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Making it to the Boston Marathon 2014

Hi, yes Northern Cal real estate market is in a similar state. It is picking up, which is a really great thing. The change of career is scary as well as exciting. So far I'm liking the sense of adventure it brings me.

I did a swim on Monday where I pushed the effort a bit and the next day I felt some pain. Hard to tell if it is TMS or not. But I will wait a few days before going back in the water. Running and biking are going well. Meditations are going well, too. I'm on week 6 of the 8 week program. And my friend bought me Jon Kabat's book as a gift which I've started reading. It is very interesting. I think he is credited for bringing meditation to the West if I'm not mistaken.

Be well!
 
Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted any updates. Life can get kind of crazy sometimes! Hope everyone is doing well and had a nice weekend.

TMS update: While it’s been a roller coaster the last couple weeks I am staying on top of my training and getting through the TMS aches and pains and also my shin splint saga. The last two Sundays I did a 22 mile and 21 mile run which both went well in regards to my TMS and shin. The week days are always tricky and I seem to always be dealing with a new or old TMS symptom that I eventually get through. My shin has had ups and downs too. I will admit I have been using the green Superfeet inserts for arch support. While this helps my shin it sometimes causes other aches and pains that subside when I take them out. I know using the superfeet goes against TMS protocol but I’m still not convinced my original shin problems are TMS. All the other aches and pains I believe are TMS but the shin is still my problem area. I feel if I could get over my shin, I could do anything with my running. But for now it’s just one day at a time.

My bike commuting to work is still going well and my swimming is coming along nicely. Had a hard fast one mile swim with my husband and a couple triathletes yesterday. No aches or pains which was nice. And I did well considering they were swimming a lot harder than the last time we all swam together. I think my husband and another guy were racing! :rolleyes:

I’m less than two week out from my first race of the year which is a local half marathon. And I’m getting excited for the Baystate marathon on Oct 20th. Time is moving swiftly and that’s OK with me. I can’t wait to race and see how my fitness levels are doing.

Hope everyone is well.
 
Hi, I also haven't checked in here for a while. I had a whole week where I was away to Huntington Beach for my son's soccer tournament (They didn't win). But we had a lot of fun. And then a week at science camp with my oldest. That was a lot of fun... hiking, playing games, learning new things with my son. And getting the real estate biz up and running is keeping me busy.

I've been running an biking rather inconsistently, but I've been able to do it with no significant, lasting pains. I am not putting any intensity at all right now. I am pretty much done with my season so I'm just doing all my workouts in aerobic zones. One exception is my right shoulder. I went for a medium intensity swim 2 weeks ago and the next day it was very sore. It's fine now, but when I get back in the water, I'm not going to put any intensity at all and just go REALLY easy. I really think it's just TMS... a conditioned response. I'm going to take the strategy of going super easy and building from that.

I'm doing a 10K next weekend which is a local fundraiser in my town. Lots of locals and it's for charity... no time goal, but I will go as hard as I can.. we'll see what happens.

Have a great weekend everyone!
 
Hi Enrique – sounds like you’ve had a great couple of weeks! And so glad to hear you’re getting the real estate biz started. It does sound like your shoulder is TMS but I do understand how it could feel like a physical injury. TMS is tricky stuff sometimes!

TMS update: Last week I had a few ups and downs but got through everything. My right ankle was acting up but now it seems OK. The soreness is just TMS that pops up from time to time. I ended up with a terrible blister after a hard tempo run last Wed night. I was literally limping around work the next day. It did take my mind off my shin. :)

On Thursday’s recovery run with my husband my blister was so incredibly excruciating for the first 2 miles. Once it subsided my shin started to have sensations. I told my husband how unhappy I was at work and with other things in life (which he already knows) but encouraged me to get things off my chest. I stopped and stretched and then my shin was fine for the rest of the run. Just expressing my grievances to a good listener was really helpful that night for my shin. I also had some very helpful correspondence with SteveO who gave me some great words of advice. He truly believes my shin is TMS. This message words of wisdom really helped my shin this week and also my 24 mile run on Sunday which included 5 miles at marathon and half marathon pace.

The funny thing is that while my shin held up so well for a 24 mile run yesterday, my top right calf was very sore right after the run. It’s still sore today but it’s either just a normal ache that will go away in a few days or it’s just another TMS symptom popping up while my shin is doing well. TMS is a tough game but I’m making it through my training! This Saturday is my first race of the season which is a local half marathon. Can’t wait!!

Today is special day because I officially registered online for the 2014 Boston Marathon. This time I’m going to make it!! :D

Enrique – have fun with your 10K this weekend. Hope everyone is doing well.

And thank you again SteveO if you are reading this.

Joyce
 
TMS update: Right now things are going well. It’s a light running week (tapering) before my half marathon this coming Saturday. I even took off commuting to work by bike to keep my legs rested and strong. It will be my first race of the year so I’m very excited but also a little nervous.

