Ideas for the next 5K?

Hi world. My labrum tear is still here, and I'm still not running :( BUT, I am able to power-walk, and I would love the motivation of training for another marathon. However, I want to take small steps, so I will start with a 5K. I'm trying to decide which one to do. Any thoughts? Something local to the greater LA area would be ideal, and something in a month or two.

My new blog

The link didn't hypertext in my previous blog, so for those interested, please feel free to check out my new blog:

http://itoremylabrum.blogspot.com/

It's a tear

Well, at least I have an answer. My orthopedist informed me that I have a small tear in my labrum (the protective cartilege in my hip socket). The good news -- it's fixable. The bad news -- not by him. So I've been referred to another surgeon, and am also in the process of researching additional surgeons (for second opinions). It's my hip, so I'm trying to get as much info as I can, and to find the right surgeon for me. I don't really know how to determine who is the right surgeon for me, but I've been doing a lot of google research.

Given that I've now officially been instructed to forego yoga, pilates, running, and any other impact sport (i.e., I can now pretty much only swim and ride a stationary bike), I've decided to forego posting on this Marathon Training themed blog until I can resume my training.

But because I believe that I'm not the only person struggling with a labral tear, I've now started a new blog: itoremylabrum.blogspot.com You can read all about my adventures selecting a surgeon, prepping for surgery, going through surgery and rehab, etc. See you there!

Scheduling Overload?

This is a quick list of my pilates/yoga practice this past week:
Sunday = intro to yoga @ Urban Lily Yoga
Monday = pilates mat class (turned out to be only person in class) @ Mind 2 Body
Wednesday = gentle yoga class @ Black Dog Yoga
Thursday = pilates reformer personal training @ Pilates Studio City
Friday = pilates reformer group class @ Mind 2 Body
Saturday = pilates mat class @ Michael Levy Workout
Sunday = pilates mat class/magic circle class @ Mind 2 Body

My intro to yoga seminar was amazing. I loved the instructor (Lindsay) and I enjoyed learning a bit about the context of the physical practice of yoga, some of the differences in the types of practice, what on earth some of that hokey-sounding language meant and the reasons behind some of the customs...it was literally a tiny scratching of the surface of a 5000 year old rich tradition, but I finally feel empowered and excited to practice. Now I just need to figure out how to fit it into my schedule...I really like Urban Lily Yoga, and it's soooo convenient, but the class times that are best for me seem to be geared toward more advanced students. So I might have to start off elsewhere, but I would like to end up taking more classes at this studio.

I can't say enough good things about Mind 2 Body. I love the attention to detail, the fact that they keep class sizes small, that they seem to stay true to "classical" pilates methodology, that I feel challenged and energized each time I'm there. I can't get enough. I'm a huge fan of one of their newest instructors, Jamie, and of course, the studio's owner, Lani. I was thrilled to try the reformer class, which was a real challenge, but which I was happy to fit into my lunch hour.

Gentle yoga was my second class at Black Dog Yoga, and it was exactly what I was looking for on Wednesday. I had a rough afternoon, and was very stressed and agitated, and it helped me calm my mind and body and literally open up to the evening. The instructor was good, but I'm afraid that if I hadn't just had that intro to yoga class, I wouldn't have felt very comfortable there. There were a ton of props that I'm not sure I would have felt as comfortable with and I felt like the class was a little bit fuller than I would have preferred. However, the instructor made it a point to continuously go around the room, correct our form, learn our names, and ensure that we were working at a level that was appropriate for our abilities. I found the music really distracting though. I can't remember what exactly it was, but it was some sort of pop music, and I had to work extra hard not to focus on it. I plan on trying some more classes at the studio.

Pilates Studio City was one of the more disappointing experiences for me this week. Not because I didn't get a good workout. I really did. I had a private lesson with a very good instructor named Sara, and she introduced me to the reformer apparatus. I think the building and layout of the studio is really neat and I was psyched by the variety of classes and scheduling options. But I was a little turned off by the fact that the sign-in area is essentially in the same room as the mat classes, so I felt like I was interrupting the class by coming into the studio. That was awkward but if I had been the person taking the mat class who was closest to the door, that would have been really distracting. I had to walk through the class to get to the rest room. That was even more awkward. Nobody gave me a tour of the studio or anything, which I would have liked, but not a big deal. What irked me a bit was the fact that when I watched part of a mat class upon my arrival (I was early, of course), the instructor was on the ground doing the exercises. It seemed to me that the instructor should be going around correcting form and observing, not demonstrating. I figure that I can get a demonstration from a video. Classes provide the interaction. The other thing that bothered me was the fact that my private lesson was given in a small room that contained three reformers (and three of us who each were having private lessons). I found that I felt very claustrophobic and was easily distracted. So, I may give it another shot, but I left feeling well-worked, but a little disappointed.

