Author Archives: Natalie

Hip Pain: It Came Out of Nowhere

I was on my second to last long run before the Big Cottonwood Canyon Marathon, 13 miles. It was early on an August Saturday morning so not too hot and I was doing well with my LSD pace. All of a sudden, on the flat stretch of my local trail with about 2 miles left to go, my left hip seemed to twerk out from under me. I felt a stabbing pain in my hip that seemed to shoot around my glute and hamstring area. I slowed down a little. The pain kept on. I limped and hopped and kicked my legs up behind me to try and shake it out but the pain persisted. I did something I never do and stopped and stretched. Stopping seemed to make it worse and after a brief stretch I powered through the painful final stretch home. Continue reading

Steamtown Marathon Withdrawal: Hard but Smart Decision

It seems forever ago I signed up for the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA with the goal of running it as a BQ race. I was excited for its downhill course, the ‘easy’ 5 hour drive from my house and the prospect of perfect fall running temperatures. Long story short, (because if you want the long story you can read my post about the Big Cottonwood Canyon Marathon) I was not only over ambitious about the prospect of running two marathons four weeks apart but I also wasn’t prepared for the recovery my body would need from marathon number one due to the crazy calf pain caused from running downhill for 17 of the 26.2 miles plus a hip pain that had set in just two weeks before the marathon.

I will share in several more posts my trial and tribulations with the calf pain and hip pain, the mental challenges (frustration, depression, denial, anger, disappointment, stubbornness, etc) that I went through from the end of the first race and that still aren’t quite settled, and some of the reasons I am still not just bummed about not running Steamtown but also feeling a bit guilty simply because I feel like I let down the assistant race director whose emails I have thoroughly loved reading over the last 4-5 months.

So, with no further ado, I am sharing the letter I sent to Jim Cummings with my withdrawal from Steamtown as that seems the most appropriate way to share the story.


Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 05:18:32 -0700
Subject: Steamtown Withdrawal

Dear Jim,

I went out for what I intended to be a 10 mile run this morning and when mysterious hip pain kicked in around mile three I started to seriously consider whether or not I’d still try to run Steamtown. You see, two weeks before my first fall marathon on Sept 14 this same hip pain presented itself during a long run. It would come and go and on race day it definitely appeared but then over the 20 miles of downhill it disappeared from my hip and seemed to transfer to my calves. After what was the most painful race but also a major PR (that earned me a time I can use as a 2015 BQ) I rested for just about 12 days. The muscle fibers in my calves healed and I was thrilled to get a run in with no calf pain. But my attempt today for 10 turned into 5 due to the hip pain.

By the time I finished I knew that I would need to withdraw from Steamtown in order to not set myself up for longer term pain. I love running way too much to potentially really do myself damage during your race. I have really been looking forward to it. I love all the emails and have been impressed with the organization and communication of this race. I am utterly disappointed to not be running the Steamtown marathon this year. I know that I have missed the cut-off date for the partial refund and that’s fine. Is there any way to defer my registration to 2014? I’d love to make this my fall marathon next year.

I apologize for the late notice of my withdrawal and again, am incredibly bummed to not be joining your community and so many other runners in a few weeks. I will look forward to watching the results and wish all the runners the best of luck for their best race ever!

Sincerely,
Natalie Staines
@healthrunning

 

Severna Park Running Community Grows

I can probably count on two hands the number of times I’ve intentionally run with others when it wasn’t during a race. I don’t mind running with other people, I just like (and need) the flexibility to go when I’m ready. And yet, I always feel a twinge of something (Jealousy? Admiration? Curiosity?) when I see groups of runners out together. I read often about the benefits of group runs and I know that I could definitely improve if I could run regularly with someone faster than me. In short, I know that I would like access to a running community. Continue reading