My shin has been under control. I can honestly say I do believe my sporadic soreness in my shin has been TMS for most of this summer. And I have SteveO to thank for this! Besides the correspondence I had from him last week, I’ve been reading a few pages from his book at night before I go to bed. It’s very helpful! And my other running TMS aches and pains have been pretty good this week as well. Even my blisters are under control! :)

So this Saturday is supposed to be nice and cool with sunshine. Hi temps will be in the low 60s F which is really great! It’s almost a gift! While I’m feeling strong lately, I’m more concerned about having a pain-free body afterward rather than a PR (personal record). But I do feel I could squeak a PR if all goes well……I’ll report back sometime after my run!

Hope everyone is doing well.
 
Hope everyone had a nice weekend! It’s always hard to get back to the grind on Mondays but I thought I should share my good news:

I had a great half marathon this past Saturday. It was my first race of 2013 due to all my TMS running problems and my shin. The weather was nice and cool with a good cloud cover. I ran a PR (personal record) of 1:29:09 (per Garmin as official results aren’t posted but that’s pretty close). I was the second women overall. I was in the lead until mile 11 when young woman in her 20s caught me. That’s OK as I was running well and a bit faster than I had hoped. I was thinking a pace of 6:56 min/mile would be great but I managed a 6:49 min/mile pace overall which was a great confidence builder for me! I was a little over 2 and a half minutes faster than my last half marathon at the end of September 2012. (Both races were fast PR type courses)

The best news is that my TMS was really good during the race. :D I didn’t have any problems on my warm-up mile before the race. And throughout the race my shin and legs overall cooperated! This is really showing me that my latest shin problems are just manifestations of TMS this summer. Even after the race I didn’t have any major aches/pains, injuries, or set-backs, just the usual soreness after a race. I was even able to run an easy cool-down mile after the race without difficulty (last year I could barely do that I was so sore). Today my legs are doing pretty good. I have a sports massage tonight but it’s just my way of taking care of myself in a holistic way.

Yesterday we swam a little over a mile in the reservoir. It was cold but with a wet suit we felt fine after a few minutes. This was a nice way to recover after a race. No aches or pains and the water felt so refreshing!

Enrique – hope you had a great 10K and are doing well.

Hope everyone has a great week.
 
Hi Joyce! It's really GREAT to read about your race. Wow.... Keep up the fantastic work!!

As for me, I ran the 10K and had a really great time. I finished 4th in my AG (23rd overall). I bested my most recent 10K by 2 minutes so I'm moving in the right direction. I had zero pain during and after the run. My Achilles heel and my knee are doing REALLY well!
 
Thanks! I am not doing marathons or anything... but at least a 10K is doable at full speed with no pain!! Next year... I may attempt a marathon again. We'll see how my level of motivation is. I'm even considering another Ironman attempt, but it's too early to tell how my shoulder would hold up to 2.4 miles of swimming.
 
Hi Enrique - Those shorter races are hard! I still need to learn how to run a good 5 and 10K! I'm built for distance and not really speed but with proper training I know I could improve. So I think it's great you are running a strong 10K! Keep us posted on what marathon you sign up for.

After Boston I hope we can concentrate on doing a Sprint and Olympic distance triathlon during the summer. And that would be prep for this half iron distance triathlon we want to do in September 2014. It’s called Pumpkinman and takes place in Maine. It’s a 70.3 but not an official Ironman event. A few of our Tri friends rave about this half iron distance event. And I hear it’s great for first timers doing their 70.3.

I have one of my hardest speed workouts so far tonight. I’m doing 6 x 800s at around a 6:14 pace. I’m a little nervous as the massage therapist really dug into my lower legs on Monday and I still feel soreness. But hopefully it should be OK to run. I am not doing this on a track since I don’t think it’s smart to begin running fast in circles this late in the game. :)

Hope everyone is well

 
Hello – it’s been a week of ups and downs as usual with my battle against TMS and my on-going shin splint saga. But I do feel like I’m winning the battle even if it’s slowly. I’ve been training for almost 6 months and have gotten this far with my shin so it really has to be TMS at this point..right? Last Friday my shin was feeling a little sore on my recovery run after a hard speed workout the previous Thursday. But by the time I did my 20 miler on Sunday my shin felt fine even with some tempo miles later in the run. Monday my shin seemed OK even though I wasn’t running that day. Tuesday I felt some minor shin stuff on my run but that seems to be the pattern. I think it’s conditioning as SteveO writes about in his book (along with Dr Sarno). Wed I had a good hard 9 mile run with 5 tempo miles at a good pace with just a little shin soreness in the first mile or so. Yesterday my recovery run was pretty good with just some minor shin stuff but it was not very sore at all for most of the run which was great. Last night I was happy my shin was doing so well…

But then this morning at 2am I awoke to some soreness/twinges in my shin while in bed! So this has to be TMS because I was sleeping, not running!!!! o_O Even this morning the twinges were random and striking at odd times like just standing in the shower. Even while I type this I feel the twinges briefly come and go at my desk. It’s been a very busy week (it’s our fiscal year end) at work and I am stressed about working a couple hours on Sunday and then doing my 26 mile run afterward. It’s the last big run and then I start to taper. So it’s a perfect recipe for TMS.

