Struggling for Balance

                I have decided to back out of the US Mountain Running Team Qualifiers this year. It was a tough decision to accept but one that must be done. For those that don’t know, I’m chasing my dreams and one of those is making the US Mountain Running Team and representing my country. The first half of this year has been challenging both mentally and physically for me. Balancing training, injuries, school, work, and family issues, I’ve been left stressed and exhausted, feeling as if I’m hanging on a weak branch above turbid waters. Despite all the setbacks, I’ve still managed to get some mediocre training in and keep my win streak alive. Since Hell’s Hills, I have only run two miles. Instead, I have been spending a lot of time pool running, swimming, and biking; accumulating around six hours of cardiovascular exercise and two to three hours of core, strength, and balancing workouts each week to maintain fitness. I’ve also noticed a change in my mental attitude towards running. I firmly believe that if something is worth doing it is worth doing correctly and giving it everything you have. However, you must find a healthy balance so that you can enjoy life, and this is where I tend to struggle. I love running, training, racing fast and hard, but more often than not I allow it to consume every aspect of my life. This leads to me missing out on many things and strains my relationships with others. Around this time last year I embarked on a journey, to see how far and fast my legs could take me. While, I have many goals associated with this journey, I must learn that these goals are not the important part but that the journey itself is what will truly be remembered and failing to do so by focusing solely on race times and finishes will ultimately leave me hollow and regretful.

                So, why have I been taking time off? For the past two years, I have been plagued with shin pain only on my right leg. For the longest time I suspected the causes to be poor form and biomechanics, over-training, lack of rest, and poor shoe choices. However, I have recently become more aware of what I do outside of running and training. I have noticed poor posture, too much sitting, and leg pain while driving. On my daily commute to Baton Rouge, I finally realized how much strain driving was putting on my right shin. For the past few months it has especially hurt when driving, so I decided to do a little research. Turns out I’m not the only person with this problem as driving for prolonged periods of time (my commute is approximately two hours daily, minimum of five times a week) can cause enough pressure to separate your shin muscles from the bone thus causing shin splints. Now, I’m not saying this is the total cause but I believe that in combination with excessive training my leg has just never been able to recover. If it were my shoes or excessive mileage I should experience pain in both legs but in the past two years regardless of weekly mileage or shoe type, I have never experienced any pain in my left shin. Another reason is that in the past three weeks of no running, I should expect to see improvement in the injured area, but unfortunately my shin hasn’t improved; fortunately, the tender spots on my tibia bone have disappeared completely. The reason I decided to forgo USMRT this year was primarily because I felt this injury was preventing me from running the weekly mileage I felt necessary to compete at a top level. Each month, I have had to spend three weeks running low mileage with pool workouts in place of tough interval sessions in order to get one decent week of training in.

                So where is my running future heading now? As mentioned earlier, my views towards training are beginning to change. I have realized over these few weeks that there is more to life than being able to run really fast or far but instead focusing on overall athleticism. I’d like to be able to swim, climb, bike, paddle, and run as long as I would like any given day. Ultimately, my journey is about adventure, but why limit my adventures to just running when I can experience so much more that life and nature has to offer. Realizing this, I now understand that I’m not just in love with running but with movement and this can be expressed just as beautifully by more than just running. I got hooked on running because it is the simplest and most liberating of all forms of movement requiring little to no gear. I will still keep running as the primary focus but will also train for overall athleticism so that when any chance arises to go on an adventure I will be able to thoroughly enjoy it by moving to the best of my abilities and perhaps pushing my limits. While, I still have some fast running time goals I would like to achieve, I’m currently feeling the urge to start running more ultra-distances. I will never give up running because I love it and it makes me a better person. I must focus on finding a healthy balance though so I can enjoy more of what life has to offer. In the end, just enjoy your ability to be able to move, many don't have or lost that ability, so cherish it!

