem holding it. Then you start using the next heaviest weight the same way until finally you can hold the heaviest weight for 15 minutes twice a day. At that point you can go to once a day or a couple times a week to maintain pelvic muscle fitness.

I know this seems like a huge dedication but it really isn’t as bad as it sounds. If you make it a habit of using them in the morning while showering and getting ready it’s a perfect addition to your morning and evening ritual. You will be surprised how quickly you will advance through the weights, possibly in just a week or two. I did. And the best part? They really do work, and they work quickly.

A couple side notes: I noticed that the time of the month (your hormones) affect your pelvic muscle strength. Don’t get discouraged if you find yourself having to use lighter weights sometimes.

For added strength training and benefits, try walking up and down stairs while using them or doing light exercises. 

And finally, there is an added benefit that I didn’t mention but you’ve probably already figured out: they improve your sex life. If your husband throws a fuss about you spending a little cash on MORE exercise equipment, just tell him the truth: they aren’t weights, they are dirty little sex toys! He will get right on board.

Here is a link to Amazon, these are the weights that I bought. (I am now an affiliate on the suggestions of blog readers, hope you are not upset). I hope you have the same benefits. Please post in the comments if you are brave enough. And guys, if you read this whole thing I hope you have a little more respect for us ladies and all we go through!

#Running #women #exercise #incontinence #peeing

How McDonald’s Customers Can Save the World

You may think that huge corporations and endlessly wealthy people hold the most power, but you would be wrong. Those corporations and the rich people who run them are like little drooling puppies eager to please their master. The people who give them money are their masters. That is why McDonald’s customers, all 69 million that eat there each day, are the most powerful people on the planet.

This also means that those 69 million people who eat at McDonald’s each day, are responsible for the foreseeable end of the world.

You may think I am being a little harsh, after all, there are quite a few other burger, chicken (yes, even the religious ones) and pizza joint customers who are definitely doing their part to destroy this planet and all things living on it. But I point to McDonald’s because they are the leader in the fast food industry. They are the fast food company that all fast foods strive to be. They have led the way, set the standard, created the business model and all other fast food chains copy it…because McDonald’s is loaded.

The good news is that those 69 million people also have the power to save the world. Don’t believe me? Well consider this: Back in 1990, McDonald’s got a bad name for all the polystyrene waste it produced due to serving its burgers in plastic boxes. To avoid bad publicity, McDonald’s stopped using the plastic boxes and switched to the more environmentally friendly paper. Did they do it because they care about the environment? Hell no, they did it because they feared the loss of profits if they didn’t. But they did it, and that’s a good thing.

Or consider this: Back in 2000 McDonald’s single-handedly put an end to the GE (Genetically modified also known as GMO) potato. How did they do it? They simply told their French fry suppliers that they wouldn’t buy any French fries made from genetically modified potatoes. Why? Because their customers told them they wouldn’t eat GE potatoes.

McDonald’s customers are even more powerful than the government. When the fear of mad cow disease threatened the sales of their hamburgers, McDonald’s stepped in and managed to get their ground beef suppliers to provide safe meat when the FDA and USDA were not able to. Authority doesn’t hold a flame to the mighty dollar. With McDonald’s being the largest purchaser of ground beef and potatoes in the world, when they threaten to stop buying from you, you better listen.

The fact is, McDonald’s customers control the actions of McDonald’s. Don’t kid yourself, McDonald’s doesn’t care about you or your family, whether you get Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease or have a triple bi-pass because you eat their food every day. But they do care about the money you spend on their food every day, and are willing to do whatever you want them to in order to get you to walk through their door.

So what exactly are McDonald’s customers doing to destroy the world? Well, simply, they are demanding that McDonald’s supply them the cheapest, most convenient, tasty, addicting food on the planet. And McDonald’s is listening. Whatever it takes, they will do it. They love their customer’s (money).

If you eat at McDonald’s, you probably haven’t made it this far into the blog post, I’ve probably already lost you because McDonald’s customers are some of the most loyal customers out there. But I hope you are still reading because you are the one that I am really writing this to. You are the one that has the power to change all the things that are wrong with McDonald’s. If I still have you, please, read on.

