Monday, October 31, 2011

The Vicious Running Cycle

I cannot thank you enough for your heartfelt support regarding yesterday's post. I felt really vulnerable putting that out there, but it was something I was drawn to do. I’m glad I did. Lots of the comments made me tear up. One that really hit me was from Joe:

“Times are tough indeed. I've been un/underemployed for over a year now and recently picked up a retail job to keep my wife and I out of our retirement savings. In the midst of the strain and anxiety, though, we've really found a great deal of strength and our relationship feels like its good as ever -- she's proud of me for doing what I can to chip in - however possible - and I'm so thankful to her for providing stability throughout this period.

I get misty-eyed when I think of our wedding and the promises we made to each other. They mean so much more to me now than they did then. It sounds like you and your husband have done a great job of helping each other through the adversity. How great will it be to look back at these days (when things are better, of course!) and think about how it was all worth it in the end!”

Tough times? Yes. Silver linings? Always.

Thank you for holding me up, keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers and being a community where it is safe to be myself.

Oh, running? Yes, this is supposed to be a blog about that.

I am not running today. Or yesterday. On Saturday I went out for 9 miles (32 degrees, that’s why I look colder than a witch’s tit – Halloween humor):

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It was freaking freezing and I was being a pussy about it. But, I don’t’ call this blog “Be Quiet and Go For a Short Walk with Your Down Coat On,” so – I headed out into the shithole that we call Boulder County:

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About half way into the run my ass/hamstring started bugging me again. With deep tissue ultrasound, stretching, chiro adjustments, etc. I had been feeling much better. I think I pushed my mileage last week doing:

Saturday: 8 miles
Monday: 7 miles (trail)
Wednesday:  6 miles (treadmill)
Saturday: 9 miles

Probably too much considering what’s going on. BUT I LOVE TO RUN AND I WANT TO RUN SO I RUN TOO MUCH AND THEN I HURT MYSELF AND THEN I START ALL OVER AGAIN.

This, my friends, is the vicious running cycle. If you are not currently in it, you were probably in it at one time. If you are smart enough to be out of it, you are a better person than me and probably don’t lick knives, run with scissors, speed or take more than 15 items to the express checkout.

My doctor has suggested a plasma or cortisone injection because I have been dealing with this issue for awhile. He thinks I have tons of fibrosis in my hamstring/glute. You can read about plasma injections HERE. The theory is that by bringing in healthy tissue, it is possible to speed up recovery. Of course, along with that needs to go smart training, form adjustments, etc. 

Tiger Woods did it so I am thinking it will make me a better golfer.

In a bit of good news, I think our tree can be saved. You know, the one that got castrated by last week’s snow storm. Mike at the Tree Farm gave me some very good advice of what to do:

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So can someone please come over and do this for me? Thanks.

Tonight I am getting ready to contribute to the obesity epidemic and to fund the dentists in the area. You can see all the candies that are crossed off. Those are the ones I am not allowed to give out because Sam wants them. So, naturally those are the ones I will give out first. We usually give out full sized bars, but – HELLO!! Did you not read my post from yesterday? Tightening the belt in this household.

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What’s your injury of the week?

Ever had a plasma or cortisone injection?

What type of candy are you giving out tonight? What’s your favorite? I LOVE Heath Bars and Bottlecaps.

SUAR

62 comments:

  1. Injury of the week is painful left shin-- 5 weeks before my marathon.

    I did get out of the cycle for a while.. But maybe i'm back in it and don't even know it yet.

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  2. Well, I was loving all your posts about Sam and I was thinking of letting him marry my daughter. But, he has not claimed the Reese's PB cups and is therefore, not her type. Sorry Sam.

    I'm not running today either. I have no injury to use as an excuse, I'm just not feeling it. I'll shut up & run tomorrow. I promise.

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  3. Thankful injury free running dabbler, not vicious cycler.

    Giving out M&M's and Nestle crunch (because if there is anything left over, I want it to be something I would like to have).

    I am surprised you aren't giving out Lara bars.

