Pay Attention

Two weeks ago today I was rear-ended at a stop light.  Had a sore neck for about a week, but last week felt "fine."  Two days after the accident I went to hot yoga after a run and struggled with poses that I'm usually rock solid in.  Hmmm.  Must be tired.

Then I ran an easy 10K in the COLD and felt my L iliotibial band starting to tighten up.  I blamed it on the cold, but it scared me because 10 years ago I had the same thing happen and it sidelined me for months.

A week later I finally got back to the gym for the first time since the accident and during my usual single leg stance balance and lunge exercises I could NOT stand on 1 foot for the life of me, especially the R foot.  I was struggling and looked like I was standing on quicksand.  It had been too long since my last workout and I left feeling weak.  I hate feeling weak.

Then yesterday I did my long run and after only 5K I felt the peroneal tendons in my L ankle start to ache.  After the run my L achilles seized up.  As I hobbled up the stairs to get food I wondered if I was falling apart a mere 3 weeks into my year long training schedule.

Then I looked in the mirror.  Those constant hunger pains had left me with some nicely developing abs.  No I do not spend long hours gazing in the mirror at myself.  But the trained physio eye in me did note that my abs were not symmetrical.  My R abdominals were more active, my L abs underactive, my hips were sitting at different heights.  A light switch came on.

My pelvis was out!  I did a few quick landmark measurements on myself and all of a sudden things made sense.  I was NOT falling apart.  I was just not quite together.  In my pelvis that is.

Way back in 2004 I struggled during my first marathon training season through severe left IT band syndrome.  I had tried EVERYTHING to treat it, but it only resolved when I discovered that my left sacroiliac joint was totally locked which made my pelvis dysfunctional.  Once that was treated, I ran the marathon (relatively) pain-free.

I could tell the same thing was happening again.  And it all started a few short weeks ago after being rear-ended with my R foot on the brake.  After a quick check-up by a coworker this morning here's a summary:

1) L leg longer 1/2"

2) L side of pelvis rotated forward

3) L SI joint very stiff

4) R SI joint very mobile (unstable)

5) hip flexors totally locked down

It is notable that since the accident I have not felt ANY low back or pelvic pain.  Upper back and neck pain yes, but no pelvic pain.  But there was a waterfall effect down my legs that started to create a mess all over the floor given enough time.

Result: A quick treatment at Foundation Rehabilitation Services @ The Pan Am Clinic where I work, and a lot of focused stretching and self muscle releases and I worked out today feeling like a rock.  Solid and stable on one leg and very much relieved that I had paid attention to the warning signs that something wasn't quite right.

My warning sign:  I know that I am rock solid in the single leg squat or stridder (click for video).  All the time.  After 2 workouts where I could not control my knee over my ankle I knew something was wrong.  This is a great self-check for any runner, as long as your strength is good and you can do a single leg squat during healthy times with no difficulty!

Moral of the story: Know your body.  Pay attention to your body.  React when you can tell something is not quite right.  I have the luxury of a trained eye and years of running experience to guide my instincts, but if you are not sure what's going on, get professional help.  I sure hope this is the last of my pelvic instability issues.  If not, my car insurance will hear from me :)

Winter Training in Canada

Further to my last post and in light of my race plans for 2016, I started my 20-week training block for the Grand Canyon Ultra on January 3.  Last week the temperature starting dropping and "real" winter descended upon southern Manitoba.  Up until that point, it had only reached approx -15C and my coldest run had been at -12C.

If one is to commit to an ultra-marathon, one needs to COMMIT.  Which means that runs need to happen regardless of your excuses, weather being the least of them.  When the thermometre started to drop into the -20's with windchill in the -30's, I started to question which I hated more: running on the treadmill, or running in the cold.

I have only done 3 seriously cold runs so far, so I am by no means an expert.  I am very fortunate to have some hardened and wizened Manitoban friends who gladly have been offering me all kinds of advice on clothing, hydration, face masks and general mindset, in addition to lending me gear.

One good thing about it finally getting really cold is that people have stopped telling me that "it's not cold yet, just you WAIT until it gets cold" every time I ran in a new personal cold record that didn't qualify as cold enough to the locals - sufficiently making me feel totally soft.