You may not care about all the things McDonald’s does in order to get you the fast, cheap, convenient, tasty and addicting food you eat. But I’m guessing if you care about anything, than you should care about what McDonald’s is doing to SERVE YOU.

Here are a few things you might care about.

Animals
If you care about animals than you should not support an industry that causes clear cutting of rain forests. Because McDonald’s has become a global company which tries to Americanize each new country it invades. It has also brought with it the large consumption of beef which requires vast areas of grazing fields thus requiring the clear cutting of rain forests. Clear cutting of forests displaces wildlife and increases the rate of extinction. It also decreases the amount of precious trees on earth to filter our polluted air.

Not to mention the cattle. After a short time growing up, cattle are moved to feedlots for fattening-up and to wait until the beef market is at its peak so they can be slaughtered. The feedlots are vast enclosures with no grass. The cattle wade though their own excrement to eat vast quantities of grain laced with GMO corn and powdered protein made from dead animals including other cattle. Cattle are not designed to eat corn (or other animals) so are in a constant state of stomach upset not to mention that the environment the corn creates in the gut is ideal for pathogens like e coli to thrive. And by the way, as Americans we eat more than 1 million animals an hour.

If you support farmers you should not support MacDonald’s.
McDonald’s has probably done more to dissolve small farms than any other business in the world. With its high demands for cheap beef and potatoes large agribusinesses have eaten up small farms and monopolized the market pushing prices so low that no small farmer could ever compete. When people are eating McDonald’s, they are not eating locally sourced foods provided by small farmers.

If you care about people, especially immigrants, or on the other hand, American jobs, you should not support McDonald’s.
The meat-packing industry was once a great industry to work for, supplying good jobs to skilled laborers. Thanks to McDonald’s, the meat-packing industry has had to speed up the production of beef. Where a typical packing company used to kill 60 head of cattle an hour, now they kill and process over 300 an hour. The skilled laborers have been replaced with cheap, unskilled, often illiterate, sometimes illegal, and usually Hispanic laborers who are unable or unwilling to fight for their rights. One third of all workers are hurt on the job every year with little to no compensation. The jobs are dangerous and the facilities are run without surveillance by a governing body that can effectively change it.

If you don’t like people who hurt children or prey on children you should not support McDonald’s.
From the moment McDonald’s realized the vast amount of money that children could bring into their restaurants it began praying on them like a molester. It has for decades marketed its products to children creating a lifelong loyalty to the food. While most babies and toddlers will refuse McDonald’s food unless bribed with a cheap toy in a Happy Meal they soon develop a taste for it that lasts a lifetime. Those kids customers grow up to be adult customers. Kid customers of course beg their parents to go to McDonald’s after seeing all the commercials and toys being offered, and those parents eat even more than the kids.

What’s wrong with that you might ask? Well, that brings me to the next category.

If you care about your health, your children’s health, healthcare in America or the health of the world, you should not support McDonalds.

The food at McDonald’s has created a health crisis in America. Not only is it high in fat and sugar, laced with toxins and GMO’s but it is highly processed and void of any natural or unnatural nutrients. Obesity has been on the rise since the conception of McDonald’s and has two-thirds of our population overweight. Over one in three adults are either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Our children, 90% of whom eat at McDonald’s every month, many on a daily basis, are fatter and more unhealthy than ever before. Type 2 diabetes is up 21% since 2001 in children. One in every 3 three children born in 2000 will develop type two diabetes. This generation will be the first to live shorter lives than their parents. For the first time in history we are seeing hardening of the arteries in children.

If you care about the environment you should not support McDonald’s.

The obvious environmental impact that McDonald’s has on the environment is the vast amount of trash it produces on a daily basis, much of which ends up on the sides of roads by its most lovely customers. And now, thanks to the ‘healthy’ salad offering much of that trash isn’t biodegradable and is produced with petroleum.

McDonalds is the largest purchaser of beef in the world. As a result there are many unseen effects on the environment starting with the forests, many of which are rainforests, that are clear-cut for the grazing of cattle to the fact that it takes 4 to16 pounds (depending on who you ask) of grain to produce 1 pound of beef.

