by ninaeliseh | Apr 20, 2015 | fitness, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Running, Yoga
Hello! This past weekend, I ran my first 10K race since I last had my ACL surgery last year. With an upcoming quarter marathon, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test out my pace, running early in the morning, pre-race food, knee taping, and endurance. So, I signed up last minute for a 10K this past Sunday with a VERY hilly course – meaning, I signed up thinking it would be an easy course, and didn’t realize how many hills there were until I was actually going up and down them. So, needless to say, I didn’t end up running at the pace I wanted to, BUT the weather was beautiful, the race course was alongside a gorgeous dam, and I got a good feel of how I would do for my upcoming quarter marathon. Plus, an 8:20 pace isn’t THAT bad, especially for running all those hills 🙂
Also – I ended up getting a stitch in my diaphragm at mile 4 because I wasn’t breathing correctly – sometimes I get distracted and forget to focus on breathing through my stomach. It’s worse than a normal side stitch, because it feels like your heart is cramping up (at least the muscle near the heart is). Has anyone ever gotten this type of cramp before? I put KT tape on both of my knees as a precaution, but I probably didn’t need it. I’ve been running a few miles here and there without it, but it never hurts to have extra support 🙂
Running Essentials: Pre-Race Fuel, KT Tape & post-race bananas
When I woke up, I drank a little coffee & ate a protein bar about an hour before the race, plus a gu gel 15 minutes before the race started. Normally I just prepare plain baked chicken and sweet potatoes and eat the morning of, but I wanted to 1) try something different and 2) add a little caffeine to see if that had any affect on my energy levels. Also, something that didn’t upset my stomach while I was running. Any recommendations? I know everyone is different, but I am curious to see what amount of food is good to eat before running without feeling too bogged down, especially for races that are less than an hour long. Speaking of upset stomach – I recently did a 10-day doterra cleanse (basically taking 2-3 vitamins a day), followed up with Hyperbiotics probiotics*. (I didn’t take the doterra probiotics, because they normally hurt my stomach). The Hyperbiotics pills are just a tiny small pill in the shape of a ball, and are super easy to take. I’ve been taking them 1-2x a day for about a month and have noticed a little bit of an improvement with my stomach issues, so I am planning on taking 1x day go-forward. In other exciting news… my 100 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Belize is less than a month away!! I am already beginning to stock up on protein bars & pack my suitcase (mostly bathing suits & yoga clothes so far :)). Has anyone ever been to Belize? any recommendations for travel, side excursions, secret spots, etc? I can’t wait to practice yoga 2x a day, put my toes in the sand & swim in the salty ocean 🙂
Take me back to sandy beaches and ocean sunsets ASAP please
*Hyperbiotics provided me with a bottle of their Hyperbiotics PRO-15 to try, Powered by BrandBacker.
by ninaeliseh | Feb 4, 2015 | ACL, ACL 1+ Year, Running, Yoga
1 YEAR!! 1 YEAR!! Today marks exactly one year since my knee surgery! Below is a summary of what’s been going on, the good, the bad, and concerns I have going forward
1 Year Post-Op Summary
- Running about 2-3x a week on the treadmill – 2-7 miles each time **My knee cap/patellar tendon has been hurting to the point where I can’t run, so taking a hiatus from running until it starts to feel better – any tips from runners? I’ve tried icing, heat… nothing is helping!
- Circuit/tabata workouts 1-2 times a week – with HIIT – sprints on the treadmill, ab work, etc
- heated workout classes 1x a week
- Yoga 1-3 times a week – mainly practicing at home
- Still experiencing issues with my IT band, where it connects on the side of the knee. I feel a little bit of instability and there is clicking still happening behind the knee. I know my ACL is ok, so I am wondering if where my meniscus was shaved down actually caused more issues. I am using a foam roller to try and work out the band, so fingers crossed I find relief.
- I read an article about the mentality of athletes coming back after knee surgery – and a lot of people never really fully go back. I know I still baby my knee and worry about stability, but it’s mostly due to my meniscus. Does anyone else still have doubts or fears post-op of going back 100% to a sport? I am not a professional athlete by any means, but I am nervous I will always be afraid to be fully active again like I was in high school. I really only feel fully comfortable if wearing a brace or taped up with KT tape.
