Still struggling with right hip pain, going on 16 months. Been doing PT regularly since August 2020, focusing on gluteal, hamstring, and adductor strength – basically lots of hard work on strengthening the muscles that contribute to pelvic stability. I met recently with an orthopedist and got a hip MRI with contrast in order to see how that joint looks, after determining by x-ray that the there weren’t any skeletal/hard tissue issues. Verdict: fraying of the labrum, the cartilage that lines the hip socket.
“Fraying” to me is a super grey term.
“Frayed” like a pair of acid-washed jean shorts from the 80s? This would seem really bad from what I recall from surviving the fashion of the 80s.
“Frayed” like the ends of my ponytail because I refuse to cut my hair? Maybe could use a little work, but nothing to be overly concerned about.
After reviewing the MRI images with the doctor, he thankfully indicated I’m on the ends of the ponytail side of the spectrum. No need for surgical intervention, and no need to modify my current workout intensity (which is unbelievably good news).
The last few weeks going into this imaging appointment have led to a lot of deep thoughts about how I want to spend my workout time and what my priorities should be, and I keep coming back again and again to two things:
Strength = EVERYTHING
I know this as an athlete, as a scientist, and as someone getting older every day. That said, strength work is my least favorite part of being active. It’s. So. Boring. I’ve committed to my PT routine 3x per week and have been very consistent in hitting those workouts, but I know it’s not enough. So I’m adding one Pilates class a week (nothing like 60 minutes of core work + multi-plane movement) and one Recharge strength class (because I need the structure of a group class to actually do a strength workout and not just give up and take a nap on the floor with the kitties).
Trail runs should be fun
Red flags have been popping up for me left and right on my trail runs for the last few weeks, most notably at the Mt Hood 50K. I’m just not having fun running long on the trails. It’s so hard to say that out loud, and has been even harder for me to recognize. I love the trails, I will always run trail miles every week, but what is making me HAPPY at the moment is (gasp) road miles and (shock and awe) track workouts. It feels wrong to even type that, but it’s true. My name is Kori, and I like track workouts. So instead of putting my head down and continuing to follow my training plan and hating it and feeling my soul die, I’m going to change course and have some goddamn fun. I’m going to run trail on my easy days, and run road/track for the hard workouts and start following my Chicago Marathon training plan a few weeks earlier than originally planned. And I’m not going to run the Haulin’ Aspen trail marathon in 2 weeks, because I just don’t want to. For the first time in weeks, I feel free and I feel excited to train.
What songs get you fired up to run? Who’s your go-to artist for track sessions?
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (image:Bing)
My playlist is woefully outdated – I haven’t downloaded new music in (gulp) three years. I don’t listen to music ever on the trails or roads, so this hasn’t seemed like a big deal until I started a new marathon training block several weeks ago and realized I needed some fresh tunes to fire up my speedwork.
Here are my current (as in what I’m listening to, but definitely not “current” LOL) favs:
“Bad Reputation” – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“I Disappear” – Metallica
“I Want You To Want Me” – Chris Isaak
“It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” – R.E.M.
I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, but I do use the turning of the calendar page to look ahead for 12 months and sketch out some fitness goals and priorities. I always feel a little antsy if I don’t have anything on the horizon; the structure of a training plan and the sweet march of the journey towards an event add soul to my life. Here are the races I’m gunning for (so far, hopefully more to come):
April: Salmon Run trail half marathon
July: birthday self-supported trail 50K
August: Haulin’ Aspen trail marathon
October: Chicago Marathon (reschedule from 2020)
One of my go-to trail race training guides
I’ll be following Krissy Moehl’s 50K training plan for the August trail marathon (26 vs 31 miles is basically apples to apples when you’re talking trail events). 24 weeks long, I start in mid-February, and the mileage/intensity build-up is gentle enough that it will be compatible with skiing at least 2 days most weeks and continuing to crush the strength work.
