October 2010

Happy Halloween!

by blueeyedrunner on October 31, 2010

I’m off to a party at my sister’s apartment. My costume is kind of lame I know, I had wore something similar to work on Friday but with a sweater underneath and told the kids I was a maid for Halloween because I’m always cleaning up after them Hope everyone is having a fun holiday and weekend!

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Vastus Medialis and Knee Strap

by blueeyedrunner on October 28, 2010

As a runner, I tend to think of the quad as one muscle…or maybe two…you have the left quad and the right quad, right? Wrong. In reality the quadriceps are made up of four muscles (duh.): the vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis and rectus femoris. In an attempt to treat this runner’s knee issue, I have been researching Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome nonstop. I basically shrugged off the idea that my quads aren’t strong enough…I mean my thighs are like tree trunks (in a good way?). My quads are huge. I entertained the idea of the imbalance between the quads and hamstrings, but even then, I work my hamstrings at the gym to attempt to even out any imbalance that is present. As I kept reading however, I realized the problem.

From this website…

Your knee is popping because two of those four muscles are in a tug-o-war over your knee cap and one of them is winning. The two muscles causing the knee popping are your vastus lateralis and your vastus medialis. The vastus medialis is on the inner-front part of your thigh and the vastus lateralis is on the outer-front part of your thigh. These two muscles connect on either side of your knee cap. In some people, for whatever reason, the vastus lateralis gets too strong or the vastus medialis gets too weak. As a result, the knee cap is pulled too far to the outside by the overly strong vastus lateralis and as the knee moves the knee cap isn’t gliding properly in the trochlear groove, causing knee popping, clicking, snapping, and other similar noises and sensations. In a healthy knee, the relative strength of the vastus lateralis and the vastus medialis is balanced and the knee cap slides up and down in the trochlear groove as it’s supposed to.

When I looked down at my quads, I could see the difference. The vastus lateralis (on the outside of the thigh) was huge. Literally protruding off of my leg; but the vastus medialis was practically nonexistent. So I found some exercises to work this hidden muscle.

Work It
~Straight Supine Leg Lifts: Lying on your back, place your hands under your lower back for support, raise one leg a few inches off the floor, lift to 90 degrees and lower, not touching the floor. Repeat and switch sides. I like to point my toes on the way up and flex the foot on the way down, almost like you are painting an imaginary wall with your foot. (Hello Pilates!)

~Stability Ball Leg Lifts: Laury from the Fitness Dish originally got me to do this exercise but I love it. It is great for lower abs and inner thighs. Put a stability ball between your feet and lay on your back. Lift and lower the ball, squeezing it with your feet from a few inches off the floor to 90 degrees and return. Be sure to protect your lower back and lift and lower with control.

~Leg Circles: We did this exercise in mat Pilates today. Lie on your back and extend your legs to 45 degrees. Open your legs about the width of your mat (if you are lying on one), circle them up to 90 degrees, squeeze them together and return to 45 degrees. Repeat 8-12 times then reverse the movement. Start at 90 degrees, circle to 45, bring together and return to 90.

There are many other ways to work this muscle but these are some non-weight bearing ways to strengthen it without causing more damage. In addition to strengthening this muscle, I have been icing, foam rolling, taking an anti-inflammatory, and resting. *Please do not attempt to diagnose yourself and always remember to consult with a physician before starting any exercise program*

I also bought these today:

Glucosamine supplements and a knee strap. I read a lot of positive things about using this knee strap to treat runner’s knee. I tested it out today on a short 3 mile run, and let me tell you…this thing is AMAZING! This was the best I have felt since the marathon, and although I had some pain, it was 90% better than it had been. If you are suffering from runner’s knee, it is definitely worth a shot. The one I bought was about $9 from Walmart. I will let you know how the supplements go.

Okay no more about the knee. My next post will be about something else

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What’s Next?

by blueeyedrunner on October 27, 2010

2010:

I was hoping to recover from Steamtown a bit more quickly than I have been, but that’s okay. The marathon was early enough in the season that I hope to get a few more races in before the end of the year. These are the race I am considering…nothing is definite, it all depends on how my body is recovering.