You see, cattle are the most expensive source of calories produced. They require more land than any other animal or crop and more water than pork, chicken or vegetable crops. Since cattle require so much grain (1.4 billion bushels of corn) to fatten them up we need to grow more corn which means more pesticide. Oh, and by the way, that corn is all genetically modified, which in itself had a profound irreversible effect on the environment. In case you missed it, check out my last post on GMO’s.

Where am I going with all this? Well, I want to offer hope. I know that our government will never come to our rescue, not when money is involved. It all comes down to money. And lucky for us, we are the ones who have the money. We hold the power. As consumers we have ability to save the world. Our actions directly influence the actions of biggest planet destroying companies. If you don’t like what they do, then for frick sake…quit supporting them.

.

Because the fate of the world…is in your hands.

Suggested reading and viewing:
Fast Food Nation, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Super Size Me, Food Matters, Forks Over Knives, Food Inc

 

 

Why I’m such a FREAK when it comes to GMO’s

If you’ve been following me on twitter lately, you may have noticed my focus going from running to running my mouth off against GMO’s.  It has upset some twipsters, but only 2 of the 60,000 I have following me have truly bumped heads with me on it.

In the following blog I am simply going to tell my story, and maybe rattle off just a few tidbits of information available on the subject.  If you are so inclined, you can seek more information on your own.  I’ve put links throughout this blog that will take you to places to learn the truth about GMOs.  And in the end, you can draw your own conclusion.

The Earth Open Source

I have a Masters degree in Veterinary Science. During my years working on that degree I had the honor of working with some amazing scientists.  Like many students, I was disillusioned into thinking that most research had the sole purpose of discovery, cures and evolving science. Along the way, and while working after receiving my degree I became aware that it is not.  Research is more about keeping students and post-docs employed and making the givers of grant money happy.

TheTruthAboutGMO.com

At most facilities that do scientific research, especially universities, PhD’s seek grant money from places like pharmaceutical and biotech companies.  That money is used to perform research on things like new drugs, vaccines, and so on.  But more than anything, that research money keeps labs going.  It pays for the lab techs, the grad student’s stipends, and the post-doc’s pay.  Without that money, people lose their jobs.  Many labs are run solely on grant money.

Exposing the Truth

You learn very quickly that you better come up with the results the company providing the funding wants, or they may take their business elsewhere.  That is all I’m going to say about that.  And by the way, it was while working in an immunology lab that I made the decision NOT to continue vaccinating my children.

The NonGMO project

I left research to raise my kids.  I simply could not work in a field doing research I didn’t agree with.

GMO Awareness + short video

Fast forward almost 10 years. I am a mother. I am an avid reader of all things related to nutrition, fitness, health, medicine, science and running.  I am a self proclaimed nutrition guru. My brain is packed full of alternative and non-alternative medicine, and can tell you what to do for your IT band injury.  But along the way, I learned about the corruption of our food.  It is nearly impossible to investigate nutrition without finding yourself on the dirty path that our food has taken to the modern day.

As a person who has first hand experience working in research, I do not bat an eye when I am told things like “Monsanto didn’t allow it to be published.” or “He lost his job because he tried to publish his research.”

Everyone says, “Show me the peer reviewed research!” or “The FDA says there is no difference between natural crops and GMO crops.” But they are so misinformed.

10 Reasons to avoid GMOs

Monsanto has spent millions of dollars educating the public about how safe their products are.  They have millions to do just that.  The small groups of scientists and citizens who know better don’t have millions to counter those commercials.

And as far as the research, well, thanks to the FDA, GMO’s don’t have to be tested for safety.  Our FDA is a messed up and overworked agency. They don’t have time to test every new product on the market.  If a company believes that their new product is generally recognized as safe (GRAS), they don’t need to test it.  If you want to create your own GMO product, you can put it on the market with no testing tomorrow.

Yes, Monsanto has paid for some testing. The studies were crap, they’ve ‘proven’ GMO’s are safe, big surprise. And they will stand behind those crappy experiments until the dead cows they killed come home.  Independent scientists and countries where it is banned have done research that proves otherwise. But I don’t need testing to know GMO’s are bad.

