Shin Splints

I've had shin splints for most of my life. They started way back in volleyball in middle school. I remember complaining to my parents about pain whenever we'd do jumping drills (i.e. bunny hop type things over the court lines on the floor for up to a min). Dad ended up buying me a wrap that I'd wrap around my shin and wear it underneath my knee sock. This would seem to help except for the times where I would wrap it too tight and my foot would start to go numb. I never really did anything to try and get rid of the pain. I may have iced but I don't remember ever being strict about it at the age of 13. And then I didn't make the volleyball team sophomore year of high school and thought my life was over.

But then I ran a local 5k and running became my new obsession. I don't recall when my shin splints started up again in high school. I mostly just remember running through pain and taking ice baths at school in the training room. I would sometimes take it easy in speed workouts, especially sprints. My coach told me to never wear flip flops so I always wore my running shoes at school. I do remember both Mom and Dad trying to motivate me to be rehabbing and to do calf raises on the stairs to strengthen them. I'd always fight them because of how painful it was. I remember not really liking my spikes because running in them hurt my shins. I remember bringing icy hot to every meet and being that girl (every time I smell it now it brings me back). Having this chronic pain was a reason why I had no desire to run collegiately. I was tired of the pain and didn't run much after high school. I got back into running for a short time entering some races, but never doing anything over a 5k.

I didn't really get back into the sport until I became obsessed with triathlon. I'd foam roll and ice but I was never super disciplined about it and I think training in three sports instead of one really helped. I'd feel some pain here and there but it was never horrible. Then cut to marathon training. It was about 4 weeks into our plan and I could feel the pain in my left shin coming back. I was able to think about it differently being in massage school and knowing the anatomy of the area. I took a week off and should have cross trained but didn't. The pain went away and this was thanks to getting structural massages on my calves almost twice a week at school.

Then this weekend, Tyler and I had our "short" long run of 12 miles. I was all ready to go and was limping to the kitchen. While my oatmeal cooked in the microwave, I stood their contemplating whether or not I should run. I wanted to, but my gut was telling me I shouldn't. I texted Tyler and told her I'd cross train instead. She was supportive and smashed the run herself!!

And now I'm here with my left calf elevated on the couch because I've found that R.I.C.Eing and those darn calf raises has really helped alleviate some pain. And while writing this it's making me think how having the strength to take a rest day is just as hard as having the strength to finish a race. It's hard as a runner to take a day off, but I've come to listen to my body more than I ever had in high school.

For the Love of Running

I recently changed the name of this blog to something more permanent. It's called "For the Love of Running" for various reasons. However, running is way more than just running to me. It's my lifestyle and I love it. It's opened a lot of doors and has made me into who I am today and will bring me to where I want to go in the future. So here's a little story of why I named this blog what I did. 

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I've been running for a long time. It kinda started with my dad. He ran marathons here and there when I was a kid and I'd go on an occasional run with him around the neighborhood. I also had a babysitter who ran for the local high school. Since every 8 year old wants to do what there babysitter did, I took up a local recreational track program. I don't remember a whole lot about participating besides running across the field at a track practice one night and then finding a fly in my mouth and was totally grossed out. I had a ribbon for a 300m I ran once. There wasn't a time listed on the ribbon but I know it wasn't anything impressive. 

I didn't keep up with the rec program for very long. My family moved out to Arizona when I was ten and I hadn't really participated in anything up until I joined a coed soccer team with some friends. This didn't last long either since my team never won a game, but I had always enjoyed running around the field. I quit soccer on my 11th birthday. After soccer it was volleyball. A lot of volleyball. I loved volleyball. Again, I started this because my friends were playing and I had an interest in it. I didn't make the middle school teams but I played for a few local clubs. I wasn't always the most coordinated, but seemed to beat all my teammates when we'd have to do suicides (running the length of the court for a certain amount of time, usually as discipline or conditioning). I just thought I was more in shape than the other girls, for some odd reason. Then my world came crashing down when I didn't make the high school junior varsity team my sophomore year. It was a dream of mine to play at the college level. When I look at it now, this dream was kinda far fetched. I loved volleyball but I wasn't consumed by it. 

So with volleyball very much over, I needed to take up something else. My dad suggested I run the local Turkey Trot 5k with him since running had been something I was interested in before taking up volleyball or soccer. Run that 5k with him I did. I ran something like 24 minutes and won my age group with little to no training. I didn't think much of it besides the fact that it was fun. This time, however, caught the eye of the local high school cross country coach. A few hours after the race, on Thanksgiving mind you, my mom received an email. It was my sister's club volleyball coach (also the high school xc coach). It said something like "24 minutes for a 5k is good for a 15 year old who doesn't have much training and I think she should come out for the track team once we start training in January."  I was pretty excited seeing as how I hadn't ever been recognized for my athletic abilities. Sure my volleyball coaches always said I had potential, but I never really honed in on that. This email was the beginning of the rest of my life, quite literally. 

I started with the track team and fell in love with running right away. I was quite that first season and wasn't really fast either. I didn't make it to state and ran a slow time at regionals but wanted to be on varsity as a sophomore and that was what I had accomplished so I was happy. I then ran cross country junior year and wasn't all that fast at 5ks either. I had finally found my niche that track season. Coach had me racing mostly 1600s but my 800 times were kinda impressive. I had run the 4x800 a few times and was one of the faster 4. I then started racing the open 8. I placed second in the region that year and tenth at state. (My 4x800 team were the first girls to win points state meet as we had placed 7th). I was running 2:30s consistently. At the time (girls are getting faster year after year), if you could run a sub 2:30 800 you were good because there weren't many girls that could do that. I ran cross country again my senior year but again, 5ks weren't my distance. It was the 800. I was successful at the distance again my senior year when I had learned how to actually run. My goal had been to go around 2:27 to try and keep the school record a little longer, but my legs weren't able to get me there. I placed 3rd in the region that year and 11th at state. I loved that distance and really miss racing it. It is one of the hardest races in track and field but it was a blast. 

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Since picking up triathlon and learning that the 20s can be some of the fastest years for female runners, I've begun to think that I'm faster than I ever was in high school. I ran a 47 minute 10k in my first olympic distance triathlon after being burnt out and not having trained a whole lot the weeks prior. The half marathon a few weeks ago was a blast but I feel like I could get my 10k down even more. I feel like I have some speed hidden inside of me somewhere. It needs to be nourished and encouraged. With these thoughts in my head I took action. I joined the local running team. It's a collective mix of middle aged parents, college kids, and singeltons in the adult program. There's also a kids team and a pro team within the whole as well. Tonight I went to my first track practice with the team at the University's track. It was a blast. We did some interval work and I was nervous about it since I haven't been very diligent about training. I kept up with some of the faster women and felt terrific. Some of the pro athletes was there to give splits and encourage every single runner no matter how fast or slow they were going. It was amazing to see the community and camaraderie taking place. I'm so glad I am now apart of two amazing teams who encourage runners no matter there speed or experience. This is one of my most favorite things about the sport and it's taught me so much.

So here it is, an actual blog with an actual name. Running is my first love and always will be. It got me into my newer love, triathlon. It's developed some of my dearest and closest friendships. Because of it, I've had the opportunities to coach and see the sport from that side and I couldn't be more grateful for having these legs of mine that allow me to do this. 

Here's to doing something you love and not having it any other way. Here's to running because you love it.