Four weeks of injury, but am finally back on track!
It actually helped me to not blog while I was unable to run, to not focus on the fact that I couldn't run. But so many valuable experiences did happen during that time. Namely my first experience with ART (Active Release Technique) that facilitated my recovery. In early April, I made an appointment with Dr Cook here in Monterey, a chiropractor who also practices ART. He is a runner himself, which is of course massively helpful. One look at me and he knew what was wrong, and had experienced it first hand. Even how I stand and walk gave him clues as to my malfunctioning piriformis (as I had suspected). There was more complexity to the injury, though, as the gluteus medius muscle was also affected and strained. Both muscles pushed on the sciatic nerve, which was causing some pain down my hamstring. Dr Cook saw me twice a week for three weeks, working the muscles by pushing and pulling on them (yes, it hurt. badly.), causing them to systematically contract and release. It actually always felt very good after the fact.
Within a week I felt improvement, but still couldn't run without too much pain. I spent a lot of time on the elliptical machine and weight lifting - the previous neglect of which was part of what got me into this injury. I always preach to my cross country runners about lifting weights in the off season, and here I am, hypocritically injured due to weak glute muscles. But it wasnt' until I took four days ENTIRELY off from the elliptical and running (walking, instead) that I saw vast improvement in my lower back and glutes. My husband, infant, and I flew to Florida to visit family and find our new home, so it served as a perfect opportunity to break from impact exercise and see what happens. Naturally, I should have done this when the injury first occurred. But I was thrilled to get back and see Dr Cook upon returning from the trip, when he saw improvement in my range of motion as well.
The other thing that Dr Cook enlightened me to was the fact that as long as I am breastfeeding my son, I will have the hormone relaxin surging through me, softening my tendons and making me much more injury-prone than not. I knew of how relaxin works during pregnancy, but it hadn't even occurred to me that it could be affecting me while nursing. I will have to be much more conscientious than was necessary in the past. Noted.
When I no longer felt pain while trying to run - but maybe an occasional tension in my hip - I started running three times per week, then five times, and now am back to six times per week, hitting 3-6 miles on most runs and around 8 miles long run. No pain! Very little tension. I am slower, of course, but did my first fartlek yesterday and can feel my feet wanting to turn over faster!
Yes, I know, be careful not the get into the same predicament as before. Slow and steady.
Needless to say, I did not race the OC Half Marathon in early May. And I have decided to push back racing a marathon until next spring. But instead I will aim hard at three races this fall: a 10-miler in Nyack, NY in September, a 5K to hit a PR in October, and a Half Marathon in November. Of course, if my comeback is slow, I may re-evaluate those goals, yet again. But I am becoming more agreeable to changing my goals than my pre-pregnancy self, and my "body sense" is wiser.
Here it goes!
