Turkey Trotting

Alright, friends and family. It´s here. The new blog. With no posting yet, but that´ll come soon.

Turkey Trotting is where you shall now find me.

Goodbye for now, Chicks with Kicks. Hello Turkey (The country--though I do love me some turkey sandwich)!

Rollin' Down the Pipeline...

Soon, very soon, I'll be closing Chicks with Kicks. Well, closing in that I won't be posting any longer.

I began this blog a year ago with some major goals I wanted to accomplish as well as get other runners involved in order to help me and for me to help them. The experiment didn't quite go as I expected. Oh well. Mostly, I'm stopping because I've had to shelve my running goals.

I'm going to keep writing though, because my mother appreciates it, and because I'll be expecting my students next year to blog as well. Practice what you preach!!

I'm going to begin a new blog. I think I'll call it Turkey Trotting or the like. I want to still focus on athleticism, but because we're moving to a place that will be so out of the normal for me, I think there will be a lot of things I'll want to comment on publicly for friends and family. I've not had that much to say on the Ecuador blog because I think in a lot of ways we knew what to expect here. Over there, I have no clue. I mean, sort of I do. But not really. I have no conceptual frame of reference for what we're getting in to. So I'll write about it.

I'll keep Chicks with Kicks as a link from my new blog. And who knows--maybe one day I'll go back to the experiment. But now, I feel like I can only comment on a screwed knee soooo many times, you know? And so, adieu. I'll post one last time with my new blog address. Add it to your lists :-)
Ciao or Chao (as we spell it here)
Erin

Need Oxygen

The good news, no, the great news is that I don't need surgery.
Neither does Tim, if anyone was wondering.

In fact, nothing much is really wrong with me. I have some liquid in there, and inflammation and lack of blood flow.

The bad news is that I probably won't be able to really get back to running until we leave Quito. I just can't get enough oxygen here to fully heal. I've so far been to 3 of my 10 prescribed physical therapy sessions and nothing has yet changed. I'm also considering acupunture to try to stimulate blood-flow. But the guy requires a 10 session commitment. All the cabbing really adds up!

So, goals are being shelved. That was the hardest part. I wanted to do something really big for myself for my 30th birthday, but I can't. At least, not what I wanted to do, anyway.

I'll still participate in the 15k here--a combo of running and walking, sporting this year's much cooler school team uniform. I also plan to participate in the 4k on the 4th in Boulder. If you havn't registered, DO IT!! Beyond that, I'll just be looking at 5 and 10ks, I guess. Which is fine with me now--even enjoyable. I won't have to train hard.

At this point, I'm only allowing myself some mild disappointment--looking down the barrel of 7 more weeks of waiting. My friend began chemo this week to fight a brain tumor. And when you consider that, much else ceases to be important. I'm not going to allow myself to wallow. I can still walk. I can still run even, especially when I get back to a normal altitude (Quito is at 10,000 ft. if you didn't know).

And I will still be able to do so many wonderful things in Boulder this summer. Oh, how I've missed it all! So now I'm focusing on the good things to come. I'll run this summer, but it won't be the center of my world. My friends and being outside in some Colorado sunshine will be my focus and it will be excellent!

Waiting

Not gone. Just waiting.

I finally got in for an MRI yesterday, but I won't know the results till Tuesday or so. The orthopedic thinks it might be a meniscus fracture (a very easy and mild surgery to fix it). He can push on both sides of my meniscus, and it hurts real bad! If it's not a fracture, the meniscus simply isn't getting enough circulation/oxygen for some reason and so is inflamed. The cure? Oh, two or three weeks off. I resisted the urge to yell at him that it's been five months. Let's just see what the pictures say, first, shall we?

Interestingly, Tim has a fractured meniscus in the opposite knee. Think there's any chance of a two-for-one deal at the surgery super-store?

Erin Concedes

Gait analysis reveals I don't pronate. Great. Fantastic. Back to the drawing board.

The chiros think it's one of two things:
I really messed myself up running hard in shoes made for pronators--they correct for a problem I don't have. Or, I'm still sort of altitude sick and cannot heal until I go back down. Still, after a year and a half at 10,000 feet, I'm still doing that high-altitude breathing thing. This could be causing nerve damage because I'm not getting enough oxygen. The second explanation makes sense when we consider that my injury changes by week and we just seem to chase it around my leg, never getting to the cause and never fully getting rid of the pain.

Sooooo.....time for the MRI. I'm going to see a knee specialist. See if he has any other ideas or agrees with the chiros. But mostly I want to see what's going on in there--see if I have any real damage or if there are clues to the cause.

