Erin Does Life.

My colleague who gave us Mingus is getting married tomorrow. We’re so happy for her, and she adores Mingus, and asks about him frequently. So we thought she might appreciate him getting dressed up for the occasion. I mean, cmon. Look at that face!

[ETA: To be clear, Mingus will be in attendance at the wedding in picture form only - I wouldn’t dream of forcing him to be at the event with a ton of strange people staring at him “in costume.” He’d be way too anxious.]

Hooray! It’s six weeks out - and she thinks it’s doable.

Problem is much like a couple of years ago - my right glute is not engaging as quickly or strongly as the left, so my hamstring and hip flexors have been taking over. How I escaped it last year, I’m not sure - perhaps more treadmill running this time around. My chiropracter was mentioning something about being careful with treadmills because of how they work glute muscles. I think I know why!

From what my PT was saying, and what I read here, it sounds like proximal hamstring syndrome. The symptoms are spot on. 

Runners with this injury typically feel the pain right up at the crease of the butt, somewhere near the ischial tuberosity (or the “sit bone”) which is the proximal attachment of the hamstrings. The pain is usually low enough that it is identified as a hamstring issue, and sometimes the pain will radiate down through the hamstrings and even the calf. Sometimes the pain is a little higher and will be labelled a gluteal or “piriformis” problem. When asked to point to where it hurts, the runner often will have a hard time putting their finger on exactly where the pain originates… 

The symptoms can range from chronic mild tightness in the area to more severe pain, especially during prolonged driving. In many cases it doesn’t hurt to actually run, but more afterwards.

Yep - driving is excruciating after about 20 minutes. And it always hurt after I stopped for my walk intervals. Let me tell you - my PT did some releases, and some she wasn’t even pushing that hard and I nearly jumped out of my skin. 

So, back in the pool I go. I’m doing some nerve “flossing” (essentially to get the nerve used to sliding past the hamstring) and some glute engagement exercises to get the glute muscles to “fire” like they should (apparently the right side is both slower and doesn’t fire as strongly. Weird asymmetry.) From there we’ll reassess running next week. Until then, it’s in the pool I go! (More on pool running soon.)

One advantage of the doing the Engine 2 challenge: I love Rip Esselstyn’s suggestion of sorbet + fresh fruit for dessert. So I’ve been experimenting more with  sorbet. Though I doubt this would be considered E2-friendly, it sure was tasty, refreshing and the whole thing was about 60 calories…

(1/2 cup = 60 calories)

+ 

= One very tasty float. Also, I love that the combination treats diet soda like dessert, which it should be. (You can also use the regular, sugar-sweetened ginger ale if you prefer not to use diet.)

Friends and followers,

So, as you might have guessed, I’ve been struggling, still.

*shocked face*

I’m officially on the DL. Seems the inflammation in my right glute that I experienced in my 2010 marathon training has come back with a vengeance. I’ve been able to run something like three times in the past two and a half weeks, which should be oh-so-awesome for marathon training (which is in six weeks.) I finally broke down (finally? Now? After losing almost two weeks of fitness???) and did my first pool workout last night, and have a standing commitment with my mother-in-law to go again every night this week. PT appointment is tomorrow.

I hate making big girl decisions, but I think I need to - I think it’s time to ratchet down my expectations for the Fargo Marathon. If I can complete the marathon without starting training for the Twin Cities Marathon (October) injured, I think that will be a major accomplishment, PLUS I will have retained much of my fitness from training last year. So all is not lost. But this will be yet another running first for me - the first marathon where I do not expect to see improvement in my time. 

Also, though I did finally reach my goal weight, I’ve been fluctuating like crazy within about three to four pounds of it. In some ways, I’m proud that I’ve largely kept around my marathon weight in October, through the holidays and the winter. But I’ve also been putting a considerable amount of energy into eating well - then eating less well - and it’s showing through a lack of progress overall.

Quite honestly, looking at my frame, I know I’m not at my ideal weight. I’m teetering on the edge of the “overweight” category. I did not come this far to teeter.

So, I have been trying new things. I started with Whole Foods’ Engine 2 challenge this month - learning to eat less processed foods. Like Paleo, Engine 2 is not 100% consistent, but I find the themes and emphasis on whole grains, fruits/veggies, lean protein and watching for excessive sodium, sugar and no added oil (I am flexible on this but it’s certainly opened my eyes) to be helpful.

