April 06, 2012

R.I.C.E.

Baggy sweatshirt and pj pants? Check.
Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

That's my plan for this weekend. My stupid runner's knee has flared up again. I'm terrified of not being able to finish my marathon. I've come so far in the training, and I will be so bummed if my knee prevents me from finishing (or even starting) the race!

I was supposed to run 4 easy miles today, but I decided to skip it completely. Saturday and Sunday are scheduled rest days. So maybe by taking a three-day weekend off of running, I'll be good to go for my 12-miler on Monday. Next week is a step-back week, thank goodness (our long run is "only" 12 before bumping up to 18 a week from Monday).

I just finished reading Hal Higdon's book Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide and it is a MUST READ for anyone considering a marathon (or even a half-marathon). I learned so much from this book that I couldn't possibly share it all! Poor Jessica has listened to me go on and on about "Hal Higdon says..."  ;)

Source
One thing that really struck me was that during the entire 18-week marathon training program, I will have run 461 miles--which equals approximately 46,100 calories burned. Divide that by 3,500 (calories in a pound of fat) and it comes to over 13 pounds of fat burned! So theoretically, if I didn't increase my calorie intake at all during training (not possible, because I would starve), I would lose 13 pounds during marathon training. Haha, I wish it was that easy!



I've been eating out of boredom a lot lately, and I really need to quit doing that! My mornings are pretty busy--I get the kids ready for school and onto the bus, and then I run. After my run, I shower and it's usually time for lunch. Then I check my e-mail and maybe clear my Google Reader, but the rest of the afternoon I find myself snacking just because I'm bored.

I was thinking back on my weight loss and maintenance, and I realized that I do best when I have some sort of project going on. I went through a long knitting/crocheting phase during my weight loss; I redecorated my bathroom which took a couple of weeks; I organized photos on my computer (taking days of my time); I typed out a whole recipe book full of my recipes and nutrition info; I redecorated my bedroom; I organized my closet and got rid of clothes that I didn't wear anymore; I made (what seemed like) tons of Gockets... stuff like that.

I need a new project--something that takes a lot of time and really interests me. I really need to organize my photos again and back them all up onto the external hard drive, so maybe I'll start working on that. And I have a lot of new recipes to type out. What are your favorite ways to pass time when you're bored and want to snack?



Yesterday, the kids colored Easter eggs. And being the genius that I am, I punched all the holes out of the box BEFORE I read the directions...
I had no idea how much vinegar and water to add to the dye tablets, so I had to dig the cardboard circles out of the trash and piece it back together.

My kids don't believe in the Easter bunny, so I have no idea why they like to color eggs, but they had fun. Tomorrow, we're going to my parents' house to celebrate my little brother's birthday (and have dinner), and then on Sunday, we're going to Jerry's parents' house for dinner. I'm going to try and rest my knee as much as possible, though. Have a nice Easter, everyone!



21 comments:

  1. Nooooo! Knee pain sucks. Have you seen a sports medicine doc and/or a podiatrist? The right shoes and some prevention/treatment exercises (partial squats, straight leg lifts, etc) helped me. And of course being careful with your mileage. My husband likes to take ibuprofen after his long runs if his knees are bothering him.

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  2. My runner's knee always flares up when I run too many downhill stretches. I cuss and swear in my head the instant I see any downhills ahead of me, lol. This is the stretch that was recommended to me and it has done wonders for my runner's knee: http://www.yogaclass.ie/images/lunge-quad-stretch.jpg You may already do something similar but I thought I would throw it out there in case. I hope the pain lets up quickly!!

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  3. I hope your knee feels better for next week!! Take it easy...sending you gentle {{hugs}}.

    And by the way, I laughed out loud when I read your comment about the little circles in the egg dying box. You are not alone! In fact, I probably would have done it tomorrow when I decorate eggs had I not read your post here first. ;)

    Get healthy!!

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  4. You could sell your book of recipes with nutritional info. I would buy one! I'm always looking for new recipes and so many out there do not put nutritional info on them.

    Hope your knee is feeling better soon. Happy Easter to you and your family.

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    1. I think nearly ALL of my recipes from the book are already on my recipes blog--not sure if you've checked that out! But you can find it here: www.runsforcookiesrecipes.blogspot.com. I've included the nutrition info for MOST of the recipes.

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  5. Hi Katie,

    I can't remember the last time I was bored! Between working, two kids and a husband, graduate school, grading papers, trying to exercise, well....there's no boredom. But when I get time to relax, I often read, bake, or browse on line. Lately it has been pinterest!! I do love organizing too though. How about scrapbooking? Have you ever tried it? I'll bet you would like digital scrapbooking and you would be awesome at journaling about your boys. It is nice to capture those precious memories of what they are like at these ages.

    Happy Easter!

