And it turned out so wrong. I’ve had a Very Angry Back for almost two weeks now.

A Busted Dog

I like to thank my dog Sara for my back. She’s a dog with nine lives who has managed to overdose on painkillers, avoid almost certain cancer, and has recovered almost completely from a pretty bad disc herniation. She also has a penchant for overdoing it when she’s running free, so she’s spent a good bit of time in the Cone of Shame while recovering from this and that cut.

Sara is happiest when she's running, too.

In November 2010, Sara progressively lost all use of her hips and down and regained it even slower. It was about 5 days downhill, and a good 9 months back up. Over a few months in that time, I carried her around or had to bend over to hold a sling to keep her back end moving. For me, that meant my own herniated disc.

Recovery
While Sara slowly regained use of her legs, it was hard not to laugh. She’s a very strong, independent dog, so she feels the need to Do Things Herself. Once while we were out hiking, she decided she wanted to run up to a puddle to drink. Well, her back end wasn’t working very well, so while her shoulders stopped, the rest of her kept going. Straight into the puddle, tail first. As I started feeling worse, and especially once I realized that my injury was as a result of caring for her, these kinds of episodes provided me with some comic relief.

In February 2011, just as Sara became mostly whole again, I realized I needed to rest and figure out what was wrong with me. An MRI showed my herniation, which was causing sciatica and had me taking Advil 4 times a day for the pain. I rested for the entire month of March while attending physical therapy. I came back in early April and slowly regained my old form, and then started to improve quickly. If you look at my race graph, you can see that it was almost as if I wasn’t injured.

All of my races, normalized with a simple formula so I can compare them. Here you can see where I was injured, came back, and then improved.

Back to Now
All of my recovery and improvement is great, but I still don’t have a week pass without my disc reminding me it’s not healed. I’ve heard it takes a long time to heal, and I may never be completely better from it.

The Pilates class took me back to about 50%. I’m feeling some sciatica, and there’s a lot more tightness in the muscles around my disc. However, I’ve managed to avoid taking any Advil, so I know it’s not all that bad. The hardest part is that running doesn’t hurt it, aside from the normal inflammation after a hard workout. Unfortunately, that normal inflammation on top of my injury is a bit much. The thing that really hurts, though, is sitting, bending over, and lifting things. You know, the things you do every day. It’s frustrating because I am as independent as my little dog, so Doing Things Myself is something I also like to do. Now, let’s hope my dog doesn’t laugh at me every time I stumble a bit as I empty the dishwasher!

Last Week
Well, I skipped my tempo run this week. And my long run. And about 20 total miles. I only ran 10 for the week. I took from Thursday till Sunday off, thinking that if I can take care of myself now, I’ll be better for the future. It’s still 8 weeks to my race, so I have time. I’m also confident that I won’t lose fitness if I do this right.

I plan to lower my miles for the coming week to 20-25 and make sure I’m icing, standing at work (which really helps), and letting others lift things for me. Finally, I will be watching myself carefully and resting if I need it. If anyone notices I have a weird stride over the next few weeks, let me know.

Let me be clear, I am hardly a “soldier.” I don’t often “suck it up and move on” when it comes to illness, aches and pains. I will run to urgent care if my nose runs for more than two days. I wasn’t toughing the pain out, I was in serious denial. I kept telling myself that the pain was normal and that it would eventually go away. Well, it didn’t, and after that discussion I could no longer deny it. So the following week, I made an appointment with an orthopedic specialist and prayed for the best. The problem was I couldn’t get an appointment until after the race. What to do? (Incidentally, my instructor knew I wouldn’t listen to her suggestion of cease and desist so we discussed an action plan to get me through the race that was just two weeks away. ) Rather foolishly, I completed the Richmond Half Marathon, limping by mile 7 and hobbling in agony through mile 11. It was the first time I seriously considered a DNF, if only the sweeper truck would have driven by. Adrenaline, a long downhill at the end of the course, and the prospect of pancakes got me to the finish line. It was a truly painful experience and I promised myself that I would do whatever I needed to do to heal properly. That meant I had to stop running cold turkey. And with that, I began my life on the sidelines.