I still find maintaining a calorie budget under 1,500 calories a day to be a real struggle, but I haven’t found a way to lose weight without it, even when I improve the quality of food I eat. That’s frustrating.

The National Weight Control Registry reports that those most successful with weight loss report working out an average of an hour a day, or about 6-7 hours a week. If that’s truly what’s required, I’ve been skating by - most of my runs were at most 50 minutes a day, and most less (40 minutes a day), and my long runs maybe an hour. Plus two rest days. 

I think this means I may have to go all Robin on this problem and actually integrate some activity well outside of my comfort zone. More strength training. More circuit training. More awesome training.

So. Thanks for bearing with a long and verbose post. I feel like I’ve been writing the same thing over and over again since October. But, though I am not making the progress I would like to, I am also not sliding back. The times I’ve gained over 5 lbs I’ve lost most of it. I’ve never gained more than 8 lbs. These are victories too, and I do need to remember that. Not regaining all that weight lost is a victory. Being at a normal BMI (even if oh-so-precariously) is a victory.

Also, I want to change something else - I want to focus more on supporting other folks’ journey and work rather than whining what feels incessantly focused on my own problems. I am really looking forward to catching up with your adventures and gaining strength from your experience, your struggles and your example. 

runningwithguts replied to your post: Engine 2 28 day challenge
If my breakfast is ever under 400 cal, I eat second breakfast or elevenses! ;)

Wow, really? And I’ve been eating 200 cal breakfasts like a schmuck!

Holy crap. FINALLY! I have been so close to this weight for 18 weeks. 18 weeks!! From the marathon in October to Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s to February to today.

I’ll do the official stats a bit later today, but this is HUGE.

So, trying something new, I signed up for the free Whole Foods Engine 2 28-day challenge. Anyone else on here following E2 guidelines? 

Engine 2 emphasizes whole foods and is vegan (which is helpful to me; sorry, paleos.) The rules focus on added sugars, salt and fats, as well as whole grains versus processed grain products.

Fats - keep the percentage of calories from fats below 25%. To make the math easier, assume 1 g fat = 10 calories. Exceptions include whole fats like nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocados, olives (rinsed to wash away salt) and soybeans.

Sodium - don’t eat foods that have more mg of sodium than calories. Exceptions: Condiments (though clearly overall the dish you add the condiment to should adhere as well.)

Sugar - The rule of three. Sugars should not be one of the first three ingredients, and the number of sugars on the label should be three or less.

I’m already having some trouble with the bread already in my house (added oils and sugars, oh my!). And on plan, there’s no Earth Balance (I used in moderation before, but still - so tasty!), and no added oil except pan spray (again, used in moderation before; this will be a new way of cooking for me.)

But I think this will be a good way to focus more on whole foods. Bad news: Engine 2 doesn’t believe in calories. The “Rip’s Big Bowl” that I keep hearing about has something like 400 calories in it!! For breakfast!! Whole foods are great, but calories are still calories. I’m going to use the recipes but portion them out to my calorie budget.

Lol @ at the humidity comment! Once when I went to Kansas, someone said it felt humid that night, and I thought, “What humidity?”

I know! Like I said, I never would have really guessed, except my hair just kept getting huge, no matter how much product I put in it! Then I looked up the weather, and there it was… : ) Small price to pay though. I would visit Charleston again in a second.

Look at you! You’re looking amazing sweetie! And definitely a beautiful sunset with nice temperatures in comparison to what you’ve been going through. :)

I love Charleston!

Thanks Nava! Yes indeed - some sun definitely helped.

Patti, I totally agree. I’d never been to Charleston, but I really enjoyed the town - beautiful wrought iron fences, cobblestones, gas lanterns on the sides of buildings. I got to run to Battery Park along the waterfront, and through Hampton Park near the Citadel. And things were blooming!

The one drawback to Charleston - the humidity. I couldn’t feel it just by breathing, but I kept wondering why my hair was getting so huge. By the end of the conference, I looked like a fraggle. Worth it. I would absolutely return (though probably not during the summer.)