Jodi's Running Blog

Postpartum running continues – and still proves to be much more difficult than I had originally thought, not only because the body takes a beating in pregnancy and delivery, but it takes so long to get back into shape when trying to balance the demands of an infant with the need to work out! I never pictured that staying home full-time (I’m off from work until October 1st) would mean still not having dinner prepared, and yes – only being able to squeeze exercise in two days a week. I’m feeling more hopeful this week that Gabriel (whom we’ve been calling “Little G”) and I will make it out at least three times.

My Ob/Gyn warned against rapid resumption of exercise. What I’ve discovered is – I don’t think I could overdo it if I tried at this point. I have never felt so out-of-shape in my life, even when I first started running track and cross-country as a young teen. It is wonderful to be out there again, though!

I only managed a single run from two weeks ago include:

August 28, 2007:

• Distance: 2.0 miles
• Time: 23:35 (11:46/mile)
• Average Heart Rate: 144; Maximum Heart Rate: 169
• Pushing Little G in the Bob Revolution! We ran to the Mount Baker Tunnel and back.

Then, two runs from last week:

September 4, 2007:

• Distance: 2.25 miles
• Time: 27:00
• Heart Rate information unavailable
• Was run on the treadmill.

September 7, 2007:

• Distance: 2.50 miles
• Time: 28:00 (11:13/mile)
• Average Heart Rate: 144; Maximum Heart Rate: 182
• G and I ran through Judkins Park and to the entrance to the Mount Baker Tunnel before returning home.

Then, finally, today I made it 3.1 miles, albeit slowly and carefully. It was 84 degrees outside, but G and I were determined to do it – today was the day! I was exhausted afterwards, again a reminder of how far I still have to go to return to my previous level of fitness. Nonetheless, it was a relief to finally meet this milestone.

September 11, 2007:

• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Time: 37:08 (11:59/mile)
• Average Heart Rate: 144; Maximum Heart Rate: 174
• G and I ran through Judkins Park, and this time through the Mount Baker Tunnel to enjoy a view of Lake Washington on a beautiful, clear (and hot!) day before returning home.

Finally, another picture of my new running companion. He has his track suit all geared up for his first race in October!

Hello, my running friends!

Allow me to bring you up to speed. My son, Gabriel, was born in July – below is a message my husband, Evan, sent to friends and family announcing his arrival, which was also posted on my other blog, Residential Space:

Gabriel Evan Dodds was born Saturday the 14^th at 5:47am – 31 hours after he let us know he was on his way and 3 days ahead of his due date (good thing too; we were getting impatient to meet him)! Everybody is doing just fine.

Gabriel Stats:

• 8lb 10oz
• 20.5”
• Full head of red hair like his mommy!
• He passed right over Friday the 13^th and decided to be a Bastille Day baby instead.

Gabriel Photos (it was hard to choose just a couple from the hundreds I took!):

The past six weeks have been wonderful – challenging and fulfilling simultaneously. We’re just crazy about our son! He grows longer, larger, and cuter on a daily basis. We can also appreciate his neurologic development (I have to throw this in, as a neurologist) – at six weeks, he can reach to bat at dangling objects (he has a toy duck that hangs from the handle on his infant seat) and is starting to smile. He has even laughed once or twice now! Here is a more recent picture of him, taken only two days ago:

Any woman who has delivered a baby knows that six weeks is a magical time period, for that is when she finally gets to go for her postpartum checkup with the obstetrician. My visit is tomorrow, and I anticipate receiving a clean bill of health. However, since yesterday was technically my six-week mark since Gabriel’s birth, I felt it was time to lace up the Brooks Adrenalines and head downstairs to take on the treadmill (very gently!).

I had decided in advance to only run for 20 minutes, and to take it very slowly. I set the treadmill at the pace of 4.MPH over the course of the first ten minutes, and gradually felt the increasing blood flow to my quadraceps and calves. I had also resolved not to allow my heart rate to climb above 130 in an effort to keep this low-impact and was successful. Even getting my heart rate to that level (it remained around 125 the majority of the time) felt wonderful! After 10 minutes, I increased the rate to 4.MPH, and much to my surprise actually developed a side stitch, so I backed down again. After nearly a year away from running, I guess I should not be surprised by how out of shape I am, but all the more motivation to start back regularly to recapture my previous self.