- There has been some cracking/popping inside my knee lately, and I am wondering if it is scar tissue breaking up. It’s not super painful – uncomfortable more than anything. Has anyone experienced this?
- Tweaked my wrist doing yoga back in December, and it got to the point where it hurt to bend my wrist and put weight on it. Heat didn’t work, oils didn’t work… then I iced and put some Lavender oil on it – the next day, it was fine! I got X-Rays just to make sure nothing was wrong, and everything checked out ok 🙂
- Stretching 20-30 minutes after every workout – more specifically, my quads & hips. I never realized how tight I was! My end goal is to be able to sit in hero pose – see below – without any issues. I still feel some swelling when trying to sit back, but after a lot of stretching, I am able to sit a little more comfortably. Has anyone ever experienced issues with this 1 year post op?
- With all of the stretching of my hips, I was able to get into pigeon pose and have my toes touch my head! this was after 1 month of stretching with a strap everyday 🙂
- I am almost finished with my Rolfing sessions! Here are the improvements I have noticed so far:
- breathing – running not as difficult, cardio greatly improved
- feel more balanced – when i walk, when I stand
- IT band issues – no problems on the right hip after running now
- Tightness on right side of body – all up and down back/shoulder/leg – only experiencing a little bit of tightness in the upper part of my body now, which I know is from the way I sit at work.
I am signed up to run a half marathon this year with my awesome coworker, and I begin training next month for it! I’ve signed up for Yoga Teacher Training in Belize in May and am incredibly excited for this! I am also flying out to Florida for a weekend workshop in March & to visit family. And to top off all this traveling/training I’ve been doing, I decided to buy a guitar and learn how to play… and I LOVE it! I have so much free time that all I want to do is be active and learning new things. I’ve never loved learning growing up, and now I can’t get enough of it 🙂 I guess this is what happens when you don’t own a T.V. – more time and less distractions (minus the sex & the city marathons I’ve been having every once in a while on my phone ;)) Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all stay in our 20’s forever??
This e-book was created as a guide to help everyone – Adults, Kids, Athletes, and Non-Athletes – recovering from ACL surgery. After reading this guide, you will have a better understanding of what to expect, surgery options, costs & insurance, and a detailed timeline for recovery.
Improve your range of motion, increase your strength, and feel more confident post-surgery with a 2 month yoga progression plan.
by ninaeliseh | Nov 16, 2014 | ACL, ACL 6+ months, Blog, Health & Fitness
10 Months Post-Op Summary (11/13/2014)
- Running about 2x a week on the treadmill
- Circuit/tabata workouts 1-2 times a week – with HIIT – sprints on the treadmill, ab work, etc
- heated workout classes
- Yoga 1-3 times a week. Classes but also practicing at home
- Trying to gain more flexibility in my knee to sit back – I can sit on my heels, but i can barely sit on my butt between my heels – the Virasana pose in yoga. I feel like after 10 months I would have been able to do this… anyone else still have trouble?
- I have not been running as long – between moving and the colder weather, I haven’t had the time or will to go run on a treadmill for long periods of time. I usually jump on the treadmill for 15-30 minutes, depending on how I feel. I know my cardio has definitely taken a hit, so I am working on building it back up.
- Last month, I talked about Rolfing. So far, I have gone to 4 appointments and have seen a little bit of improvement:
- easier to take deeper breaths
- feel more balanced – when i walk, when I stand
- legs felt lighter after the second session – not sure exactly what was done, but a lot of work on my lower legs. I feel like they have been really neglected, and now they are not so tight or knotty
- IT band on left leg – feels stronger, doesn’t bother me except for the occasional meniscus issue
I am going for my fifth session (out of 10) this week, and am so excited. The fifth session works with the deep ab muscles, and is supposed to help with digestion as well. I will most likely be done with my 10 sessions by my next post, so hopefully I will have amazing results to share then 🙂
These past 2 months have been extremely stressful for me – emotionally, physically, mentally – but I somehow feel stronger than ever. I don’t worry so much about things, and my daily meditation practice has made things a lot more easier. I have a lot more time to workout nowadays since my commute to work has literally been cut in half, which has also made life less stressful… although, going through a breakup makes things about 10x harder to do, especially when you just want to lay in bed all day. However, I am thinking of getting my 200 hr yoga teacher training next year, so I know the training will be taking up a lot of my time then!
