The Slow Jogger

3 days, 3 things.

Saturday:

I met up with my friend Toni for lunch at Rubio’s so I could get her Praxis II study guides. If I look like I just got done working out and didn’t shower, is because it’s true.

I still have one more test to take so I can teach next year. This will be the last one. It will be nice when I don’t have to take anymore tests :/

Sunday:

Rob put an apple sticker on Stella’s nose. She liked it so much she left it there all day! It was her gold star sticker for being such a good doggie.

I didn’t mean to cut my face out. She got too wiggly. Diva. She gets a haircut tomorrow! Yay!

Today:

Ran some random errands with Rob today. We parked by this sign.

Rob said it was ok to park there because I was Skeletor. Then the real Skeletor drove by and he looked like this:

What are three things you did today/this weekend?

I have seen 4 doctors, 2 physical therapists, and 1 chiropractor; all of whom can’t tell me what is going on, or how to help me anymore. I go through these cycles. I start to feel better, so I start training. Then without fail, my IT band starts to act up again. I break down, I do a ton of research, and see another doctor for help. I have done a TON of research when it comes to IT band. I am heading on 19 months here! That is a long time to be researching.

I am repeating the cycle, except I don’t think I will be making another doctor’s appointment (unless my next plan of attach refuses to work). I have recently stumbled upon quite a bit of research that is telling me I need to be doing some strength training. Crazy, after seeing so many professionals that not one could tell me that I needed to be strength training. Odd indeed. Here is my research. Feel free to ignore this post, or read up if you or a loved one is also suffering from IT band problems.

First article that sparked my interest:
Beating the Band 

Why yes! I know all about that!

This has been a huge problem with what I have been doing so far. I have been told to foam roll, massage, stretch, ice, repeat for 19 months now.

I have also read (can’t remember where) that it is very difficult to stretch the IT band because it is very difficult to reach.

I need to be engaging in strength training.

Article Number 2:

Getting the (IT) Band Back Together

Weak hips are at the root of the problem.

These most important exercises listed were:
1. Hip abductor

2. Hip gluteus medius

(See article for how to strengthen these)

Even though I need to be strengthening, I also need to be stretching.

I also should not forget about the foam roller. Other research has stated that I need to foam roll to lengthen and stretch the IT band. However, this new research states that the IT band cannot be made more flexible. I can use the foam roller for massage and to break up adhesion.

This third article also suggests the same techniques of strengthening, stretching, and foam rolling.
Running Tips: IT Band 

And lastly, the fifth article I discovered, although talking about tennis injuries,

again suggests to foam roll with strength training.

Knee Pain Relief with IT Band Myofascial Release

I just thought this picture was funny! Read the caption below- very painful. Why is she smiling?!?!

I hope this works! If you or a loved one is experiencing pain or difficulties with their IT Band, please contact me, Dr. Anderson Web MD. I am awesome at making self-diagnoses. On second thought, you might want to wait to see if my own tips and advice works.

My knee was still on the recovery this morning when I woke up. I decided that I would spin my life out. I watched Downton Abbey. Snooze Fest! Maybe it will get better? I seriously thought I was going to die a slow death of boredom. I was there for an hour and the only thing that was keeping me awake was my furious pedaling.

After, I was planning on foam rolling and stretching, and calling it a day. I looked outside and it was just so beautiful, it was calling my name. Stella and I went on a 3 mile walk. I didn’t bring Lady Gaga with me. Just enjoyed the walk while listening, and finishing, “The Maze Runner.”

The largest dandelion puff I have ever seen. I picked it for good measures and made a wish. Can’t tell or it will never come true :)

Horses?!

Stella’s reaction to the horses. Forget deer! She is a psycho! Good thing she was on a leash.

Rob and I had some errands we needed to run and decided to stop and get Sammy’s pie shakes while in Provo. These are the best! They put an actual slice of pie into your shake. I got peach cobbler and Rob got Reese’s.

Do you watch Downton Abbey? Does it get better or stay the same?

What is your favorite dessert spot?

I woke up at 4 am this morning to an angry knee. I tried to just ignore it and go back to sleep, but it was so tight. I always keep my heating pad next to the bed in case something like this happens. So I turned it on and heated my leg for 1.5-2 hrs. It finally calmed down so I could fall back asleep.

When I woke back up at 7 (1 whole extra hour of sleep) I decided it was not a good idea to run on something that was waking me up. However, I did take Stella on a 3 mile walk while listening to “The Maze Runner”. So so so so good!

Stella done and got herself all dirty. This is an old picture, but she looked like this when we were done.

I was finally forced into giving her a bath. She looks like a wet rat. Poor thing needs a haircut too. She is 90% fluff.

I was trying to get a picture of the brown and sticker filled water. It was pretty gross.

I have a new smoothie recipe! It is like drinking cold apple pie. Delicious! This breakfast cured any sad thoughts I had about my knee. I will be drinking this every morning for the next 3 years.

1 c. milk (I use Almond milk-vanilla). If you use regular milk you might want to add some greek yogurt to thicken it up a little bit.

1 banana

1 apple (cored)

1/2 c. oats

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

I don’t add any ice because it makes it all watery. So I just stick it in the fridge or freezer for a little bit.

What books are on your summer reading list? (Really, I need some titles here people)

What is your breakfast of champions?

Rob and I were watching “How it’s Made”. Two of the strangest episodes came on, one on worcestershire sauce and the other on haggis (whatever that is).

These are the grossest things I have ever seen made. Did you know worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies? What the? And haggis (again, whatever that is) is made of ground up fat and lamb lungs. What the?

No wonder people were being accused of being a witch. Only witches would be able to come up with those weird concoctions and brews.

No workout today. I woke up and my knee was tired. Every woman knows the cure for feeling sorry for yourself is shopping! So I went grocery shopping instead.

Good thing I showered and got ready today. (Remember, it’s summer and I take a complete break from life during the summer). I ran into 3 students

Killing the environment one shopping trip at a time.

Bah! I spent all my blogging time looking for a meme I saw on Pinterest. There it was born, and there it died in the black abyss.

Short post tonight. I will run and blog tomorrow! :)

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten or made?

Hate Pinterest or love it?

Sorry. Yesterday we changed internet providers, so it was down all day. I did nothing yesterday. It was wonderful. You should try it too sometime.

I snacked on peanut butter, apples, and chocolate chips

Finished this book. Fabulous!

When Rob came home, we decided to try the Wendy’s frosty cones.

I couldn’t get the paper off of the cone. I almost resorted to eating the cone paper. Phew! Good thing I got it off just in time!

Today, I did a 3 mile run. Average 10 min mile. Bleh. It was hot by the time I started running, and I felt tired. I was having a hard time picking up the pace. Monday will be a better day.

I made brownies for breakfast. I love being an adult.

Rob brought (snuck) me home lunch from the golf course. There was a tournament today, and they provided food.

How was your workout today?

Have you ever eaten junk food for breakfast?

To kickoff the first day of summer I ran a 5k in the Run of Remembrance. During the race, you run through the cemetery. This got me thinking of all of the men and women who are serving,  who have served, and who have died protecting this country and my freedoms. I am so thankful.

I did this race with Holly and Steph numero uno and their families. I ran with K K (Kenna and Kayden) for 1.6, but then my knee started to pull. I had to stop and walk for a little bit. K K left me for dead! After I finished I told them that I disowned them forever. They are done being my 13 year old besties ;)

Holly’s fam and Steph’s fam

I am not a giant. Holly and Steph just have some growing to do in their spare time :)

This week I have been spinning a lot and catching up on all my teenage drama shows. I wonder what it feels like to be an adult? Rob changed my bike seat to a more comfy one, and my pedals to clips. I used to spin twice a day everyday from 2006-2008 back in the day. I would get to the gym at 5 am for the 6 am class. Yes, you had to be there an hour early in order to get a seat! Sometimes I had to get there at 4:30 (now that is dedication). Then I would go to the 6 pm class for extra fun.

My dearly beloved. He/She needs a proper name. This picture was taken in March. No it did not snow this week. I wouldn’t put it past Utah though.

Today I ran 2 miles in my favorite spot with my favorite dog. My splits were a 9:15 and a 9:30. I am pretty proud if I do say so myself, since I haven’t ran since last September. I walked 1 mile just for extra effort. It is hard and weird knowing that my favorite distance is 16 miles, and that I used to be able to run marathons. Now I know what it feels like to be a mere mortal, a human. Running sucks. Haha. I am just grateful that I can now walk, sit, and bike pain free.

I seriously love running in the spring time, it is so green and beautiful. Plus the weather stays nice all day long, so I don’t have to start running when it is dark outside or I would die a long slow death of heat.

After running, I spun (correct term?) for an hour then foam rolled like a boss. Rob came home, rolling pinned me, and then stretched me. Sadly, foam rolling nor rolling pinning  hits the sweet spots anymore! What does this mean? My IT band is still flared. It has gotten significantly better since last year, but it is still bothersome.

Not only do I still have IT band problems I have the case of the walrus foot. This picture does not do it any justice.

I tried cutting out my alien toes because feet are gross and gross looking. I thought I post a picture of feet for all the world to look at.

After I came home from school on Friday (last day of school ya-hoo!) I took my shoes off and Rob shouted, “Holy walrus foot! What the freak is wrong?!” I sprained my ankle, 2 weeks ago now. It wasn’t sore, didn’t bother me, and there was no swelling. Then all of a sudden on Friday, it swelled up like a balloon. I put socks on so I could ice my ankle, and I had skin hangover on the side. Umm yeah.

I just irritated the ding dang thing again by playing tennis this evening. What’s a girl to do? Tomorrow I will spin, ice and sit around eating chocolate chips (semi-sweet, duh. What kind of girl did you take me for?) while reading a book. Maybe wally the walrus will stop freaking out sometime soon.

What did you do for your summer kick-off?

Name suggestions for the bike?

Saturday and Sunday a group of us (Nick and Lynds, Brady and Corrine, and Jake and Kelsie) went to our friend Nick’s cabin to go snowmobiling.

We had perfect weather the first day. It was so nice and warm. Unfortunately, the warm weather caused some issues on the way up. We were borrowing our friend’s truck, and rented a trailer and snowmobile. The roads were super icy due to the warm weather. We had some steep hills to go up in order to get to the cabin.

The first hill, we could not make it up. So we back up and tried again-success. The next hill, you had to take a right had turn, and someone had parked their Expedition right on the turn (source of a lot of problems). We tried to make it up the hill, and we couldn’t. So we took the snowmobile out of the trailer, hoping the less weight would allow us up. No help. So we decided to back up and try to make it back up.

Our friends got out to help Rob back up. Nick noticed that we were slipping before we even knew and told Rob to pump the brakes. The wheels locked up and the trailer started heading right towards the Expedition. There was nothing we could do about it. All of a sudden, Brady jumps behind the trailer. I am screaming because we were going to pin him. Brady shoves the trailer out of the way and came away unscathed. The trailer went into the snowbank and it was over. Not a scratch!

Other than the close call, the weekend was great and we all had a fabulous time.

Just some pictures and a video of Rob’s sledding accident.

I made it safely :) You can see me keep going as a little spec in the background.

Ever been snowmobiling before?

This was my first time!

What was the last vacation you took?

Tonight we had parent teacher conference. It’s always exciting to pull a 13 hour day. We at least get food from our amazing PTA.

I brought the iPad to work with me today. I wanted to get some work done, and that is the easiest to haul around over a laptop.

My friend Jill walked over to say hi, and I asked if she wanted to take a small break. We walked over to the teacher’s lounge to grab a couple of bites to eat.

When I got back, I had a couple of parents who wanted to speak with me. After, I said hi to a couple of teachers and it was time to go. As I was packing up my stuff, I noticed that the iPad was gone!

I started freaking out and asking if I got picked up by the principals when they were cleaning up. A quick thought popped in my head that some of my co-workers (the boys) in my department were playing a prank and took it.

I asked them if they took it and promised me that they didnt. I am dramatically falling on the floor saying, “No, no no! Why me? Why am I so irresponsible?” I was so worried about coming home without it. What I was really worried about was getting the responsibility talk from Rob. I get these way too often. I am not a responsible adult yet.

I kept asking if the boys had taken the iPad, and again, they promised they didn’t have it. They were trying to show me their rooms that they didn’t have it. They promised that if I went home and took a breather that it would show up tomorrow.

Into my room I went and there it was! There was also a nice little note saying, “We took it over 3 hours ago, and you never even noticed.” I screamed out and they took off, bolting out the door! Bah! I will get them back!

Any good prank ideas? They seriously can’t be able to get away with tricking the trickster!

Saw another doc about my IT band. Still no where. I think I know my next plan of attack, but I don’t want to say anything yet in case of the juju. We don’t want to mess with juju right now.

Rob and I were at Costco and saw the cutest running skirts! I have never used a running skirt before, but these are so soft and comfy, I thought I would give them a try. I purchased two to make myself feel better about my doctor’s appointment. I am still holding onto the belief that this injury will be over soon.

I am a horrible bed maker. Please don’t hire me anytime soon.

Injured Runner’s Creed

1. I will not punch, hit, slap, or otherwise injure people I see running because I am jealous of them.

2. I will do all of the stupid mind numbing exercises my physical therapist tells me to do.

3. I will not substitute whole grains, veggies and healthy proteins with Cheetos and Coors Light just because I cannot run right now.

4. I will find something – anything- that I can do that makes me feel athletic (swimming, water running, walking), so that I will not turn into a complete witch.

5. I will not become so consumed by the fact that I cannot run that I lose all perspective. I will remember the things that are going right in my life, like that my heart is beating and my husband cleaned up the dog’s poop and my kids are not arguing for five minutes, and I will focus on those things.

6. I will not hole up in my house (with Cheetos and Coors Light) and isolate myself. I willreach out to people who care about me and let them support me. I will try not to be a snotty a-hole.

7. I will try as hard as I can to laugh at myself and to keep my sense of humor. Maybe I will watch Family Guy, or fart in the bathtub, put someone’s hand in warm water while they are sleeping, or read this story. Whatever it takes.

8. I will remain optimistic because I know that this condition is temporary and I will run again.

9. I will stop reading blogs where all of the healthy, invincible 25 year olds are running 10 marathons a month and complaining only about a single blister on their pinkie toe. It’s not that I don’t admire them or thing they’re amazing, it’s just that right now they make me feel like crap.

10. I will do one thing every day that I love to do. This will show me that  I love things other than running.

P.S. PAHLEEEZE read that story with the link. I could barely get through it I was crying/laughing so hard.

P.P.S. Rob laughed :) You know it’s funny when he laughs. Rob is known to say, “I’m laughing on the inside.”

Do you workout in skirts? Love em? hate em?

Funniest story you have read?