Rants & Rehabilitation

My Week of Marathon Training – Week 10

Edge to Edge Marathon Training – Week 10!

Week 9 of my 12 week marathon training program to prepare for the Edge to Edge Marathon on Vancouver Island squeaked by without a hitch! This felt like my first week back to full force after getting hit really hard with a killer head cold during week 7 and 8. Even with the sniffling stopped, I still was left with a sense that my legs weighed a tonne and my chest of heavy.

Are you trying to train while sick? Check out my tips for what to do if you’re sick while training for a marathon.

Interval training and I have a love/hate relationship. The intervals definitely hate me each and every time I attempt them and I love to fantasise about one day finding them easy…… it hasn’t happened yet! I guess that’s a great way to assess whether you’re doing them correctly anyway. The fast or sprint portion of your interval session should be executed at the highest exertion that is possible in order to sustain your full interval, usually about a 7-8/10 RPE (rating of perceived exertion). When you improve from one session to the next, you need to bump up your speed during these sprint portions. This means that every time your head out for your interval session, you’ll still feel just as pooped by the end as the time before. Ugh!

Week 11 will be the last long run before the taper week before race day. Thursday’s intervals will be 5 min walking warm up, 10 min easy run pace, 2 x (10 min fast pace, 2 min recovery pace), 5 min easy pace run, 5 min walking cool down. Sunday’s long run wil be LOOOOOONG. Well, at least in the eyes of a new marathoner. I will definitely be downloading some head candy via podcasts to carry me through this 3.4 hour run.

Are you getting bored while running? Check out some tips on how to avoid getting bored while on a long run.

This Week’s Tip

With a few sick weeks of training behind me I thought I’d share a delicious immune boosting protein smoothie that I used to help conquer the sniffles and support my week of training. Adding kale to your smoothie gives you a healthy dose of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant which helps produce white bloods cells which are the immunity cells of the body that fight off disease and bacteria.

Immune Boosting Protein Smoothie

3/4 cup orange juice (not from concentrate)
3/4 cup almond milk
3 large leaves of kale, torn
2 Tblsp protein powder
1 Tblsp chia seeds
1/3 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
4 ice cubes

Combine blueberries, orange juice, almond milk and kale in a blender and blend on high
Blend in protein powder, chia seeds and ice cubes until smooth (about 90 sec)
Serve, drink and feel better!

This Week’s Tune:

None of Your Business – Salt ‘n Pepa

How was your week of training? Until next week, happy running!

Tags: 12 week marathon training plan, marathon, physiotherapy, running, smoothie

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Categories My Week of Marathon Training, Training

My Week of Marathon Training – Week 9

13 May

Edge to Edge Marathon Training – Week 9!

Week 8 of my 12 week marathon training program was tough and tiring as I was trying to make up for the week 6/7/8 debacle. Still on the tail end of cold, I sniffled my way through some enjoyable 10 km runs, some torturous interval training and an epic 3 hour 29 km long run. As the week inched towards Sunday I found myself getting more and more anxious about the upcoming long run. As a true endurance athlete, as opposed to fast twitch or sprint, I’ve never had a real challenge with long runs. (You’ll recall that I’m constantly complaining about my dreaded interval training!) I jokingly say that I’m like the energizer bunny when it comes to endurance events- just switch me on and I’ll keep going (and going, and going) until the end. However, this being my first full marathon, I have never actually run anything more than 26 km. Surprise! I didn’t die, keel over in pain, or pass out form boredom. How did I pass those solo minutes? Check out this week’s tips (below) to find out.

Week 9 gets scaled back again and will feel reminiscent of Week 8. Thursday’s intervals will be 5 min walking warm up, 10 min easy run pace, 4 x (5 min fast pace, 2 min recovery pace), 5 min easy run pace then 5 min walking cool down. Sunday’s long run will be a walk in the park (well, actually a run in the park… namely Stanley Park) at just 16 km which will take me from English Bay, around Stanley Park and east to Canada Place.

This Week’s Tip:

How to avoid getting bored while on a long run.

As a physiotherapist keeping with Vancouver’s standard private practice set up, I work slightly irregular hours compared to my standard 9-5 counterparts. This means that although I’m thrilled to run in a group or even with just one other buddy, I often train solo. So how to I stay mentally engaged, or avoid sheer boredom when running 1, 2 or 3 + hours?

1. Choose music that motivates you

If you’ve been following my blog you’ll find there is a slight trend in my training “Tune of the week”. Upbeat, cheezy and something to sing along to are my top choices. Most of my training playlists don’t see the light of day except for when I’m out for a run (or cleaning the house!)- think something so cheezy that you’d die of embarrassment if your highschool crush caught you listening to. Some easy choices are anything from the Much Music “Dance Mix” compilations. But hey, that’s just me. If death metal or brostep (dubstep) is your cup of tea, go for it!

