I am often asked, "what should I be eating?" "What's the best diet?" "How do I loose weight?" Or some other form of one of these questions. It's a popular question. So? What is the best way to eat? Should you be avoiding gluten? Should I follow a paleo diet?
I have no FREAKIN' idea....
But let me first explain. Ever since I have started taking my racing and training seriously, I have been in search of the best diet for endurance athletes to follow. I'd estimate that I have purchased at least 10 different books just on this topic alone. If you were to jump onto my personal computer you'd find very elaborate Microsoft Excel documents entitled "The Diet," "The Diet 1," all the way to "The Diet Version 8." I think there is even a "The Diet Version 3.2." I have tried just about everything. I have followed a high carb diet, a balanced diet, Paleo, I did the Whole30, I was even a "vegetarian" for about a year. If you just look back throughout my blog, you will see at least 5-6 different articles one my desire to try a new diet with the hopes of losing weight to increase my race performance. In fact, I am not afraid to admit, my latest adventure with wanting to follow a high fat/low carb diet, or a "ketogenic" diet. I have also researched just about every other "diet" that is out there and the positives and the negatives of each of them. To be honest with you, it got down right frustrating. I would read an article that touts the health benefits of whole wheat grains, just to read a second article claiming wheat to be a major carcinogenic.
It's not like this is anything new, however. Just look back at our nations past. We have blamed fat for people being fat, we are currently blaming sugar and carbohydrates as the cause of people being fat. It seems that we are constantly looking for the one reason why people are overweight and continuing to gain weight, but we are oblivious to the most logic reason, we eat too damn much.
Just using myself as an example, I have tried to follow many fad diets hoping that would be the magic ingredient to shed some pounds easily. I would eat great for a week or two, just to fall back to my piss poor eating habits of snacking between meals and craving a sweet dessert after dinner. I would succumb to my cravings and give in. After the initial week or two I would find myself eating really nutritious, "healthy" meals just to eat crap between them. Where did that get me? Right where I am at today, 15-20 heavier than I think I should be. Is it sugars fault? Is fat to blame? It must be that damn gluten! No, the real reason, is I eat too much. Pretty simple, almost too simple.
What lead me to this concept is a recent podcast I listened to from Endurance Planet. They interviewed sports nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald regarding his newest book, "Diet Cults." The book is not out there to "debunk" or mock all the new diet fads, such as paleo, gluten free, and just about any other diet out there that is claiming to be the "one right way to eat." During the interview Matt discusses a recent research study where a research group went out to find what exactly was the healthiest diet for humans. The way they were going to determine this was by finding a group of people who have recently lost 30 or more pounds on their own AND have maintained that weight loss for at least one year. You figure, if someone has lost at least 30 pounds and have been able to maintain that weight loss, they must be doing something right nutritionally. They studied these individuals for an extended period of time monitoring everything they had eaten. So, what did they find? They found that there was very minimal similarities within their diets. Some of the similarities they found during their study include; most individuals exercised for at least 60 minutes a day, most individuals increased fruits and vegetables, and most individuals followed a redundant diet - meaning many of them followed a regular routine and repeated meals often. One guy actually just eliminated his daily lunch...that's it, just completely took out an entire meal! You can listen to the Podcast HERE or below.
Ironically, just after listening to this podcast, Runner's World posted an article called, "Study: What's the Healthiest Diet?" This study followed 424,000 subjects for 15 years - seems pretty legit. The study looked specifically at an individuals overall diet's effect on morality rates. What they concluded was there were four diet classifications which were deemed to be "most healthy." The four diets were: the Healthy Eating Index 2010, the alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010, the alternate Mediterranean diet, and the DASH diet. When you look at the similarities between all four diets, you'll find that they all recommended balanced consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and plant based proteins.