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  4. Beth, I think that all of the different hats you wear is not a lack of focus but rather a source of strength. You are fully capable of doing WHATEVER it is you have to do going forward.

    I have not been reading the blogs for a while. I don't have an injury, but almost 6 weeks ago I woke up with severe vertigo and other symptoms that worsened over the course of the next week. I could barely stand up and walk. I've been through a whole range of awful tests and procedures. I am doing much better but have to face a new reality that I will likely never actually "race" again and may never run another marathon. I've been trying to stay positive, but it is hard. It's also hard knowing that you are perfectly healthy and in the best shape of your life one day and realize all of that can change the next day. Enjoy what you have and what you can do today. Take care of tomorrow's problems when they come.

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  5. I'm not running today either. After a good 10 yesterday, on top of the the painful calf muscle, ankle and knee, I've done something to my back, brushing my teeth no less. I'm more sore than I have been in a while. The only candy I'm giving out tonight is the Demerol I'm taking to get me through the night.

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  6. Sorry to hear your injury is not healing quickly. Have you tried deep tissue massage - as in REALLY REALLY deep tissue massage - the kind that is so painful you can only stand it for a few minutes (although it feels like a lifetime)? I had pain in that area due to repeated strains/pulls/tears while playing soccer. Dr Pain (not his real name, but an accurate description) got up in there with his bionic hands/elbows/torture tool (not sure what he used - I was too busy closing my eyes to hold back the tears) and broke up all the scar tissue. It hurt more than anything but eventually, he broke it all up and I was pain free.

    Now, if only he could fix my damn knee.

    Good luck. I certainly can relate to the vicious cycle. Sigh....

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  7. Have you thought about (or researched) Graston for your hip/ass injury? I have had issues (oh, have I had issues) and finally saw someone who specializes in this and it has done WONDERS for my issues and muscle imbalances.

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  8. No plasma injections. Accupuncture. I swear by it. It & a midfoot strike have totally healed me.

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  9. No injuries at the moment...

    but pregnancy sure has me feeling like I got hit by a semi-truck!

    We're giving out Snickers and Kit Kats.... both mine and my husband's favorites. This way if we don't run out, we get to keep the good stuff, since it's all good stuff for us!

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  10. On my run 9 days ago I got a sudden pain in my foot. I ran once last week (just 3 miles of self-pity) I had a great 3 miles in the rain this morning...PAIN FREE....buuut once I got to work in my heals the pain hit. I changed shoes and got the ice, praying praying praying it goes away...I have a half marathon in 2 weeks!!

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  11. Every time I hear you overextending yourself, I realize I am probably not running enough. I know, it sounds stupid and crazy and I do NOT want to be hurt, but 9 miles? That's a lot for me. Like, a lot a lot. Maybe I will dress as a runner tonight and scare all the trick or treaters.

    But I have made some goals that November is not just Shut Up and Write, but also Shut Up and RUN month, so I think you should feel proud that you have so much influence over me.

    PS. Baby Ruth bars and Hot Tamales.

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  12. Been in the vicious cycle, too, also with my butt (high hamstring.) If you get plasma, I'll be anxious to hear all about it. I've tried just about everything else, except not running which is not an option.

    M&Ms are going out the door at our house.

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  13. I know all about the cycle! Did you see this article in NYT: “Exercise addicts display all of the hallmarks of substance addicts: tolerance, craving, withdrawal and the need to exercise ‘just to feel normal,’ ” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/sunday/kristof-addicted-to-exercise.html

    Also, re: your hamstring (ugh), have you been to a chiropractor? Mine used this "gua sha" technique on my hamstring and it was actually really effective! (A little weird and painful, but it worked, so i'm not complaining!) Maybe worth looking into?

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  14. I will be hoarding the Reese PB cups to mhand out LAST (if I absolutely must) because they are my fave! Not that I need to be eating them...

    Looking good as a witch's tit!

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  15. We are Halloween grinches, mostly because we are too lazy to keep getting up off the couch every time the doorbell rings. Sorry kids. We're going out to dinner instead. Although as a back up plan I was going to give out all the samples I've been collecting from the various races this season - Clif Bars, Larabars, Bare Naked granola, etc.