I was seriously initiated on Sunday when I ventured out to Birds Hill Park with Todd to do a few loops of the lovely winding wooded Bur Oak trail.  This is what I woke up to:

Gearing up to go outside - a tad terrified.  I lost the ski goggles quickly as they fogged up and were generally annoying.

Running Bur Oak - yes my mitts are off.  Sweat was dripping off my fingers.

So in my limited experience, the learning curve has been STEEP.  Here are a few things I've learned during my runs:

1) Listen to the experts.  And be grateful for friends who look out for you in your ignorance.

2) Layering is key. Up to -18C I need only 1 layer on my legs, and 2 layers under my wind jacket.  Colder than that I have experimented with adding 1-2 layers. Winter running can be expensive.

3) Do not wear waterproof wind pants when running in wind-chill of -36C.  The moisture will trap under them and you end up with a layer of ice and frost on your next layer.

4) Gortex shoes are a must.  I am in love with my Saucony Xodus 6.0 GTX shoes.  My feet have never been cold and they have awesome grip.  They are very stiff, but all shoes will be in cold temperatures, and they work ok for flat terrain. Not so great for hills.

5) I love the Cold Avenger Mask.  I hate face masks that stick to my mouth, get wet and then blow into my mouth with the wind, creating a feeling of suffocation.  The Avenger Mask fixed that problem for me, and warms the air before it enters my lungs.  I look like quite the crazy person running in it, but I honestly feel almost like I'm running on a warm day while wearing it.

6) You sweat a LOT more than when running in warm weather.  Sounds crazy, but it's true.  And you can't drink as much because your water freezes.  And then you would need to stop to pee, which would mean exposed fragile skin.  So I end up quite dehydrated after my winter runs and have followed advice to pre- and post-hydrate excessively.

7) I am told that you work 20% harder to run in the cold, and I would agree.  Possibly even more.  The energy expenditure to haul heavier shoes and clothing, run on slippery terrain and against the wind, and to simply to keep warm is enormous.

8) Do not stop once you've started.  It's amazing how warm I get while running even at -30+ but the instant I stop, the cold settles in really fast.

9) Mitts, not gloves.

10) It's all relative.  For every colder run that I do, I realize where the annoying comments telling me "it's not cold yet" came from.  Hence, gratitude for those days when it's only -10C!

The verdict: A sunny trail run in the snow at -36C wind chill beats the treadmill hands down.  As long as you dress accordingly, it's possible to run in the cold.  Is it my favourite thing in the world?  No, but any run day is a good day.

Now...when you're worried your car may not start after you've been running for a few hours, it may be time to reassess...but that wasn't me.  Nope.

Race Plans for 2016

In the 6 weeks since my last post, a few things have happened.  I've signed up for a few races, and winter decided to finally arrive for real in southern Manitoba.  Both things have brought out a little crazy in me.

Starting with the races, 2016 is going to be epic.  My best running year yet.  Two races on the calendar, both equally exciting and challenging.  Training for both to be done in a FLAT place.  I like a challenge.

1. Grand Canyon Ultra 50 Miler - May 21, 2016
I am so stoked to be heading to the Grand Canyon as it's a place I've wanted to visit for years, and the best way to see it is up close and personal.  Even better, my bestest running bud Sarah will be coming with me.  When I left Vancouver Island last summer, we made a pact that we would meet up for one race a year, and this was the race we chose for 2016.  I can't imagine a better way to see the GC than on foot, supported with food all along the way, emergency medical aid available, and travelling super light.  I plan to take many many pictures and savour the whole day.  A day or two in Vegas afterwards with Sarah won't be too hard to handle either!

That's going to be me in May!!!

2. Fat Dog 70 Miler - August 12-14, 2016
Since moving to Manitoba, I have made some really great running friends.  Somehow I stumbled upon Todd and Scott, a couple of amazing athletes and solid humans.  Scott had Fat Dog on his bucket list of races and decided this was the year to do 120 miles.  He convinced Todd to come with him, and when I heard about them going to BC to race, I joked that I couldn't let them go without me.  This led to an official invitation to join them, so I found myself setting my alarm for 2am Dec 15 to get up to register for the race.  And the Manitoba Dawgs were formed.

Just breathe...

