So cold this morning. So cold! It was minus 5 degrees and I was not wanting to go out in that weather, so I stayed home instead 
I figured I would either do a rest day or ride the trainer later. No running today, and I will address that below.
So, I made up breakfast! I did the 1-minute muffin topped with peanut flour (mixed with water). Plus some of the platoon of strawberries we have now – thank you K-Mart!
No work this morning, so I was able to get right into today’s soap batches.
A funny note about our wedding rings. We get tons of compliments on them. Our original bands (which John did also lose … maybe he is trying to tell me something??) were gold with channel set diamonds and not many people commented on them. I don’t wear that one because it is several sizes too big and I never had it resized. When John lost his first ring, we decided to buy new ones and ended up really liking these rings:
– and they were only $20 each! Gotta love it. I am so happy he found it!
Time for lunch! I did have a bunch of peanuts this morning while moving around the house. I really am starting to head to Crack Town with those. Not quite sure what is up with that. Those may have to go up high now. So, I made up a nice salad to eat.
This had chicken, greek dressing, and a few chopped pecans. Simple, but very tasty!
I have been thinking a lot about running lately, particularly after last weekend. Ever since I herniated my back, which was about 11 months ago now) – running has been a little problematic for me. It took me a long time before I was able to run again and I never made it back to my previous form. I still have a little remaining permanent numbness/hypersensitivity in my knee left over from that injury, plus a tiny bit of residual weakness in that leg. Gotta love nerve injuries. 🙄
While the actual act of running does not bother me, what I have found is that there are consequences the next day. The day after I run, I always feel pain in my knee and a tiny bit in my back. I took me a long time to put two and two together (hello Sherlock). Whenever I run, the next day = pain. This last Saturday was the worst. I had run on Friday, and then Saturday my knee was bothering me and I stepped onto a stepstool and got shooting pain in my knee. What is it with me getting pains or hurt when I am not doing anything? That is when I began looking back and realizing this pain happens the day after I run. I am assuming it has to do with the high impact of running on the old herniated disk/nerve.
So, what to do. Right now, a medical workup is out because I am one of the many uninsured and am not sure any diagnostics would lead to me be able to do anything about this if you understand what I mean. I don’t want to go through all of that and be told it is what it is, which always seems to happen at the doctor’s office.
The thing is, I feel somehow pressured to keep running. I wanted to do a duathlon this year, and possibly a half marathon, but right now I just don’t want to train for those. I want to ride my bike, which thankfully causes no issues for me. I feel like I am *supposed* to run. However, I don’t know if running is really good for me if it causes problems. I do want to do a few smaller races because those are fun (and I love the swag!), but not sure I want to do big events. I would have thought that at a year out from an injury that I would not even be talking about it, but there you go. Maybe I will just run periodically and not really do any training with it.
Dinner time! Didn’t reading all that running talk make you hungry? It did me.
On the menu tonight was some ground pork from the smokehouse. Burgers are good.
Happy 40th anniversary to Starbucks! To celebrate, guess where are tonight? 😀
Why do you feel pressured to run? Is it something you LIKE? Do you miss it?
As someone who was fairly new to running (about 3 years ago I started) a running injury really opened my eyes to a lot of things: the pressure to run race (comparing myself to other bloggers racing every weekend), the thought that running kept the weight off (the opposite is true for me)…I neglected everything else but swimming which set me up for injury.
Weight lifting was a god-send when I got injured. It occupied my mind, kept me active while I stopped running and I saw AMAZING changes in my body. I’ve lost over 10 pounds just from weight lifting!
I also realized that I have pain AFTER I run (the day after) instead of during–like you. I track my body better and listen to it when it needs to rest. I also realized that running is something I truly do enjoy and miss.
Ugh, sorry about the novel! 🙂
I used to like running until I got hurt (but I never really loved it like I do biking). Then it stopped being fun.
I actually hurt after the run now and not during and it took me a while to put the two together.
I don’t know why I feel the pressure. It is self imposed, but I don’t quite know the root of it.
Food looks great today!
Have you ever tried acupuncture?
No acupuncture for me. I am not sold on it working LOL.
I also had a dilemma with running after work. I opted to skip running today as well because I needed a break! Sometimes is good to relax for a day. I also dont think is good to over-extend ourselves. Running can be tough. I stick to jogging or fast walking…:D
…..and since when does Kmart have strawberries?! Ive never seen them at my local one. Good to know! Will check again.
Our Kmart is one of the super ones that has the grocery store in it.
ooo that doesn’t sound good. I also have issues when I run so I basically stopped. I try to do the elliptical, arc trainer or fitness classes. Even biking bothers my knee. I should go to the doctor but at the same time don’t want to deal with all the tests or whatever else they might need to do.
I have given up running as a regular part of my fitness program. Making that decision also takes me out of triathlons. But my knees “bother me” when I run. Not real pain, just the feel that my knees don’t appreciate the pounding. I will run a few miles every once in a while. And I walk and hike. I love being outside on my bike so that is going to be my preferred activity this year. I do need to get back into the pool. I need to make the effort to make that happen.
Do what feels right, don’t push it!
Well, I have a definite opinion on this. Surprise, huh? Anyway, I agree with you that it would be a waste of time to go to the doctor. And you did physical therapy yourself better than anyone could have done for you. My understanding of a herniated disc is that once it is herniated, that is permanent. It doesn’t become less herniated. The swelling around it can decrease, and the damage done to the nerves when it herniated can definitely improve. But that disc is still out there. So maybe when you run, the nerves get temporarily compressed again, causing the pain.