2014 Forge Racing Hell's Hills 10km Race Report

After returning from northeast Tennessee on Tuesday, I decided to take it easy this week because of my long stint in the mountains and to taper for Hell's Hills in case of some stiff competition showing up. Unfortunately, my legs were pretty beat up from the mountains with tender spots reappearing on my tibia. Fortunately, I rarely feel pain when running; it is just tender to the touch can cause some pain when pushed and at rest. My main concern is that it could develop into a full blown stress fracture. This situation has been plaguing me for some time and is now the primary cause of my insufficient training. I've been running consistently but not training consistently. I think its due to a number of reasons. First, not taking enough time off after Thunderbird to allow my body to heal. This is difficult to do in Louisiana because most places are experiencing a brutal winter filled with snow in December but here it is the best time of the year to be running. Conversely, the summer would be best to take off here but everywhere else it is prime racing time. In the future, I plan to pick up an activity like cross-country skiing or maybe just get on an elliptical for a month to get some adequate cardio in without the impact of running. Secondly, I pushed it too hard last week. Forty-five miles in a week might not sound like a lot but doing it in the span of five days and in the mountains was just too much. After coming off a very solid fifty mile week, I should have ran only 35 miles, but every time I'm in the mountains I just want to tear it up! Mountain miles are much more difficult because it is either up or down the whole time and the long descents are really what hurts my legs.

With all that being said, I traveled to Ruston on Friday feeling very un-confident but knowing I was in the best shape I could be in given the circumstances. I stopped at FitRight Active in Monroe, LA, on the way to use my gift certificate from winning the half marathon last year. I managed to upgrade my watch which was still in use thanks to Maureen's ingenious use of hairbands. I picked up a basic Soleus watch, which has six timers so I can really customize my fartlek workouts now. I arrived around three that afternoon and the anticipation was starting to build. I really love Forge Races for a number of reasons and feel honored to be sponsored by Forge. Jeff and Brenton do a great job of exposing people to different trails all over the state and some surrounding regions. For instance, I would have never known about the Lincoln Parish trails, Homochito, and Chicot State park without them. They do a great job of incorporating the whole state in the Forge Trail Racing Series. Another reason and possibly the best is the camaraderie, everyone treats you like family. It is great for me because I don't always get to attend the weekly Ales and Trails because of my training schedule so it is very awesome to see everyone and hangout before and after the races. I also spend the vast majority of my time and runs by myself, so when I get to see friends I don't stop talking sometimes. After the rain temporarily subsided we all helped Jeff setup the start/finish chute before the rain picked up again. It was a fun night because everyone decided to sleep inside the building that was being used for race registration and merchandising, etc. due to the rain. So the camaraderie was high, as if we were at an adult summer camp. Also, this race has special meaning for due to a few reasons. Last year, I won the half marathon here and it was my first official and out-right win since my senior year of high school. Secondly, the trails are just amazing. This race is an actual trail race with the vast majority of the race being on technical, hilly, but fast single track trail that is designed and maintained immaculately.

Finally, the rain lifted just before the race on Saturday morning leaving a light mist in the air and cooler temperatures; unfortunately, it made things very muggy even though the sun wasn't beating down on us. Even without sun, the ability for your sweat to evaporate is still poor so your body is just as likely to overheat. The trails were still in decent shape despite all the rain but were slick and soft in some spots. I went out a little quick to put a comfortable amount of space between myself and the chase pack. The good thing about Lincoln Parish trails are that they double back over themselves in a few spots so you are able to get a look at your competition and get an idea of where they are in relation to you. I was able to quickly establish a good lead and forced myself to leave it on cruise control but still maintain a focused pace forcing anybody to work really hard to catch up to me. I planned to burn it down around 25-30 minutes in but decided it was unnecessary today. I ran very controlled and relaxed while cruising through the course. If anybody decided to chase me down, I planned to drop the hammer and really make them hurt. However, nobody ever caught up and my lead continued to grow. I was really hoping for a very hard and fast effort but overall was happy to finish up without any injuries or unnecessary stress. I was also very happy with my time considering I didn't put in maximal effort. So, this race was good for building some confidence and making me realize that despite the setbacks, I'm in better shape than I thought. I raced in Scott Sports Trail Rockets which is basically a racing flat with serious grip for the trails. They performed incredibly well, not once did I slip or lose any traction on any part of the course, which considering the conditions was pretty good. Another great thing about Forge Races are the post-race activities. While, I'm not the biggest beer drinker, mostly because I get white-girl wasted after one beer, they have some of the best craft beer brewed by Brenton Day, Kyle Cassidy, and Bobby Love at every race! Also we had some delicious jambalaya made by JP! Plus, there are great prizes if you place and great raffles in case you don't. I got another gift certificate to FitRight Active. When I returned on my way home today to get some new socks for Maureen, the guy working there was laughing because Friday I half jokingly told him I might be back with another one. All in all Forge Racing failed to disappoint, their races are incredible and I feel lucky to be a part of the team. Thanks guys and keep doing what you do! I also want to thank everyone that helped make this weekend such a great experience! If you have never done a Forge Race definitely make it a priority to try one, you won't be disappointed!