Big Cottonwood Canyon Marathon | BQ Attempt #1

bigcottonwood (7)The Big Cottonwood Canyon Marathon in Salt Lake City was my first attempt to run a Boston qualifying race and my sixth marathon. I spent 13 weeks training for this race and had months of previous training and races under my belt. The big thing I was never sure I could properly train for was the significant amount of downhills at this race…18-20 miles of downhill to be exact with the final miles on a relatively flat grade. I also had never traveled this far for a race before so there were some additional prep and logistics to take into account. There were a lot of lessons learned at this race and while there are some things I would do differently, I think one sign of a good race is knowing that I would do it again. To quote a phrase of my old boss, “last line first.” I was running this race with the hopes of qualifying for the 30-34 age group 2014 Boston Marathon. I came in 42 seconds shy of a BQ and finished in 3:35:42. Now for the details! Continue reading

My BQ Quest

bos_a_starting_line_d1_576I started this post called “My BQ Quest” back in March of 2011 and did nothing other than enter the title in my drafts folder. Now, September 2013, I’m finally filling in the story.

In March 2011 I ran my third and fastest marathon finishing in 3:45. Weeks after that race I watched the Boston Marathon and started to think about training for a BQ race. I was 10 minutes off from the 30-34 age group qualifying time and the goosebumps I’ve always gotten watching the Boston Marathon started to sync up with an obsession that one day perhaps I could run the race. But I never told anyone that’s what I wanted to do. I hadn’t made the obsession real because I hadn’t said it out loud. And I hadn’t said it out loud because I lacked the confidence that I could actually run a qualifying time. Continue reading

Compression Sock Considerations: Yay or Nay?

IMG_3437I’m not sure exactly when compression socks made it on the running scene but one article I read credited Paula Radcliffe with being among the first to really introduce them to long distance running. I know a few running friends that run with compression socks (some swear by them) and I certainly see plenty of people at the starting line of races sporting them. I’ve loosely wondered for a couple years what the big deal is and whether or not it’s something I need to try. After reading an article in the July issue of RW that recommended wearing compression socks on a long flight before a marathon, I decided they’d be worth a try if nothing else for the flight from Baltimore to Salt Lake City for the Big Cottonwood Marathon. Continue reading

The Race is the Reward | Charles Street 12 Success

Race morning in Baltimore

I’ve had this thought in my head for some time now: the race is the reward. I’m not sure too many people would argue this. While I genuinely do love training, the race is the payoff. I love everything about a race from the general camaraderie of runners to the contagious enthusiasm at the start line to the post-race satisfaction of having finished. But my recent results from the inaugural Charles Street 12-Miler in Baltimore have me on such a high that this post is now very timely. Continue reading

Downhill Training: Dealing with Quad Work

I love to run. I’m pretty good at running. I really, really enjoy cycling. With consistent riding I am a decent biker. I like to swim. If I could work in swimming with regularity I could be an ok swimmer again. But I hate quad work. I dread the idea of having to do squats, lunges and wall sits. And yet, those are the exact things I should be doing if I were going to be preparing as best I can to run two marathons this fall, both of which have significant downhill components. Continue reading

Time for New Shoes: Nike Zoom Vomeros…Again

nike_vomeros_2013 (4)For as many things as I think I do right as a runner, there are some best practices that I somehow seem to neglect. Sufficient stretching is one area where I do not practice what I preach. (Strength training is another; I simply don’t do it.) And, as I discovered recently, replacing running shoes in a timely manner is yet a third running best practice that I let go by the wayside. Many, many times I have told new runners and fellow runners about the importance of not only having shoes that are fit to your feet and running style but that are also not past their prime. Running in shoes that are past their mileage expiration date is a great way to potentially get injured. I’m not saying that worn shoes will cause injury, but I do think they could contribute to otherwise avoidable aches and pains. Continue reading

Too Hot for 20

Today I was supposed to run 20 miles. When I looked at the hourly weather report last night, it was to be 81 degrees at 6 a.m. and up to 90+ a heat index of over 100 by 9 a.m. I hoped to be home by then. I left the house at 5:52 and within my first steps I felt dehydrated. By the first half mile my four frozen water bottles were thawing out. And within the first three miles I had decided I would reevaluate my run at a certain point in my route at which I could return home early or stick it out for 20 miles. Continue reading