If the cause really is altitude, it's something I'll just have to continue to struggle with until we leave in June.

Bye-bye, marathon.

Gait Analysis: Last Ditch Effort

Tim and I are going to DC this week for his cousin's wedding. While there, I'm making one last attempt to heal in time to train for this marathon. I'm looking for a store where I can have a gait analysis--I'm worried I've got pronation issues and either need orthotics or different shoes or both.

When we get back from DC marks the date that I can still begin the training plan with enough time before the race. Currently, I'm running about 3 days a week, swimming two. My knee hurts me off and on, but not during running, which makes me think I must be re-doing something while running, and it hurts later because it gets inflamed. For about a week before I started running again, it was totally fine--didn't hurt at all. Now it seems to be coming back. That's why I think I may be re-injuring with my foot-plant and shoes.

At this point, I need a miracle cure--and shoes/orthotics might be it. If not, I'm going for that MRI to see if surgery is the only option left.

I'm getting to a point where I'm okay with what's going to happen. I don't think it's permanent--it can be cured. And while I might not reach my 30th birthday goal I set for this year, there's still plenty of things I can do in my 30th year of life (and beyond)--including the Intercontinental Marathon in Istanbul in October. I can run from Europe to Asia in one race. And that's rad. I also still plan on doing several shorter races in Colorado this summer. I can certainly get my fix that way too, and just work on the distance from there.

I still have hope and a good outlook. I'm thankful for what I'm able to do with my body and so I can be patient with whatever hiccup it's having right now. It'll be okay.

4 on the 4th

This post is happening now because that's how excited I am about getting back to Colorado for the summer, as soon as possible!!! I have missed Colorado, like I've missed skiing--like something has been misplaced. Like my leg.

Anyhoo, if you will be in the Boulder area on July 4th, you are coming to run Avery Brewing Company's 4 on the 4th with me! Don't worry, it's just a 4k and there's free beer. You can register at Active for, I think, $25.
This is not a suggestion.
This is what you are doing.

Erin Can Run!

Not very far, and not very fast, but I can do it! I ran two days in a row and don't hurt! Well, okay, my butt and hamstrings are sore, but my knee is not. Oh happiness. Eyes are back on the prize, but I am taking it easy and sticking to two days a week in the pool. And not just running in the water. I'm going to swim. It's been nice getting back into swimming. I thought I'd be incredibly bored but there's something so zen about cool water, muffled sound, and just counting, 1, 2, 3, breathe, 1, 2, 3, breathe....

Getting back up to my favorite place in Quito, Parque Metropolitano, was like a homecoming. Oh how I missed it so. And so, here is my ode to Metropolitano:

Parque Metropolitano, how I love thee--
Let me count the ways:
I love how the bad weather stops at your backside,
covers up Guapulo, but you keep it from swallowing my house.
I love your eucalyptus tree leaves
that rustle like the paper I separate before printer insertion.
I love you when the city is smoggy
because you are not.
I love your endless possibilities,
your miles of deserted trails that wind
connect, separate, disappear and reappear.
I love it when you give me a tan.
I love it that you're like a vacation.
I love it when the sun shines through you leaves
and the patterns and smells remind me of spring time in NC.
I love it that the citizens love you,
donate tax money to keep you clean,
and that they come in droves to celebrate you on the weekends.
But mostly, I love it that you give me a taste of home--
dirt trails, clean air, a beautiful place to run.
Thank you Parque Metropolitano,
for being a mere 5 minutes walk from my house.

Knee Progress

I just had a great appointment with the chiropractic team yesterday and we finally got to the root of some major problems. Turns out I've been carrying perma-cramp around in my calves for who knows how many years. Plus, the muscles in the back of my legs are so tight and so much stronger than the fronts, that they fight with my lats making my left leg tighten up to the point of being shorter than the other. So additionally, what's been going on in the back of my legs pulls my fibula out of it's rightful place--part of what pulls my knee-cap off where it's supposed to run. All of that causes me to walk and run without moving my hip. I almost swing my leg around because the back is too tight to allow follow-through. Crazy the things you learn about yourself.

So we had a long session of breaking down the muscles, putting bones back into place and some walking re-training. Seriously, I have to train myself how to walk properly. And when I walk the right way, I have zero pain in my knee. Freaking miracle. So, I'm first going to try a long walk in the park, and then, this week....wait for it.......I'm going to attempt to run on land!

I learned that I can swim and run in the water with no pain. So that and some core muscle work and stretching is about the extent of what I've been doing. I was so glad to learn that I can swim and run in the water without pain--Because that means that I can do part of my training in the water while I'm still healing up. I mean, it's not ideal and boring as all get-out, but at least I can do some form of running.