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  6. I'm working on a project of getting prints made of my digital photos and putting them in a scrapbook for our family. I don't do "scrapbooking" like a lot of people do with all the embellishments, I just take a 3 ring binder scrapbook and buy the picture pocket sleeves that hold 4x6 photos and I include a note card if the pictures need a description. I keep it simple. I love seeing all the photos off the computer and in my hands.

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  7. Sorry to hear your new is bothering you. Sounds like a smart plan to rest it so you're ready to roll again next week. And thanks for the reminder about punching out the egg holes in the dye box!! I did that last year. D'oh.

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  8. I think an extra rest day should be just what the knee ordered! I saw a neat project where parents would write letters to their kids about what their current favorite things were, who they had crushes on, what subjects they hated in school, mannerisms, favorite shirt/outfit, dislikes, etc and do it every year and give it to them for their 18th birthday or college graduation. That might be a fun thing to do to pass the time. Start Word docs about how the year has gone so far and add to it.

    We still color eggs and it has nothing to do with the Easter bunny baby. There's just something about Easter Egg salad sandwiches the following Monday that are all colorful! :)

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  9. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did the EXACT SAME THING WITH OUR dye kit box....My daughter punched the holes in the morning, and out with the trash they went....and the trash collectors came today...so ALLLLLLL the way gone by the time we went to dye the eggs this afternoon. No chance for recovery. So, I guessed. I think the makers of the kit screwed up by putting the instructions on the back like that. Why not squeeze the instructions on the side that DOESN'T get punched into holes! LOL
    And, sorry about the knee...hopefully it is feeling much better by the run on Monday! Rest, rest, rest!

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  10. Sure hope your knee just needs some time off.

    I love to be outside, so when I'm bored, I head out to my garden. I grow a lot of perennials (though I've cut back and replaced quite a few with flowering shrubs and things that are easier to keep weeded). There is always something that needs weeding, dead-heading, or light trimming. Then I sit out on the swing and admire my handiwork. I also grow a lot of vegetables, but that's more "job" and the flower garden is more for fun. It's my "me time," esp. after supper on summer evenings, which are prime snack times for me.

    Joan

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  11. Katie I am realy sorry that your knee is bothering you. I will pray that it will heal quickly and not cause you anymore trouble.
    Think positive you will DO this. Even if you need to take a week of rest and jump back into training. Sometimes your body just needs rest to prevent an injury. I am pretty sure that you know your body pretty well so I am sure you will figure out what is best for you.
    I need to read that book. I have run 3 marathons and stillhaven't read that. Library here I come.

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  12. I lilke to read, play games on my Kindle, get on the computer and check out my favorite sites... But I eat out of bordeom, too. Another crappy day and this time I didn't exercise! Falling back into some bad habits... I like all of the scrapbooking ideas. I have tons of supplies and have made several books, but I haven't done it in a while. Gardening is a great idea, as well! So many benefits with that hobby- a beautiful yard, soaking in the good weather is good for your mood and you burn a lot of calories doing it! I'm going to try to have the best yard ever!!

    I hope your knee feels better for Monday!

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    1. You could've probably Googled the directions intead of having to do a puzzle.

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  13. Have you ever tried seeing a chiropractor? I'm sure that seems like a bizarre question in response to knee problems! But, when I started running I saw my chiropractor frequently to help my body adjust to all of the additional impact. There were 2 time that my knee was bothering me, and after being adjusted, it was better. With all of this miles you've added, it might be worth a try. I hope you're feeling better soon!

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  14. I've had an achy knee lately too! It's no fun! I also have a cold, and someone said it's no good to run or exercise while sick because it won't help your body at all. Do you know if that's true? BTW I ALWAYS throw out/ tear apart boxes before I read instructions! Usually when I make cookies, I dump out the mix then throw the bag away, then realize I need the recipe/ oven temperature! Speaking of little projects, I finished knitting a scarf and want to learn to crochet!

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  15. that's a lot of calories burned! well done :)

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  16. Running is definitely hard on knees. Hope yours is better soon. I found out that 328 lbs. is also hard on knees--mine are ruined. I need to hAve replacements on both, according to the orthopedic dr. Maybe this summer...

    Hope the RICE helps and you're all better. I know how hard you've been training, but you're young and skinny...so hopefully a little time OFF the knee and it'll be all better. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

    Happy Easter! (I don't miss coloring eggs at all--it was the ONE holiday thing that I did with my kids that I just found to be ONE BIG MESS!)

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  17. I've absolutely done that w/ the egg dye box! haha. And Thank you for explaining R.I.C.E. another runner friend of mine said something about it but I had no idea what it meant. One last thing I need you to explain... what in the world is a Gocket?? :) Happy Easter!

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  18. I did the same thing with my egg colouring kit!

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  19. HAHA! I did the same thing with the egg kit but we had 4 different ones so it was like putting a puzzle back together to figure it out :)

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