Next up – diagnosis and recovery.

~Cass

There was a discussion about increasing group participation, the Olympic Trials, my obsession with data, and an affirmation of why running is so great.

Group Participation
Every group I have been a part of has been interested in increasing membership and making sure they are welcoming to newcomers. It’s intimidating to just show up for a run when you don’t know anyone, how fast they run, and if you’ll “ruin” someone’s workout (hint, you won’t).

The only reason I first showed up was because I had signed up for Running Start. I thought I was a failed runner for all the times I quit. I was pretty down on myself about it. Happily, I did have Running Start to ease me in to the group, and I got past that initial worry that I wasn’t Good Enough. I was Good Enough, I learned, just by showing up. That’s not always true for every sport or activity, but to be a runner is to run. I realized it didn’t matter your speed or miles per week, it is just running.

Olympic Marathon Trials
On Saturday, elite runners from all over the US competed for a spot on the 2012 Olympic Marathon teams. The top four men finished in less than 2:10, which was the first time that many American men finished that quickly. The women’s winner, Shalane Flanagan, won in 2:25:37.

The two teams have a chance to do good things later this year in London, but for most runners, even making the Trials is a career achievement. For others, completing a marathon is more than enough to dream about. However, watching these elite runners go about their jobs really inspires me. My goal of breaking 2 hours in a half marathon this year is doable. I totally believe it now since Desi Davila can run a marathon in less than 2:30:00. Could you even imagine running a 5:20 pace for 2:30:00? I can barely do that for 0:00:30! No matter what, their success proves I can meet my goal with time, proper care and a bunch of the right training.

Kate and The Spreadsheet
While the super fast elites were running their race Saturday morning, I was running a race of my own. Cindy, Elaine, and I did the Shooting Starr 4 miler, which is a Montgomery County Road Runners low key race ($10 for non members, free for members! Check it out!). After the race, we were sitting in the cafeteria of the middle school I attended (much smaller than I remembered, by the way). We were chatting about race times and generally getting faster.

Now, I am a bit of a data freak. I keep this spreadsheet that’s got all kinds of data. I weigh myself every morning. I also record a “fat percentage,” which is soooo not accurate. I keep track of my resting heart rate now and then, and I log my miles and what I did and how I felt. I also record my race times and manage my training plan there. I make graphs and use silly formulas. Lately, I’ve gotten even more motivated with it and added some more sophisticated data tracking. I also just rearranged everything and set the fonts to make it prettier. It’s probably (more than) a little silly, but I enjoy trying to make it easy to get insights on my training.

So I mention one or the other of my new data-tracking efforts, and Elaine points out that if she kept all that data, she’d expect to win some races. Of course, I won’t be winning races, like, ever. It’s all about enjoying keeping my data, watching it, and trying to make it, and me, better. A little like why I run. Or perhaps exactly why I run.

An Affirmation
All of this leads to the affirmation of why I love this sport. Naturalist-runner-blogger Andrea and I spent some time Monday making trouble talking about things little and big. At one point, we were talking about the difference of racing against yourself and racing to win an award. We both really only have a chance of placing in our age groups, and each of us have won an award exactly once in our respective careers.

Andrea then pointed out that the reason she loves running is that she competes with herself. And she’s so right. I don’t come out every day so I can run faster than anyone. It’s sure nice if that I have people to pace with and people to chase, but they’re also different enough that I can’t compare myself to them very well. But when it comes down to it, I’m there to get faster than last week’s version of me. Where else do you get to isolate so many variables and make the competition really against yourself?

