Lisa Sabin’s - Running And Being

I am going to the gym later with my 13 year old daughter. She just finished her volleyball season and doesn’t know what to do with herself. She’s been a competitive gymnast and a dancer since she was 4 years old. She gave up gymnastics for volleyball a couple of years ago. She is so used to physical activity that she misses the outlet when she is not involved in sport. I guess she is a lot like me.

We bought her a gym membership this year for Christmas. I think it’s a good time for her to develop good healthy habits. She has gone through the youth strength training program at Bellevue Place Club, where I used to train. Today we start working on developing a strong core to help her with serving. The overhand serve has been tough for her, but she is a consistent player. She was able to make the starting line up after just a few games this year. Her dad has gotten involved with helping her practice. He played a lot of basketball growing up and has really had fun playing ball with his daughter.

It’s so beautiful out there that I’m tempted to take my golden retriever, Bo out for a little run before we hit the gym this afternoon. The last time I took him with me he was soooo slow. Right now he is snoozing on the coach. He thinks he’s one of the family. Okay, Bo, it’s time to go see what you’re made of.

Most of us runners would rather run than do anything else. I for one am addicted to the endorphins, sometimes to my own detriment. I am trying to come back from plantar fasciitis and I really need to stay on top of my physical therapy and strength training.

It’s tough to fit it all in sometimes. The thing that I usually skip is the weights. It’s just not my favorite thing. I struggle to include strength training in my routine, even though I know it’s good for me. Heck, I am a personal trainer and I design programs for people every day. I know what I should be doing!

I am also the mother of two teenagers. They can be pretty demanding with wanting clean clothes, lunch money and rides to the mall. The positive thing is they are more computer savy than I am. In fact we had one of our son’s friends connect us to wireless.

In spite of it all, I sometimes have a hard time getting things done. With all the snow days it’s been tough getting back into a routine.

Long story short…It’s a new quarter at school. Everyone is back on track. I have been working on a project for my business that’s pretty exciting. I was able to crank out a bunch of work on an today in a fairly short period of time without the usual interuptions. I even had time to go to the gym and lift weights!

Now, I am headed back to my project before I am bombarded with teens…..

Running is hard on your body. There is no question that some are born to run and others run even though they are not built for 26.2. I am the latter. I am a decent 1/2 marathon runner. I do very well in my age group at the 5K. I am more of an all around athlete than my skinny running friends.

Yet, for some reason I continue to challenge myself with endurance duathlons, marathons, STP one-day bike rides etc. Sometimes, I am not really sure why I do these things. The one thing I do know is that when I am out there running or cycling, I feel strong and alive. When I finish, whether I do well or not as well as I hoped, I feel good. I like the feeling of giving it my all and not holding back.

As a trainer, I like to read about training and usually buy books by Chris Carmichael and Bob Greene etc. I also like George Sheehan. When I read the stories of runner’s and triathletes I can relate. I recently read some great quotes on a blog from ironmed.. Check out his site.

There is a saying that writers, write. I think runner’s, run. It’s the first thing I think of in the morning, well, besides coffee!

The alarm went off at 5 am this morning. I don’t know why I agreed to run so early on a Saturday. I got up and put the coffee on. I am useless without my coffee, a true Seattlite. “Whose idea was this?” I asked my friend Michelle when she walked in the door dressed in several layers of REI clothing.

We were meeting her friend Sara, who can run sub 7 minute miles with ease. Sara had to be done running by 8 am. So, we agreed to forgo sleep and get the run out of the way.

It’s pitch black and freezing cold as we pull into the parking lot near Greenlake. Immediately we start running at a pretty fast clip, just to stay warm. We complete the 3.1 mile loop and I am thinking, we are only half way done and I’m dying. Our plan was to run 7 miles.

We stop at the car for some water. Good, I’m thinking I need a break. “Are you guys up for going up and over the hill and going around the lake again?”, asks Sara. She’s not even breathing hard. I’m thinking, I’ve got to give up the french fries, and drop some more weight. This sucks!

Michelle has a gu and is feeling great after that. Sara is easily running along chattering. I am breathing hard and slowing them down. My legs feel like lead. We make it around the lake again, just as the sun starts to rise. I push myself hard the last 1/4 mile. I just have to finish.

The good news is that I feel pretty good after running on the trails, the bad news is I don’t know if I can keep up with these girls! They are killing me!

I have had a couple of ulrasound hydrocortizone treatments now. I am still feeling pain during the first few minutes of running. I am trying to limit the running, and stick to soft surfaces.

I’ll get fitted for new orthodics next Friday. Yea! Can’t wait.

Meantime…It’s ice-massage and PT exercises.

I have some friends who are training for an Ironman this year. They have been doing triathlons for a few years now. In fact my friend Shelley and I did our first triathlon together, The Beneroya, Seafair.com in 2000. Her husband Mitch is an awesome cyclist and is a race director for Cascade.org

We have done a lot of cycling and running together. Mitch and Shelley have done lots of half-marathons, but this year they went to watch the Ironman up in Penticton, Canada, ironman.ca They signed up and started training.