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  16. Bottlecaps! I love those so much!

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  17. Hi new to your post, love it. I live in Florida (I know, you hate me), but grew up in Colorado. NEhoo, I have a neuroma in the ball of my left foot. Has been bugging me for over a year now, but not much of an annoyance until recently. Decided (against my better judgement) to get a cortisone shot last week. Big. Huge. Mistake! It is really a pain in my a@* (foot) now! Have you ever had a problem with your balls (of your feet)?

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  18. Mollie: yeah, my current guy is a sport's chiro. But he hasn't done that fancy gua sha technique on me. Maybe I should ask. Sounds very exotic.

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  19. I can't believe Sam doesn't like Reese's Cups or KitKats. What's not to like??

    Injury of the week. Broken/factured tail bone.

    We a going make up trick or treating thaks to mother nature's suprise snow storm on Saturday. We have (you guessed it) Reese's cups and Kitkats to give away at our house!!

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  20. OK, call me a Dork if you must. But how can you live in Colorado and NOT run when it is 32 degrees? Obviously you have cold weather gear.

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  21. Jamoosh: of course I run in much colder temps throught the winter, but this cold snap was our first and that takes some getting used to. DUH!

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  22. God, I love the shithole you live in :)

    My injury of this week is an ear ache - due to running Cape Cod marathon yesterday in hurricane like gusty winds. NONSTOP. Actually, a fantastic, challenging course, but the wind and my ear are not on speaking terms right now....

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  23. I'm bringing my kids to your house! Whole bars!! Do you only get like 5 kids? My husband has changed his diet and so now must all the trickers so we are now handing out bit size Environz kids bars and Lara bars. How many eggs do you think will be aimed at our house?

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  24. I've been stuck in that vicious cycle before, but mine is usually with a bunches of 3 to 5 milers, not 6 to 9 milers!

    I've had cortisone shots in my feet and knees...not quite sure what it was for...still running as if nothing's wrong!

    We love Kit Kat's at my house, but apparently the dogs do too. Tonight will be spent handing out cheap candy while simultaneously checking dog stool samples!

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  25. Who gives out full sized bars money or not? Really? What are you people thinking? Type II diabetes is real not some made up non-sense like plasma injections.

    Hey I got an idea, swing by my house and I'll inject olive oil into your hamstring. It will grease up the wheel back there and you'll be perfect.

    Funny thing about Joe is I know where he is coming from. Been there done that and I now know that my decision to marry Karen was the best decision I could make, well that and getting divorced b/c otherwise that would be awkward. Two wives and all.

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  26. I have a friend who had a plasma injection (for a totally different reason from running, but still). It really helped her. She had it done in Breckenridge, I think. I can find out the info if you'd like it.

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  27. I totally get the whole injury thing. I have been doing chiro and deep tissue massage on my piriformis and psoas the past month. I had 2 weeks of painfree runs...until Sunday. Then it started all over again with left thigh pain. I just want to run and run without pain. UGH!
    Not running today. Using ice and chocolate therapy :)

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  28. Injury of the week - my hip is not allowing me to run. I can walk but running is near impossible. Hitting up the chiro in hopes of fixing that.

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  29. Sadly enough I have to admit I am all too familiar with the vicious running cycle! I had finally busted it when I fell and busted my knee cap...dummy me tried to run on it a couple of times (total of 10 miles) before I gave up to get an xray - yep.. broken! Better now and starting retraining... sucks not being able to run.. like you - it's how I deal...here's to good running days ahead!

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  30. I'm keep having right knee/shin issues, only when walking though, goes away mostly when running. It's annoying and confusing.

    We're giving away just about every candy. My favorite is Reeces Peanut Butter Cups & KitKats. Yum.

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  31. My hip flares off and on. I just keep grinding into it with my butter knife and stretching. Seems to help :)

    I had epidural steroid injections before to treat a herniated disk. They were great. Totally worked.

    No candy in the house yet. Might just have to venture out to Target and see what's left. But we might not be hanging out here tonight anyway. Decisions, decisions...