Week Recap
I put in 29.5 miles this week. I put in three hard workouts and two easy ones. I was especially happy with the track workout and being able to keep up with Elaine on our long run. I took a Pilates class on Wednesday, but I’ll probably have to quit. It really aggravated my back and I’m still recovering now five days later. I’m rather used to back pain by now, and running doesn’t make it much worse, so I’m careful to listen to my body and stop if I have to.

This week, I’m going to be adding a tempo run as my third hard day. Tempo runs are meant to increase your body’s toleration of whatever your race pace will be. I think these runs really helped me in my last training cycle, so I’m (sort of) looking forward to them. They’re incredibly tough so I’ll be hating life during the run, but I think I’ll be happy with the results I see. Wish me luck!

Left: leaf-covered erosion bar Right: an entire hill of them

Erosion control measures:  Have you ever been on a run or hike through the woods and thought, “oh look, steps!”  The “steps” are usually wooden bars put into a man-made trail to try and counteract the natural erosion (usually runoff) incurred by the unnatural occurrence of a trail popping up in the middle of what was once undisturbed ground.  The hazard level presented by erosion control bars varies dependent upon the weather, season, hill steepness, and the diligence of the Eagle Scout who installed them.  Erosion bars become slippery at even the suggestion of rain, snow, or ice; proceed with caution when approaching them in winter.  Or ever.  Many thanks to my co-worker Beth for helping demonstrate the lurking danger of half-hidden erosion control measures!

Roots: Tree roots can hide in plain sight. Below are some roots on the (perfectly cleared) path around the lake in the park where I work.  I named the large, boot-sized one Charlie.  Exposed tree roots are commonly found on packed dirt trails where the constant use has eroded away the dirt originally covering them.  Their city-dwelling cousins, the under-the-asphalt-root-deathtrap can be found on paved trails and sidewalks.  Have a sudden, inexplicable hump in the path?  Probably a tree root.

Who needs to run through tires for an agility drill when you have roots?

The bottom line:  Be vigilant while running in the out of doors and you can have a lovely and refreshing experience.  Be prudent about slowing down on icy patches and steep inclines or declines wherein erosion bars may lurk.  If the leaves are so deep you cannot directly feel the ground, you probably shouldn’t be running in that spot.  If there are trees, the roots have to be somewhere nearby.  If there’s a cut trail, there will be erosion which can lead to erosion prevention measures, exposed roots, and unstable and slippery terrain.  Please be careful, and avoid the people-eating roots!

I have a knee scar courtesy of Charlie

It’s a good time to do it. I’m back in the rhythm after the holidays and I know my first half will be here sooner than I think.

Finishing up 2011
In December, I mostly put up 25 mile weeks, aside from a week on vacation. I raced twice, both on my trip. I also ran a mock half on December 26.

My first race was in Denver. The whole lack-of-oxygen thing is for real. I had no expectation going into my 5K, and it was a good thing. I ran a 28:35, where my PR is 25:51. It was impressive how hard it was to run, but it explains why you’d want to train at altitude if you could. My second race was in Palo Alto, CA. It was at sea level and totally flat. I ran the 4.8 miles at an 8:30 pace, which was one of the fastest races I’ve run at any distance.

I didn’t run all the miles or as hard as I liked in December, but managed 99 miles and at least maintained my fitness.

Week in Review
This week: 31 miles. Long run was the Al Lewis 10 miler in Kensington. It was a race instead of something easy, but that was fine. I put in a lot of easy miles the rest of the week and decided I wanted to see how hard I could go. It turned out to be a PR, 1:32:29 (a 9:15 pace). That’s pretty close to the pace I want to run the half, so I’m pretty satisfied.

A number of other PGRC runners were at this race. I saw Lloyd Rawley, Kirk Gordon, Sharyn Gordon, Erica Baines, Ronnette Thompson, Cindy Cohen, Elaine Bond, and Gary Paradee. And I know I’m missing a few of you, so feel free to let me know in the comments.

The best part of the race was that it started a few miles from where I grew up, so I got to see the area, including my elementary school and the house I grew up in. The fun will only continue next week, when I do the Shooting Starr 4 miler at Sligo Middle, where I also attended.

In addition to the 4 miler, I plan on putting in 30 or so total miles. We’re doing one of my favorite track workouts: 10×2:00, which for me is a bit more than 400m. For my long run, I’ll do 8. My goal this week will be to work just a bit harder than I did last week.

New Year, New Runners
On Saturday, our newest training program started. They’re training for our spring race, Springburst. Some of them are new runners, others are trying to start up again. All of them are trying to make fitness and a healthy lifestyle a habit.

Last year, I was a pace leader for this program. What an amazing group of runners. I went in thinking I’d be teaching them, and they ended up teaching me so much more. I’m always inspired by the runners I meet, but those who manage to get out in the dead of winter are a tougher lot. Not that this winter has been especially cold here in DC, but there’s something about getting out at this time of year. Darkness, the cold, everything.

If I could say one thing to them, it would be this: Just walk out the front door, if only for 15 minutes. You’ll be happy you went.

How about you? What would you tell the members of the 8K group?

Well, I’ll do other stuff too, but the focus is the half marathon. It’s a middle distance race that’s just out of my comfort zone. I have no interest in marathons. Too many variables, too much training time. 5Ks and 10Ks are great, but they don’t feel like the Monumental Accomplishment that I like my goals to be. So I settled on the half marathon.

Who Am I?
I’m Kate. I’m a runner, a hockey player, a pet owner, a web developer and someone who wants to be Really Good at whatever I decide do. I’m stubborn, caring, like to make and eat good food, and I got my degree in elementary education. I’m a native of the DC area, growing up in Kensington, but living in Prince George’s County since 2006. I’ve lived in all three jurisdictions, even venturing into the hinterlands of Alexandria, VA for three years. I went to the University of Maryland, spending four years as a trumpet player in the marching and jazz bands. I’ve been a runner since 2010, but an athlete all my life. Soccer, softball, baseball, gymnastics, basketball, field hockey, and now street hockey (don’t ask me to skate!), I’ve been involved in team sports since I was seven. These days, I play hockey and softball. I even tried out for the ball/street hockey national team in 2005.

How did I get here?
So. Running. That’s what I’m here to talk about. I was never a runner before 2010. Shin splints got me every time I tried. I still remember my first bout with them: I was 15 and playing my first season of field hockey. It was horrible, just awful pain. And it’s not like you can massage under your shins very well. I did make it past the pain that season, but it was very hard for a few weeks. As I got older and tried to run, I didn’t realize that shin splints are an injury I could work through if I did it right. I always hit the wall at the massive shin splint pain and quit.

Fast forward to late 2009. I was sitting at a weak 180 pounds, and it bothered me I didn’t have the endurance to play hockey as hard as I used to. I got winded on the stairs. It was stupid. One evening, I thought it might be fun to do a triathlon. “I’m not scared of the water,” I told myself. “And biking is fun. But running? I’d have to slog through that part.”

I’m the kind of person who has a ton of ideas and almost none of them come to fruition. But the ones that do? Look out. You can’t stop me from a goal once I commit to it.

In March 2010, I started my triathlon adventure. I signed up for swim classes, and started riding. I consciously avoided running, though I did pick up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSOs. I kept my head in the sand on the running, only going out once a week or so until I saw a flier about PGRC’s Running Start program. I signed up, ran my mile time trial in 10:50. I did it without stopping, which shocked me at the time.

Running Start was great. I committed to something, which meant I would show up and do the best I could. On the very first day, I met people who would become my friends and training partners. That doesn’t mean it was all sunshine and ponies. It was hard, my shins hurt, and the track workouts were so boring. Despite all the negatives, I knew I found something I could work at and enjoy.