ALSO: I forgot to mention that I won a giveaway from willrun4pizza‘s blog! I have been wanting to try Nuun electrolyte tabs for a while, so I am so glad I got to try them 🙂 I got the tri-berry active tabs and the all-day grape raspberry. The active tabs had a type of fizzy/biting taste to it, which reminded me of drinking a soda. the all-day tabs had a vitamin-y smell to it, but tasted good! My only negative review would be the fake sugars and a few added ingredients like propylene glycol – are they really necessary?? I always forget to add the active tabs to my water when working out, but I like to add the all-day tab to my water at work. I feel like I drink too much water sometimes, and it really throws off my electrolyte balance. These tabs are awesome for helping with that! Has anyone else tried Nuun electrolyte tabs?
by ninaeliseh | Oct 16, 2014 | ACL, ACL 6+ months, Blog, Health & Fitness
9 Months Post-Op Summary (10/16/2014)
- Running 2-10 miles a week
- Circuit/tabata workouts 1-2 times a week – with HIIT – sprints on the treadmill, ab work, etc
- Workout classes like barre and heated workout classes
- Yoga 1-3 times a week. Classes but also practicing at home
- Still a little swelling in my knee, it comes and goes. I can sit back a little more easily on my heels since last month
- I have been running longer distances, usually 4-6.5 miles. I sometimes have to give myself a few days rest, as my knee (outside left) feels a little off/sore. This is an indicator that I need to strengthen my quad muscles more… meaning more squats!
- Went to an orange theory HIIT class the other week, and my RIGHT knee started to hurt! I’ve been trying to build up more strength on the right side of my right leg – from my ankle to my hip – as there is some serious instability and weakness going on there. I have had soreness in my right knee/knee cap and all up and down my right leg for a while, and I am wondering what is really happening. I have never had knee pain like this before (in my good knee) – I couldn’t jump up or do a squat! This was after doing 30 minutes of sprint intervals on the treadmill (with an incline), so I am wondering if I just overdid it with my workouts.
- I went to my first Rolfing session today! It is pricey (about $120-$130/session) and painful, but I have heard that it works wonders for athletes (or anyone in general!). You do a series of 10 sessions to re-align the body. I was evaluated standing up: my hips are tilted, my entire left side of my body is slumped lower than my right, my entire torso is tilted/shifted, and my right leg/knee is over-compensating. For my first session, my neck, lungs, shoulders, arms, hips and lower back were worked on. The only way to describe how it felt is that my skin felt like it was being stretched! I could feel the crystals being broken up under my skin, and it HURT. However, only a few hours after my appointment I feel like I have more space to breathe in my lungs (I have always had trouble taking deep breaths). I was told I might feel tired for the next day or so, and to drink lots of water, as the tissue/fascia is opened up, so more fluid is able to flow through. Below is a description of rolfing – has anyone ever tried? If so, what were your results?
- Wikepedia describes Rolfing as “…an alternative medical treatment marketed by the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration (RISI). The Institute states that Rolfing is a “holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organize(s) the whole body in gravity.” Rolfing is essentially identical to Structural Integration, whereby a forceful technique is used in an attempt to re-position tissues under the skin.“
- “Rolfing is typically performed in a progression of 10 sessions, sometimes called “the recipe,” which is claimed to provide a systematic approach to address goals for the theorized alignment and movement of various body areas. The purported purpose is to educate the body to have better alignment within gravity. Rolfers manipulate the body to move the fascia until they believe it is operating in conjunction with the muscles in a more optimal relationship. In addition to physical manipulation of tissue, Rolfing uses a combination of active and passive movement retraining.”