In summary, I ran 1.53 miles in 20 minutes, and finished by walking for five minutes. It was enough to count as a first real postpartum workout. Pre-pregnancy weight was 133 lbs (I’m 67” tall, so a BMI of 20.8) – so I thought, why not blog about weight loss after pregnancy? The scale after my workout read 137 lbs (BMI 21.5), so I am proud that I am actually almost there six weeks out. Ahhh, among the many wonders of breastfeeding, this is definitely a maternal benefit.  Thank you, Gabriel.

So I’m back, and ready to hit the roads again. Weather permitting, I’m planning on running outside on Tuesday with Gabriel. Evan took him running over the weekend while I was treadmilling it, and they had a great time. We’ll be working towards the Salmon Days run the first weekend in October – I have not decided on whether I will be doing the 5k or 10k yet (we’ll have to see what my muscles and fitness level have to say about this), but it will be fun to introduce Gabriel to the most fulfilling sport in existence. My hope is to instill a love and familiarity of running in this little guy!

Unfortunately, I don’t have much exercise-related news to convey to the few readers who may still exist out there (I’m sure many of you have stopped reading during my hiatus from posting). However, the positive news is that I am counting down the days until July 17, 2007 – the date of expected arrival of my first child! I have been archiving bits and pieces of my pregnancy tale on my general blog, Residential Space, since last December.

When Evan and I were faced with a decision about which stroller to purchase, around the same time that our R.E.I. annual rebate became available for use, we thought the BOB Revolution was a good choice. It’s pretty sharp – we have the infant seat adapter for our baby’s first eight months, until he can be strapped in directly. Then, he can accompany his parents on many running adventures as his mother recovers her fitness level! We joke about how the tires are built for off-roading.

Anyway, my apologies again for the absence of posting. My exercise lately has consisted of finishing my second year of residency – only two more years to go until I am a fully board-eligible neurologist! Stay tuned for my adventures in postpartum running.

Wow, so it’s been awhile since a running blog post. Yikes! I have been quite devout in keeping my Residential Space blog, but seem to have slacked on this front. It does not mean that exciting things have not been occurring, though!

As I announced on my other blog, we are expecting a little one in July 2007, which means many positive changes are coming my way. I found out quickly that it also meant running was going to present a problem. I had always pictured myself running 3-5 miles daily until my delivery date, but when I tried to run at 10 weeks – let’s just say broad ligaments had other ideas. It’s great, though, because the pregnancy has motivated Evan and I to set definitive exercise times together three mornings a week. We have both been swamped at work lately, but on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings at 6AM, we are in the fitness room, me on the elliptical trainer, and Evan on the treadmill running. I watch him sometimes, feeling envious that he is running as the elliptical is not as exciting. It’s okay, though – soon enough.

We have also been skiing again this winter, both at Summit (45 minutes east of Seattle), and at Whistler, British Columbia (the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics). I had a week of vacation in mid-January, and we enjoyed three days on the slopes there. The gondola rides were tremendous – 25 minutes long, with extended ski times prior to having to take a lift/gondola again. There were no lines, and our condo was adjacent to the loading zone for the gondola, so it was a two minute walk to the slopes each day. I stuck mostly to greens for fear of falling in my current state, but it was a wonderful trip all the same.

Finally, it appears we have accumulated hundreds of dollars of REI points this year, between in-store purchases and the REI Visa, and we plan on using them to purchase the super-nifty baby jogger that I have promised myself for year. I used to see people running 5ks while pushing their infants/toddlers, and I have to think many of those kids grow up to be the enthusiastic seven year old runners that pass me on hills. Well-spent REI points, I think.

So I’m still here, just in a slightly different phase of life, but still kicking!

Evan and I met Josh in Portland for the Portland Marathon. Despite not being able to run the race (after much disappointment – please see any prior posts for further information on the back story), we had a great time cheering for exhausted runners on a beautiful sunny day! Josh looked at me during the race and said, “This makes me want to run another marathon.” I hate to admit it, but I can completely relate to that feeling, despite having been out with my stress fracture for months now. Once marathon running/training is in your system, it’s like an addictive drug.

Here we are at the race:

Other generic race photos:

And then, of course, we had to enjoy our post-marathon meal. Twenty-six miles really works up the appetite!

I went running with the salmon again this year, but this time it was an extra special experience because Evan joined me! Plus, this year I ran the 5k instead of the 10k, which varied things up a bit.

As you know, I have been sitting out since that dreaded pubic ramus stress fracture in June, and I decided to take it easy, enjoy the day, have fun with Evan, and soak up the festivities. It felt fantastic to be running – we ran 11 minute miles (you can click here to read Evan’s post about the day, complete with our results). I was quite astonished to find that I was even sore the following day – after sitting out for so long, a low-impact, fun race left me sore from the waist down. My muscles need to wake up!