2. Exercise the body and the mind with podcasts

With the growing popularity of the iPod, iPhone and iTunes, Podcasts have been gaining popularity and diversifying rapidly in that last 10 year. Today you can find a Podcast that covers virtually any topic from news, entertainment, science, music, fashion, health and fitness, food and education. My favourites are episodes I can sink my brain teeth into or learn from. My top picks are Radiolab (NPR), Q with Jian Gomeshi (CBC), The Moth (NPR), White Coat, Black Art (CBC), and Under the Influence (CBC).

3. Stop and smell the roses

Or do a run-by rose smelling. In the past I would NEVER leave the house without my trusty headphones and tunes when heading out for a run. However, after a few dramatic occasions where I almost called it quits before I started my route after realising that I had forgotten my headphones, I decided to just grin and bare it silently. But that’s where I was wrong. It’s never silent! Running the same routes that I had been running for months or years suddenly became like new when I actually paid attention to what they sounded like, rather than just what they looked like. For example, for those who call the Stanley Park seawall a regular route of theres- do you hava any idea what it sounds like when passing by the yacht club with all the bobbing boats in the marina? You should check it out!

This Week’s Tune:

Some Nights -Fun

How was your week of training? How do you pass the time on your long runs?

Until next week, happy running!

Tags: 12 week marathon training plan, physiotherapy, running, Vancouver

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Categories My Week of Marathon Training

Tips for Tendinopathy (Tendinitis, Tendinosis)

9 May

4 Tips to Prevent Tendinopathy from Occurring and Re-Occurring

In photo: Alex Scott, UBC Department of Physical Therapy and Linda Maedel, Empower Physiotherapy

Tendinopathy refers to damage to a muscle tendon, the most common of which affects the elbow (tennis elbow) and the Achilles tendon. Tendinopathy can be caused by sports or work-related activities that involve repetitive overuse or sudden trauma (tendinitis) or degeneration and tearing of the tendon (tendinosis).

Pain is a guiding factor for determining the severity of tendinopathy. By listening to your physiotherapist and your body and by following the Physio-4 for Tendinopathy, you can help to prevent tendinopathy from occurring or re-occurring and keep moving for life.

1. Warm up to prevent tendon injury.

Our tissues can break down and become painful when there are forces loading them that they cannot adapt to. For example, starting a training program too fast and without adequate rest can put undue strain on ligaments, tendons, and muscles in your shoulders, Achilles and elbow. See your physiotherapist about adding a gentle warm up to prevent injury.

Physiotherapy tips for tendinopathy, tendinitis, tendinosis, warm up to prevent tendon injury

2. Understand the impact of previous injuries

Old injuries that were not properly treated can create altered alignment and motor control that impacts other areas of the body. See your physiotherapist for a whole body assessment to learn how to integrate all the areas of your body and restore optimal function.

Physiotherapy tips for tendinopathy, tendinitis, tendinosis, impact of previous injuries

3. If you are suffering from tennis elbow, avoid lifting anything in a “palm down” position

Wear a wrist or forearm brace to decrease stress on tendons attaching at the elbow. Your physiotherapist can recommend exercises that gently stretch the forearm muscles. Once your pain has settled, your physiotherapist will provide a comprehensive exercise program to stimulate the tendons to repair and reduce the risk of recurrence

Physiotherapy tips for tendinopathy, tendinitis, tendinosis, tennis elbow

4. Achilles pain may be caused by undue stress on the tissue

This can be caused by poor alignment of the foot, leg or pelvis; walking or sporting technique; footwear or training errors e.g. too much too soon. Your physiotherapist will assess your individual biomechanics, prescribe exercises to accelerate tendon healing, and provide advice on how to optimize and gradually increase the load through the tendon.

Physiotherapy tips for tendinopathy, tendinitis, tendinosis, achilles pain

The Physiotherapy Association of BC created the Physio-4 to share the expertise of its members with fellow British Columbians and those across the globe. Each month, on movingforlife.ca 4 tips are provided to treat specific health or physical conditions that will help keep you moving for life. BC’s physiotherapists want you to know that if you are injured or in pain, a physiotherapist can help. After all, they are the healthcare professionals physicians recommend most.

Are you suffering from tennis elbow, golfers elbow, achilles tendinopathy or any other type of tendinopathy? Learn how you can feel better and decrease your risk of reinjury by visiting your physiotherapist or book an appointment with us at Synergy Physio.

Check out PABC’s past Physio4 Tips:

2013
January – Strains
February – Knee injuries
March – Osteoporosis
April – Back and Pain

2012
May – Gardening
June – Cycling
July – Golf
August – Swimming
September – Carrying
October – Pre and Post Natal
November – Hockey
December – Skiing and Snowboarding

Tags: achilles, golfers eblow, physio, physiotherapy, tendinits, tendinopathy, tendinosis, tennis elbow

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Categories Physio4 Tips

My Week of Marathon Training – Week 6,7 & 8!