This weekend was a little nutty for me, pilates-wise. On Saturday, I tried out the mat class at Michael Levy Workout, in Encino. That's one of the few studios in LA in which each of the instructors has been certified to teach the original, classical pilates method that is promulgated by Romana Kryzanowska (protege of Joseph Pilates). The mat class quickly filled up, so it's a good thing I arrived early. It was clear that the other students were regulars of the studio, and seemed to be well-versed in the various exercises. Some of them even had claimed positions in the room that they always set up their mat at. That was hilarious. But I found myself a mat in unclaimed territory, and proceeded to do what I could to keep up. It was tough -- much more advanced than the intro classes I've been attending elsewhere, but the class was advertised as "open" to all levels. I'm glad I had done Mari Winsor's videos though, because I was able to follow along a lot better than I would have, had I not done those advanced videos. Anyway, it was without a doubt, one of the most challenging workouts of the week, but sooooo amazing to experience. I wish they offered more evening or early morning mat classes, but alas, Saturdays are the only ones that work with my schedule.

Today I attended the open house at Mind 2 Body, in Sherman Oaks, to which I dragged Kelley who, in turn, convinced Erica to also attend. That made it a lot more fun for me, because I otherwise would have been overwhelmed by the mad rush of the open house. But I was really disappointed in the fact that the studio switched a few things around, including what kind of class offering was given at 12:30, and which instructor was assigned to the 1pm class. I guess I can't really complain because they were free classes. But I was particularly hoping that Kelley would get to experience my favorite teacher there. And I was also looking forward to working on the bouncy-ball thing (but the class ended up being just a mat class). The mat class instructor was good, and she did help correct people's form, but because of the shortened class schedule, wasn't able to explain the moves before we did them, so I am afraid a lot of people may have been doing the moves incorrectly, or could have adjusted slightly to get more out of them. I know that they do more of that in their regular classes, but it seemed like that would have been even more important at an open house where people come without any pilates experience. Anyway, the second class was crazy hard -- the magic circle class. In addition to requiring a ton of upper arm and core strength, it also required quite a bit of balance. At the end of my two 30 minute classes, I felt that I accomplished quite a bit.

So, in lieu of running right now, this exercise seems to be the only thing I can do that doesn't irritate my hip and that doesn't bore me half to death (I'm sorry, I'm just not a huge fan of biking or swimming). Tomorrow I get to go back to the imaging center for another MRI (this time with contrast). The center messed it up last Wednesday (and sent home the doctor before I arrived so they couldn't do the injection). Fun fun. I'm a little stressed about it, but I'm sure I'll be okay.

This week I want to add some more yoga to my routine, and I'm anxious to try out Rising Lotus yoga in Sherman Oaks. It has great reviews, is also pretty close to my office, and seems to have a lot of classes for beginners at times that would possibly work for me. I'm not sure about that, so I am going to call them tomorrow to get some more info.

It's been a busy week. Somewhere between all that yoga/pilates, I also managed to do a lot of work (I've been increasing my hours by coming in early and doing some work on the weekends) and I managed to start refinishing my bathroom cabinets. And my bird, Layla, decided to repeatedly say "hello" to me. I cried. My baby speaks!!!

I think it's time that I enjoy some well-earned rest, so, that's all for now :-)

Ongoing hip pain leads me in a new direction

I've been working hard over the past several months to let my body heal. My hip pain continued so I worked with an orthopedist and physical therapist to strengthen and stretch the area. But the pain persists (though it is sporadic and somewhat unpredictable). So the orthopedist referred me to another orthopedist, who suspects that I might have a labral tear. So the next step for me is an arthogram (the MRI where they inject you with some sort of liquid that provides "contrast" and makes things like tears more apparent). But if the MRI confirms the tear, then i need to be referred to yet another orthopedist who can fix it.

In the meantime, I've been reluctant to run or train because, since I don't know for sure what is causing the pain, I don't know if I'm going to make it worse. Plus, the original orthopedist told me to avoid it. Frustrating.

So in the meantime, I've begun pursuing something I've wanted to seriously study and practice for a while now (but haven't really had the courage or confidence to do so)...pilates and yoga.

There are studios on every block in LA. Literally. There's a yoga studio within walking distance of my home and probably 50 within a 5 mile radius. I've been sampling a few and taking a variety of classes. I'm learning to connect to my body in new ways, to strengthen and stretch my body and to simply appreciate what my body is capable of achieving. I feel invigorated, challenged and perhaps best of all, a new sense of discovery. I only wish I had started sooner (maybe I wouldn't have injured myself in the first place). I'm not sure why I didn't, except that I pictured only young, tall, thin and toned people in classes and I felt a little intimidated. Well, I was wrong (duh). At the yoga class I took yesterday, a tiny toned woman who was well over 60 years old was to my right, and a woman who must have weighed 100 pounds more than I did was to my left.