I definitely am not up for 120 miles, but I do have a goal to do a 100 miler in 2017 (when I may or may not be turning a crucial age). So doing a 70 miler this year seems like the next logical next step.  And again, I am fuelled by gorgeous vistas, the smell of an evergreen forest, gnarly trails and long climbs.  I simply cannot wait to show the guys some BC mountains - up close and deeply personal.

Training for and and running an ultra marathon can easily become an all-consuming and frankly, selfish, endeavour.  Todd suggested that we give back and use our run to support a good cause.  We decided that we will be fundraising for Cancer Care Manitoba as we train to run a total of 310 miles combined.  Why?  Let's face it - who hasn't been touched by cancer?  We are in the process of registering with the organization, but please stay tuned with how you can donate to support Cancer Care.

I also plan to do a few shorter races, including the Spruce Woods Ultra as part of my taper for Grand Canyon, and if I'm not totally wrecked after Fat Dog, I plan to do the Lemming Loop again in October.

We are 1.5 weeks into January and I'm into my second week of my 20 week GC training cycle. It's winter in Manitoba.  Check out the rest of the story in my next post: Winter Training.

Running Strong and Injury-Free: Using the Off Season to Your Advantage

The race season is over.  There are no more race goals, no more training plans on the fridge.  The holiday season has arrived and it’s easy to lose focus and start running inconsistently, setting yourself up for a potential injury. Conversely, maybe you’ve been battling an injury all season and are hoping it will start to heal over the holidays.

The off-season is the prime time to check in with your body.  It’s an opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.  

Some primary causes of running injuries are:

• Training errors: This includes too much too soon, poor planning and periodization, and overtraining.
• Sub-optimal biomechanics: This leads to less ability to absorb training errors.
• Poor body alignment: Sometimes you can change this, sometime you can’t.
• Muscle Imbalances: Imbalances in strength and muscle length can lead to an asymmetrical gait pattern which is a big predicator of injury in runners.
• Lack of variety:  Running involves highly repetitive movement patterns that can lead to overuse of key muscles if each footstep lands on the ground in the same way.
• Incorrect or worn out shoes: This is less of a factor if you have addressed biomechanical, alignment and muscular factors, but should be considered.

Here are my top five suggestions for setting yourself up to be injury free in the new year.

• Slow down and do a self assessment.  Pay attention to those niggles and pains that you’ve been ignoring all season.
• Identify and correct the risk factors you can on your own.  If your gut is telling you something needs to be changed, follow your instinct.  Make changes slowly and gradually.
• Cross train.  When the weather precludes you from getting outside as much as you’d like, the off-season can present the perfect opportunity to add variety to your training through cross-training.  Consider activities like spinning, cross-country skiing, skating, weight training and yoga.
• Make a plan.  Take the time to develop a training plan for the next season or race.  Hiring a coach can provide invaluable guidance, but there are many good training plans available online.  This will help you train smart by increasing your mileage gradually and intelligently, and balancing hard training days with recovery and rest days. Recovery is as much a part of training as running hard, and it’s important to build rest into your plan.
• Get professional help in areas you can’t correct yourself.  Attempting to make changes to your biomechanics, alignment and strength are best done in the off-season, not at the peak of your training cycle when your body cannot absorb those changes well.  Having professional guidance can help you focus your efforts in the areas you need to address most.

If you are a runner who has been dealing with an injury for a long time with no resolution, or a runner who wants to prevent future injuries from occurring as you reach for your next big goal, you might want to consider visiting the Running and Gait Centre at the Pan Am Clinic for a 3D Biomechanical Gait Analysis.  The centre is the only clinic in Manitoba to offer this highly advanced assessment in a clinical setting.

3D Gait Analysis

During the assessment you will have 16 sensors attached to your joints, and five sensor clusters attached to your legs and pelvis. As you run, six cameras measure your gait pattern.  A report is generated with 16 gait variables, comparing you to a database of thousands of runners.  This data is combined with a very thorough physical assessment that seeks to correlate your gait report with your measures of alignment and muscle strength and length.

You will then return to the centre for a second visit where you will be presented with a comprehensive report and plan for addressing your individual risk factors and weaknesses.  Specific strengthening, stretching, shoe and orthotic recommendations, and targeted physiotherapy treatment will all result in improved running form and efficiency. Research has shown this method to be very effective in helping runners perform pain-free, and to their peak potential.

