Out of shape, but not out of it

To say that I'm upset and frustrated would be an understatement. The issue with my hip has made me so out of shape and I can feel it. Don't get me wrong, since I began physical therapy I have gotten stronger and in general am in less pain. In the beginning, I could only be on the elliptical for 15mins and now that's been increased to 30 mins with 15 mins walk on the treadmill. It's slow going and every time I see my PT, I beg for more time. She laughs at how impatient I am and tells me that it's a process and will take time. I know she's right.

Apparently there are layers and layers of problems and we have to correct each one. *UGH* Another physical therapist looked at my hips and thinks that there may not be a tear. Yay for that because I so don't want to have surgery. I'm working like crazy and following all of their advice.

Here are a few exercises that I've been doing to strengthen and stabilize my hips and pelvic:







Running Times has a great article by Mackenzie Lobby (where I got the pics above) about weak hip and the issues they cause to the rest of our bodies.


Hopefully it will pay off because...

I've signed up for a LOT of races and I'm itching to start training. ^_^

Laughing...

My office sometimes has yoga classes during lunch and it's the best! It's a fantastic way to decompress during the day and I always leave feeling calm and refreshed.

The other day, our instructor had a completely different approach to class. She could see that we were all a bit stressed out and had low energy levels. We spent the entire class focusing on breathing and just being there. It's definitely hard not to let your mind wander to everything else you have to do or flashing back on the things you did that you want to change. It took so much energy for me to constantly remind myself of where I was and what it is that I wanted (and needed) to get out from this class. Near the end of it...I was there. I was present and breathing deeply.

And of course this is when there was a change up. Our instructor wanted us to look at each other and laugh. Ummm...what?! We all looked at each other sheepishly. She said "...just for one minute. That's it." She looked me in the eye and started laughing. I started to giggle and before you knew it, EVERYONE was laughing hysterically! We kept looking at each other and couldn't stop...even after the minute was up. It was such an amazing feeling. I left the class content and was so for the rest of the day. I want to laugh more often and be present in the moment for 2010.

Injury (Slight)

So....I have a slight tear in my left hip labral. It's been bothering me awhile now and I finally got it checked out. Until Spring, I cannot run or participate in high impact activities. :-/ This is not going to be fun. And I also have to start physical therapy (for 2 months) and anti-inflammatory medicine (for 1-2 months). After that I'll get checked out again and hopefully will not have to go through surgery.

I had hoped that I would be able to have done at least 2-3 races by Spring. So frustrating, but will have to regroup and make new goals for the year. After speaking with the doctor, I made sure to know what I could actually do. Ugh--to not move for months is my nightmare. To keep my fitness level, I've been working on the elliptical, bike and will try to get in some pool time as well.

It also looks like I'll be needing to make a new mix. The music on my shuffle is geared towards running and my body is used to moving in a certain way when I hear those songs. While at the gym the other day, it was incredibly difficult (and sad) not to get on a treadmill!! I can't wait to get clearance to run again!

The bad and the good

My left hip has been hurting--a lot. A dull ache that doesn't seem to be going away. And I've been reluctant in getting it checked out, but then it started hurting when I would sleep on it. Grr. I've eased back the running and have been concentrating on strength, especially my hip flexors. It's getting much stronger, but I did suck it up to make a doctor's appointment. I just want to make sure that it's nothing serious. *Fingers crossed*

The Running Company group run meet up. Time Warner Center

I started running with a running group and even though it's disbanded for the rest of the year, I'm looking forward to it starting back up in the new year. On Thursdays and Sundays, it's a women only group. Even though there are co-ed groups, and I would love to join them, right now, those are the only days that I can make. The women are awesome. So welcoming and encouraging. It was a wet, cool run in Central Park. We ran up E. 59th, did the top portion of the Resevoir and back down to W. 59th. All in all about 4.5 miles. Part of it and especially near the end, I could definitely feel my hips and low back, but it wasn't too terrible. I just need to relax more and not tense up my shoulders and arms. As long as I continue to do more strength training and watch my form, I think that next year, I'll be able to run more quality races.

Start over

So yesterday, I started actually running again. I took a strength class in the morning and ran after work along new paths. It was awesome to run along the Hudson River all the way from Harlem to the Upper West Side. I've been waiting and waiting for construction to be done and it was well worth it. The feeling of running along the water is incredible and so peaceful.

I do need to get some form of reflective gear now that it's getting darker much earlier. Coming back, I made sure that my iPod was lower and I was more aware. It wasn't too bad, plus there was still enough people running, biking, and roller blading. It's my new favorite path to run and hopefully it will keep me motivated throughout the long winter.

I'm following the Hal Higdon Intermediate training plan with some minor adjustments to the speed work (I'm not great at it and am not sure if I can follow what he has down). With additional strength and core work, I think I can get my time down from last year's 10K. I'm also running the Thanksgiving Day Columbus Turkey Trot (5miler) with my brother. So excited about that!! We've never run together, but I'm sure my competitive streak will be in high gear!

Punishment

It's amazing to me how fast you lose fitness even after being consistent for months or years. You take a few weeks off or in my case a month and half and it's all gone. I headed back to the gym yesterday and took a 30 min ab class and a spin class. Got.my.ass.kicked.

BUT I also felt awesome. I left sweaty with a giant smile on my face and a slight limp. Can't wait to go back tonight for boxing and another ab class with my favorite instructors.

Updates...

First off--a few photos from Barcelona. It feels like it was so long ago. I had an amazing time and if I didn't have the rest of the world to explore, I would want to go back there.

our (almost) daily walk to the beach

<--Montserrat (major hiking involved)

Delicious vegan lunch @ Vegetalia

beach day in Stiges

Because we were on our feet the entire day (and most nights), I only got in one official run. :-/ I was plenty sore and tired by the time I hit the bed though, so I'm going to count the entire vacation as one giant cross training.

After coming back, I had a week of work before heading home to Ohio for a week. Always love going home to spend time with family and friends. Had a fantastic time zip lining. First time ever and after a few tries, I caught on. Will post pics of that soon. While there, I was able to get in a few bike rides AND got a chance to hear Lance Armstrong speak at the kickoff to Pelotonia. Awesome.

Late August began the month of fasting for Ramadan so most if not all workouts were shelved until late September. I've been going a bit crazy waiting to get back to the gym/running. And since school also started up, I've been lax in the workout department. BUT. I am back or will be tomorrow when my gym membership becomes unfrozen. Love the fall and I can't wait to start working on new goals. :-)