Injured Runner: Pretending I belong at the gym

The gym is an interesting place. And, I picked the most un-“gym-y” gym to go to. I joined the YMCA at the end of January and while it’s been great, it definitely has been awkward and uncomfortable at times.

I’m just not used to being around a lot of other people while I exercise. When you’re a runner, it’s the norm to run away from strangers as you get your workout done. In a gym though, I feel like everyone is starring at you and judging you.

How many times have I been on the elliptical and if someone is on the machine next to me, they will look over to glance at my screen? Pretty much every time.

Why do you care how long I’ve been on the elliptical or what number I have the resistance on? I have a freaking stress fracture that’s healing so leave me alone and mind your own business!

Maybe it’s just newbie gym goer paranoia. Maybe nobody else really cares what I’m doing.

I do have to admit that when I’m at the gym and on the elliptical, I do spend time observing other gym goers. I mainly do this to help pass the time because I cannot use headphones while I workout so I’m not listening to any music or podcasts or anything. (Back when I was running, I rarely listened to music because my running time was time spent with my thoughts).

So, what have I noticed? Not everyone wipes down their machine after using it. Some people wipe down the machine before and after using it though! A lot of people use the treadmills, which I just can’t wrap my head around on days when the weather is so nice outside. I just want to yell at them and tell them to take their run outside!

It’s also interesting to see how people use the treadmill. Because I’ve been going to the gym on a regular basis, I’m starting to recognize the same people. There’s this one girl who uses the treadmill at a way-too-fast-speed because she will sprint for less than a minute, and then literally hop to the side of the treadmill while the belt is still running, catch her breath, and then go back to sprinting. She repeats this pattern a few times and clearly spends more time resting than running. But, who am I to judge? I’m the one who got injured from running, after all …

Along with being a slave to the elliptical, I have gone to several group classes. So far I have learned that I like flow yoga the best, because I feel like I’m getting a better workout. The jury is still out on Pilates. I have only gone to one class so I will try again another week. I haven’t done a spin class yet and am kind of afraid to, but will hopefully get my butt to one soon. (The reason I’m afraid is because I’ve done a spin class outside of the Y before and it was pretty difficult! But, a great workout!) And the pool? I actually haven’t done any swimming since becoming a member of the Y. I’m still trying to figure out not-so-crowded times to use their pool.

 

Do I love the gym? No.

But, it’s definitely keeping me sane and moving during my sabbatical from running.

 

Sitting is the new smoking, so I guess I’ll stand

I’m trying to embrace standing, I really am.

But, I am horrible at it.

I have poor running form so it doesn’t translate well to good/proper standing (or sitting) posture. Or, is it my natural poor stature that translates into bad running form?

I moved to a new area of the office, so I have a brand new desk. It’s an adjustable desk so I can decide if I want to sit at work, or stand.

The desk, in its standing position

I’ve only been at it for two-and-a-half weeks and let me tell you, it’s not easy!

I begin my day standing. I check emails and do work that doesn’t take as much brain power as some other tasks might.

Magic button that adjusts my desk

By lunch time I am definitely sitting. (I take an early lunch because I get hungry by 11 a.m. — or even earlier!)

On a good day, I’ll stand for another hour or two in the afternoon.

My cube-mate and I will try to encourage the other to stand. We don’t compete. It’s more of a “Ahhh, you’re standing now? OK, I’ll stand, too!”-type of set-up.

I tell myself that the standing is helping me become a healthier runner and just in general, a healthier human being. Because, sitting is the new smoking, according to so many.

And, if you’re too lazy to open and/or read those articles I linked to, just Google “sitting is the new smoking” and check out the images and infographics. If those don’t scare you, um, I guess go take a smoke break?

But, sometimes sitting is just so nice

How do you avoid sitting all day at work? If you have a standing desk, how often do you stand? (Because I’ve been told that standing all day is also bad for you!)

As is every thing in life, it’s all about moderation, right?

OK, now that I’m done typing this out at my computer while sitting at a desk in a coffee shop, it’s time for some healthy standing time!

18 miles of pain and no pain

Last Saturday’s run was quite a victory for me.

Mainly, because I did it after taking the GRE.

I went into this run drained from said test. But also, hopeful. I hoped to run the full 18 without walking. And, I did!