The Running and Gait Centre is currently accepting bookings for January 2016.  For more information, visit our website or call 204-805-1912.Kim Sénéchal is the lead physiotherapist at the Running & Gait Centre: Foundation Rehabilitation Services at the Pan Am Clinic.  She is also an ultra marathon runner and run coach.

NB: This article was written for the Manitoba Runner's Association newsletter, Dec 2015.

Let's Play!

Have you ever noticed how incredibly serious runners can be?  We analyze everything.  A GPS tells us our distance, speed, pace, cadence, heart rate, and compares us to everyone else who has ever run that route via Strava.  We painstakingly choose our shoes, analyzing the last, amount of motion control, heel to toe drop, weight, lacing mechanism, and color.  We hire coaches who develop training programs that are pinned to the fridge and we worry when we aren't able to complete them perfectly.  It gets even worse when a niggle starts to develop. Where is it coming from?  What am I doing wrong? Should I stop running?  Then we often seek professional help from those who are experts.  Ironically, I find myself one of those "experts" who is paid to perform a very detailed 3D analysis of a person's running gait and then a very thorough physical assessment as part of my job as the Lead Physiotherapist at the Running and Gait Centre at the Pan Am Clinic in Winnipeg.  Don't get me wrong - I love my job and can't believe I get paid to do what I do.  But all this analyzing can easily weigh me down.  It's easy to miss the forest for the trees.

A friend this week thanked me for "letting him play" with his running.  It took me back a bit.  We had been creatively brainstorming training options (see post: Creative Downhill Training: Flatlander Style), which was kind of fun. I told him that running SHOULD be playful and creative.  That's how innovation happens.  And then Sarah Seads posted something about playing in the woods (as she always does).  And it got me to thinking...again.

The next time you are at the park, watch little kids play and run.  They run for pure joy - chasing each other around, playing tag, twirling and dancing, holding hands and skipping.  As adults, we forget how to play.  And we forget that simple human movement is easiest way to play.

Playfulness starts with a mindset.  It starts with gratitude for the ability to run, and acknowledgement of the gift of the moment.  It starts with putting a smile on your face as you head out the door, and keeping it on as you run.  It continues with leaving the data-trackers at home.

Here are several ways to bring play back into your run:

• Get off the road.  Find a trail that winds up and down, around and around.  Don't worry about getting dirty or wet.  Jump in the puddles, get muddy.  Break your own trail in the snow.  Leave footprints that will make the next person wonder what in the world you were doing!
• Fartlek.  Fartlek means "speed play."  Add variety to your runs by changing speed continually like you would if you were a kid playing tag.  Better yet, play tag with your running partner!
• Use music. Put your entire music collection on shuffle and see what comes up.  Change your style of running and your pace based on the song.  You will run completely differently to Thunderstruck than you will to Barney's Christmas.  Just saying....
• Dance. Seriously.  This works especially well when running downhill on a trail.  But even on the flats, don't be afraid to add a little wiggle or a twirl when you're running...even if you have to wait until there is no one watching. I love dancing.
• Wear something crazy to a race or just for a training run: a funny hat, a tutu, a shirt with a funny saying.  Elicit a few laughs and you will feel playful.
• Smile and say hello to EVERYONE you pass.  Even if you pass them 3 times.  Hold out your hand for high fives.  The surprised smiles you get in return will brighten your day.
• Stop to make snow angels, appreciate your neighbourhood Christmas lights, or the roaring waterfalls.  Wherever you happen to run, look around you.

Longevity in running requires recognizing there is a time and a season for everything.  There is a time to be serious and train hard; and there is a time to lighten up and play.  Variety is a key element needed to run healthy, mentally and physically.  I need to remind myself of this regularly, especially now that it seems my whole life revolves around running.

So make this your December Challenge: to bring the play back into your life.  Get outside and let the rain fall off your eyelashes and the snow fall onto your cheeks.  And don't forget to smile :)

Creative Downhill Training: Flatlander Style

Over the past few weeks a friend and I have been brainstorming ways to creatively train for downhill running while living in a place with no hills.  My strength is downhill running, while it's his weakness.  I'm dealing with an injury (details forthcoming when I have a full diagnosis) that precludes me from uphill running.  So together we are motived to work on the eccentric component of downhill running.  I don't want to lose my secret weapon and he wants to develop his.