Snuggling with unicorns is what makes you fast. Photo: Kyle Cassidy

At least he won't have to worry about wild animals getting him. 

The start. Photo: Jeff Beck

Another Week in the Mountains

Since the knee injury it has been tough getting in both quality and quantity mileage. The previous weeks left me with sore shins and tender spots that left me worrying about possible stress fractures. So, I started taking it easy on the workouts by not running as hard and doing at least one intense workout a week in the pool to minimize the pounding stress. However, the week before last was a major breakthrough because I was able to get in two solid workouts and 50 miles on the week. This week, I'm heading back to the mountains in TN to spend the week with Maureen.

Sunday (5/18): Day off. Traveling to TN.
Monday (5/19): 9 miles.
In the morning, I took Maureen up to Carver's Gap on Roan Mt. We did some hiking mixed with running when she could handle it. The elevation was a little much for her because she was still recovering from being sick for a week. However, we still managed to get in two miles. That evening I headed to Buffalo Mountain Park, which is a very short drive (maybe five minutes) from her apartment. Buffalo is really nice because it offers technical single track with eight miles of trails and other secrets waiting to be found. I have been finding it difficult to learn the trails here. At home we basically have the option of choosing between three trails in the Baton Rouge Area, then each trail is basically a loop. Here, it is very different. Every place is comprised of tons of small sections of trail that you have to learn to link together to achieve your desired distance for the day. I take the approach of just running without planning or carrying a map. I like it better this way for a few reasons, you never know what you are getting into or how long it will take and if you get lost, just turn around. There is something about this approach that leaves you on edge the whole time and keeps your nerves firing. Sometimes, a trail run like this turns into a microcosm of real life, you feel like your flying out of control in some places, and other times you feel as if you are slowly sinking in mud. Just like real life you never know when these times will occur or how long they will last, but just like the run, you have to push through.
Tuesday (5/20): 10 miles.
I returned to Buffalo Mountain in order to thoroughly learn the trail system. This day I ran all the trails and then some. After running uphill for a mile, I was able to experience a beautiful view from White Rock (picture below). The highest point on the trail system is only 3300', but it is definitely enough for a flat-lander like myself. Between today and yesterday, I learned my technical downhill running needs work. So, I focused on running the downhills confidently and fast and working the switchbacks hard to make sure I was moving through them as quickly as possible.
Wednesday (5/21): 11 miles.
Today, I went with Maureen to work and we toured some nurseries in Sullivan County, after which we headed to Warrior Path State Park bike trails. This trail system is pretty incredible and boast some of the most immaculate trails I have every ran. This was the only run that I actually considered a "training run" because it was much flatter which allowed me to open it up. I started with a twenty minute warm up, then ran forty-five minutes at a 6-6:30 mile pace, then twenty-five minute cool down. I got terribly lost near then end because I was running way to fast to read signs or figure out where I was going. I really recommend this trail system; imagine Lincoln Parish Park trails with rocks and big boulders and a few more hills.
Thursday (5/22): 7 miles.
I returned to Buffalo Mountain in an attempt to get an easy and quick five mile run in and take some pictures of some native orchids I found blooming. However, it turned into an hour and a half run that left me scrambling up and sliding down mountain sides as I found a very old trail and was just to curious to see what was at the top. The day proved interesting as I found three species of orchids, I've never seen. One of which is very stunning. I was also able to collect some genetic material that I could use to expand my research grant. Running on Buffalo after a heavy rain really made me reminisce about my time spent working and running in the mountains and cloud forests of Costa Rica. All the lush vegetation, mountains, rocks, and heavy humidity.  Later that evening Maureen and I headed to Asheville, NC, to do some camping. We camped at Lake Powhatan Recreation Area which is in the Pisgah National Forest. It is a trail runner's wet dream with all the trails everywhere!
Friday (5/23): 8 miles.
If you love plants and trail running do yourself a favor and go camp at Lake Powhatan. Camping was enjoyable but tough because every time we started cooking the rain would pick up. After breakfast we set out for a nice little trail run together then we headed back to camp after three miles so Maureen could switch to the mountain bike. I just couldn't believe that I could camp in the middle of the woods and have her ride next to me while we went down a gravel forest road leading to the NC Arboretum. It was an amazing experience for me to have my girlfriend cruising next to me while enjoying the mountains and getting into a the arboretum for free! Apparently, it was free to enter through the back by hiking, running, or biking, and on top of it, once in we had more trails and gravel roads to explore. She certainly enjoyed killing me on the roads by making me run way to fast but I got her back on the uphills. After, touring the gardens and viewing the amazing bonsai collection we headed back to pack up the camp. Then we headed to the Farmer's Market in Asheville and went to a climbing gym in downtown to get our bouldering on.
Weekly Total: 45 miles