- “Skeletal muscles often work in opposing pairs called the “agonist” and the “antagonist”, the one contracting while the other relaxes. Rolf theorized that “bound up”fascia (connective tissues) often restrict opposing muscles from functioning in concert. She aimed to separate the fibers of bound up fasciae manually to loosen them and allow effective movement. She claimed to have found an association between pent-up emotions and tension in muscles. This claim of a muscular/emotional connection is not supported by scientific studies.”
- Benefits of rolfing: “Rolfing Structural Integration has the ability to dramatically alter a person’s posture and structure. Rolfing SI can potentialy resolve discomfort, release tension and alleviate pain. Rolfing SI aims to restore flexibility, revitalize your energy and leave you feeling more comfortable in your body. The genius of the work rests on Dr. Rolf’s insight that the body is more at ease and functions most effectively when its structure is balanced in gravity. Athletes, dancers, children, business professionals, and people from all walks of life have benefited from Rolfing SI. People seek Rolfing SI as a way to ease pain and chronic stress, and improve performance in their professional and daily activities.”
I am seriously so.excited. for how I am already feeling after only 1 session! Back tightness, sinus issues, IT band tightness, lower back issues, breathing restriction, knee problems… I am hoping a lot of these issues are resolved after my 10 sessions.
So 9 months – not feeling much difference from 7 or 8 months… maybe a little more confidence, and not thinking about my knee so much. And my knee flexibility – never thought I would be doing a scorpion in handstand like this EVER! The human body’s ability to heal after surgery continues to surprise me everyday.
Also – I ran my first race last month – 4 miles! Normally, I would have run at a 7:45/8 minute pace… however, I ran at an 8:40 pace. The course was awesome, but I was not feeling good. About 1.5 miles in I was ready to be done! I feel like I have really grown to dislike running because my pace times are not very good. I have to be patient with myself and realize that it will take time to get back to where I was! Besides, I am enjoying yoga and my heated fitness classes way more than running every day 🙂
by ninaeliseh | Sep 18, 2014 | ACL, ACL 6+ months, Blog, Health & Fitness
Not much to report – i would say my knee feels about the same as month 7. However, I have been feeling stronger in my workouts, pushing myself to do sprints on the treadmill or run over 6 miles at a time. I am not sure how I expected my knee to feel at 8 months post-op, but it is still not 100% back to normal. It feels pretty great, though! Recap is below
8 Months Post-Op Summary
- Running 2-6 miles 1-2 times a week
- Circuit/tabata workouts 1-2 times a week – with HIIT – sprints on the treadmill, ab work, etc
- Workout classes like barre and heated workout classes
- Not applying oils to my knee or icing anymore – no pain
- Yoga 1-3 times a week. Classes but also practice at home + lots of handstand work!
- Still a little swelling in my knee, it comes and goes.
- Completed a whole30 – 30 days of strict paleo – to see if what I was eating was causing any inflammation. I made it to 3 1/2 weeks before I started introducing foods like grains and dairy back into my diet. I honestly didn’t notice a difference, but I was also eating a lot of nuts/fruit to compensate for my lack of chocolate.
- Still have clicking/catching feeling on the inside/behind my knee. Not sure if it is still scar tissue around my hamstring or what… anyone else experience this? No pain, it just feels like a tendon is tight or catching on something.
So I ran a race the other weekend – about 2.4 miles. It wasn’t a super serious run, because a lot of beer was consumed. I drank a beer before running lap 1, stopped after lap 1 and drank a second beer, ran lap 2 and drank a third beer, ran my 3rd and final lap and finished up with a 4th beer. I did not throw up and I was the first girl to finish! I even sprinted towards the end! I am running another beer run on Saturday, then on Sunday I run my first “real” race that is actually timed – 4 miles! I am trying to be relaxed about my run – I am still trying to get back to my pre-surgery pace, but its been a struggle. I am also not running as much, which doesn’t help. However, I do have a half marathon in January to train for, so I can save my training miles for that 🙂
