Howdy Friends,

How was your weekend? Mine was busy but not too eventful. This is the only weekend in February that E and I are actually going to be home so we had a lot of errands to run and things to take care of. I was also "suppose to be" on modified bed rest because I pulled a hip flexor and abdominal muscle last week. My hip flexors were feeling really tight Friday before last and this goofball decided it would be a good idea to run on the treadmill on Saturday. By the time I got off, they were screaming at me. It got worse as the week went on, so being the paranoid 1st time prego lady that I am, I went to see the doctor on Thursday. I got to listen to baby girl's heartbeat and the doctor reassured me that it was just pulled muscles and baby was fine. Thank goodness!

Saturday morning, started off pretty slow with a little Olympics watching and a big cup of decaf coffee!

I don't know about you guys, but I could seriously sit on my couch (while doing push-ups, squats, and sit-ups during commercials of course) for the next two weeks and just watch the Olympics! I love love love them!

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The incredible displays of athleticism are awe inspiring, but I think I like hearing the back stories on all the athletes just as much. Some of them have overcome so much to make it to the Olympics! It's so inspiring!

After catching up on the Olympics, I headed to meet a friend for lunch and return some items at the mall. I was hoping to find a new dress to wear to a wedding shower I have coming up, but it was a no go. I'm in that super fun stage where I don't have a cute baby bump, but nothing fits. Oh, well I'm sure I'll look plenty pregnant soon and then I'll miss these days! All in due time :) After the mall, it was time for a nap and then dinner with the hubs and more Olympics.

Sunday, was full of laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, and working on some stuff for baby girl. While I was at the store, I came across a mango and was shocked to see how big it was. My weekly FitPregnancy email said baby girl was the size of a mango last week. Crazy to think she is that big already!


I also picked up a couple of my new favorite bars. Have you ever tired a Detour SMART bar? They are gluten free, low in sugar, delicious, and packed with 10g of protein for only 130 calories! What??? I know!




I found them about three weeks ago and I love them! They are perfect for a snack and keep you extremely full for a 130 calorie bar! I would definitely suggest giving them a try.

Sunday evening was pretty low key. We grilled some fish, butternut squash, and sausage for E. I topped my fish with mango pico de gallo and sliced avocado. It turned out to be extremely colorful and delicious!


I got a little carried away with the pico, but it was so good! We watched the Olympics for the remainder of the evening and finished laundry. :) After a weekend of rest, my hip flexor was feeling a bit better but it's still not back to normal. I'm definitely going to have to be more careful moving forward. Live and learn right?

I hope you all have a happy healthy Monday!

In health,

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Howdy!

How is everyone today? Good, I hope! I am pretty much completely back to normal after the race minus a tight IT band. My IT band is usually on the tight side, but it has been extra tender lately. Some of you might be thinking, "what is an IT band?" (If you weren't wondering, just skip down a little bit.)

"Iliotibial band syndrome is due to inflammation of the iliotibial band, a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the leg. The iliotibial band begins at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shin bone (tibia) just below the knee joint. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) occurs when there is irritation to this band of fibrous tissue. The irritation usually occurs over the outside of the knee joint, at the lateral epicondyle--the end of the femur (thigh) bone. When inflamed, the iliotibial band does not glide easily, and pain associated with movement is the result." [source]

 For me, this pain runs all the way down the side of my leg, and is especially painful around the outside of my knee. So what can you do for IT band syndrome? If you google IT band syndrome you will find a gazillion and one different exercises, stretches, and message techniques, but here is what works for me!

A little Yoga! Here are my two favorite yoga poses to work out a tight IT band.


Revolved triangle is an amazing stretch for you abductor and IT band. For detailed information on how to perform this pose, click here.


Fire log pose is another great stretch for your IT band and it feels amazing on your hips and glutes as well! You can intensify this stretch by walking your hands out in front of you. You can also walk your hands to one side or the other for a nice stretch in your lower back. For more information on how to perform this pose, click here.