Buffalo Mountain Trail

Buffalo Mountain Trail

Native Deciduous Azalea on Buffalo Mountain

Buffalo Mountain Trail

Pink Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium acaule) on Buffalo Mountain

White Rock on Buffalo Mountain

Bottom of Roan Mountain

Maureen flying downhill, at the bottom of Roan Mountain

Previous Training Weeks
It has been a while since my last post but if you're interested here is what my training has been looking life since my last TN trip.

Sunday (4/20): 5 miles. Easy then strides.
Monday (4/21): 10 miles. 2 mile warm up and cool down. 6 mile tempo @ 6:18 min/mi average pace. (shin pain)
Tuesday (4/22): 5 miles. Easy. Core Workout. (more shin pain)
Wednesday (4/23): Pool Workout, Mileage equivalent 10 miles. 20 min warm up and cool down, then 12 X 1:30min at quarter mile intensity effort.
Thursday (4/24): Day off.
Friday (4/25): 4 miles. Easy. (shin pain, felt tired and weak)
Saturday (4/26): 6 miles, around seven flat pace (felt better, less shin pain)
Weekly Total: 30 mi run, 10 mi pool

Sunday (4/27): 4 miles. Easy. Core Workout. (very tired, shin pain)
Monday (4/28): 10 miles. Pool Workout. 20 min warm up and cool down, 50 min progression run, increase intensity every 10 minutes.
Tuesday (4/29): 4 miles. Easy.
Wednesday (4/30): 9 miles. 2 mile warm up and cool down. Fartlek workout with 4 X 1:30 min @ mile pace (1:30 min jog for recovery), then 2 X 3:00 min @ 5km race pace with 1:30 min recovery jog, the 4 X 1:30 @ mile pace again.
Thursday (5/01): 4 miles. Easy. Core Workout.
Friday (5/02): 4 miles. Easy.
Saturday (5/03): 10 miles
Weekly Total: 35 mi run, 10 mi pool