I am also inspired recently by my friend, Beth, who has recently sought out the services of a personal trainer. She is now swimming, kick boxing, and goodness knows what else! Tomorrow is the day I am signing up for my fitness center membership at the University of Washington – I would love to run once a week, swim once or twice a week, and then devote an afternoon occasionally to cycling. That is – until I can be a full-time runner again.

I am appalled that I have not posted to this blog since July – the pubic ramus stress fracture has taken me out of commission, and I think my interest in running plummeted as a result. I spent much of August growing more depressed until mid-September, when Evan invited me to ride my bicycle to Ballard with him (a 19 mile roundtrip ride). It was the first real exercise I’ve had since training for the marathon last spring – and it felt terrific. I could feel my spirit rekindle just challenging my muscles and increasing my heart rate. Cardiac output is a wonderful thing.

The stress fracture is much better – I can ride my mountain bike without pain, and can even walk around in heels now without feeling it. Yesterday, as I was getting out of my car at 3:30AM after having been at the hospital during the night, I could feel a slight throbbing in that location, but it’s the first I’ve experienced in several weeks. With this in mind, Evan and I are going to attempt the Salmon Days Rotary Run 5k in Issaquah on October 8th – going at a slow speed, walking part of the way, and just seeing how things go. I had a terrific 10k experience during this race last year and look forward to returning, albeit at a much slower pace.

As for the Portland Marathon – well, I still have vacation that would enable me to participate, but I will be a spectator for this one. Evan and I are meeting Josh in Portland on September 30 and will cheer the runners on! I’m sure we will find time for good food, maybe some wine, and a short run of our own.

I am encouraged by speaking with my current neurology attending today. He and his wife participate in triathlons (and from what I can gather, they are both quite impressive athletes). After singing her praises, he was relaying to us that she is currently injured. Later in the conversation he mentioned a past injury of hers. I suppose my feeling for the past few months was – maybe I’m prone to injury and shouldn’t be running distances. But it seems injuries are par for the course when sports are a passion.

I am completing my second week on crutches for my stress fracture, and while the first two days I thought my shoulders and underarms would carry permanent pain for eternity, I found that my upper body grew strong quickly! My arms feels more toned and my pubic ramus feels much better from not bearing weight on it.

I plan to use them for a few more days and then go off of them, likely later this week. At that point I am also going to begin biking the mile and a half to work each day – nothing huge, but just a fun, environmentally-friendly way to get to work.

Speaking of environmentally-friendly ways to get to work, one of my colleagues got into a wreck when we were post-call the other day after a sleepless night on call. I used the opportunity to encourage her to ride the electric trolley bus that runs from her home on Queen Anne to Harborview, and on our next call night, she excitedly told me she had, indeed, taken the bus! One more person working against global warming.

I have never had a fracture of any sort in my entire life, but yesterday when I finally got in to see a sports medicine doctor about my groin/hip/hamstring? pain, I got the bad news. Recap: while running on the treadmill on June 8th, I was gradually hit with worsening left groin pain. A few hours later, it felt more like medial hamstring pain. Ice and heat did not help, and NSAIDs only minimally. Once the inflammation settled a bit over the next few days, it felt more like bony pain, and this time in the groin/gluteal region. I was having difficulty pinpointing exactly which muscle could be causing this, and then I became worried that there was something wrong with a bone.

Here is an image of the pubic rami with a box outlining these structures – they are the rings at the base of the pelvis.

An x-ray confirmed a stress fracture in the left pubic ramus, not the most common site for a runner (unlike the foot or tibia), but seen from time to time. So the bad news is, not only can I not run for a while, but I have to minimize weight bearing, and given its location, I cannot use the elliptical trainer nor exercise with a bicycle either. It looks like it may be time to get that pool membership…

I’m two weeks out from my hamstring injury, and while much of the pain is gone the muscle still feels very stiff in the mornings. I still feel it when I lift the affected foot up to put on a sock. I was warned that it could take weeks to months to heal, but I figured if I rested adequately, stretched, took my ibuprofen and used ice/heat properly it would speed the process. I recognize that it has only been two weeks, but I feel like I’m losing too much time on the road to the Portland Marathon.

I exercised for the first time during this two week period today by getting on the elliptical trainer and going for only about 15 minutes/2.5 miles. It felt great to get my heart rate up, but the muscle did feel very stiff following even just this amount of exertion. I spent about 20 minutes stretching afterwards. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted.