April 19, 2011

I RAN 4.5 MILES!!

Can I get a WOOT WOOT!!
HAPPY after my run.  And check out my new headphones...review coming soon! :)
So, I know 4.5miles is not a long distance, but for me, being able to run longer than 1 mile without pain is AWESOME!  You all know that I've been dealing with this nasty IT band injury since January.  I've been to my PT, done the exercises, and focused on strengthening the areas my PT felt were weak.  I have really been taking it easy on my runs, doing a RULK (run/walk) combo for each one, and running at a pace A LOT slower than my pre-injury days.  I started by doing .5M walk/.5M run, then increased it to .25M walk, .75Mrun, then increased it from there.
FINALLY, on Saturday I did a RULK of .25M walk/1.5M run and kept going until I reached the 4.5M run mark.  I felt awesome and almost back to normal again, but didn't want to push it.  I still have a lot of my fitness, but it's amazing how much "running" fitness you lose when you don't run on a regular basis.  The last thing I want to do is run too far, too soon and cause the IT to flare up again.

I don't know what exactly helped my IT band heal.  But, here are the things I think helped ME:
*  Taking a much needed rest from training.  I'll be the first to admit that I was totally overtrained when I did the AZ marathon.  My body was tired and I didn't listen.  Lesson learned!!
*  Strength exercises to strengthen my hips/glutes.  I really think the combo of my PT exercises and the TRX really helped.
* SLOWING down.  After the AZ marathon I tried running again at my normal pace and paid for it big time.  I think as runners, pace is such a big thing sometimes.  But, what I learned is that what really matters is that you're running at a pace that is working for you and not going to cause injuries.
*  My VFF Bikilas.  I started running in my VFF Bikilas again.  I started every RULK I did in my Bikilas and have now worked up to wearing them for 1.5M!  They are awesome and I love the way I feel when I run in them.
*  Running in a minimalist shoe.  I wish I could wear my Bikilas all the time, but my body is not ready for that yet.  So, the next best thing for me is running in a pair of minimalist shoes.  I absolutely love these shoes.  They are the isoTransition from Pearl Izumi and they are awesome!  They are meant to be worn sockless, but I'm not quite ready to experiment with that yet.  Plus, last time I tried that I got a huge blister!  I need to concentrate on getting my running back, so socks it is!

Hopefully, I'll be able to continue increasing my mileage without pain.  My training for IMAZ officially starts on Sunday, so I am just ecstatic that I'm finally getting better!!  Woohoo! :)

On a side note, I know today is supposed to be a Tasty Tuesday post, but I was just too excited about being able to run!!  I promise I'll get some Vegetarian and Humpastry Day recipes posted soon!

33 comments:

funderson said...

4.5 miles pain free rules!!!

Big Daddy Diesel said...

WOOT WOOT is right!!! This is great news!!!

Michelle Simmons said...

Awesome! Happy for you that you're on your way back! Good lessons too.... ;)

Julie said...

Woo hoo!!!! So excited for you!

Unknown said...

Yay! Glad to hear things are getting better!

Christi said...

The cow bell is a ringin' can you hear it!

A Prelude To... said...

You CAN get a WOOT! WOOT!!
Hooray for an awesome run. I'm so glad you are healing!!!!!! You know I know what it's like to get back to it. You must be on top of the world :D

Jill said...

I'm definitely giving you a woohoo!!! That is awesome and I couldn't be happier. I'm reading a lot on the minimalist shoe thing and am convinced it is the way to go for me. When I can run again! And when I do, we'll go for a run together. :)

Thanks for the wishes today!! :)

Annette@(running)In the Right Direction said...

Such a great post! Gives me something to look forward to! I've been out for the past 4 weeks due to an "almost" stress fracture. I was steps away from it happening. I look forward to being able to post a similar post!!! Keep up all the good work!

Molly said...

Yay for running and running without pain!!!

Unknown said...

YAY! That's fantastic news Aimee! :) So excited to hear the great news!

Jason said...

Congrats on the run. That is awesome news. I thought of you today as I wrote a proposal to a Chef Aimee who does cook vegetarian dishes. She is a personal chef for hire here in Dallas.....so she kind of took over the Tasty Tuesday for you in my book.

BTW - swing by the site tomorrow. You are going to want to chime in on vegetarianism and certain myths.

Jon said...

WOOT WOOT!!!!

Always great to hear that success has arrived!

tri like mary said...

Woot woot!! :-)

Teamarcia said...

Awesome news! WOOT WOOT for the run! You've been building back so wisely. WTG!

JC said...

WOOT WOOT! That is fantastic news! So happy for you.
Happy Easter too!

Running and living said...

SO happy for you! And I love Pearl Izumi minimalist shoes. THE BEST!

Unknown said...

Great news Aimee!

Shannon (IronTexasMommy) said...

Woot Woot!! Great job! Keep up the great work and yay for beginning IMAZ training! :)

DRog said...

Woot woot FOR SURE
very goodnews

The Triathlon Rx said...

Congrats on a successful run!! How do you like those PIs? We don't carry them at the running store I work at, but we do have tons of other minimalist shoes so I'm always curious!

Tiffany @ The Chi-Athlete said...

You got a W00t W00t! Awesome job, hon! Staying positive, staying positive, staying positive... :)

Nicole Orriëns said...

Good for you! I found your post very interesting because I'm just beginning to catch up on barefoot running!

I love your Bikilas, and would love to try them myself some time. I've bought a book about barefoot running, and I'm getting acquainted with the do's and don'ts.

I've started running on ProGrid Mirages to start making the transition to a more natural running style.

http://www.momshomerun.blogspot.com

AM! said...

Hi there!
Sorry you've been having ITB issues. ugh! but great you are running.

and very cool shoes. I too am reverting back to my minimal shoes and am sTOKED.

woo-hoo!

RunToTheFinish said...

girl i understand!! i remember coming back from ITB and it stunk. glad you are coming back!!

I am looovin my pearl's too

Tricia said...

woohoooo!!!

I love my Pi's too!

Lisa (bakebikeblog) said...

oh that IS awesome news!!!!!

Ironman By Thirty said...

WOOT WOOT! Is right! Way to go!

Austin said...

Love the VFF!!!!

Caratunk Girl said...

Aimee!! YAY!! I am so excited for you!!

Alexa said...

YEAH!!! sweet Vibrams btw!

Alisa said...

Yeah, glad your injury is finally getting all healed.

Wow, IM training starts on Sunday----wooooooo-hooooo! I'm still debating if I want to do the HIM in Sept.

Kurt @ Becoming An Ironman said...

That is awesome that you're going so far pain free!

I've been having some ITB pain myself recently (and pushing through it for the most part). I'd be interested to hear what kind of pain you have and what the PT suggested for exercises/stretches; I might need them myself.

becominganironman@hotmail.com