Still, I was doing this for a triathlon, and the triathlon was in October. I had done a few road races, a swim+run event, and many, but not really enough, hours of training. Standing on the edge of an inlet south of Ocean City in a wetsuit, I asked myself what on earth I was thinking. In the water I had my requisite panic attack, then convinced myself to doggy paddle my way through. I had paid $85 for this “privilege,” so I better keep going. And I’m glad I did. I loved the bike portion, and I met some fun people during the run.

Injuries and Becoming a Runner
In November, I signed up for the National Half Marathon in March 2011 and decided to focus mostly on running and swimming all winter. In November, my dog Sara herniated a disc in her lower back. Sara is a dog who appears to have nine lives, which I’m sure I’ll talk about some day. She couldn’t walk for a few weeks, so I had to lift her 50lbs way more often than I should have. Over the year, she’s regained 90-95% of her ability to get around, but all the pressure on my back led me to a herniation of the L5-S1 disc.

I slowly figured this out through the winter, and after doing the Mardi Gras Half Marathon in New Orleans in February, I had to stop running due to various injuries: pulled calf muscles, sciatica, other random soreness. They were all related to disc problem, of course. I had to skip the National Half. I was so angry. I hate having to give up a goal. After a month off combined with physical therapy, I was able to resume training. The disc still bothers me, and it may for a long time. I just have to be careful with it and make sure I keep my core strong.

After I did another triathlon in June, I had to admit to myself how much I hated swimming. I decided to dedicate myself to running. My friends were runners, I grew to love the track, and I really wanted to focus on one discipline. I signed up for the Parks Half Marathon in September and started to inhale all the running knowledge I could. I made my own training plan and started at it. I knocked 10 minutes off my previous PR for the distance (down to 2:08) and learned a lot in the process.

Why am I Writing This?
I’m hooked on this thing now. I want to figure out how to get faster, how to do my best, whatever it takes. And that’s what I want to document here. I’m not the fastest (or slowest) runner, I don’t have perfect form and I need to lose a few more pounds, but I do have a good head on my shoulders and some really stubborn determination. I’m no expert, but I’m also dogged to try to get there.

My goal for the year is to run five half marathons. My time goal is to break 2:00 at some point. I hope to do it in the spring and set a new goal in the fall, but things never go as you plan them. The races I plan to do are:

• Rock and Roll USA in March
• Frederick Half Marathon in May
• Riley’s Rumble in August
• Women’s Trail Half in September
• Baltimore Half Marathon in October

You can find me on dailymile here and on twitter, @4kategreen.

Keep coming back to see how this year goes. I’ll be posting mostly on Mondays, but I may post more often. In addition to my training, I’ll also be exploring other aspects of running and other interesting topics. I’m especially interested in how people go from being aspiring runners to self-motivated runners. Hope to see you soon!

Female red-bellied woodpecker; on males the red is continuous from bill to the back of the head

Alright, maybe they don’t.  Woodpeckers are, however, easier to identify on the run than are the juncos in my last post.*   I have been seeing and hearing them frequently as of late, so in the spirit of sharing here are two running-friendly finds:

The red-bellied woodpecker does  have a red belly, but the red on its head is much more visible.  Sadly, “red-headed woodpecker” was already taken (the red-headed woodpecker’s head is all red, whereas the red-bellied woodpecker has more of a red faux-hawk).  The red-bellied woodpecker is a frequent sight and sound on the trails near Lake Artemesia, identifiable by their distinctive rolling  “kwirr” or “churr” call which can be heard here.

male downy woodpecker, females lack the red

The downy woodpecker is small with a black and white checkered pattern that distinguishes it from other woodpeckers. Except for the hairy woodpecker, that is, who looks almost exactly the same, save for a longer bill.  They are likely finds in woods, fields, parks, and lots all over Prince George’s County.  Their call is a high whinny, but you are more likely to hear them drumming on a tree than calling from one this time of year.  More information on the downy and hairy woodpeckers can be found here.

Honorable mentions: the Pileated Woodpecker and the Northern Flicker (who happens to resemble the red-bellied woodpecker).