10/14: Giralda Farms 10K
10/21: Saddle River 15K (Dan’s birthday)
10/25: Ashenfelter 8K Classic (Thanksgiving)
12/12: USATF-NJ Grand Finale 10 Miler

I probably won’t do all of these races, these are just the ones I have narrowed it down to. We all know how I love to race, but I think the racing is why I have this knee problem, so I am *trying* to take it easy on the races for the remainder of the year. I do need to complete at least either the 15K or 10-Miler to complete my race series.

2011: Boston & New York

2011 looks like it is going to be the year of the marathons…and pretty notorious marathons at that. I have not run 2 marathons in the same year yet, so it will be interesting how my body adapts.

Boston
I haven’t talked much about this because my time has not been verified yet, but I was able to reserve a spot for the 2011 Boston Marathon. I wanted to wait until it was official to make travel plans, reserve hotel rooms, etc. but as I was doing my research I noticed that many of the hotels were filling up. In fact, when I finally called to book the room, there were not many options available. If something goes wrong with the verification process, I will cancel the rooms, but hopefully that will not be the case.

New York
After 3 years of applying and being rejected (I maintain that being from NJ has something to do with this…local residents rarely get in off of the lottery) next year will be the 4th year of applying and therefore, cannot be refused. Of course just to be sure, I was finally able to qualify and earn my spot, so next year it is New York!

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Magazine Wars

by blueeyedrunner on October 25, 2010

Despite the wayy too-early holiday ads that my monthly subscription of fitness mags delivered, I was especially impressed with this month’s issues. Here are some of the best tips and articles I read this month:

From Fitness Magazine:

Beat the Clock
The fountain of youth may be reached on foot. Marathoners who were tested after completing a race in a recent study from the University of Rome had fewer dying white cells in their blood than before hand, an indication that intense exercise slows the aging of body tissues.

From Women’s Health:

Your Best Body: Flat-Ab Pilates pg. 53

Many of you know I love Pilates and swear by its results. This month, Women’s Health published a 2-page spread complete with a Pilates route you can do at home. They include using a Pilates ball in their routine, however, you can do the entire route at home without any equipment, except maybe a mat.

Mermaid
Footwork
Swan
Mermaid with Twist
Back Arm Row
Rollover
Roll up
Coordination

Also be sure to check out:

~The Secret Life of Green Tea (pg. 88)

~Make your Own Luck (pg. 107)

From SELF

Cool your heels: Sky-high shoes can reshape leg muscles, shortening muscle fibers and making Achilles tendons thicker and stiffer-which can cause discomfort when you’re wearing flats, a study from Manchester Metropolitan University notes. Stretches such as calf raises can help soothe your soles.

In keeping with the ‘Luck’ theme…

Charmed Life: Not all superstitions are hoeey. People who carry a lucky charm feel more confident and do better on tests of memory and agility, according to a study from the University of Cologne. Hold on to those lucky socks; they might give you the edge you need.

Lose Weight Like a Guy

Eat Real Food: Guys don’t usually munch on things like 100-calorie snack packs; research shows men are less likely to eat goods labeled diet or low-cal. And that’s fine because you get more nutrients and avoid sneaky saturated fat by fueling up on whole foods, which are also more psychologically filling.

Love how this article provides a barbell routine! Most fitness mags provide workouts that recommend free weights encouraging light weights and high reps. Not that there is anything wrong with that, however, it is nice to see a mag encouraging women to “workout like a guy” and not be afraid to sweat or hit the weight room!

The Brain: New science shows you how to keep your head healthy and feel more creative, focused and quick-witted than you ever imagined.

Number #1 on the list of how to enhance your cognitive health?
Break a sweat. Physical exercise may be one of the best ways to maintain cognitive function as you age…research showed that exercise significantly increases the rate of blood flow to the hippocampus, a brain region vital to memory, which generates new cell growth and improves mental processing.

These are just some of the things I found interesting in this month’s issues. What mags are you addicted to? I get all of these plus Runner’s World of course!

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