Another close call, gulp

Hey Everyone!

I'm sure you're wondering why I'm going blog-a-palooza lately. I guess I've missed sharing the good and the bad with you guys. Thankfully, it's been very good lately. I'm doing some marathon training that is unlike anything I've ever done before. Massive training blocks, hills, sprints, miles, doubles…It's so much fun that I feel like I should be doing more work. I've harassed my coach on several occasions for more mileage to which I have been shut down. haha. More on him later, I promise! It's good stuff!

But this post is more about recovery. I had a little scare that I ripped my own legs off, again. But my situation went from tragedy to triumph in less than a day. First here's how I ripped my calves off:

Saturday: 23 miles solo at 7:04 pace in high humidity and heat.
Sunday: 20 min warm up 3x60 meter hill strides, 4x4 minute hill repeats, 20 min cool down.
Monday: Off
Tuesday: 20 min warm up, 2x100 stride, 4x2 min hard hill, 5 min recovery, 10 min tempo at 6:15 pace, 20 min cool down. Wait for it….Double! 1 mile warm up at 7:24 pace, 3 miles sub marathon pace @ 6:25, 6:36, 6:24 and 1 cool down at 6:58 pace. It was 90 degrees at 2pm when I ran.

So I'm doing my happy dance by now! I feel strong, excited! I nailed distance and some sub marathon paces. Golden!

Then I woke up.

I woke up Wednesday hobbling. My calves were balls of steel. Most likely due to the fact I ran in a 4mm drop shoe for the fast double instead of the typical 14mm Adidas I normally use for speed. Ugh. I did my recovery run, a 7-miler and winced almost every footstep. I was sore, very sore. It was the slowest training run I've EVER done in my life. 8:50 pace.

So I contacted my LMBT, John Stiner. I said something to the effect of, "It's bad. I need help. I can't toe off." Like an Orca that just spotted a fat seal I think he was excited. He enjoys fixing people. I was in his studio later that day.

John Stiner, LMBT

Long story short. He worked on my calves and legs for close to 2 hours. Fiber by fiber unwinding the mess I made. I left feeling great. But I'm a skeptic. The truth would be the next day. My alarm went off. I still felt great. I headed out for my 6am run and it was like nothing ever happened. BRAND NEW legs. I was swearing in the dark of my cul de sac. Screaming thank you!!  Unbelievable, nothing less.

I've been fortunate to receive treatment by John for the last year. I was first floored when he took me from a hobbling walker to a runner in 24 hours here. You may remember he contacted me saying, "I read your blog. Get in here. I can fix you."  I've been hooked on maintenance ever since.

You guys know by now I only talk about product or service if I really believe in it. I'm not one to push product your way for the sake of a free water bottle from some random company. I perseverate, evaluate and really put thought into the companies and services promote. Which are like none, because I'm never happy. haha

But because I want all my running friends to have a similar story to mine I wanted to get this on my blog. I know there are so many people that say, "Oh, I have a LMT. It's great." NO, no and no! Not all LMBT's are created equal.

John Stiner, LMBT relocated to the NC just over 5 years ago in 2009. He worked with the Oregon Project 2008 in Park City, Utah and Eugene, Oregon. He worked with amazing talent such as Kara Goucher and Galen Rupp. He is a former 1:11/2:42 guy who loves the sport of running. "Loves the sport" is an understatement. He is savant on everything running. You'll get this when you meet him.

He will watch you walk and move for 10 minutes before even touching you. It's like he has X-ray vision and can see the problem. He WILL fix it. And then he'll tell you what to do on your own to stay healthy. His intent is not to see you back on the table but to get that thank you letter. He wants to hear that you feel great and raced well. That is why he's in this business.

He is the reason I'm gearing up for my 2nd marathon this year. I feel indestructible. My muscles are long, soft and healthy from continuous monthly maintenance. It is such a great feeling to know I can mess up like I did and I can be fixed. It's peace of mind.

I recommend putting John in your contacts so if you rip your legs off like me you know there is a solution!!
Website
Facebook Page
Phone number: 919-381-7006

He is located in Durham off I-40. 5 minutes off 540.

Thanks for reading. I want the best for all of us. I have an EPIC weekend on deck that is almost making me nervous! I can't wait!!

As always, happy running!

Laura