Seeing reports that entire herds of animals died after eating GMO cotton stocks–that’s telling.  Seeing the results of studies where mice die at twice the rate when fed GMO feed as compared to their control mice eating non-GMO– that’s telling.  The fact that wild animals won’t eat GMO crops…that says a lot.  And the fact that cows, squirrels, pigs, sheep, bison and rats will choose natural over GMO feed when offered both, that speaks volumes to me.  I can do that very experiment in my own back yard, and see the proof.

There are a slew of illnesses out there that are believed to be linked to GMO’s. Allergies, stomach issues, reproductive issues and developmental issues to name a few.

GMO’s do not help farmers, they are not going to end world hunger and are not good for the planet (ask the 60% of butterflies that die when their milkweed is exposed to GMO pollen). They increase the amount of pesticide needed, they don’t increase yield potential but reduce it over time, they create super-weeds that are resistant to herbicide, they can cause health issues and are less nutritious than natural foods (all information and scientific documentation can be found in the links provided).

I can go on and on…

But above all, I strive to feed my children the very best, least toxic food I can find.  And I am trying to support all actions that make our planet a better place for them to live.  That said, I don’t feed GMO’s to my children.  I buy organics, because that is the only way to know the food is GMO free and I fight for the labeling of GMOs.

If you want to know more, check out some of my links. I also suggest watching the movie, Genetic Roulette , The World According to Monsanto, Food inc. or if you are into reading, these books are extremely informative and site the research all those people beg for: Seeds of Deception, The World According to Monsanto,  The Unhealthy Truth, One Mother’s Shocking Investigation Into America’s Food Supply–And What Every Family Can do to Protect Themselves, (all of these links go to Amazon, not because they pay me…I wish, but because you can see the reviews and read the back cover).

And by the way, being GMO free makes me run faster! When you are healthy, you really do run faster:)

 

 

Who Cares? I do! (Just weeks away from my 20 year reunion…)

I sent out a tweet last week that said: Every time I think about eating garbage, I remind myself that my 20 year reunion is in less than a month. I had quite a few retweets and a couple of tweeps that said they had their reunions coming up this summer too… but the response that caught my attention was the reply that said: @dianeistrong, you shouldn’t care what others think. 

My mind instantly floated back to those afterschool specials with the heart-felt, all warmy-feeling messages about self-esteem and confidence.

You’re right, I thought, I shouldn’t care what people think of me.  But then I thought, the hell I shouldn’t! 

I’ve been staring at the nine bug bites on my stomach wondering when the hell they will go away. They’ve been there for weeks and I look like I have chickenpox!  It’s like they are trying to compete with the gallbladder surgery scars on my navel and between the rib cage.

I’m not nearly as concerned about those nine bites as I am about the six that are on by bikini line.  It looks like I got in a fight with a rusty razor.  (Sorry, no picture, I just couldn’t bring myself to post it.) This morning I found myself applying triple antibiotic ointment to them in hopes of a speedier healing.  The second day of our reunion is going to be spent at the beach (what kind of sick test is this!), I can’t have these things on me with 200+ classmates judging me.

Of course the rash I get in my armpits from my homemade deodorant probably won’t look too hot  with my swimsuit either.  If you catch me swimming or sunbathing with my shorts on and my arm held tight to my sides and my hands wrapped around my waist in a tangled mess then you can be sure the damn things didn’t heal in time.

I almost forgot about that line of cuts on the top of my shin that I re-nick every time I shave my legs.  Even if they did heal, I’m going to have white spots on my legs because I essentially shaved off my suntan.  There is one good thing about the nicks, they take away from the bulging varicose vein on the inside of my calf.  Beautiful.  In the right light, it looks like a really sick muscle.

And the scars.  They have really accumulated over the years.  The 12 inch scar on my arm (thank you Brad Clayton) was there at the ten-year reunion

but I have a few new ones to add.  Of course there are the Tiger Stripes (that’s what my hubby calls them anyway) on my lower back (thank you children), the silver dollar sized hole in my left leg (thank you Black Lab on the bike ride two years ago) and all those scars on my knees (thank you trail race where I biffed and two tough mudders), the scar from the gallbladder removal (as mention above)…I could go on but I’m pretty sure you get the gist.