One of the milestones in their training was to run a marathon. They just got back from Carlsbad, California. Here is the report:

We just got home from a long day of slooow walking, cursing airport ramps, and flopping in & out of my car. The quads have rebelled.

Except of course, that Mitch has already contracted the dreaded ‘Marathon Amnesia’. Clearly his cramping wasn’t as bad or as searing into his memory as he claims. He just said…..”This is warped, but I want to do another one!” Yes, sick indeed.

Way to go Mitch and Shelley…One step closer to Ironman. sdmarathon.com

I ran outside this morning along the waterfront in Kirkland. I had a gap in my schedule and it was the only time I could fit it in. Although the route was beautiful, it was on concrete.

I am paying for it now, with a painful left heel. Ouch! Hello plantar fasciitis. What a huge difference it makes to run on trails and softer surfaces!

The good news is I am seeing my podiatrist today. I am looking forward to ordering some orthodics. I want to put this behind me and move forward with my training.

Things are looking good. The hot yoga is really helping keep me in balance. I went to the Power Hot Yoga Class at hotyogaofkirkland.com yesterday. There were a lot of instructors in the 8 am class, which made it the most challenging yoga class I have ever taken. They modify everything so each person works at their own level. Lots of down dog, upward facing dog, chattarunga! I still like the part when I get to lie down in savasana(corpse pose)!

I had a massage from Rita, my favorite massage therapist later during the day. There was a big difference in my body this week vs. last week. Rita said the yoga is working well. It’s complementing the other cross-training I’m doing such as lifting weight and running.

I also lost 1.5 lbs, inspite of breaking down and eating tortilla chips on Thursday. It’s progress. One step closer to Boston….

How often should I train with resistance?

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends resistance training 2-3 times per week.

Runners can benefit from including resistance training 2-3 times per week during their off-season or base training phase. Resistance training can then be reduced to twice per week during the pre-season, when runners are spending more time doing speed work. Finally, reduce resistance training to 1-2 times per week for maintenance, during the racing season.

What exercises should I do?

Runners can benefit from including exercises for all the major muscle groups. Most runners will want to work on muscular endurance, using higher repetitions of specific exercises that relate to their sport. Keeping the number of repetitions at 12-15 or higher will work on muscular endurance.

Exercise Major Muscle Group

What is resistance training?

Resistance training involves conditioning the body using weights or resistance to help increase muscular strength, endurance, power or size.

Benefits of resistance training:
1. Decreases body fat
2. Increases lean body mass
3. Increases bone density
4. Increases metabolism

How can resistance training help my running?

Running is a cardiovascular exercise. Running will improve your body’s ability to transport oxygen to the working muscles. Running will increase your VO2MAX, and improve your cardiovascular fitness. Your heart won’t have to work as hard as you become more fit.

Adding resistance training to your running program will decrease body fat. You will have less non-working weight to carry on your runs. Your muscles will feel fresher. Tensile strength (tendons and ligaments) will increase. Your connective tissues will become stronger, and take stress away from the joints and muscle attachment sites. Resistance training if done correctly through a full range of motion can actually increase flexibility. Resistance training can help to balance muscular strength, thus helping to avoid injuries. Developing a strong core makes any movement easier and more efficient. Working the core muscles of the abs, gluteals, low back and hip flexors will help to improve running economy.

Lisa Sabin
Personal Fitness Trainer/Running Coach
HFI, American College of Sports Medicine
CPT, National Strength and Conditioning Association
Lisa.Sweat365.com

I’ve been a dedicated runner since 1994. My mileage has ranged between 15-50 miles per week. However, I usually fall into the 20-25 miles per week range. I have suffered from plantar fasciitis off and on throughout my “running career”.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and assists in maintaining stability of the foot and arch. The tension on the plantar fascia is increased during the push-off phase in running.

The symptoms of plantar fasciitis are pain in the heel. The pain is increased in the morning when I get up or after a long period of sitting. The pain decreases after the first few steps, after I warm up a bit and stretch.

When I run, it’s painful for the first few minutes and then I don’t notice it. I guess that’s why I’ve been able to keep running. The problem is that I need to get to the underlying cause if I am going to do another marathon. The danger is I could develop a heel spur, which would take an even longer recovery period. You know how much I hate taking time off. I gotta run, so I need to get to the bottom of this!

I have worn orthodics in the past and then found that the problem went away with trying different shoes. I have been wearing the Asics Gel Kayano’s, you know the expensive $135 ones? They worked for a while, I really loved the cushy feeling.

Apparently, your body changes and shoes that worked in the past may not work the same in the future. Sometimes the manufacturers alter the shoes. Slight differences in the runner or the construction of the shoes can make a difference.

Long story short….

I met with a physical therapist yesterday and she said “Neither of my feet are bad as far as pronation goes, the problem is that they are different. For some reason the arch on the left foot is higher and the muscles in the left foot are not as developed.” Her strategy for me is to reduce the inflammation by using ultra-sound and hydro-cortizone cream. Next we will start doing exercises that specifically work on increasing the strength on the left foot to balance with the right. I also need to get some new orthodics.

The good news is I have a clearer idea of what’s going on. I also have a plan for action. The next thing to do is find a podiatrist in Seattle that takes Premera Blue Cross insurance. Know anyone?