Now, running 18 consecutive miles may seem like a cake walk for someone who has done four marathons but I’ve been taking this training cycle very conservatively and slightly injured. (Dang it, IT band!!)

Despite the downpour the night before, it was actually sunny out during my Saturday run! I saw a little of everything … I ran past my old elementary school and past Husky Stadium through a sea of purple (the Dawgs got the W, obviously) and worked my way to the Arboretum. I turned around at Madison Street/Park and headed toward Montlake again. One of my coworkers/friends lives in Montlake so I stopped my Garmin and refilled my water bottle and chatted with her and drank some ginger ale and then continued on my way.

I left her house at around mile 10 and was shocked that my right knee felt fine. Everything else felt a little “mrghs” (like, not in pain but just fatigued from all the running). I ran through the UW campus and met up with my friend, Benjie, who was going to finish up the last four miles of my run with me. Although I was running 9-min mile to 9:30-min mile pace on my own, once I hit those last four miles I was pretty spent. I was dragging my feet at nearly 11-min mile pace!!

But, I was happy because my IT band stayed in check. No real horrible pain this time!

I have still been foam rolling like crazy and icing after every run. And, not to worry, I’ve been doing all those IT band stretches.

That Saturday afternoon, I had no IT band pain but, everything else hurt.

Bring it, Chicago.

You need to eat more!

Remember back when I officially announced that I am anemic (AKA iron deficient?)

Well, my mom wanted me to get a second opinion. Not a second opinion about whether or not I really do have anemia (the judge has spoken on that one). She just wanted another doctor — her primary care physician — to take a look at me.

After I started injecting myself with spinach (and by that, I mean taking iron supplements thrice a day! — Yes, THREE times!) I started having stomach pains. (A few of the common side effects of taking iron is constipation, nausea, dizziness … just an FYI). When I called the doctor’s clinic after a month of being on the iron — telling the kind people that I would like to stop taking the iron — they told me to not stop. They did not advise it. They said I could drop down my dosage to two pills a day.

Even though I wanted to be a non-compliant patient, I listened. I obeyed.

And then, I went to this new doctor.

She was more reassuring about my anemia. She said with the “proper diet” I can get my iron levels back up and won’t have to take the supplements anymore. And, after looking at my lab results from the other clinic, she said I can lower my dosage to one pill a day! (I like her already!)

Not only that, but she recommended that I EAT MORE. Yes, you read correctly. Because I burn so many calories running, she thinks I am not replenishing sufficiently by what I told her I am eating and the number of times I eat a day. (She said it wouldn’t be abnormal if I were eating every three hours). But, you know, when you work in close proximity to another young woman, you get kind of self conscious that she will judge you and think that you eat a lot or too much.

But, there you have it.

I’m a runner. And, I’m anemic. So, I will eat and eat and eat.

I will eat more. I will drink more water and stay hydrated.

Who knows, the doc even said I may notice improvements in my running (AKA faster times).

And, if she couldn’t make a better first impression on me as a new patient, she called me a “high performance athlete!”

I’ll take that.

I can’t help it, it’s the anemia

It’s official! I’m anemic!

The first hit on Google (from the National Institutes of Health) says that anemia is “a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues.”

What does this mean???

It means all those times I was “too lame” to go out to the bars with you, well, it was the anemia. Whenever you heard me grumbling about not being able to play consecutive points in the cup during ultimate games, well, that was the anemia, too. Every time I told you I was tired … you guessed it! It’s been the anemia all along!

So, really, none of it has been my fault at all. (Er, or maybe it has. After all, I am in the female vegetarian distance runner category of people).

But now I have a legitimate reason for feeling low on energy. Because, I really am! I have the lab results to prove it! (Out of 10 different “things” tested, seven are below the normal range. And only one of the three that’s within range is at the upper end of the range — my platelet count).

My mom “blames” herself for my anemia. She says she should have “forced” me to eat meat when I was a child so that I wouldn’t’ve become a vegetarian. Now, she tells me I should just “eat tofu every day.” (Seriously, mom?)

I have a prescription for iron supplements. I take three tablets a day! I also had another blood test last week to find out if I am low on vitaminB12, which could have something to do with the low iron thing. (Don’t ask me to go into details. I’m not a doctor …)

Nothing else in my daily life has changed. I’m still planning on doing the Vancouver Marathon in May.

(I just now have a legitimate excuse/reason for my lame/frowned-upon actions and/or comments).