It is very obvious that I am not perfect.  I am flawed like most people.  And if it weren’t for Facebook, that fact may be a little easier to admit.  See, when Facebook first arrived in my life about six years ago, I had just found running.  I found myself updating my status on a daily basis, bragging about how far I ran and what place I got at some local Podunk race. I still can’t help but tell everyone when I manage to do something that seems really awesome…at least to me.

Don’t we all seem kind of awesome in our own special way on Facebook?  Forever witty, only posting the very best pictures of ourselves.  It’s the persona we want the world to see (though my persona is especially challenged when it comes to spelling and grammar), especially the ‘friends’ we’re pretty sure won’t ever see again…except at our highschool reunion.

Of course, of the hundreds of friends I have on Facebook, only about twelve actually see my posts

and of those twelve people…maybe one or two might care, maybe.

So they are really the only people I need to maintain my persona  with.    This takes quite a bit of pressure off.  Unfortunately, I don’t know who those two people are.

And when I really think about it, those two people may or may not show up for the reunion so statistically there might be one person who cares.  And now that I think about it, what kind of judgmental, self-righteous, capricious, not to mention superficial, person would give a crap about some chick they went to school with twenty years ago?  I mean really, that’s a little sick, right?  Like maybe they need to be put away or confined…maybe have a little one-on-one with a doctor in a cold room painted lime green.  Right?  Are you feel’in me here?

Now that I take a closer look at the crazy, whacked-out egg, I can see who it is, it’s me. I’m the only one who cares what I look like at the reunion.  I can’t believe I just posted all those pictures of my flaws (they physical ones…haha, you don’t want to see pictures of the mental ones!) I feel better now that I have all that out on the table, however, thanks for listening.  This chick thanks you for it.

FREE BOOK: Reservoir Run

FREE BOOK: Reservoir Run.

FREE BOOK: Reservoir Run

I just wanted to let my faithful blog followers know that I am running a free promo for Reservior Run. It will be free at Amazon for the next three days (March 21-23)

Alison lays unconscious in a hospital bed after a long-distance training run leaves her half-dead at the bottom of a deep ravine. While Rick is a faithful husband, Alison gave him many reasons to attempt to kill her. The question of who tried to kill Alison hangs in the air while Rick waits impatiently for her to awake and assure him he’s innocent.

I hope you pick it up and enjoy it. Let me know what you think. If you get time, please write a review or rate it.

#FREE for the first time ever! Reservoir Run amzn.to/WBcQkj A training run gone bad…very, very bad. #Running #Suspense #short

RUNNER DOWN! When You Can’t Run

UNABLE TO RUN!

In 2009 I decided that after just three years of running, I was going to run my first marathon. Knowing I would need a mission behind my goal, I chose a foundation to raise money for : The Larry Frimanslund Oral Cancer Foundation. I signed up for the Twin Cities Medtronic Marathon and went about my training.

It wasn’t until my 17-mile long run, just eight weeks before the marathon, that I ran into trouble. It was my IT band. I took 4 days off and went out for a seven-mile test run. At three and a half miles I was unable to walk let alone run. The pain brought tears to my eyes and a sadness to my heart. The thought of not being able to finish my training and having to back-out of the marathon paralyzed me.

I sat on the side of the road contemplating how I would manage to get the 3.5 miles back home to my house. I thought about the book I was reading: Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall, and made a rash decision. I took off my shoes and started walking toward my house, there was no pain. With a shoe in each hand I worked my way into an easy jog and amazingly remained pain-free.

By the time I reached my home I had decided that I would finish my training, even if I had to run stocking-footed to do it.
It didn’t take too many mid-week runs to realize I couldn’t afford new socks every day and besides, my feet needed a little more protection from the gravel on the roads.

I experimented with shoes, finding that my flip-flops were the best for running in. I used medical tape to keep them on my feet and more tape to cover the blisters caused by the straps. My training went on without IT band pain.

Eventually I decided to purchase a pair of Vibram 5-fingers. It was those shoes that I ultimately ran (and jogged…and walked) my marathon in.
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What I did was stupid. I mean, yes, I finished my marathon and met my goal, but no one should go from a full shoe to a minimal shoe in the middle of training for a marathon. That was proven to me on the first run after my marathon. After a few days rest I went out for a simple three-mile run with my run club and returned with a stress fracture. Boom, six-weeks of no running.

I am still a minimalist runner, I don’t believe in arch support and especially believe that kids should start with a minimal shoe and remain in one their entire life. But that isn’t what this is about.

This is about not being able to run.

Running junkies the world over can be heard moaning when they are sidelined for even a few days. Many, like me, will risk major injury instead of taking much-needed rest and recovery. Our intense desire to run is remarkable, impressive, maybe even honorable…but it isn’t conducive to longevity.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR UNABLE TO RUN?

1. Take the time to research your condition and learn as much as you can about it. I guarantee you’re not the only one suffering with your condition. Find out what worked for others in your situation. Don’t take your doctor’s advice as gospel, he doesn’t know everything (especially if he isn’t a runner). Get second opinions, don’t be afraid of physical therapy, chiropractic’s, and alternative treatments like acupuncture, supplements and diet change to get you well.

2. Don’t return to running too soon. If you have a stress fracture, you need 4-6 weeks off, period. Coming back after 3 weeks because you don’t feel any pain is stupid. Don’t be stupid.

3. Don’t just sit there (not that you would anyway). Just because you can’t run doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. With most injuries you can still swim, cycle, do yoga and you can most definitely weight train. Even with a huge boot on my foot I could still ride my stationary bike for hours at a time and I could swim to sustain a certain amount of fitness.

4. Don’t get out of the loop. Don’t avoid your running friends or your run club. While your buddies are out running you can walk. Take part in the social time with your running friends. Talk about your injury, express the difficulty of not running and let them assure you that you’ll be back.

5. Don’t worry! Just because you are taking some time off doesn’t mean you’re going to have to start from scratch. Nor does it mean you will come back as a mediocre runner. I’ve seen it over and over, people not only return to run strong, but they run faster and stronger than ever before. I can only assume it is a result of the forced extended recovery time. After my stress fracture I returned to run my fasted half marathon ever.

I hope to bring some examples of people who have returned from injuries to inspire you. If you have a story, please feel free to tell everyone about it in the comments below! Happy running.

#running #injury #marathon #stressfracture #fracture #vibrum #borntorun #racing

Overcoming Pain: How Chiropractics Helped Me Run

(‘B’ IS FOR BACK PAIN)
I’ve been dealing with some issues lately and thought I would share it with you all in hopes you will gain something from my experience. This post is for runners, or anyone who has had to deal with pain.

It’s so hard to appreciate something when you don’t realize you have it. Moving without pain is taken for granted by all of us I think.

Pain has the ability to suck the happiness out of your day like no other thing. It takes the joy out of your most favorite activities and makes the simplest tasks seem like unmanageable obstacles.

Running is my cocaine. It starts my day, processes my tasks, plans my schedule, heals my fears…it is a welcome friend I cannot live without. I enjoy running. When pain becomes the only thing I feel when I run, my world falls apart.

A HISTORY OF BACK ISSUES
I’ve been dealing with back issues my whole life. Only a few times has it interfered with my life, and even then pain medication made it tolerable. I’ve always maintained a back strengthening regimen and done core exercised to stave off back pain. But after a fall from my bike last spring dislocated my sacrum, I entered into a downward spiral that came to a head this January.

As usual, I tried to train through the pain. Some days were worse than others, when it got really bad I would take a couple Naproxen Sodium and hope for the best. But when I found myself walking in the half marathon I ran in March, I knew something was really wrong. I don’t walk during races.

A few chiropractic treatments got the pain back to tolerable and I went on with the summer, agreeing with myself that I would take it easy this year, no real races, just fun stuff like the Tough Mudder.
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SLIPPING INTO A RUNNING HELL
As summer turned to fall, my running pace dipped slower and slower and my joy turned to drudgery. I began to dread my morning runs knowing they would be slow and painful. The pain turned to sciatica that made sitting and standing a miserable state while at the same time kept me up at night. My attitude was irritable with the constant nagging ache behind every answer to a question. I was miserable and miserable to be around; my family can verify this.