For me, it was really disappointing to decide to stop trying to run. But i don’t have any of those repetitive hurts I had when I was running, which is a big relief. Also, there was that little niggling fear that I would re-injure my back so badly that I would need surgery (holding hands with fingers crossed in a ‘no surgery’ sign.) (all this is advice from a lay person, not a nurse!)
As far as the pressure you feel, maybe that is just the competitor in you. Can you transfer that to biking? I’ll bet Lance Armstrong doesn’t feel pressured to run LOL.
BTW, I love your rings, I love the way they look on your hands, and I LOVE that they cost $20!!
I knew you would get it, Debby. 😀
I too like those rings of you two.
Me and hubby need to go and have our rings resized because it got so big, we can’t wear them anymore.
I hear you on the self-imposed pressure to run! But I think you are smart to listen to your body and draw logical conclusions. I did the same thing the past few months…I struggled with hip pain for such a long time while training for half marathons, and since the last one, I cut way back on my running, did a lot more yoga and – voila – the hip pain has pretty much resolved. I am pretty sure it would come back if I start upping my distances again, so I have decided for the time being, to stick to shorter distances and give myself more of a break. We all just have to find our own sweet spot when it comes to exercise!
Stop it with the pressure. You know what we forget I think? Not only should we do what we love, but we should honor our bodies and do what makes us feel good and that includes physically. It’s time to stop pressuring ourselves into pain.
If we lived closer, I would do the duathlon with you relay style – you bike, I run!! Maybe you and John could do that?
Without reading the post but just the title I’d say: RUN!
And now I’m going to read 🙂
I’ll take it back!
I’d say take it easy on the running, do a short race every now and then just for the fun and focus on biking which you love even more (if I’m correct).
I never thought I would love running when I started it two years ago but I do.
We all have a thing we love doing most, you have to find what that is for you and focus on that.
My “professional” opinion is absolutely do not do a half marathon this year. If you’re getting a little bit of pain now, then just think of what could happen after a 10 mile training run!
Just do what you love to do. I like running, but only at a slow pace, and only for an hour at a time. I think it’s gets way too hyped up, and if anything can be worse for you when done too much.
Now that I’m recovering from an injury, I’m realizing that a year isn’t really that long. I’d be amazed if I was back to my usual fighting form a year from now. The big races may be out of the question this year… but there’s always next year, or the next year, or the year after that. I mean, you don’t plan on stopping exercise any time soon, do you? 😉
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Lori, definitely gave me something to think about!
I think it is because I read about soooo many people running that I feel like I should be. I am sorry that you are going to experience the long recovery period, but there can be some positives with it!
When was the last time you had your running shoes professionally fitted? Perhaps your injury has changed your gait and a different type of shoe or orthopedic inserts will align your feet-knees-back properly. It’s worth a visit to a professional running store.
GRRR!!! Injuries suck! how profound and insightful is that??? – LOL) You are obviously very in tune with your own body and when it hurts….I hope you continue to heal while finding an activity you enjoy! Take care!!!
I am 100% not a runner. I have tried it several times because people are always talking about how great they feel and how if I give it a chance I will just love it. Well I tried and I don’t. Plus it hurts my hip. So I say you should only run if you love it and it makes you feel good. I think people assume fit people run so maybe that is why you feel the pressure but you are 100% fit without even running a block!
I feel you on the doctors. I have had a whole series of X-rays, MRIs, and referals to specialists just to be told that my tailbone is deviated from a fall and it’s probably best to just leave it alone for now.
Pain is never fun. Best not to push it if you already have pain and don’t have health care coverage. Yikes!
Your food looks great. Your rings are beatufiul, only $20? Wow!
HI Lori. So understand your dilemma. I have some foot probs – age related & no padding in my right front forefoot right now – creating havoc with my running right now. I overcompensate for the pain from lack of padding & then create other probs. I got some help with a concoction I put in my shoe to help with the lack of forefoot padding but my running is not the same & I had to decide to cut back slightly for now & do more of the Elliptical & StepMill in the gym which I was already doing but I was doing more treadmill. Will see what the future brings. I like the challenge of the running for me but I will see if the bod will let me as time goes on.
As always, do what is best for you. Your health & keeping the bod healthy is most important.. especially since you love to ride & don’t want to do anything that will prevent that! 🙂
You probably feel like you should run because it has become part of your exercise routine or at least used to be a big part of it AND it produced some good results, mentally and physically. But sometimes, backing off for an extended period and doing other things you love will allow you to come back stronger. Those weak areas will build up in strength by doing other cross training. It might also give you the opportunity to discover a whole new sport that you haven’t tried yet.
Sometimes we get so obsessed with our goals, we really try to poo-poo the aches and pains our body comes up with. I know – I’m so totally obsessed but keep telling myself… just get through April!
The thing is, if you haven’t signed up for anything yet, give yourself a break and get back into training when you feel 100% great about it. When every training session brings reward. I miss that SO much.
I still think the Spring and all its better weather will renew our excitement in running and other exercise.
Maybe a new mindset will appear when all this snow melts 😉
Doing something that hurts is wrong. You know what hurts me? Negatives on the leg press. Every time, it would take me a good week to recover from the pain. I will never do those again – why keep hurting myself? So yeah, if running is always causing you pain, then it’s not for you. You do plenty of other things that you seem to like much better anyway. I do get the pressure – it’s like once you lose weight, you are “expected” to become a runner. But it’s not for everyone. Heck, when I read runner blogs, I feel like I’m not doing near enough. Of course, another thing I need to remember is that many of these runners never were overweight, thus they probably don’t have joint issues like I do, and, while it pains me to admit this, a lot of them are much younger than me, and while I’d like to not let my age be a factor, sometimes I think it is, when it comes to pain and injuries.
Sorry, didn’t mean for this comment to be so long – I do understand where you’re coming from with this.