7 May

Edge to Edge Marathon Training – Week 6, 7 & 8!

Well, I’ve done it again…. MIA for a few weeks. All for understandable reason though!

Week 6 and 7 of my 12 week marathon training program I spent in Toronto, Canada. Sunday’s long run was spent along the winding pathways of Lake Ontario’s Waterfront Toronto project. It was the perfect 25.5 km route from downtown Toronto to the lake front then east from the Toronto island ferries to Humber Bay Park and back. There was a great mix of pavement, boardwalk and even groomed trails. I was, however, VERY surprised at how few people I passed along this route at 11:00 am. It definitely reminded me of the difference of indoor vs outdoor culture when comparing Toronto to Vancouver.

12 Week Marathon Training Plan via www.rantsandrehabilitation.com Week 7 of my 12 week marathon training program was riddled with coughing, sneezing, congestion and general dragging-my-ass-ness. This is what you get when letting your guard down while on vacation, travelling on crowded airplanes and visiting with friends’ sniffling toddlers who are literally blowing snot bubbles. Unfortunately, this meant that I had to miss my Thursday ad Friday training sessions. This of course led to guilt, anxiety and a general feeling of needing to make up full force in week 8. Read on below for some tips on what to do when you get sick when training for a marathon.

12 Week Marathon Training Plan via www.rantsandrehabilitation.com Week 8 of my 12 week marathon training is back to reality! And what a great week to hit the pavement in Vancouver, British Columbia. Spring has definitely sprung. With record temperatures topping 26 degrees in the city, it’s hard NOT to want to get out there. I will definitely have to step up my game during Thursday’s Intervals session. Sunday’s 29 km long run will definitely be the longest distance I have ever run previously. I can’t wait for this weekend’s carb loading meals!

This Week’s Tips:

What to do if you get sick while training for a marathon

Getting sick while training for a marathon can be mentally devastating for a runner. Not only are you plagued with symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, productive coughing, aches, fevers and fatigue, but the guilt that comes along with missing training sessions can make you feel the worst.
Short, light aerobic exercise has been known to boost the immune system when under the weather. Unfortunately, in the middle stages of a marathon training program, sessions are neither light nor short. When symptoms are merely above the neck ie runny nose, itchy eyes, headache etc, it can be fairly safe to run through your cold. However, if symptoms spread below the neck ie productive cough, bronchitis, congestion, fever, body aches and pain, rest is your best training session.
So how do you make up for time lost training due to sickness when training for a marathon? I would suggest if you lose 2-3 training sessions, simply pick back up where you would normally be in your training schedule had you not taken any time off. Consider those sessions absorbed by the illness. If you lost more than 3 sessions, particularly a long run, I would suggest scaling back your next long run by 10% and adding in an extra training session on an otherwise day off. Additionally, ensure you are still giving yourself adequate recovery time during this “make up week” and see to it that your hydration and nutrition are packed full of extra immune system boosting foods like fish oils, nuts and seeds, vitamin c from fresh fruits and vegetables, and water water water.

This Week’s Tune:

Breezeblocks- alt-J

Tags: 12 week marathon training plan, British Columba, marathon training, physiotherapy, running, sick when training for a marathon, Toronto, Vancouver

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Categories My Week of Marathon Training

2013 Vancouver Sun Run

19 Apr

Vancouver Sun Run, April 2005 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The much anticipated 2013 Vancouver Sun Run takes place this weekend on Sunday April 21, 2013.

The largest 10K road race in Canada, The Sun Run began in 1985. Sponsored by The Vancouver Sun, its purpose is to “to promote the benefits of running to improve health and fitness as well as support elite amateur athletics”. This scenic 10K jaunt winds through downtown and Kitsilano using the Burrard St and Cambie Street bridges. Since its inception The Sun Run has grown exponentially in participant numbers. The first race included approximately 3,200 runners. Flash forward to 2013 where there is an expected 50,000 people to pound the pavement through Vancouver’s fine streets.

D7K_0109 - Vancouver Skyline

This year’s Sun Run follows just 6 days after the tragic 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. The Vancouver Sun Run vows to donate $10 from every late entry into this year’s race to the victims of this senseless tragedy. Additionally, as tribute to all those affected, The Vancouver Sun Run encourages all participants and spectators to wear blue and yellow to show support.

Boston Marathon Bomb
I have been training for the Sun Run over the past 12 weeks as a Learn to Run Clinic Leader through SportMedBC’s SunRun InTraining Clinic. We began our journey by run/walking 1min/2min intervals on Monday evenings that brought us back to the West End Community Centre well after the sun went down. These past few weeks our amazing group ran 50 min continuous and still had about an hour of beautiful sunshine (yes, sunshine!) to carry our tired feet home. A big thank you to all of our clinic participants and our solid team of leaders who made Monday evening’s session such a pleasure to look forward to every week!