Although I’ve run several 50K and marathon events, I am essentially starting over due to the “hip blip” of 2020 (it’s all about the marketing, and “hip blip” sounds kind of minor, maybe a little fun, and not nearly as scary as “injury”). The next several weeks before the plan starts will entail mostly easy trail and road runs with weekly mileage around 15-30 miles.
My favorite self-elected, very semi-part-time profession is to be a RMOH. For the uninitiated, this stands for “Running Maid of Honor”. I’ve only done it twice, but it makes me silly happy and my services are available for anyone who needs an enthusiastic but not super fast pacer and can tolerate my “yapping”, as my better half so diplomatically calls it.
Devin: Major Crusher of His First Road Marathon
My first go/run as RMOH was the 2019 Pac Crest Marathon with Devin, my work brother. This two-loop marathon conveniently used the same course as the half marathon, so I registered for the half and ran it with Devin as his second loop of the marathon. A life-long endurance athlete, Dev was a total champ at the distance and placed 2nd in his age group. My main duties were trying to keep up with him for the first half of the half, then helping him stay on a competitive pace for the second half of the half, which sadly for him was much harder as it was the final quarter of his marathon. I also (oh pre-COVID, such an innocent time) cajoled the many, many civilians we passed on the route to cheer for him as we went by. As Dan always says, “you scare people”, which comes in handy when you need perfect strangers to root for your tired buddy.
Heather: she’s got soup, she’s got a blanket, and now she’s got a half marathon under her belt!!!
I had the great privilege of donning the RMOH cap again a few weeks ago for Heather’s first half marathon, the super scenic Happy Girls Sisters Trail Half. Heather trained like fearless warrior through cold winter/spring conditions and hot summer days, often while pushing a lot of pounds of children IN A STROLLER ON TRAIL (if that doesn’t make you a strength badass, nothing will), and went from not running at all only mere months ago to running 13.1 miles on trail. Which is a pretty impressive progression and inspired me many days to get my own butt out there, because I knew Heather was getting her miles in. For this event I worked my friendly paparazzi skills and got lots of action shots of my runner on the course:
ya know, Heather just making it look easythe heavens shining down and highlighting how cute Heather’s hairstyle isone of the many gorgeous views on course
So…if you’re looking for a supportive racing buddy who resembles the love child of Tigger and Chris Traeger from “Parks and Recreation”…call me.
Today I was supposed to run the Chicago Marathon. It was going to be my first trip to Chicago and my third World Major Marathon. I was so excited to explore the city, and attempt a Boston Marathon Qualifying time on a flat course, and experience the sheer joy of being surrounded by 40000 other running geeks.
By May, the marathon organizers still hadn’t canceled, but it was seeming less and less likely that the event would go forward. So I decided I would run the marathon distance in loops around the paved path behind my house, and still go for the BQ time goal.
By June, the marathon organizers still hadn’t canceled and now I had a lingering hip issue, so I decided I would run the distance in loops around the paved path behind my house, for fun and not for time, and raise funds for a cause dear to my heart.
By August, the marathon organizers had canceled the event and I could barely run and was starting physical therapy.
By September, I had given up trying to plan a virtual event to commemorate race day. The staggering numbers of people affected by COVID in this country alone (214000 deaths and nearly 8 million infected and countless lives changed forever) weigh heavy on my thoughts. And so today, on what would have been race day, I chose a quiet trail and ran with gratitude for the ability to run at all, with a fervent appreciation for the lungs that sustain my effort, with every step a prayer that our country and our world find a way out of this pandemic. The marathon will be rescheduled and I will fundraise. But today, today was for quiet reflection and holding my loved ones close.
On August 10 I had my first PT appointment for this hip weirdness. After listening to the injury history, watching me do a few sketchy one-legged squats, and glancing at my painstakingly constructed training log spreadsheet (see below), the PT had me lay on my stomach while she evaluated my spine.
2020 Training Log – clear as mud, yes? (image: Kori Barnum)
Then she asked “when did you fall?”
As a trail runner, I thought “when have I NOT fallen?!” Seriously. There are rocks and roots and all this gorgeous distracting scenery, so tumbles happen pretty regularly. I can think of a handful of particularly bad falls (Sept 2016 superman directly on to my chin causing whiplash that still gives me headaches; Sept 2018 somersaults down Mt Bachelor that bruised several ribs; etc), but there’s also the more frequent, less injurious spills that happen every couple of months. What is interesting, and something I’ve pondered before, is that I always (with the exception of the superman fall) seem to land on my left side. I’d like to think this is due to some cat-like ability to twist and adjust in midair, but I think the much more likely cause is that I don’t lift the left foot high enough and consistently trip on that side.
The PT’s diagnosis was that I injured the left side of my pelvis at some point – maybe even years ago – which has caused significantly lower mobility on that side of my hip. The right hip in response has had to work overtime, and has become tight and grumpy and locked in to that bad attitude. So what’s the treatment?
I like strong gluts and I cannot lie (image: Kori Barnum)
spinal manipulation while at the PT to help loosen the left side of my pelvis
an increasingly difficult gluteal, hamstring, and abdominal strengthening program. I have long said the source of all evils is weak gluts and low blood sugar. I’ve also called the gluts “the sleeping giants”, because this muscle group tends to just be along for the ride when you’re running, flapping away without carrying their share of the muscular load. Although I’m disappointed to be right on this – I had a sinking suspicion that glut strength was going to be a consideration in my recovery – especially because I have worked really hard the last decade in Pilates and strength classes to become stronger – I’m cool with it. PT Ellie is showing me some great multi-plane strength work that will make me a healthier runner and a stronger overall athlete. Let’s do this!
This book has been on my nightstand for months (I tend to harbor a tall to-be-read-soon stack) and I started reading it a few weeks before the incident in Central Park. Lanham’s prose is so heartbreakingly lovely that I have had to read a few chapters, slowly savoring the gorgeous language, then put it down to rest – I feel as if I want to start reading it all over again as soon as I finish.
The implicit and reflexive biases that cause one to see an African American man with binoculars walking through a park not as a birdwatcher, but as a threat, can be unlearned. I see you, birdwatcher. I see you belong in the wild places. I hear that you have things to teach me, and I am listening. The wild places hold us all.
I am working to recognize my own biased thoughts and actions, and to replace them with openness and inclusion. And I am researching ways to further support diversity in the outdoors with my time and my economic choices. The wild places hold us all.
I’m not saying twice is a trend, but for the second time in two years during the month of May I find myself harboring deep thoughts and reservations about my training goal. Last year I was registered to run what would have been my first 50 mile trail race in Southern Oregon on my birthday in July – what could be more perfect? Completing a new trail race distance for the first time on my birthday on a glorious and warm summer’s day in the mountains? Answer: nothing!!!
And yet, the porridge just didn’t seem right. I had a fun training plan, I was only running 5 days a week, it should have been perfect. But I could tell after much soul searching that my heart wasn’t in it, I was training because I felt like I should and not because I wanted to. Despite frequent exasperated reminders from my spouse that I’m not a professional athlete and I don’t have to take this all so seriously, I do take it deadly serious because I love the training process and I worship at the church of physiological adaptation.
So in 2019 I bailed on that birthday race. We still traveled to Southern Oregon, we ran a really hot really fun 10 mile trail run just the two of us, read our books in the sunshine, took a nap, and had a nice dinner. Then on December 8 I ran my first 50 miler in Arizona and had a blast – it was the right race at the right time and it was a joy to train for.
This year I thought I was being sensible, not running hard during ski season. But when ski season ended abruptly in early March, and the climbing gym and Smith Rock closed, I thought the universe was sending me a sign – run many road miles, girl, work on your speed, try to qualify for Boston on a flat course. Perfect, I said, I will – I will train hard and run lots of miles and attempt a 3:50 time at the Chicago Marathon in October.
Then, inexplicably, the drumbeat of rethinking the goal started again about a week ago. I was run/walking on of my favorite sections of Shevlin Park, overwhelmed with gratitude that this trail system is basically in my back yard, overwhelmed with gratitude at that wonderful smell of warm pine and warm dirt that happens when the temperature is perfect and the sun is shining, and I thought – this is what I want to do all summer. I want to run a shit-ton of trail miles, I want to run most of those with Dan, I want to be caked in dust and carrying my water and food and running when it feels right and hiking when it feels right.
I don’t want to work on being faster.
I want to work on running farther.
I want to always been in the kind of running shape where I can drop into a 50K race on a whim.
Can I see the forest for the trees?
I had thought that I’d chase this 3:50 goal, knowing that if (when, let’s be realistic) Chicago is canceled, I could still do a flat 26.2 race on the paved loop behind my house. But what if trail races start happening again? They’re already significantly smaller events than even most small road races, and social distancing on the trail if everyone is running the same way tends to happen organically. If trail events open back up, I want to support those events.
Technically, I haven’t made a decision yet. Technically, my #350project training schedule starts June 8. If I do decide to put this goal on pause, it will be just that – a pause, not a retirement. I’d still like to train hard to qualify for Boston on a flat course (I don’t intend to actually run Boston ever again, but that doesn’t dull the shine of qualifying attempts). But for now, for the direction my soul is leaning, I think we might be looking at a goal pivot.
For running eternity, one of the training rules to follow was not to increase your weekly mileage volume by more than 10% per week. Staying within this limit lowered your risk of injury and allowed you to steadily gain endurance. I’ve always thought that sounded like a good idea in theory, but I’ve ignored it many a time without any issues – but I’ve also tried to do so sensibly, like running those extra miles at easy pace and on a forgiving surface like trails. Check out this article by Jason Fitzgerald to see if reconsidering the conventional wisdom might work for your goals.
2. Pretty much every recovery method isn’t really that helpful
After reading “Good to Go: What the Athlete In All Of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery” by Christie Aschwanden (2019), I was kind of deflated. Aschwanden basically found that the only recovery tool that is proven by peer-reviewed, scientific study to give a significant boost to recovery is sleep. Specialty drinks and diets, massage, foam rolling, infrared saunas, cryotherapy, meditation – not helpful in a meaningful way to your recovery.
That said, it’s important to consider that if a particular recovery method makes you feel good and doesn’t cause any harm, there’s no reason for you to discontinue it. No one knows better than you how your body feels to you, and as we all know from the placebo effect, if you feel like something is helping you, it probably is a little, even if it’s only mental. I don’t know about you, but I need all the mental health I can get, so I will resume regular sports massage once I can. And I will definitely consider this information when I justify napping and skipping out on foam rolling.
3. Watch a running movie!
image: Wikipedia
If you’ve burned through all your streaming options, check out the Runner’s World “30 Best Running Movies Ever Made” list for some inspiration.
In Part One we talked a little about feelings and general getting-started-with-running facts. Today we’re going to review some technical tips that can improve your runs and reduce your risk for injury. Running is what you were literally made to do, with your efficient bipedal locomotion and your copious perspiration and your scant body hair (it may not feel scant, but compared to other primates and most mammals, we are B-A-L-D bald). You may have taken these magnificent adaptations for granted, but once you start running, you won’t. You’ll be sweating your way to glory.
Tip #1: Dynamic stretching/warm-ups
Back when I started running, my mom and I would head right out the door without any warm-up moves or any walking and start running right away. Needless to say, this was not an ideal way to begin a run, but rather a recipe for injury, side stitches, and developing a profound dislike for running. If I wasn’t such a stubborn person, I would have given up. Also my mom made me do it and I was a kid, so there wasn’t much in the way of options. You can avoid this discomfort and potential for family drama by performing some brief dynamic exercises before your run. Anything that warms up your hips, thighs, and calves will work, including lunges, squats, leg swings, and calf raises. Here’s a quick demo of some good exercises from Runner’s World:
Probably the most famous proponent of the run/walk method is
Jeff Galloway (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/).
There are all kinds of ways to do this, but the simplest is to start with more
walking than running and gradually change the ratio until you are always
running or mostly running. Unless you find a ratio that just seems like your
physiological sweet spot, in which case, embrace that jam. If I’m super sore
from other workouts, having seasonal allergy issues, or just feeling worn down,
I’ll usually go with a run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute or run 9 minutes/walk 1
minute ratio. The time goes by faster than you think, you’ll be proud you got
out there at all, and you won’t be as tired.
Tip #3: Alternating step exhale method
Most of us naturally exhale on the same side foot strike every time; without even realizing it, I ran for 25 years always exhaling on the right side. Bramble and Carrier of the University of Utah concluded that the greatest impact stress occurs when the foot strikes at the beginning of an exhalation. Therefore, if you always exhale while striking on the same side, you are consistently stressing that side of the body more. That was definitely my experience, as I had hip flexor, upper gluteal, and some minor knee issues in my 20s and 30s, all on my right (exhaling side). Learning to retrain your breathing pattern is super awkward at first and may cause you to accidently run into things. I’m saying for a friend. It took me about two weeks to get it down, but once I did, it stuck. And it’s really helped my running respiration in general and my ability to do speedwork and hills. What I’ve found works for me is an inhale 3 steps/exhale 2 steps pattern when running easy, and an inhale 2 steps/exhale 1 step when running hard.
Tip #4: Hills count as speedwork! (ok, this is a well-known
fact, but it warrants a mention)
If you’re like me and you have no genetic gifts towards
running quickly, you likely dread running quickly. I’m not going to lie to you,
no matter what your pace is, your running form and speed will improve if you
work hill repeats into regular rotation (even as little as 10 repeats running up
a hill for 10 seconds can have an impact). Run your repeats up the hill at a
pace that is challenging but sustainable for 10 seconds, focusing on running
hard but also relaxed – shoulders down, facial muscles relaxed, torso parallel
to the hill.
Tip #5: Smiling improves your running!
A study by Brick et al. in 2017 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217303461) found that smiling improves running economy, decreases perceived effort, and may enhance your performance by providing a cue to your body that you are doing just fine. It also helps to relax your facial muscles and just might bring your neck and upper shoulders along on the chill train. I find this technique really works for me on long runs, up hills, down hills, and ski runs. Where I don’t find it works as well is when I’m doing speed work – it feels crazy awkward and I imagine I look a lot like your average primate fear response face:
image: Reddit
Tip #6: The foam roller, although it seems like a mean girl, is actually your best friend
What the foam roller seems like:
image: WordPress
What the foam roller is really like:
image: WordPress
Here’s a great short article with video demonstrations from Runner’s World (https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20812623/how-to-use-a-foam-roller-0/) that explains the major rolling exercises most helpful to runners. The first time you roll your IT band, you may throw up a little. Use the leverage of your arms to control the intensity until it isn’t as painful. Rolling helps break up scar tissue and increases blood flow. It’s worth the time and initial discomfort, and like running itself, becomes less painful the more you do it.
Tip #7: Most of your runs should be easy
A pretty common ratio is ~80% easy running with 20% effort running (tempos, speedwork, hill repeats, etc.). Easy running is NOT junk miles; the time spent at a pace which is just chill and trucking along will improve your body’s ability to use fat for energy, increase your mitochondrial density and capillary development (both of which improve your body’s efficiency at using oxygen), and strengthen your tendons and joints (Humphrey and Hanson, 2012). It will also allow you to get more miles in with a lower risk of injury, and the best way to become better at running is…to run more. See how it works? Remember, your body knows how to do this. Several million years of evolutionary adaptation have honed you into a bipedal endurance machine. Now go out and claim your ancestral running legacy! Yay you!!