WEIGHT GAIN
To add gas to the fire, I began to slowly gain weight. As a person who monitors her weight daily, and has maintained a steady weight my entire adult life except for during pregnancies, I was at a loss for an explanation. No amount of exercise or food restriction managed to bring my weight back to the happy place. I found myself reaching for weight loss supplements…something I don’t ever do. They didn’t help, my weight kept rising. I was up about eight pounds and feeling a complete loss of control…something I don’t deal with easily.

A DESPERATE MOVE
In desperation I limped into a local chiropractic office to see if they had any specials going. I had an initial exam and given a treatment plan. This time, for the first time ever, I committed to following the full plan. I purchased a 20 visit package so that I wouldn’t quit after I got a little better, I signed on for the full six weeks.

The first week was up and down. My sciatica pain was magically relieved but replaced by severe lower back pain. In the second week the lower back pain resolved but was replaced by severe neck pain. Then the sciatica came back. By week four, almost nothing hurt.

While all the treatments were going on, I kept running. I had initially asked the doctor if running, biking or swimming was aggravating the problem and he said, “Maybe, but I’m not going to ask you to stop. I don’t want you to stop.” This was the best thing the doctor could have said to me. If he had said something else, I may not have gone back.

LOGGING MY PROGRESS
Anyway, on the Monday after the first two treatments I actually felt like going for a tempo-run. And every Monday after that I went for another tempo-run to gauge my progress. Amazingly, by the second week I found myself wanting to do speed work more than once a week. By the fourth week I had shaved 1:41 per mile off my run four weeks prior. All the runs were on the same stretch of road, for six miles. Here is the average pace for the four weeks:

Week prior: 9:36
Week one: 9:06
Week two: 8:32
Week three: 8:12
Week four: 7:54

THE HEAVY WEIGHT LIFTED
My weight had not only returned to normal, I dropped an extra two pounds. How you say? Well, I had to think hard to figure out why but I think the answer will make sense when you hear it. There are a few things but the main reason is the fact that the pain went away. When your body is in pain it releases cortisol. Cortisol causes your body to gain weight, especially in the mid-section.

As babies, when we cry, whether it be because we are wet, colicky or hungry, the first thing we are offered is food. Over time, our brains relate food with comfort. This causes havoc in many people’s lives, especially when they suffer from a lot of sadness and stress. But it can also cause a person in constant pain to reach for food when nothing else seems to work. Since I suffered with a constant ache in my left leg I was mindlessly reaching for food to comfort me. It wasn’t until I decided to document my calorie intake that I realized what I was doing. Now that I am aware of it, I reach for a drink of water instead and remind myself what I am doing. When the pain is gone, the behavior stops.

That’s the other thing: the X-rays the doctor took revealed gastric issues. No amount of colon cleanses or fiber seemed to resolve the fullness I felt in my mid-section. I realized what I needed was to practice what I preach and drink more water. Water cleanses the body like no other thing. I made a conscious effort to drink about eight glasses of water throughout the day. My waist gradually returned to the hourglass shape I was used to.

TO BE CONTINUED
It the words of my chiropractor, as you unwind the spine all other issues will disappear. And he wasn’t just talking about back pain. When your spine is healthy, signals reach the brain, organs function better, your body moves forward with less effort, thought processes clear.

I’m entering my fifth week of therapy and am feeling better and more alive than ever. I’m excited about racing this year, I think it could be my best year ever. I will keep you posted on the outcome.
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I'm also testing chiropractics on my son to see if it will help with bed wetting. After just three adjustments, he had his first dry night ever.

I should also mention that my chiropractor practices ABC chiropractics (Advanced Biostructural Correction)

#running #pain #chiropractics #weightloss #weightgain #bedwetting #backpain #sciatica #stress #cortisol #ABCchiropractics

Learning From Longevity: an interview with Dick (Running and Weight Loss)

I know I’ve been a little obsessed with Dick in my last few posts. I’ve teased you with Dick but not actually given you any real substance. So here it is: an interview with Dick, a man almost 70 years old who has been running for 50 years.

(Dick will list his favorite books on running and strength training at the end of this blog).

DS: Welcome to my Blog Dick.

Dick: Thanks for having me Diane.

DS: First off, how did it all start?