Yoga and pilates are very different but seem to provide complementary benefits. I'm enjoying the ways in which various teachers approach both the subject matter and their pupils. I'm even fascinated by how the various studios operate, are designed, are advertised, etc. No two teachers are the same and no two studios are. But I feel like I'm benefiting from visiting several and experiencing the different approaches.

So even though I'm not running marathons at the moment, I'm discovering new facets of my body and two separate but fascinating traditions (one that is thousands of years old and of which physical movements are merely a small component and one that isn't even 100 years old). I'm excited to have begun my practice in both traditions, and to have discovered new ways to enrich my life.

Mmmmm.....Lemonade

I'm well aware of the old adage, "when life gives you lemons...make lemonade." Today, I finally rose to the challenge... My hip has still been bothering me, so I decided to go swimming instead of running. This may seem like a common sense solution. It certainly has been recommended to me by everyone who I've talked about my hip problem with -- doctors and non-doctors alike. But I don't like to swim. It gets BORING. And, it's WET. Duh. But I don't like the transition of getting into the pool or worse -- stepping out of it.

Today took special motivation. I had plans to show up at the Sherman Oaks public pool at 6:30 to meet my friend Kelley. Thankfully she was up to this crazy idea and knowing she would be showing up was the only thing that convinced me to follow through with the plan. I set out my suit and accessories last night so that I could sleep in till the last possible moment, and I set out to meet her.

My car's thermometer read 47 degrees. Did I mention that the pool is an outdoor pool? I knew it was supposed to be heated. But then again, the city is broke, so I wasn't sure just how hot or comfortable it would be. At least it was cheap and easy to get to. It's literally down the street, maybe a mile away. And with a library card, it only cost $2.

When we arrived, every lane was taken. Some swim team took up all of the lanes in the deep end of the pool, and we ended up with the generic short end of the pool, wedged between two lanes that didn't actually have a divider. So basically we created a new lane and likely pissed off two other swimmers. Oops. The pool, however, was AWESOME to get into. Especially because we had to shower before we left the locker room, and then we stepped into the 47 degree air. The pool, a warm 81 degrees, was like a heated blanket and hot cocoa on an snowy day. Perfect.

So with that, we began to swim. It wasn't so bad. I had recently replaced my old goggles and the new ones were tinted to block out the sun's glare. They also fit better than my last pair and didn't leak. I quickly realized that I will need to obtain a swim cap if I intend to enter the water in the future...my bangs kept falling into my mouth whenever I turned my head to breathe. Inhaling wet hair...lovely.

Leave it to Kelley to make the workout challenging and fun though. She suggested that we do some drills....time one lap. Then recover on the return lap. Then try to beat our previous time. Then recover. It was just like a hill repeat. Only lateral. I felt like there was suddenly a purpose to my swimming.

One of the nice surprises about the pool was all of the accessories that were included: kick-boards, whatever-that-thing-you-put-between-your-legs-so-you-only-swim-with-your-arms-but-you-don't-kick-is-called, and even the aqua jogger belt!!! We attempted the aqua jogger in the 4 foot deep water, and made it across the pool a few times. It felt very awkward. Were we doing it right? We had no idea. But it got my heart rate up and it felt like I was doing something. And it was fun, because with our heads above the water, we could talk. Like actual running. That felt nice.

Finally, the swim team cleared out and we got to move into the deep end. It became nearly impossible to propel ourselves forward with the aqua belt on, but we did it anyway, and really pumped our arms. My later YouTube research has led me to believe that we don't actually need to go forward when we're running in the deep end, but alas, it wasn't a bad thing. We mixed it up, used the kick boards and that other between-the-legs-thing, and finished our 50 or so minutes.

It wasn't a continuous workout -- I stopped after most laps. But it was probably the most fun I've had working out in the water. And my hip didn't hurt once throughout the entire time. And even better, when we finished, I felt like I had worked hard, but could keep going. And even more amazing...I actually wanted to.

The most difficult part of the morning -- even more so than getting out of bed -- was getting out of the warm pool into the cool air. I won't lie. It sucked. Big time. But I survived, and I'm looking forward to doing it again. Lemonade, anyone?

Yet Another Setback

I'm starting to get really frustrated. On Friday evening, my hip started twinging again, and when I woke on Saturday morning, the twinging had turned into pain. So once again, I chose to sit-out practice instead of pushing myself and causing additional injury. But I'm getting very concerned that maybe the physical therapy isn't really helping, and maybe the pain was mis-diagnosed. I'm frustrated and disappointed and ready to get to the bottom of this.

On the upside, once again, our practice was not rained out. So at least I wasn't sitting in the rain. And on the upside, while I sat and waited for the rest of the group, I watched everyone's stuff, did my stretching and strengthening exercises from the physical therapist, and hung out with friends. So all things considered, it could have been a lot worse.