    I hope your glute/hammy thingy gets resolved soon :)

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  32. Heath or Skor bars. YUM! They will always be my favorite, but I rarely turn down any of the other chocolates either. All other candy - not my thing. The kiddos stash is safe from me.

    Being self employed, we always kind of feel on the brink of disaster. It just takes one client not renewing their contract for the year and we're in deep doodoo. We've been making ends meet for several years now by dipping into savings each month and it is HARD...so very hard! THUS...I'm off to procure more work with my new boot camp business. See...good things can come out of unemployment....such as following your dreams. For every loss there is a gain. It may be hard to see at first, but I'm starting to believe.

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  33. I've been in that cycle too many times, Beth, and have finally learned (kind of) how to chill. Have not run a step since Denver R'n'R because of strained hammy. I can walk/slowly run Las Vegas if need be; I've tried to embrace that I want to run for many years, not just one race. Easier typed than done for sure, but something I'm slowly working toward. You already know this, but Pilates has been a lifesaver for me. That, and hitting the bike when my body can't take the pounding. Take care of yourself and see you in Vegas.

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  34. My injury of the week lifetime is a twisted femur making me run like an idiot and messing up my knee. I am working on it and hope that I will rebuild and somehow get faster!

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  35. I am a wuss. There is no way I would be outside running in those temperatures. Give me my treadmill any day!
    I find out on Wednesday if I'm clear to start running again. I can't wait, and hope the answer is yes. If so, I might have to sign up for a half in January (to make up for the one I couldn't run this month).

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  36. I just got back from Sports Med this afternoon. I have an injury...just what it is yet they did not know. It is either achillies or stress fracture on the outside of my shin. Both not cool. I have not been running for two weeks already! I have a bone scan on Thursday to find out.

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  37. Here is something funny: I work in a research lab with 35 or so undergraduate research assistants. Today the grad students brought them some candy - I bought that exact bag of candy.. the only candy left are the kit kat bars and peanut butter cups.

    Sam knows the goods.

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  38. I made the huge mistake of sending the hubby for candy & he bought three, yes I said THREE, 5 lb bags of candy at Sam's. You name it, we got it. I don't know what the hell he was thinking. I'm thinking some lucky kid is going to get a whole bag at some point tonight if he/she promises not to tell his/her mom where he/she got it!

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  39. I just like Kit Kat and Twix. :)
    I am not running today because I am just being lazy. No other valid reason. Just sheer sloth.

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  40. Current injury...I've already said enough about that, however it does seem to be moving around or multiplying...I'm falling apart. :)Maybe I've learned this time that it would be much more enjoyable to go to the chiro every month to keep on top of it, then 3 or 4 times over a couple of weeks to try and get put back together.

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  41. My left ankle has been a whiny baby for the last two weeks. One week before my half-marathon. Definitely have to go with Reese's PB Cups!!

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  42. Oh, I've also had a cortisone injection in my left wrist after I had a bike crash a few years ago. Fun stuff! It's never been quite the same but I refuse to let them cut me open.

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  43. Your injury sounds really similar to mine. It's right up the top of the hamstring which is pulling on the glute muscles and affecting the sacro-iliac joint. I'm stretching, rolling, massaging and strengthening and I think it's starting to improve a little.

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  44. I want the Kit Kats! We never have trick or treaters on Halloween. Our town has a HUGE parade on Halloween and everyone in a 30 mile radius goes to it. It is pretty awesome to see all the float lite up and everyone in costumes.

    Happy Halloween!

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  45. My mileage is about where yours is at and I've been coping with (and by coping, I mean trying to ignore and deny until I find myself limping at work) is plantar fasciitis. Wearing KT tape, like, all the time, has helped but I'm afraid to see a doctor because I'm sure I'll just be told to stop running. I also have the nifty advantage of not caring if something hurts :/

    Candy: put out some sour twizzlers but no one trick or treats in our neighborhood, apparently, so they're ALL MINE :) (great pre- and post-run sugar boost)

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  46. Not battling anything but I am giving myself a break. I've never had any type of injections. Candy.. Hmm I have to be honest I'm not a fan, I know WEIRDO! I like good dark chocolate once in a while but other than that the smell of all that sugar makes me ill.