Sunday (5/04): Day off.
Monday (5/05): ~7 miles. Short speed (pool). 20 min warm up and cool down 16 X 1 min at quarter mile intensity effort with 30 second recovery. Core workout.
Tuesday (5/06): 6 miles. Easy.
Wednesday (5/07): 8 miles. 2 mile warm up, 3 X 1 mile, 5:29, 5:33, 5:53. Felt fine on the first two repeats then felt awful. Today was the first day I spent working in the sun on my feet all day since the semester started so I think that had something to do with it. Training is much easier when you are in school all day. Three mile cool down.
Thursday (5/08): 4 mile. Easy. Core Workout (very tired)
Friday (5/09): 7 mile. 3 mile warm up and cool down, with 8 uphill sprints ~100 meter in length. These are designed to be very fast and are meant to increase leg turnover by forcing the brain to fire nerves not normally used.
Saturday (5/10): Day off, younger sister's college graduation in Mobile, AL.
Weekly Total: 25 mi run, 7 mi pool

Sunday (5/11): 5 miles. Easy.
Monday (5/12): 8 miles. 2 mile warm up and cool down. 8 X 400 meters, Average 1:12. then 6 stadiums. (Had to cut short due stomach issues)
Tuesday (5/13): 4 miles. Easy. Core Workout.
Wednesday (5/14): 8 miles. 2 mi warm up and cool down. 4 mile tempo @ 6:22 average, 10 short uphill sprints.
Thursday (5/15): 5 miles. Easy
Friday (5/16): 6 miles
Saturday (5/17): 14 miles.
Weekly Total: 50 miles

Roan Mountain Photos

As promised here are some photos I took while running on Roan Mountain. All of these were taken with the camera on my phone. Enjoy. As I said earlier these photos do not do it justice!

Northeast Tennessee Spring Break

After running Forge Racing's Faint of Hear 4 miler this past Saturday, I caught a plane bound for northeast Tennessee. Maureen recently accepted a nice job up here, she is the new Nursery Crop Specialist Extension Agent for a thirty-three county area, basically the northeastern third of the state. I have been really looking forward to this trip because I would be visiting for more than just a day.

Sunday (04/13): 9 miles
Since we both had the day off we headed up to Bays Mountain Park north of Kingsport. We both planned to run for an hour or more and would be sticking together for a while before I would take off to get some extra distance in. I loved the park because it was a mix of both rough gravel roads and single track trail, don't get me wrong, I love single track but sometimes you just want to open it up. After we split I did exactly that but quickly realized I was pretty tired for yesterday's hard effort at the race. Most of the trails circle a large reservoir but some of them run the ridges of the surrounding mountains. Starting at the lake, I turned onto Fire Tower Trail to discover it went up and up, but that's what I'm here for right? It was here that I realized how tired I am and how much work I have to do before USMR Championships. Other than being completely exhausted, the gravel road on the mountain ridge was quite enjoyable with nice views on every side. Eventually, I dropped into Chestnust trail which was amazing, immaculate single track running relatively flat mid way up the mountain. The trail was just too nice to not run fast, so I dropped the hammer and started running mid to low 6s. Sometimes I just can't help myself. While tired, I was really satisfied with the afternoon. After running, we had a picnic by the lake then went hiking and did some bouldering together.

Monday (04/14): 10 miles
Maureen had to work this morning so after dropping her off, I went to Persimmon Ridge to get in a few miles. Frankly, Persimmon Ridge is pretty boring and sketchy because part of the trail runs behind a berm for a shooting range. Still, its not terrible and is a great introduction for the mountains as its a mix of gravel road and pretty easy single track. Not to mention lots of wildflowers and native orchids! I planned on three loops but was really tired, so I settled for two loops with some fartlek intervals (minute on minute rest) on the uphills and gravel roads. That afternoon we headed to Buffalo Mountain Park. I really loved the trails here because they were steep and dangerous with steep drop offs on either side. I regretted not bringing the camera to get some pictures so I'll have to go back. We found a really steep and technical mile long downhill that I just had to bomb even though we were supposed to be running together today. In the process, I tweaked the same ankle that I hurt at Faint of Heart, not a sprain or roll but just enough to make me feel it every step but the rush of running a technical downhill fast and slightly out of control is just too good to pass up!