Some times you just need to roll it out! The foam roller is really your IT band's best friend.

This exercise works wonders on your IT band, but be careful, it can be pretty intense! For more information on how to perform this exercise, click here. For more information on foam rolling in general, check out this post.

Last but not least, my new toy The Stick. It is a self message tool like the foam roller, but is more portable and easier to use. It's also nice to use when you are super sore because you have complete control over how much pressure you apply. Sometimes, the foam roller is a little too much!

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To message your IT band, you simply hold on to each end of the stick and roll it up and down your leg from hip to knee. It feels amazing! You can use "The Stick" on your entire body. I love to use it on my hamstrings, calves, neck, and when I can convince Eric to play along, my back! I got this little beauty at the health and fitness expo before the race last weekend, and I've used it every day since.

If you are having trouble with your IT band, I hope one of these ideas works for you. However, if the pain gets worse over time, it may be time see the doctor. I hope everyone has a great evening and is ready for Friday!

Food for thought:
Do you ever have any trouble with your IT band?
Does anyone else have "The Stick"?

In health,

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Happy Hump Day,

Today, started out like most Wednesdays. I woke up, pulled on my running clothes that I laid out the night before, grabbed my ipod, kissed Eric goodbye, and I was out the door. A four mile run was on the agenda for today. However, my plan was spoiled about 1/2 mile into my run. There is a lot of construction going on around our house, and in some places the sidewalk just stops, leaving me no choice but to run on the road. This usually wouldn't be a problem, except on this particular road the shoulder was covered in gravel and rocks. I bet you can guess what happened next. As I was jogging, completely lost in my thoughts, I hit a rock with the side of my foot and argh a shooting pain ran through my ankle as it rolled outward.I immediately thought, "oh no, not again, my race is in three weeks!" I took a few gentle steps to assess the damage, and was not pleased by the not so lovely feeling in my ankle. I sat down on the curb and took off my shoes to see if my ankle was swollen. It had started to swell slightly, but not too bad. At this point, I stood back up and thought about trying to run again, but then I heard Eric's voice in my head, "Lauren don't you dare, you're going to make it worse." So I started to limp back home. I felt like it took me forever to get home.

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This is not the first time I have injured myself before a race. Three years ago, I was training for the White Rock marathon and I got a stress fracture in my ankle. The following year, I was training for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon and managed to get a stress fracture in my sacrum! Who does that? So when I rolled my ankle this morning, I immediately assumed the racing curse had struck again!

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I am currently sitting with my leg propped up on pillows on the coffee table with ice glued to my ankle. Since my ankle hasn't turned my favorite shade of eggplant, and I can still hobble around without wanting to cry, I'm thinking I should be back to running in a few days. Until then, it's R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for me!

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Injuries are a never ending problem for runners. If it's not our ankles, its runners knee, illiotibial band syndrome, or shin splints. We simply have to fight the good fight as bet we can. Since I am not an orthopedic or a sports medicine doctor, I do not feel qualified to hand out injury prevention advice. However, my good friends over at RunnersWorld.com sure are. Here are a couple of my favorite injury prevention articles: (although none of them talk about running on rock infested roads)

How to avoid 5 common running injuries (ITBS, shin splints, runners knee, and more)

Foam Rolling for Runners If you are new to foam rolling, these videos are great!

My Knees Ache- If you are having knee pain, this article can help you narrow in on what ails you.

The 10 laws of injury prevention

IT Band Relief Yoga Routine- With this video we can prevent injuries and accomplish our November Health Goal

These articles and videos are great for anyone who works our regularly, not just runners! I hope they help you stay healthy as you strive to reach all of your health and fitness goals!

Food for thought:
Have you even injured yourself while training for a race?
Do you ever suffer from one of the common running injuries (shin splints, runners knee, ITBS)?

In health,

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