Hello again! After being away for a few weeks on vacation, I’m back at home. We spent 10 wonderful days in the great state of Washington. Our trip to the Pacific Northwest involved a lot of hiking and some sightseeing. We spent 2 days in Seattle, 2 days at Mount Rainier, 4 days at Olympic National Park, and 4 days in the North Cascades. While I had hoped to be all “fixed” from my injury by the time I returned, that did not happen. Here’s what went down…
2 days prior to my vacation I went to see an orthopedic sports doctor (who was recommended by my sports medicine doctor. I had a session of “manipulation”. That probably isn’t what they called the treatment, but it involved a lot of twisting my body into pretzel shapes and pushing on the muscles to reset them. Kinda like a visit to the chiropractor, but with no bone popping haha! I was encouraged to “get out and try it out” to see if the session helped. So the next day I ran 7 miles! I was going to run 5 miles, but I felt encouraged and was feeling good. Sadly, after sitting around at my desk all day at work, I felt crippled by the next day. Whomp whomp. No worries, it was time for vacation and I thought for sure the hip/glute/hamstring issue would solve itself with a break from running.
Here are a few highlights…
Seattle
Mount Rainier National Park
Forks!! ICYDK, The city of Forks was the setting for the Twilight books/movies! We hadn’t seen the movies, but my daughter did so it was fun to see some of the movie locations. After we visited we watched 3 of the movies at our hotel. No spoilers please, we don’t know how it all ends!!
Olympic National Park
North Cascades National Park
Back to the regularly scheduled life… I did manage to “run” 17 miles this week, and bike 46 miles.
Mon – Ugh, 3 hours of jetlag got me bad. No getting up early to do anything!
Tues – 2.5 miles run/walk. Today was the day! Big expectations to get out there and have a pain free run. While it was pain free, it was just not right. It had the feeling that it was on the edge of blowing up, so I just did a run/walk in an effort to see how “fast” I might be able to complete a run/walk since that is probably what will be happening for Chicago. The Chicago marathon is only 9 weeks away and I need to formulate a Plan B. (or maybe I am on Plan C at this point)
30 miles, cycling. It’s Ladies Ride Night! I rode to the event location and back, which made a nice even 30 miles. Not bad! I was a bit sore after that much time in the saddle because I haven’t rode for awhile.
Weds – Nothing other than a core workout before work. This week included 3 nights of trips down to Columbus OH for Ohio State marching band practice. The tryouts start on August 11th, and we move our son into the dorms on August 10th!! So few days of summer left with him! I drove him once this week, which is 2 hrs 15 mins each direction. Practice was good.
Thurs – 4 miles, run/walk. Using 4 min run, 1 min walk intervals. I just discovered my watch has a timer for this so it’s easy! Well, the running part isn’t “easy”, it’s often an exhausting feeling! But keeping track of the intervals was super easy. Since the guys were at OSU tonight, I had a Girls Night with my daughter and we got ice cream 🙂
Fri – 2 miles, run/walk. I was feeling good after yesterday’s run, so I went out for a few miles. I also went for a bike ride -it was so beautiful out! This was also some needed TLC for me because I spent the afternoon shopping with my son to get his needed dorm stuff! We left Target with an overflowing cart. Success!!
Sat – 8 miles, “long run”! You gotta start someplace, and I decided a slow and steady build up would be necessary. Once again I did 4:1 run/walk intervals. I still have glute/hamstring pain on my left side, but it’s tolerable (or maybe it’s manageable?). Didn’t feel any issue in my front hip, so that’s good! I got to go rock climbing with my son. Trying to get all of the time in with him that I can before he leaves!! This is the new Adventus Climbing gym that opened in Toledo. They did a great job on it. It’s a pretty cool place! The holds (the colored “pieces” on the wall) were so grippy since the gym just opened. A bit rough on the fingers!
Sun – Maybe Cedar Point! The weather looks iffy but we have high hopes we can all go for one last trip before college starts.
Here’s some nature fun to end my post… we have a dozen Monarch butterfly caterpillars and 6 more eggs! I will be a busy caterpillar mama for the next few weeks. You have to change the milkweed leaves daily so they have fresh food to eat. The little white spots on the leave are the eggs!
Hopefully my run/walk plan will keep me feeling good enough to do a minimal amount of training for the Chicago marathon. It won’t be pretty, but I’m doing my best!
Need some more inspiration? I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Check out all of the fun blogs there!
Q: Have you ever been to Washington/PNW area?
Q: Did you see the Twilight movies (or read the books)??
I did not know that about the Twilight movies being shot out there…that would be exciting to see all that beauty in person. My oldest daughter got me into the books “back in the day,” LOL, though I don’t think I’ve seen all the movies (?). Sorry for all the grief with your injury, but it sounds like the run/walks may be a possible option. Hoping you feel better!
Run/walk is turning out to be a pretty good option. I look forward to the walk breaks!
Looks like you all had a really nice vacation. It is beautiful out there. Sorry you continue to have pain when running. I am also back to using intervals while I am trying to come back. It is a good strategy although frustrating not to be where you’d like to be.
This is the first time I’ve tried run/walk and so far it’s been good. Chicago won’t be a speedy race for me, but I just want to enjoy my race weekend so it’s fine!
I’m still on run/walk in my comeback, if that helps. 10 mins run, 2 mins walk and it does seem to help. Love your holiday pics – thank you for sharing those with us!
10 mins of running seems really long right now for me! My endurance just isn’t there yet. I’m happy to hear you are getting back at it!!
Never been there but did read the books and saw all the movies.
Love your pix.
All my friends do run/walk. So when I run with them on the weekends, I do their intervals. Using 2min/45sec.
I can run so much faster when I walk often…. but I’m ashamed to say that in a race I just walk when I’m tired.
Hope your injury heals so you can run that marathon.
I wasn’t sure what interval duration to pick, but 4/1 seemed to be easiest since it would add up to 5 mins. I’ll keep doing that for a bit until a build up some endurance. Oh, for sure I walk a lot when I’m tired in a race, no shame in that!!
Wow, that’s some amazing scenery in your holiday photos!! What a wonderful place for hiking! But I’ve heard a lot about the pacific north-west and its beauty.
I’ve never seen or read Twilight (not my cup of tea) but there is a place in Italy, Volterra, where one of the films was made, and the second time we were there, there was a total Twilight frenzy!
I’m sorry to hear about your continued glute/hamstring pain.
Yes, I do remember the scenes from Italy in the movie! Well, most of it because I may have fallen asleep during that part of the movie. LOL!! I’m notorious for falling asleep during a movie when it’s not in the theatre. They do have a Twilight event every year in Forks still.
PNW was very pretty. Those hikes through the woods smelled sooooo amazing. I bought a candle with the same scent!
Looks like such a fun vacation! My sister and I went to Seattle for one of our sister trips and my big regret was not going to any of the national parks out there. Guess I’ll have to go back.
I’m so sorry to hear about your ongoing issues with your posterior chain. Was that an osteopath who did those manipulations? It sounds like it but it’s too bad it didn’t work. I hope you find an answer soon!
Maybe it was an osteopath? My insurance/medical appointment was billed under my sports doctor’s name so I don’t know who the person was (which is why I’m so clueless about it!). I feel like I’m heading in the right direction as of now, it will just be very slow progress. As long as I can get trained enough to get to the Chicago start line, I’ll be happy!
Mt Rainier was the closest park to Seattle. Very drivable, and very beautiful! I hope you do get back there.
I finally got a Dr write up from my visit… it was Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment!
Our first trip to WA was a cruise before my SIL & MIL moved out there (like, before they were even thinking of moving out there). We went to Mt. Rainier & Olympic National Park & Seattle then (and Vancouver).
So we’ve been back many times, but usually it’s family & we don’t do a whole lot (especially when I am there, it seems). We had plans to go this Summer, and maybe stay a few days . . . but then Bandit happened and that was that. I really wanted to go to Cascades! Looks like you had a great time.
Actually sounds like your Plan B is working; fingers crossed.
So you’ve moved on from kittens to butterflies . . .
My caterpillars are my new babies! 🙂 They are hungry little caterpillars indeed and getting so big!
It looks like you had a great vacation! I will have to put Washington State on my hiking bucket list!
Sorry you’re still having issues with running. Do you have a follow-up with that Dr?
Yay on having so much fun with your son this week. I’ve only done climbing once.
No, I canceled my 2nd manipulative treatment which was supposed to happen this week. Right now I feel like I’m on a positive recovery path so I wasn’t sure if it would really help. Fingers crossed!
First of all… those photos from the national parks are STUNNING. What an incredible trip.
Second, hearing about the prep for your son leaving for college is making me excited, sad, all the emotions- it’s a trip down memory lane. Of course I had a version of that just this week, when I left my son at school for his Junior year. But nothing is as intense as that first drop off. My eyes are tearing up just thinking about it.
Your run/walk intervals sound good, and who knows. Maybe the movement, getting the blood circulating, switching things up (with the running and walking) so you don’t stress any muscles too much… maybe this will start to clear up. I hope so! Your plan sounds like a good one.
Good luck on the 10th.
It was a wonderful trip. I’m so glad we were all able to enjoy the time together. OSU drop off is looming… our room is exploding with college stuff!
Oh that sounds like a wonderful trip to the PNW. I want to go. The whole area is so beautiful!
I am sorry to hear that the session at the orthopedic sports doctor didn’t have the desired effect.. although you’re slowly giving running a try again, it must be so frustrating to just not feel “right”. Are you going back to the doctor?
Each day I feel like things are getting a little bit better, and (knock on wood) I think the front hip issue is disappearing. I still have pain in the glute, but I can live with that as long as I keep my activity light and avoid speedwork!
Oh, those pictures are so dreamy! And I laughed at Forks. I would have to visit there.
Incredible vacation. I hope you had an amazing time.
The day we visited Forks was the only day it rained ironically! We learned that the author was researching which town in the US had the most amount of rain, and Forks was it.
WOW, gorgeous photos! Are those with your iphone or a DSLR? I love them. The Pacific Northwest is stunning. Thank you for sharing!
I’m sorry to read about the ongoing injury…I do hope you get back to your normal running routine!
Those pictures were actually all from my iPhone! It is a iPhone Pro, but I have rarely used the advanced settings on it. My daughter brought a long a digital camera we used to use probably 12 years ago. She thinks it’s vintage. haha!
That’s what I thought!!! lol
Osteopathic, orthopedic, pediatric, psychopathic – they’re all the same to me 🤣🤣
Hey now! :p
Meaning I have no clue, not that you’re crazy! The names all sound the same to me!
No worries! I get it! And yes they do all sound the same. As long as we know what they mean, you’ll be all good.
what an amazing vacation! I used to live in Portland before I moved to the Netherlands and absolutely love the PNW. I really must get back there again!
so sorry you are still having issues. I unfortunately know that feeling. whatever happens I know you will make Chicago work!