We are both planning on big races in 2016 that involve lots of downhill running out west.  It's actually been quite the process, evolving from epiphanies while on the way to a run..."I know!  I'll just put the treadmill up on blocks!"... to discussions on proper speed to simulate deceleration, matching leg speed to treadmill belt to avoid burning out the motor, adding weighted packs, and even my most recent idea: adding resistance band around the waist to pull me forward.  I've had a few laughs at myself, pondered the science, and gotten a few very strange looks from my physio colleagues as I experimented on our treadmill at work including "why do you want to run downhill?"

"Well," I responded, "because there are no hills here! And because I can't run uphill right now, so I'm going to make sure my quads don't lose their ability to run downhill.  That, and I'm curious."

Here is a video of Todd running on his treadmill propped up on blocks:

And are a few pictures of me running with the resistance band tied to a belt around my waist while running on the treadmill propped up on blocks.

And here is a short clip:

I personally haven't tried running with a weighted vest yet because I don't have one, but I was really impressed with the resistance band system.  Anyone who's run down a mountain on uneven terrain knows that sometimes you feel off balance, sometimes your foot lands perfectly under you, and sometimes it doesn't - and you have to instantaneously react to accommodate to that without breaking stride.  Well, running with the tension of the bands pulling me forward from three attachment points around my hips provided just enough unpredictable variability to simulate free running down a mountain, not quite sure where my foot was going to land.  In addition, I was instantly aware of how high my heel came up during swing phase. The bands immediately activated my posterior chain of muscles that eccentrically controls that controlled fall forward. Honestly, it was as exhilarating as a treadmill run could ever be for me.

The key to this is to start slowly if you are not used to downhill running.  Eccentric training is very effective but very demanding on your connective tissue and your quads.  It's easy for your form to fall apart really fast.  Copy with caution!

Feel free to laugh and call us crazy...and pick apart our running technique.  I have. This training is of course supplemented with eccentric training in the gym and eventually uphill training for me.  If anyone knows of a treadmill with a bigger range than +15% to -3% please let me know!

Scouting Spruce Woods

Today I ventured outside Winnipeg for the first time to run & explore Spruce Woods Provincial Park.  We drove 2 hours, ran for 5.5 hours (with some breaks) and drove 2 more hours home.  Welcome to trail running in Manitoba!  The Spruce Woods Ultra happens May 6-7, 2016 and before I solidify my 2016 race plans, I thought I should scout out the place.

A few trail runners that I met at the Lemming Loop lived up to the reputation that many trail runners have - kind, generous, laid-back.  Todd and Maria graciously picked me up at 6:00am and drove me out to the park to meet several other "Turtles" there to run in the cool rainy morning.

Todd and the Turtles (aka Charlie & his angels)

A quote from the race website: " The Spruce Woods Ultra race is unlike any other event in the province. First, it’s tough. Although it’s a run in the park, it is unlike any other run in the park you’ve seen in Manitoba."  As we drove along Hwy 1 heading west of Portage la Prairie, I gazed out at the FLAT land and wondered how hard this run was really going to be.  I was told, "you have no idea what you are in for."

I found evergreen trees in Manitoba!

Well, they were right.  I was very surprised to find myself running up and down and up and down...over and over again.  It was an unrelenting series of short flats, 20 high cadence paces up, 5 long strides down, repeat.  Sometimes no flats in between.  All those short ups and downs started to take a toll about 20K into our 40K run.  I couldn't just lock into a pace and slug up a hill, nor could I relax and squeal with delight as I flew down a hill (except in one place).  Changing speeds and cadence continually was demanding.  We managed to log almost 2000' of gain over the 40K.  No west coast profile, but nice!

I have to give a shout out to Todd and Maria who both ran 10-15 miles more than they would have had I not been there - simply to ensure that I got what I came for and got a good look at the park.  You guys rock!  Now I know what type of run I'll be in for if I sign up for the Spruce Woods Ultra.  And how much recovery time to allow before the next race.  This one will demand respect.  Thanks for the great time everyone.  Always good running with you!