Dick: Back when I was nineteen, my baseball coach in #Texas told me I needed to run a mile before breakfast every morning to be a better #baseball player. Since then, running has evolved like so many other things. It turned into 2 miles on the track, then in the late 60’s and early 70’s during the running boom it turned into racing 10K’s.

DS: You’ve been running for 50 years, why do you run?

Dick: I get asked that question a lot and I ask that question a lot. I hear good answers: lose, weight, get in shape, feel good, etc. But there is only one correct answers, it’s “Because I enjoy it, it’s fun”.

DS: How do you avoid getting bored, and breaking down?

Dick: I always tell people the same thing: Never run the same distance, in the same place, at the same pace two days in a row. Change it up. This keeps you from getting bored AND hitting a plateau in your fitness.

Choose beautiful places to run, that helps too.

I used to run every day, but now that I’m 69, I run about 4 days a week. The other days I am in the gym. I am huge believer in weights and resistance training. All of my exercises involve my core (The core involves all muscles that attach to your hips, pelvis and lower back). Everything we do in life requires a strong core- running, lifting, bending, even sex.

DS: Thanks for mentioning sex Dick. If you were losing any of my readers, they are back now. I should mention that you have run 31 marathons since October 2001 (before that you had only run 3). What is a typical week for Dick?

Dick: Monday: 7-10 miles with 5-miles of intervals (my intervals are from repeat 400’s through repeat 1.2 miles)
Tuesday: 5-6 easy miles
Thursday: Hills 8-10 miles with a 5 mile tempo run in the middle
Saturday: Long run- Hills- 15-23 miles

DS: People always ask me if I’m scared running on these remote and narrow roads here in Kentucky. What about you, do you worry about getting hit by a car?

Dick: No, and here is why: 1) I don’t listen to music or wear a headset while I run. I can hear a car at least a mile away. 2) I wear bright clothing. 3) I run low-traffic roads. 4) I get off the road if necessary. Run smart.

DS: What is your advice for dealing with the highs and lows in temperature when running?

Dick: Dress appropriately, know your route, and prepare with water. Wear good high-tech clothing in layers that you can take off as needed. Know your roads, know the houses you can go to for help, the barns you can dive into if there is lightning. Plant water bottles along your route before your run if it’s really hot. Freeze them the night before if you need to. You can even drop some dry clothing mid-way in your run if you think you will be sweating a lot. I change right on the side of the road (see limited traffic roads above).

DS: A lot of people out there run to stay trim or get trim. Do you have any advice on losing weight?

Dick: Many people want to lose weight and think that if they run/jog that’s all they have to do. NOT so simple. My thoughts are:
First, don’t be concerned about “weight”. To me, body shape is much more important. How do you get on appealing body shape? Two ways: Diet and Exercise

Diet: Stay away from fad diets. Use basic common sense.
a) No fried foods
b) cut out/reduce simple carbs like sugar; candy, cereals, ice cream, etc.
c) EAT BROWN: brown rice, brown (whole wheat) pasta, brown (whole grain) breads
d) limit processed foods
e) very, very, limited fast foods
f) very, very limited soft drinks (see b above)
g) eat lots of fiber
h) eat beans
i) eat lots of fruits and vegetables

All of this must be in moderation. Limit your calorie intake.

DS: Now for some random questions. What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you while running?

Dick: Once on a run at 5:30pm, about 50 yards from a main highway I ran up on a couple screwing in a pick-up truck. Boy were they surprised.

DS: What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened?

Dick: One early morning, when it was completely black out, no moon, I ran head to head into another runner! I was so surprised, I thought I was the only one crazy enough to run at that time on my road. We both suffered black eyes, but other than that we were fine.

DS: What is the longest running stretch you’ve ever had?

Dick: Back in the 70’s I went 34 months without missing a day of running at least one mile.

DS: I know you have a list of books that you swear by. Let’s list them for people who want to still be running at age 70?

Dick:

Books on weight management: The Okinawa Program by Willcox, Willcox and Suzki
Dr. Bob Arnot’s Revolutionary Weight Control Program by Dr. Bob Arnot

Training: Power Training by Robert dos Remedios (A must read for weight training
The New Rules For Lifting for Abs by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

Running article: The Life of A Runner by Amby Burfoot in Runners World

#Running #training #weightloss #fitness #marathon #racing