I have never been seriously injured from running (except for that time I ran into a ditch and broke my ankle. Even though I was technically running I was not on a run, just to be clear ) – knock on head wood!!!

I know I should count my blessings every day as I have certainly seen my fair share of running related injuries over the years that sidelined more than one of my running buddies. Knee related pain is the most frequent complaint, closely followed by shin splints and hip problems. And it is almost always frustrating if not devastating. There are those injuries that come from bad luck: you stepped off the curb funny and rolled your ankle. You tripped over a bump in the road and fell flat on your face, bruising your knees, injuring your right hand and knocking the wind out of you completely (ahem!), but most running related injuries I have witnessed are caused by ignoring the initial and unrelenting pain. Instead of taking the time to figure out the cause the person keeps on running, and running, and running, until he or she can literally run no more.

Those are by far the worst injuries as they are almost always chronic and take the longest to recover from, sometimes never. I have known people who literally ran themselves lame, thinking that if only they pushed through the nagging, always present pain it would somehow magically disappear. That, unfortunately, is never the case!

It is fitting that the day the Runners Lounge is asking us to write about running injuries, I am somewhat sidelined by a bout of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, also known as Runner’s Knee, myself. It is not the first time I have had this and it probably won’t be the last, but I have learned to recognize the early symptoms and can take care of it immediately. The first pinch came on Tuesday during my easy 6.6 miles through the neighborhood. The familiar feeling of something being stuck underneath my knee cap set in after about 4 miles. I did not feel anything for the rest of the day and decided to go on the treadmill for some uphill training yesterday morning. Again I felt nothing afterwards until I went to track training last night. After the first mile the pain set back in and after another couple of miles it could no longer be ignored. When I came home I elevated my leg and iced the knee and I already felt better when I went to bed.

This morning I am pain free but I realize that it is deceiving. Something is irritated and needs looking after. So for the next three days I will take a break from pounding the pavement, rest and ice the knee and take yoga classes instead.

And that really sums up all I ever do for minor aches and pains: the R(est)I(ce)C(ompression)E(levation) is a proven method to get over minor irritations. It is easy to do and the sooner you start the better off you are in the long run. If a few days of resting and icing do not help it is definitely recommended that you see a specialist who can address and treat your possible injury properly. It is never “a waste of time”!!! Much better to find out nothing is seriously wrong than to be told that your running “career” is over because you waited too long to be checked out. The most important thing is that you listen to your doctor and not try to be the hero. There are too many fallen ones already, no need to join the ranks.

Needless to say, the best thing to do is to actually avoid injury in the first place and there are a few steps you can take in order to keep on running injury free:

~ cut back on the days per week you run! 48 hours is the ideal time for recovery and repairing damage.

~ slow down on long runs! A lot of injuries are caused by running too fast for too long. Slow down and let your legs recover.

~ take walk breaks! The risk for injury increases the more you use the same fatigued muscle. Frequent walk breaks allow the muscle to relax before fatigue sets in.

~ warm up properly before speed workouts! Be sure to warm up with a slow run before you head out for a speed workout. Cold muscles tend to get injured more easily that warm ones.

~ stretch! Stretching after your workout helps increase muscle efficiency and effectiveness and prevents pains, tightness, and cramping. However, it is important to remember that you should avoid stretching a tight or injured muscle or tendon. Stretching leads to small tears in your fibers and can prolong recovery. Only stretch if you are pain and injury free.

~ strength train! Strength training helps build muscle mass which will help take pressure off of your joints. Strong leg muscles will help your knee, strong abdominals will help your lower back.

Following these simple steps is easier to do than you think and will keep you running well into the future!

Todays’ Running Tip: See above!

Well, here we are, almost at the end of May. And I should be happily enjoying some tapering this week, the last preparation for the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon this Sunday. And the marathon will happen for sure! But it will happen without yours truly!

“What happened”, you ask? “You are usually not a quitter”, you say!

Nothing really happened. And I do not have an injury that would have given me a valid excuse. It is quite simple, really: I got tired!

The last week of April I started working on what should have been a short and easy little campaign for the Clean Energy and Security Act. Turns out our local Congresswoman, Rep. Mary Bono Mack (Bono, as in Sonny Bono’s widow. Sonny, as in Cher’s ex husband, former mayor of Palm Springs, and late Congressman) serves on the Committee for Energy and Commerce in the House of Representatives. When we started the campaign it was rumored that Mary sat on the fence regarding this bill and our goal was to convince her to vote in favor of it. Originally the subcommittee vote was supposed to happen in early May but Republicans tried to stall the process numerous times (shocking, I know!) and I ended up working on this for four weeks.