I'm just mainly disappointed because I really felt good and ready to re-build my base again.

On the upside, I purchased a very cute bathing suit this weekend, so I can do my cardio at the pool. I haven't tried the public pool yet, but I understand that it's heated year-round, and pretty inexpensive. I plan to try it out sometime this week.

Proud Pain

I know of two types of pain -- the pain of injury and the pain of accomplishment. I've struggled with the former for several months now, as I've been trying to heal my hip pain. But at the moment, I'm indulging in the latter -- pain from my amazing strength training workout yesterday.

It's great. Whenever I lift my arms, I'm reminded of the many reps of combination lifts I performed. If I laugh or change positions in my seat, my abs send a quick reminder of the work I did on the balance ball. The high heels I put on this morning are a lovely reminder of my calf stengthening/balance exercises. And most exciting -- the lack of hip pain tells me I did a great job of stretching the muscles in my legs.

I suppose the pain might not be so great had I been consistently working out in this way. But I simply feel proud of what I'm capable of doing.

Kicking out the Lazy

I haven't figured out why I can manage to wake up for long runs on Saturdays but during the week I lose all motivation. That's probably why our team holds mid-week practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays -- I'm not the only one who needs a bit of help. But as I've been easing back into my training schedule, I've had an even more difficult time staying consistent with my strength training workouts.

So this morning, I had the help of an obnoxious phone call at five minutes to six to help wake me up and kick me out of bed. The call wasn't even for me, go figure. I got ready and went to Bridget's insanely cheerful gym. For an hour, she reminded me why I love training -- breaking my mental barriers and accomplishing empowering physical challenges. I left sore, but in that great way where you know you did something tough.

And I was energized and pumped to continue on track to get stronger, healthier and happier.

And then the clock reached 9:30 am, and I crashed.

So now my challenge going forward is to find ways to harness the good feelings I had during my training session and immediately afterwards, and hold onto them for as long as I can. I want to focus on that feeling when I start arguing with myself each morning whether or not I want to get out of bed and go for a run.

It's interesting. I know that some workouts have been better than others -- but there is not a single workout that I've ever actually regretted doing. I definitely can't say the same for the number of mornings I have skipped working out.

First steps ... a second time

On Saturday morning, I woke up 3 minutes before my alarm started wailing "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News (you know, one of the most memorable ones from Back to the Future). I dragged myself out of bed and looked out the window at the black sky with wet pellets cascading down. In my morning daze, I managed to put on my training garb and dash from the front door to my car. Why I bothered to dash, I'm not sure. If the rain didn't stop, I was still going to be outside in it for the next few hours.

I drove to Balboa park and when I made the turn from Burbank onto Balboa and saw the cones that were being placed to close Burbank, it dawned on me that when it rains, the Sepulveda basin floods and they close not only the park, but also the steets leading to the park. Uh oh.

But as 6:30 rolled around, and my fabulous TNT leaders found street parking and met outside of the closed park, we caught a break. Literally. A break in the storm. And miraculously, this break lasted for the entire practice and post-practice pot-luck. We revised our training schedule to account for the weather (i.e., no timed mile on wet slippery ground and no strength training because nobody wanted to lay down on top of the puddles).

Practice was really amazing, all things considered. We warmed up for 6 minutes up and down Balboa, stretched as a group and one of our amazing and inspiring participants led us in our mission moment. She spoke to us about how she was inspired by her mother, who passed away from a blood cancer about ten years ago. 100 pounds lighter, our amazing participant (who has already met her fundraising goal even though it's only the third week), decided to join TNT and run a marathon and celebrate life. Despite being such an inspirational person with such an inspirational message, she was nervous to speak to the group. She read from an excerpt of a letter that she had written. I was moved twice -- once by her story but the second time, by the courage it took her to share it with us. And I thought about how public speaking is probably most people's greatest fear...but at least on Saturday morning, we were all listening to our participant speak publicly not to judge, to insult, or to compare ourselves to her, but to hear what she had to say and to be inspired on our run. That's a good thing to keep in mind next time I need to speak to a group. The group wants the speaker to succeed (usually :-)).

After our mission moment and our "go TEAM" we were off. Because the weather was still nice, we ran through the park from Balboa towards Woodley, 25 minutes out and back. Because I wanted to take things slowly, I ended up walking 99% of the route. But just moving for the sustained period outdoors was so refreshing and invigorating. I saw hawks, an egret, some mist atop of the lake, and even a rainbow. All of which I would have missed had I not dragged myself out of bed. I enjoyed the company of old friends and new, and was reminded of how life is infinitely more enjoyable when I force myself to rise early and challenge myself on Saturday mornings.


A few moments before I got back into my car, the sky opened up and the clouds dumped two hours worth of collected unspent rain. My hips felt stiff.

And I can't wait to do it all over again next week!