*I admit the downy and hairy woodpeckers are almost impossible to tell apart while running unless you are an avid birder.  Just call it a “dairy” and make up a story about how their colors are similar to that of a Holstein – no one will be the wiser.  If this fails, fartlek.

Where: Greenbelt Youth Center (99 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD, 301-397-2200). The Youth Center is easily accessible from Greenbelt Road and Southway (Southway becomes Centerway).

When: The Youth Center will open at 12 noon on New Years Day. Restrooms will be available. Race registration begins at 12:15 p.m. Race day registration only. All participants will be required to sign a waiver. The two races begin at 1 p.m. and the course loops around Buddy Attick Park. There will be one water stop at the bridge and a marshal there as well to make sure the shorter distance runners turn off to the left at the right time.

• Two distances to choose from: 2012 ells (1.91  miles) or 2012 rods (6.28 miles)
• Awards: First three finishers in each category, for each race. Categories are: Ages 49 and under, Ages 50 and over (Male and Female).
• This is the first PGRC race of the year.The race is FREE for everyone!
• After the race, refreshments will be available
• Headphones are prohibited.
• No racing in the case of lightning or thunder.

Runner RSVPs appreciated (but not required). Email vicepres@pgrc.org

Achievement – PRs (personal records), finish a marathon, etc.

Training – Sign up for a training program, add speed work or hills to your training, keep a running log, healthy eating goals, etc.

Participation– Regularly attend one or more of the PGRC weekly workouts (such as the National Harbor morning runs or the Saturday morning Greenbelt Park runs).  Participate in a race series (e.g., MDRRCA, Buddy Attick fun runs, or Women’s Distance Festival). 

Giving back to the sport/club– Volunteer for races or as a pace coach in a training program, do trail maintenance, learn race timing or race management, etc.   And if you get injured and can’t accomplish your training or achievement goals (as happened with me this year), you can still accomplish your volunteer goals

We hope you will share your personal goals, and then work to achieve them!

And don’t forget to share your 2011 accomplishments.

No? Just me?*

Normal eagles have two wings. If you see any like this, there is a problem.

While a runny nose, frozen fingers, and the logistical and aesthetic challenges of tights may not be the most inspiring reasons to run in the winter, it happens to be a great time for spotting certain kinds of wildlife.  The absence of leaves from many trees provides an excellent opportunity to spot local birds.  In fact, now is a great time to see bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in and around Prince George’s County.  I have seen eagles at Lake Artemesia and in the Oxon Hill/National Harbor area, though they are also viewable in many areas near water throughout the county. In addition, winter is a great time to see the smaller songbirds that can be harder to spot with foliage on the trees.  Over the winter I will discuss several natural aspects of a runner’s winter wonderland.

Today, inspired by their recent return to my feeder, I want to talk about the dark-eyed junco!  Often referred to as juncos around the nature center, the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is only found in our part of Maryland during the winter.  The junco spends its summer breeding season in Canada and then heads south for the winter.  Juncos can be found in most parts of the continental United States at this time of year and are excellent early-winter bird feeder finds.  Though their call may be difficult to distinguish from other birds mid-run, if you have a moment to pause they may be easy to see anywhere that there are woods nearby.  For more information on the dark-eyed junco and their call, visit the Cornell Lab bird information pages here.  Next time you’re out for a run this winter, looking and listening for these as well as other birds may help you forget that you can’t feel your fingers!

*No turtles were harmed for the purposes of this post.  The turtles pictured above are captive animals and unable to be released.  The turtles are housed at Clearwater Nature Center in Clinton, MD with permission, and paperwork, from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.  Pictured is an enrichment exercise that happened to coincide with the running of the Boston Marathon in 2011, so they were outfitted appropriately.  Please do not recreate this at home.  Please do not remove any turtles from their natural habitats, as it can be damaging to their ability to function in the wild.  Then they can end up stuck at a nature center where people make them wear race bibs.  No one wants that.