Four weeks of working late into the night and getting up at dawn in order to get me runs in. Four weeks of spending most days on my feet for hours on end collecting petitions from Mary Bono Mack’s constituents in support of the bill. And when I was not out and about in 100 degree heat I could be found hunched over at my desk getting all the data entered into a database. If you know me you know how much I love getting involved in something I believe in and trying my best to make a difference, but this came truly at a very inopportune time, leading up to the last month of training for San Diego. At first I thought I could do it all, just by getting up earlier and I even finished all of my long runs, including the last 20 miler.

Then I went to Santa Barbara for the weekend after the Jesusita Fire had almost burned the entire town to the ground. As always I had a wonderful time staying with one of my best friends, visiting my former co workers, dining at Arigato, eating Pinkberry deliciousness and spending a day in Santa Ynez Valley. The rest of the time? I fell into a sleep induced coma! I literally could not wake up. I had been looking forward to running with my former buddies on Saturday morning but slept right through the alarm, which in turn set off alarm bells in my head, and for the first time the thought “I might not be as ready as I think” slowly crept into my consciousness. Finding out that none of my friends would be there with me at the start and finish line also did not help. After a couple of additional days filled with contemplation and deep thought I finally came to the conclusion that the last four weeks had been a bit rough on me and that I was probably not in the best of shape to run this marathon at the end of the month.

This is completely unchartered territory for me as I have never done this before. Quit half way through training, let alone at the very end of 16 weeks of training. Heck, I have never quit at all once I committed to a marathon. I have heard of others who have done it but that was never me. And here I am. I am still a bit torn about the whole thing even though I know I made the right decision. There will always be another race, another marathon and I do have to admit that a huge weight fell off my shoulders once I made the decision to give San Diego a miss.

As for the campaign I worked on. Well, it did finally come to an end last week when the subcommittee voted on it late Thursday. Mary Bono Mack listened to the majority of her constituents and voted in favor of the Clean Energy and Security Act. She was the only Republican who broke with party line and voted for it!!! Our hard work paid off and missing a marathon is really a small price to pay considering what we accomplished.

And so instead of tapering, carb loading, and überhydrating this week, I can just keep on running. And that I love!!!

Today’s Running Tip: Don’t skimp on sleep!

Sleep is an important component of your marathon training and needs to be taken seriously. This is especially true the closer you get to race day. Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, but 9 or 10 hours won’t hurt you. If your schedule allows, take afternoon naps as well. Take it from Deena Kastor who sleeps 8-10 hours a night and 1-3 hours every afternoon.

1. Barack Obama

2. Nelson’s clean bill of health

3. friendly neighbors

4. my marriage

5. sunny days

Yesterday, Meg posted her summer love list. Since summer is by far my most favorite time of year I got all excited about this project. Even more so than I usually do when it comes to listing favorites (and that says a lot)!!!

So without keeping you much longer (I know you are as excited as I am!!!) following is the hot stuff I love about summer:

~ beachy hair

~ coconut anything

~ crickets chirping at night

~ oversized sunglasses

~ street cafes

~ yellow sundresses

~ endless evenings

~ swimming with Nelson

~ spontaneous BBQs with friends and neighbors

~ ice cold Pepsi One

~ laundry drying on the clothes line in the sun

~ evenings that do not require sweaters and/or jackets

~ the smell of sunscreen

~ waking up to a sun already shining

~ bare feet all day long

~ puffy clouds in a deep blue sky

~ Frappuccinos

~ natural highlights

~ sunkissed skin

~ seedless watermelon

~ gelato in Italy

~ no tanlines

~ summer fruit

~ riding my vespa without goosebumps

~ Venice 

~ living life outside all day

~ jumping into the pool

Today’s Running Tip: Jump into cold water!

The best thing you can do for yourself after a long run in hot conditions is to jump into cold water. If you are running near the ocean, take a dip in it. If you have a pool, jump into it. If you have neither fill a bathtub with cold water and sit in it.