Tuesday (04/15): Day off.

Wednesday (04/16): 12 miles
Originally, I had planned to run Roan Mt. on Tuesday as I would be in the area already but we were hit with lots of rain and really cold weather that I didn't bring gear for. The higher elevations got plenty of snow and sleet with temperatures hitting twenty-one degrees at 3000ft. After I dropped Maureen off at work, I headed to Roan. Initially, I was a little upset as there was no clear trail from bottom to summit like there is at Pikes Peak. So, I drove up to Carver's Gap (~5600ft) and got on the Appalachian Trail for some higher altitude running. It was pretty surreal running on the AT. Plus, the scenery was amazing, lots of snow and ice everywhere! Words, nor will my pictures do it justice. I choose to run in the balds to the left of the trail head as they offered better views. Balds are an interesting ecosystem, it is basically an alpine grassland with very sparse tree cover. After running the ridges on Roan, I ran a section of the AT that started dropping in elevation pretty quickly. This section of the trail was covered with thick mud, after falling on a steep downhill, I was covered in it. I continued running down for almost an hour when I realized that I had to run back up through the mud! After stopping to eat some shot blocks, I started the return. Slipping and sliding all over the place I finally made it back up in nearly the same time I went down. Today was a reminder of why I run and why I run trails, while its definitely not the highest mountain I've ever run it was still special. Every mountain is unique and challenging in different ways, but they all humble and inspire. (Note on pictures: These are but a few, I'll do a separate post with nothing but photos from Roan.)

Thursday (04/17): 6 miles
Unfortunately, it was time for us to start heading back to Louisiana so we thought a quick run in Knoxville would be appropriate. First, we stopped at the Knoxville Botanical Garden then headed to Haw Ridge to hit some trails. Haw Ridge was highly recommend to us by Jeff Beck. Maureen had previously ran there and also enjoyed it. The trails were very maintained and we initially ran around the lake which was flat and very welcoming after a long week on rugged terrain in the mountains. This section of the trail was beautiful with the trail winding along the edge of the water. After some time we turned and started running into the the interior of the park which quickly turned hilly. I was very impressed with Maureen's running, her seven weeks living and running in the mountains has turned her into a stronger and faster runner as she was able to hang with me for an hour. The only problem we had with Haw Ridge was a lack of trail markings. In Louisiana, you typically only have one option and at most of the places we ran this week you have lots of trails to choose from in one park so it can get a little confusing.

Friday (04/18): Day off

Saturday (04/19): 8 miles
Ran an easy eight miler on the flat at the sports park. My shins and legs needed a break from all the big hills and mountains. All in all really happy with the week. I would have liked to run more but I'm supposed to be creeping back into my usual mileage and some parts of my legs aren't agreeing with this; however, in due time I'll be back to where I was before. In the meantime, I will keep the mileage around 40-50 miles a week but focus on doing quality speed work.

Weekly Total: 45 miles

Training Weeks (03/31-04/12) and Forge Racing Faint of Heart 4 Miler

So things are finally returning to normal; however, I plan to keep my weekly mileage pretty low until May then I'll start hitting it hard before USMRT. Now, I'm just happy to be able to run consistently, here is my breakdown for the past two weeks with a quick review of the Faint of Heart.

Monday (03/31): 8 miles
Two mile warm-up with four mile progression (tempo) run, followed with a two mile cool-down. Struggled to hit lows 6s during the tempo. Really, felt like I lost some fitness.
Tuesday (04/01): 4 miles
Ran an easy four, followed with my barefoot drills and exercises then core workout at home.
Wednesday (04/02): 7 miles
Thought I would get some speed work in so I did a two mile warm-up then 4X800, (Average 2:39), these felt awful. Then two mile cool down. Goal was to shock my system, definitely achieved that but was a disappointment because it hurt so much and the times were so slow.
Thursday (04/03): 5 miles
Easy five, with barefoot drills, exercises, and strides with a core workout at home.
Friday (04/04): 4 miles
Only four miles and some strides. My body needed the rest.
Saturday (04/05): 12 miles
Twelve miles on the Beast in a moderate 1:52.