I think we're also on the verge of having our future figured out, so that will cause way less stress and tightening. My inability to relax may really be my biggest problem.

In Which Erin is Shit-Canned After Two Glasses of Wine

I've hit an all new tolerance low. Cheap drunk? Sure. How about, can't hang and has to be put to bed at 9:00 after what's a normal dinner for most? Yikes. My reputation is ruined. They'll no longer call me "Booze." They'll call me "Snooze."

In celebration of a full-week of strict diet, I went ahead and had that second glass. Wouldn't you? The good news is that it totally prepared me for my entire PINT of beer for Super Bowl Sunday. I am sooooo living on the edge.

But in all seriousness, I feel better than I have in years.

Additional pluses: I can swim AND deep water run without it hurting my knee. And the pool is walking distance. And I have a friend to go with so I don't bore myself to drowning.

Also, my knee has felt markedly better the last two days. And I was getting slightly hysterical. But things seem to be healing up in there.

Also, in the past, when I've been injured or was on some running hiatus, I wouldn't change how I was eating and would of course gain a good bit of weight which would in turn make me uber depressed and I would eat more. I am now officially avoiding that cycle.

I was right in the last post. I could almost see this being a life-style sort of thing. Now that I'm used to it, it's easy to only eat what I'm supposed to. I don't crave anything. I give this whole enterprise my stamp of approval.

Now, when the time comes, perhaps I will be able to train with the same sort of discipline my diet has required.....

Coming Down the Home-Stretch

So, two days to go on this super-low carb thing. And I feel fantastic! And cranky bitch is gone. But my knee does not feel fantastic, which was the point. More on that shortly.

Saturday marks the end of this try-it-for-a-week-and-see-how-it-goes thing. No, I'm not rushing to the ice cream shop or Mr. Bagel or anything. I'll slowly add in some carb--piece of toast here, a banana there, extra chocolate in my whey shake (microbrews in Boston).... But mostly, I think I'm going to try to maintain a super low amount until I'm able to train heavily again. I mean sheesh, if nothing else, this diet is keeping me thin and satisfied during a time of inactivity. I should probably keep with it awhile.

I did find myself looking longingly at a giant chocolate chip cookie today, though. So I know the addiction isn't broken. At least I know I can control it without tweaking out.

Next weekend will mark my third week off. Third week of rest. That's a long time to nurse a running injury. When we return from Boston, if there is not a marked changed, I'm going to go get my hundred dollar MRI (health care anywhere except the States is great) and see what's going on in there. The amount of time makes me worry--is it too damaged to heal on it's own? We don't replace knee cartilage naturally. So cross your fingers that the third week is the charm. I'm even crossing my toes.

In Which Erin Realizes She's a Cranky Bitch

But not during the day. Only at night. But I don't feel hungry. But I do feel decidedly not-right. But only at night. During the day I feel great. I have energy all day; I wake up happy and alert and ready to go. And then it gets dark. And the bitch emerges from the shadows to snap at Tim or get really annoyed with anything. Then I eat dinner. Then I crash.
Is this healthy?

I just don't know.
I pee lots, which means stuff is getting cleaned out. But I feel fat. I have way more all-day energy (which is an enormous benefit I wasn't even expecting), but my knee still hurts very much a lot. I still want chocolate, but am only consumed by this need mid-afternoon at which time I eat an apple or just wait it out, and then it's gone (And that is so noodle waxing!). I'm at least a two-cups-a-day coffee drinker, but now I only want one (this is getting strange and unusual). And you know that glass of wine I was allowed every night? I kind of don't want it. Mostly because I feel decidedly not-right at night. But also because I have absolutely no specific urgings of any kind. And if nothing else, I've realized I'm an eat-by-the-urges (and whatever Tim puts in front of me) kind of eater.

So...strange things are happening to me.
Honestly, I HATE having to obsess about food. I HATE having to plan ahead so that I will not be stuck hungry without things I can eat, and I HATE it that my knee still hurts.
But then again, what did I expect?
That for half a week I'd cut out carbs and miraculously shed 5 pounds, feel great, my knee would be in perfect health, and I'd have a fabulous tan to boot?
I guess I need to chill out.
Maybe I will have that wine tonight.

In other news: I've been gym hunting. Uuuggggggggghhhhhhhhh.
I bought goggles and a cap yesterday for the pool by my house. Double ugh.
But I can't do nothing. And currently, my knee is allowing for none of my somethings. I am trying not to get depressed and am now going into "healthy injury-recovery mode."