Food! It is on most peoples’ minds most of the time. Even the Runners Lounge has been captivated by it today. As for me, it has always been a struggle to actually remember eating. My mom used to tell stories of endless battles of wills from the time I was able to eat solids. Often times my grandfather had to assist by making funny faces and distracting me from the task at hand while my mother shoveled nutrition between my mostly clenched jaw. Most of the time however I spat whatever actually landed on my tongue back out, or so I am told.

Although thinking back to the days of my earliest childhood memories and looking back on my life ever since, I was probably not being lied to. 

Meals in Germany are big! The day starts off with a substantial breakfast

                                                                                                                                 *

and is followed by the main meal around 12:30pm

                                                                               *

For someone who has always hated feeling full, growing up in Germany could be considered torture (take that Gitmo prisoners!). My mom, meaning well, and trying to get “some meat on my bones” insisted on feeding me properly every.single.day. starting with endless varieties of the above pictured breakfast. And yes, you guessed it, lunch that consisted mostly of meat, potatoes in various forms and vegetables. It was usually cooking by the time I came home from school and sent me into a daily tailspin of rebellion. Needless to say my most favorite meal of the day was dinner, which is a surprisingly light fair in Germany. Usually an open faced sandwich.

This upbringing has had a lasting impression as I do not eat a proper breakfast nor lunch to this very day. The day I moved out of my parents’ house was the last day I sat down for a breakfast and lunch that had to be eaten with a knife and fork. And to this day I refuse to eat boiled potatoes and usually stay away from cooked vegetables, although I do love them “in the raw” and in a salad. I am telling you, childhood truly does a number on you!

I do like to go to restaurants, but more so for the social aspect of being with friends and having a good glass of wine and except for the occasional treat meal at Arigato or Ca Dario food is really more of a means to an end than something I cherish or even enjoy. 

When I became a serious runner I realized fairly quickly that I needed to find a way to feed myself properly while remaining my sanity. I became a “grazer”. Instead of full meals I eat smallish snacks throughout the day. I have the hardest time putting food into my mouth first thing in the morning, but have learned over the years that I should not run on an empty stomach, especially when going out for a long and/or strenuous run. Hubby always makes a week’s worth of whole grain pancakes on the weekend which I store in the fridge for a quick bite first thing in the morning. I usually put some organic unsalted peanut butter on top. After trial and tribulation they seem to be working best. If they are not available I usually eat dry cereal, chased down by a couple spoon fulls of peanut butter and a swig of Gatorade.

After I get home I usually start the day off with a cup of herbal tea before I let the daily grazing begin: there is always a banana with peanut butter somewhere in the daily meal plan, the rest varies. Left over brown rice or pasta from the night before, a handful of almonds or trail mix, cheese and crackers, oatmeal with fresh fruit, a smoothy with soy milk. In addition I drink anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 liters of water (it’s hot here!). You get the picture. It is colorful! 

Dinner depends on the running plan for the next day. The night before my weekly long run I always have whole wheat pasta with vodka sauce and caprese salad. Always!!! Once I had a friend talk me into going out for Mexican food, a decision I paid for dearly the next day on my 16 mile run. These days I willingly cancel all social plans to have this specific meal, cooked at home. 

The rest of the week is more flexible. Since we live in SoCal we grill a lot. Fish and lean meats, corn, sweet potatoes (not regular ones!!!) and other fresh delights. And I every night I finish my meal with three pieces of fresh seasonal fruit. 

One thing I never do is cut out entire food groups and fall for fad diet ideas. As a runner you need fuel from all sources, including fat. And carbohydrates are your best friend. Personally I love carbs and have never ever restricted my intake. Carbohydrates provide both quick and long lasting energy and should make up about 60 – 65% of your daily intake. Protein will help repair tissue damage and assist with recovery. 15 – 20% of your daily intake should come from lean protein. Last but not least there is “fat”, and yes, you do need it, in fact you should take in 20 – 25% of fat per day. Be sure to choose low saturated fats, fats you find in nuts, fish, and certain oils. 

If you stick with basic guidelines you will be well on your way to the finish line!

*Right here, take a moment though and imagine eating the above featured meals before a long run for example! Exactly! 

Today’s Running Tip: Running and weight loss!

If you took up running in order to lose weight, keep in mind that running does not give you the freedom to eat whatever you want. You still have to burn 3600 calories to lose a pound of weight and, depending how hard you are running, for every mile you run you burn approximately 100 calories.