Weekly Total: 40 miles

Monday (04/07): 10 miles
Had speed work on the schedule but decided on a tempo instead. Ran the first mile slowly then felt good so I dropped the pace to 6:30 for the next seven miles. Two mile cool-down. Was really happy with this workout, I ran negative splits and ran very controlled. I felt like I could have run faster but figured slower was better with an upcoming race. Plus, I should be able to recover from a 6:30 pace quicker than running sub 6s. No knee pain or shin pain.
Tuesday (04/08): 4 miles
Just an easy four and some strides. No barefoot or core.
Wednesday (04/09): 10 miles
Ran two loops at Hooper with the Ales n Trails group. Noticed some shin pain, only when running slow though.
Thursday (04/10): 6 miles
Felt pretty good, so I picked the pace up a little but nothing too fast. No shin or knee pain either.
Friday (04/11): Day off, LSU Horticulture Club Crawfish Boil!!
Saturday (04/12): Short warm-up, four mile race, then three mile cool-down.

Weekly Total: 37 miles

Forge Racing Faint of Heart 4 Miler

I was really looking forward to this race because it is so close to my house. If you have never been to Clark's Creek, you really need to get out there. Not only are there gorgeous waterfalls but there is a tough primitive trail as well, boasting almost 4000 ft of elevation change in 4.5 miles! For the south that is crazy! I wasn't thrilled about the 7:30 am start but it turned out to be a good thing as we didn't have to share the trail with pedestrians or hikers. The weather was foggy and humid but wasn't really hot, basically perfect spring Louisiana weather. The start was fast as it was a long downhill on the gravel road to the trail, I used this opportunity to put space between everyone and myself because some sections of the trail I didn't want to deal with groups of people running really close. My race plan was pretty simple, just run away from everyone then try to out kick anybody left hanging on over the last long uphill finish. The latter I wouldn't have to worry about as I put plenty of distance between myself and second place. I was still running scared the whole time, as I swore I heard voices or splashing in the creek crossings because of this I continued to run hard trying to put hills between my opponents and myself. Unfortunately, about halfway through I felt like puking, which lingered for the remaining of the race. The trail was marked incredibly well for a Forge race and not once did I have to worry about getting lost. The only part I didn't enjoy was a stair set going up a waterfall, but other than that, it was great. Normally, the primitive trail dumps you out on the main gravel trail which we run back up to the parking lot; however, the race director chose to drop us back into the creek and run up the creek until we returned to the same spot where we initially entered. This was great because it was flat and skipped a few small but steep uphill sections that we normally have to run. The finish is about a half-mile long uphill that is very steep which destroys everyone, I was very thankful to have no one near me because I was on the verge of barfing. All in all, I was pleased with my time, even though I felt like I could have ran a minute or two faster if my stomach wasn't killing me. I think it was the combination of hard running and too much boiled crawfish the night before. As always Jeff and Brenton did an excellent job with this race, so far it has been my favorite one and was truly a trail race! Great job guys! I hope everyone enjoyed it and is inspired by the tough terrain to return!