Day Two

It's not as hard as I thought it'd be--this whole restricted diet thingie. Mostly it's just a pain in the ass. I have to cook things and prepare things and mix things and wash things. Toast is oh-so-much simpler!

I'm pretty hungry too. But I think it's because while I've taken out the carbs, I'm not really replacing those calories with veggies and meat. I mean, I eat the same amount, but I guess a bunch of green beans doesn't have the same calories as pan de yuca or bread and buttah. So I'll need to figure that out.

Other than being slightly annoyed by how much I'm having to think about food, and how I'm a little bit hungry, I feel good. My energy has been even all day, both days. Actually, I would even say I feel "energetic," which is not a constant state of being for me. But I've not experienced any partway through the day lows or highs on energy.

And really, things were going swimmingly until the gas stove ran out of fuel this evening. And now I'm trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. I was explicitly told not to skip any meals. So now it's tuna salad or hard boiled eggs again.

The Great Protein Challenge

In addition to trying the Hydration Challenge (and wow, is it challenging!), I am going to try the Protein Challenge. What is the challenge?

Eat protein and veggies for a straight week. Exclusively.

Well. With some berries thrown in. I can have 60g of carbs a day.
Apparently, this is supposed to lube up my joints really nicely. The docs think my body is so inflamed and messed up that it's mimicking arthritis. And I guess this is diet recommended for arthritics.

I don't know how much I actually buy into stuff like that. Whole grains are good. But maybe it's better to teach your body how to burn fat and not rely on carbs for fuel?

What I do know is that my goal is fiercely important to me--I need to get fixed so that I can run. So I'm willing to try just about anything. This challenge will be particularly odd for me. I have NEVER tried to stick to a diet (starving aside), do a cleanse, or anything of that nature. I always thought I wouldn't have the will-power or that I eat pretty well as is, so why bother? If this doesn't lube my joints, doesn't make me feel better, yadda yadda yadda--then what it will at least do is break me of my sugar habit which is probably the best thing I could do for myself right now.

So here's to sashimi, bunless cheeseburgers, whey shakes, and lots of eggs.
Bottoms up.
Full report to follow in a week.

Update

So, the way I sleep, stand, breath and hold myself has given me some runner's knee and mild tendonitis. But not to fear! I'm getting it all straightened out. Or I guess I should say I'm getting me straightened out. I finally went to see Tim's chiropractic team--a multi-talented, multi-trained, married couple who seriously tag-team the session. Adjustments are much better with two people. One can distract the muscles while the other makes the adjustment.

Anyhoo, I'm going to need several sessions. I am seriously out-of-whack. But I think they can fix me, and I can fix me, and my knee will be fixed. It seems to be bearing the brunt of a lot of unnecessary pressure. The good news is that I'm taking care of this with plenty of time to spare for the race in July.

But I guess another cool thing is that they're more like total life coaches and sports doctors. The husband is an ultra-runner and the wife a sprinter. So they're going to help me with everything: nutrition and supplements, training, my running form, proper stretching and strengthening, and my hear-rate monitor! Que chevere!

Realism

The new year is a time for reflecting, making resolutions, and hoping you can stick to them. I generally don't like making resolutions because at the end of the year, if I feel I haven't really met them, I get a bit down about failure and all. But of course, my resolutions are always things like, be a better person, quit being so judgmental, be a better teacher....things I amazingly never live up to by the end of the year. So this year, I made concrete resolutions. But I'm not sharing them here. Because this blog is about my running. And my current goals were envisioned about 7 months ago. So they don't apply.

But some reflection and realism do apply. There is just no way I'm going to do an ultra this year. If I lived in the States, yes, sure, probably. But I don't live in the States and I've never even run a freakin' marathon. It's hard to do things here and I can't be out running past 6 pm. Or before 6 am. (Daylight) But that's not all of it. It's a pain in the ass to go to a gym and fill in or do strength training. A little company would be great, but other than Tim on a run here and there, I can't drag anyone out on this crusade with me. So, I'm letting the ultra go. For this summer. It's still something I'm utterly fascinated by and want to make a real attempt at--but I think I need to make sure I can first train for a marathon.

And so, with the new year, resolutions, reflections and reaslim, my goal has been set. I want to run the Leadville Trail Marathon on July 11th. It's the only trail marathon I can find when I know I will for sure be in Colorado. I've not yet registered because I decided this yesterday and have not yet sat down to the computer with credit card in hand. But I will soon. Even though my bib will read something like, 005. I just need to get it done. Make it real. Make it happen. Be something to work for. Something huge to me.