The actual act of running has always been easy for me. I don’t have any problems motivating or getting out the door. Living in Alaska, I run outside in almost all weather conditions. The only exceptions I have are running below 15°F and running on very icy roads or trails.
It’s all these other areas that support running which tend to be hard for me to stay consistent in:
- Strength-training
- Diet
- Warm-ups and cool downs
- Patience
- Cross-training
- Stretching
I am sure there are many people that have the same running history as I have. For years I got up, got dressed, went for a run, and then just continued on with the rest of the day. I did get injured occasionally, but I still never saw the need to do much more than I was doing. I completed marathons on that schedule. Things have changed as I have gotten older and in order to run, I have come to realize that I have to do more of the non-running activities such as those listed above. I wish I was more like my older brother. He runs or bikes (or both) almost daily, yet he does very minimal strength training. And as far as I know, he hasn’t had any major injuries. Hmmm….maybe that cross-training (biking) is enough for him? But for me, I need to do it all 🙄 I wish I could say “want to do it all” but truly I just want to run. I need an attitude adjustment…ha!
My current health issues only adds to the problem of not being able to run consistently. If you have read any of my previous posts (I know, it has been a while), you probably have realized way before now that I have been in denial or just simply refusing to accept my diagnosis of bilateral knee arthritis. That diagnosis just didn’t make sense to me given how it all transpired, but the evidence is out. I have an X-ray to prove it. I have debated all of this before so like my Mother always said “It is what it is” so let’s just move on….
Hello my name is Cathy and I have bilateral knee arthritis.
However, this doesn’t mean that I can’t run. There are plenty of people running into their 60s, 70s, and beyond with some form of knee arthritis. Research has shown that despite arthritis, runners can still run, and being active is better for the joints. I will get into those specifics in another post.
To clarify, I am not in pain all of the time. In fact, most days I am pain free. But, once I start running and overloading my knees, that changes. Strength training overloads the muscles (not the knees) to get the specific muscle group being worked stronger. This can be accomplished with the use of free weights, machine weights, resistance bands and even your own body weight. I have been to chiropractors, physical therapists, and trainers in recent years and they all have given me specific exercises that strengthen the muscles supporting the knees as well as targeting the hips and core. I have also found full body workouts for women over 50 at Marcia’s Healthy Slice. There is an abundance of information and resources on-line for strengthening that is specific for runners. The important thing is to get into a routine and stick with it. Being consistent is key. I do have a tendency to give up when things don’t seem to get better right away so I know I need to give these work-outs more time. Strengthening is hard work!
Hard work requires energy. Getting the right nutrients is needed to fuel muscles and aid in recovery, i.e., energy is necessary to get through and beyond the work-out. And eating the right foods to decrease inflammation is also important when dealing with arthritis. I have tried anti-inflammatory diets, but they are so restrictive and to be honest, I have not been able to stick with any of them long enough to see if they really work. And the information on these diets can be so confusing and sometimes contradicting. For now, I am just trying to eat healthy, pay attention to what causes flare-ups including environmental factors, and adjust as I need to.
Warm-ups and cool downs are a no-brainer and a necessity for any type of exercise. Warming up gets the blood flowing and brings oxygen to the muscles so they can actually work. Cooling down starts the recovery process and eases you back into a resting state. I usually do dynamic stretching for warm-ups and static stretching for cool downs. I also include a 10 to 15 minute walk before starting and after ending my run. It’s easy to find You-Tube videos that walk you through these warm up and cool down exercises. I really like The Run Experience because you can just follow along as they are doing them. I also do nightly stretching and foam rolling routines. My muscles tend to get very tight. Recently, I read an article that stated “tight muscles are a sign of muscle weakness”. Really? Is that obvious to everybody else? I have had this problem for years. It should have been my first clue that I should have been doing more than just running. I just thought it was probably a genetic thing. Good to know!
As far as cross-training, let me just say that I would rather be running! Ha! Seriously, I do like to hike and do other outdoor activities but due to my knee issues, I have not been consistent in getting out. Sometimes, I just go anyways just to see how I do. Scott had convinced me to go snowshoeing with him one day this past winter. I wasn’t sure how my knees would hold up but, reluctantly, I went. My knees not only didn’t hurt during that outing, but they didn’t hurt afterwards either. Certain activities can sometimes cause my knees to become inflamed and painful. We were in some pretty deep snow, so I was probably using more of my quads and hamstrings which took the pressure off of my knees. I have tried cross-country skiing and hiking as well. Most days I do okay, but depending on the terrain, I can have some tweaking of the knee that will lead to some discomfort. Strengthening those supporting muscles should help to stabilize the knees. Any type of activity that works your muscles and raises your heart rate can be considered cross-training. Hiking, biking, skiing is what I like. I am not much of a swimmer, but I have done some aqua jogging. Of course, it is obvious that strength training on a more consistent basis will also be added.
Finally, patience …. I have very little. I want to see results immediately. So, this is probably one of the hardest things I have to do. A case in point; I was following a run/walk program for about 2 months. I was able to do the program without any problems. It was tedious, boring, and I wanted more of my walk/run ratio to be running. I was doing really good up to that point, but then I decided to increase the run part instead of following the schedule. Within a week or two, I wasn’t doing either and my knees were painful throughout the entire day which doesn’t usually happen. Stick to what is working and proceed gradually, right? Don’t rush it. Patience is a virtue.
As I mentioned from the beginning, the running part for me is easy. I love to run. The hard part is incorporating strength-training, a proper diet, warm-ups and cool-downs, cross-training and stretching into a daily routine that increases any chances of being able to run. The ultimate goal. I will continue on this journey except this time I will to the hard things that need to be done instead of just giving up! So, my future post will be about this journey and my continued quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Welcome back to my blog!
Mom, I Miss You So Much!
I usually add some family fun stuff and Alaska adventures to my blog posts which I will continue to do. Today though, I want to pay tribute to my Mother. I lost my Mother a couple of months ago and it has been the hardest thing to live with. I can’t talk about her or even write about her without completely breaking down. The feeling of loss is so great that at times I don’t know how I will get through the day. I loved my Mother so much. She was everything to me. Through her spirit, I am finding the strength to do those hard things in life. She lived through some pretty hard times, but she showed amazing strength to get through them. To be clear, there is absolutely no comparison between what she has gone through in her life and what I want to do in mine as far as the hard things. I don’t think I could ever live through what she did. One day maybe I can give more details, but right now I just want to remember and cherish her as the amazing person and awesome Mother that she was.
Mom was at my first marathon in the “lower 48” – The Marine Corp Marathon- and she will be with me in spirit when I run Boston. She was always supportive of anything I wanted to do and encouraged me along the way. Life will never be the same. She is greatly missed.
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