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  47. Injury of the week (oh wait, make that MONTH): stress fracture in my 3rd metatarsal :(

    Favorite candy: Milky Way with peanut M&Ms coming in a close 2nd

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  48. Grade 2 ankle sprain 14 days before my first half marathon. FML. Cross your fingers that I will be ready to run because I'm frigging doing it.

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  49. It is 12:03am and I am up reading blogs....to much damn sugar. And I was just complaining that my boys wouldn't go trick or treating to fetch me some good stuff...thankfully, we had some left over. Phew!

    Did you call Mark Plaatjes at In Motion Rehab in Boulder???

    Wanna try to run together next week?

    :)

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  50. I am having my varicose veins "fixed" (I am actually in the office right now!) which means no running for a bit :( Your blog is helping me to realize that some time off isn't going to make me a non-runner.
    We gave out treat bags with a few pieces of mini bars in each. We get less than 20. I guess next year I should give full size.

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  51. I had a plasma injection in my achilles tendon. It was VERY painful, but worked after many other things had not. Feel free to email me if you want details - I wish I had gotten a full report from someone beforehand. It was different than I expected.

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  52. My injury of the week: left hamstring. Sure enough, during a speed work session, I felt the infamous "ping". That ping became more frequent as I ran. Not good. 3 weeks out from the marathon and sure enough, PING!

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  53. Well i'm glad you asked....as a new runner ok only 10 months in, i ran the RnR 1/2 marathon in St, Louis on the 23rd. At mile 10 my butt cheek/lower back area hurt with every step and is still hurting 9 days later, but i did push through the pain and finished with a time of 2:47:16. I admit i was totally disappointed but i am ok for my 1st and won't be hard to get a new PR. I went to a chiropractor 2x's but i have not seen a big improvement. Ice and ibuprofen have lessened it but its still painful.
    Do you recommend i see a Dr, sports Dr or ?????.
    I truly value your opinion and would welcome suggestions at this point.
    Thanks

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  54. I left a comment on your last post, but just wanted to let you know again that I am thinking and praying for you and Ken. Hang in there, you were blessed with a beautiful family and things are going to be ok my friend.

    No injuries here (thank god), I have had several cortisone shots in the past. One in my foot (OUCH), one in the ITB, and two in my knee joint. Those things work.

    I handed out peanut butter m&ms, reece's pieces, hershey's cookies and creme, and kit kats. All my favorites!

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  55. I am a total weather wuss, I cant stand being frozen while training.

    I wouldnt call it an injury, but I hit the weight room on Sunday and I still cant move today

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  56. I hate the cold too (and I am originally from Canada!) but my injury this week is emotional (yes I am over-reacting) I went to my gym and they frickin' close the place! AND they tell me the memberships have been sold to LA Frickin' Fitness...the "fashion" center of workouts! YUCK! OK thanks for listening ;)

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  57. I have some odd pain in my right foot. It was almost fine yesterday until I stepped into the center of a stool (in a hole for the handle) with my toe instead on the flat part. Also, trick or treating in heels was a bad idea, especially since I had to carry my son after he freaked out.
    I think my fav candy is reeses peices or twix. I was super sad to see twix on the NOT side of the Halloween Candy "eat this not that".

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  58. Injury of the week tight ass...seriously. I'm pretty sure my IT band has a huge knot right on the side of my butt.

    We gave out the same bag of candy you gave out plus some Twix and Take 5. Take 5 are my favorite ever!

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  59. Inury of the week: Some weird withmy right knee.... And it really needs to stop. It's ironic really. I havent' running with my normal speed lately because I have been coaching a new runner toward her first 5k, so I've been doing a lot of power walking. I swear, it's more painful than running!

    Hang in there, Lady!

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  60. Glad to know it happens to experienced runners too! I'm just passing my 1st runniversary and overtrained for my birthday run. Shucks. So I'm back down to three days a week. Hopefully the shots will make you a better golfer. Good luck with that! It might be yet another career option if you wanted it! :)

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