Running through the creek to the finish. Photo: Cassie Cassidy

Some Thoughts on Injuries

     Well, it’s been a number of weeks since my last post and there is a reason for it. Unfortunately, I have forced myself to take a few weeks off due to my nagging knee and now I am now slowly making a return to my usual training program. What started as typical soreness slowly progressed into more serious pain, affecting my ability to walk and run. Despite the absence of swelling, the possibility of a serious tendon tear still worried me. Initially, a few days of rest provided no relief and I decided a full week off was necessary. Still, no progress. The following week, I forced myself to ride my stationary bike for at least an hour every day. However, this was incredibly boring because I've seen all the movies in my collection too many times. My knee slowly began to make progress, but was still far from feeling normal. By the first week of March, it had improved enough for me to do easy runs of twenty minutes every other day with cycling in between. Fortunately, on March 10th I was able to see an athletic trainer at LSU for free. I was shocked to hear that my flexibility was what he would expect from a sedentary person. He suggested I start stretching once per day at a minimum. He believed that my pain was originated from an aggravated pes anserine. The pes anserine is an area where all the muscles of the hamstring group form a long tendon and wrap around the front of the lower medial knee and attaches to the tibia. Lack of proper post run care had led to stiffness in my quads, hamstring complex, and calves, causing other muscle groups to overcompensate leading to injury. The trainer used a combination of pulsating ultrasound and massage immediately followed by a stretching routine. Since my initial visit, there has been significant improvement. Over the past two weeks, I have progressively increased the duration and frequency of running. Most importantly, however, I have increased my post-run activities. Immediately after running, I stretch before getting in the car while my legs are still warmed up. Once home, I use a massage ball to break up muscle stiffness followed with a more intense stretching routine. Since the tenth, I haven’t experienced any knee pain during workouts and the pain associated with stretching has greatly reduced. With this injury, I have realized it’s important to maintain a positive attitude and to use time accordingly. I recommend identifying the cause of the injury, being proactive with treatment, and preventing future occurrences. 

     Taking time to identify the cause of the injury is very important. I believe there are two types of injuries. The first is an immediate injury which is caused by a one-time event. These injuries typically have symptoms that immediately express themselves and the source can be pinpointed. For example, a fall or a misstep. The second type is a long-term injury, which results from continual overuse or muscle imbalance. These injuries typically begin as soreness and escalate into a serious pain if left unchecked. Some muscle soreness is expected from hard training; however, if it doesn't disappear after a period of lowered intensity, something else may be wrong. Long-term injuries are harder to identify. When diagnosing the source of an injury it’s important for us to be honest with ourselves since different types of injuries have different methods of treatment.     

After identifying the cause of the injury, we need to be proactive in treating it. The most important aspect is to take sufficient time off and slowly build back into a training program. If it is an immediate injury such as an ankle sprain, a few days off and some icing may do the trick. However, a long-term injury may require more than just time off and ice. In the case of my knee injury, I had to seek professional treatment. The combination of ultra-sound, massage therapy, the addition of stretching into my routine, and icing have been successful so far. Obviously, everyone is different and so are the injuries we sustain; if it’s something serious, get professional help. If the injury is a long-term one due to poor bio-mechanics or muscle imbalances, it’s important that we try to minimize future occurrences. This can be achieved by simply doing a proper warm-up before exercise and a proper cool-down with static stretching after running. Previously, I was never a fan of stretching. Now, however, I think it is more important, especially important for trail runners. Stretching increases the range of motion our muscles and tendons are able to withstand. Flexible muscles and tendons are better able to absorb the twisting and bending that we subject them to while running trails. Conversely, a tight muscle or tendon with poor flexibility, decreased range of motion, is more likely to break or tear when it twists further than it can sustain. In addition, core strength is essential for every runner. I have always done core strengthening routines in my weekly workouts but since this injury I have been giving them greater focus. I recently picked up a book by Jeff Horowitz called Quick Strength for Runners: 8 Weeks to a Better Runner's Body. What I like about the book is that it offers an eight week program including over forty exercises with explanations on each workout and how they affect the performance of our running. Currently, I'm halfway through the eight week program, doing the prescribed exercises three times a week, and sometimes modifying the amount of repetitions for each workout. Trail runners deal with a variety of terrain that is constantly changing and challenging so I personally believe that a combination of flexibility and strength will improve our ability to run trails efficiently and minimize injury. 

     While this is a personal testimony, I do feel qualified to speak about long-term injuries because I have dealt with several related to over-training throughout the years. However, professional help is usually always the best and is the most advisable. With that said, I do hope that you implement  proper warm-ups and cool downs, stretching, and core strengthening  into your training plan so that you can get the most out of your running and hopefully prevent avoidable injuries in future. Hopefully I will see you all on the trails soon!