Wish me luck on getting through this weekend. I know I’ll be fine and I just have more ongoing TMS striking my shin.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend. I’m so glad it’s Friday! And we are having gorgeous weather with the leaves changing color. My run tonight should be very pretty and scenic.

Hi gailnyc – thanks for checking in and posting! Hope you are well!:)
 
I forgot to mention that on my run last night while my shin was behaving, I had a sore right calf muscle. It was sore throughout run but it did get duller as the run went on. I was thinking it was my shin TMS jumping over to my right calf. I think this is TMS on the run. But I am back to feeling the shin today. Tonight’s run should be interesting!
 
HELP! I have had off and on calf pain recently that was starting to feel better on tonight's run. My left shin has had it's ups and downs the past week but it hasn't been too bad. On tonight's run, the minor soreness/sensations/twinges moved from my shin to the top of my achilles tendon area. On my 7 mile moderate run it started at the beginning of mile 4. It didn't get better even as I would concentrate on my other leg that was doing better. Now after my run it's very sore!! I feel this is the worst TMS symptom I've had in the last 6 months. I know it's TMS but how do I do my hard 9 mile run tomorrow with speedwork? I had a very stressful day and learned some disturbing news today. So it would make sense that TMS would strike me hard on my run. I really need help. Any words of wisdom?
 
Hello – I haven’t posted on this thread in a while because I started up a new thread based on my newest and most urgent TMS (see above post). Here it is:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/help-i-have-achilles-soreness.2786/

So here’s my latest update: My Achilles soreness was actually my soleus muscle that wasn’t tracking properly but then got better. I do believe this was just another manifestation of TMS. Or it was one of those typical “tapering injuries” that many runners experience a couple weeks before the marathon as their running load decreases. I still have a soreness in my left bottom of forefoot that’s over a week old but it doesn’t really bother me while running. I also suspect this is TMS. It feels the worse in the mornings and gets better. Even after a run it usually feels OK. But it’s the next morning where it’s starts all over again.

I ran 12 miles last Sunday with 3 miles at marathon pace at the end. It went well and my soleus muscle and forefoot cooperated. Yesterday was a rest day and this week is an easy schedule for running. The marathon is this Sunday!!! So I’m taking it easy and keeping my legs fresh. I am fighting something with a scratchy throat but hope to get through that OK. Hoping the zinc (Cold-eeze) works for me again!

Hope everyone is doing well

Joyce
 
TMS update: Well I have 3 more days before the marathon! And this might be my last chance to post until afterward. My only TMS issue right now is the bottom of my left forefoot which is still sore (off and on). It thought it was slowly getting better last week but on Monday and Tuesday after my 12 miler it was still there and just as strong as a week ago (started on Sunday Oct 13 after I ran 11 miles on an anti-gravity treadmill at 20% of my body weight). Now that my Achilles/soleus soreness is all gone and my shin is going well, my TMS needs a place to go so this is it! The soreness feels almost ridiculous. It was sore all day yesterday and then I only felt it a little in the beginning of my 5 mile run with 2 tempo miles. And afterward it wasn’t bad at all. But in the mornings it’s always the worse which is classic TMS conditioning. Today I’m wearing my comfy Hokas which have a huge cushion that I like to wear as casual shoes (they didn’t work out as running shoes). My forefoot feels better in these cushy shoes so I’m hoping it will be less distracting when walking around.

I do believe this is more TMS and I’ll get to the starting line on Sunday. I’m sure Dr Sopher would love this new TMS outbreak as he truly believes there is an epidemic of foot problems and they are so in vogue right now! I have to keep believing that! Also my mantra lately is “I’m not fragile” and that also comes from Dr Sopher!
 
I'm posting this again as a reminder. It's something Dr Sopher sent me a couple years ago when I first got my shin splints:

"We are not fragile. We are not fragile. We are not fragile. We are not fragile. This has to be your mantra. The more we run and exercise, the more fit we become, the less susceptible to injury. That is basic human physiology, well documented in medical studies and beautifully illustrated in Born to Run. This well established bit of knowledge is ignored as people try to explain pain as always having a physical cause (too much exercise, wrong shoes, wrong surface, wrong warm up, not enough stretching...). If there has been no unusual activity and no trauma (i.e. falling down, getting whacked with a big stick, etc.), there can be no injury. We are not fragile. Pain and swelling are real, but that does not mean it has a physical basis. You understand TMS concepts—pain and swelling may have a psychological cause. The brain, through established physiologic pathways, creates pain as a distraction. By focusing our attention on physical symptoms, we keep these painful thoughts and emotions repressed. If you can truly believe this, your pain will leave."
 
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