So, with all this considered, what is the healthiest diet, in my opinion? Well first, I think you need to define what it means to be healthy. Is it longevity? Having a healthy body mass index (BMI)? The ability to race fast? Or maybe it's something as simple as looking good naked. In my opinion, I would look at some typical markers which are commonly tested at your local doctors office. These would include, cholesterol, fasted blood sugar, systemic inflammation, and body fat percentage. I would also take into consideration of a person's overall feeling of well being. Basically, does an individual feel better when eating a certain way. Just looking at some elite athletes, who are often deemed as "healthy," often eat not-so-healthy foods. You'll find athletes eating pancakes, fried foods, plain white bread, and even fast food. Yet, so many people consider these elite athletes to be very healthy. Even elite athletes who follow strict diets, follow a wide range of diets, from vegan to paleo. So what gives? Personally, I fully agree with Matt Fitzgerald's opinion, where there is no ONE right diet. Each diet presents positives and negatives. The best thing any individual person can do for themselves, is eat what makes them feel better. Eat healthy foods. What's considered healthy? This is not as complicated as it's made out to be. Just ask any 6 year old what healthy food is and they'll tell you. Eat plenty of vegetables and leafy greens. Add a lean source of protein, whether that is animal based or plant based. Drink plenty of water. Avoid artificially produced sweeteners if possible. Try not to drink calories. Have an drink of alcohol every now and again. Exercise regularly at a moderate intensity. Eat as much real food as possible, avoiding processed foods when able. Do not stress over what you are eating. Enjoy your food. And, lastly, indulge every now and then.
So there you have it. As Matt Fitzgerald says, eat an agnostic diet. Where you do not follow any specific diet, but follow a little of eat. You know the difference between health food and junk food, just follow that and exercise, and you'll find your diet to be right were it needs to be. Plus you will never have to worry if what you are eating is "allowed."
I was not shy with my confidence coming off of my first couple races of the 2014 season. I was positive this was going to be the year I cross the finish line of a marathon with a time under three hours. I had ran a 1:24 half marathon and two weeks later put up a 17:42. My fitness was right where I thought I needed it to be. I was feeling great and I was hitting all my marks in my training. I was optimistic, happy, and excited to get to race day, as I just knew this was the year. Or so I thought.... Then it happened...I don't know what it was but suddenly my calf was having issues, new, unfamiliar issues. I was having calf issues this past January and was pretty sure I had overcome those issues. I took time off in January and February and honestly really never had any serious issues after the break. There were point in my training where I "noticed" my calf or ankle, typically during long runs, but who doesn't feel something during a long run??? If you read my previous post, "My Experience With Triggerpoint Dry Needling", you are completely aware of my attempt to overcome my diagnosed ailment in a relatively short period of time in order to perform at my best for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. That will bring us right to my race report....so without further blabbering....
Training Plan
I had thought I had damn near the perfect training plan that fit my weaknesses and my strengths and would ultimately lead me to my first sub 3 hour marathon. I had it all figured out. I had an increased weekly mileage, speed work, tempo work, longer long runs, and even rest days. I focused on three main types of run workouts, mile repeats for top in speed, long intervals for building my aerobic threshold, and long runs to build strength and general endurance. My mile repeats were always done on a treadmill which allowed me to maintain a sense of consistency. I structured my mile repeat sessions to be anywhere from 8-12 total miles consisting of 2-6 repeats and a 90 second rest between sets. I would begin and end each workout with a warm up and cool down, respectively to reach my desired total distance. Each mile was done between a 5:46 and a 5:42 pace. The goal of my long intervals was to build confidence at my goal marathon pace of 6:52/mile. I started with intervals of 2x2 miles and built up to 3x5 miles all at or below my goal marathon pace. I took 2:30 minute of rest between sets and would also do a warm up and cool down before and after each work out to reach a goal total mileage of between 10-18 miles. My long runs had no real specific pace goal but just wanted to stay under an 8:00/mile average. I slowly built my long run distance from 12 up to 24 miles. The plan was fool proof, at least that's what I thought.
The final 3 weeks leading up to the race.
My training plan took a HUGE hit after the Jailbreak 5k and to be honest, I never saw it coming. On April 14th with a time of 1:24:31 (6:27/mile). During that race I felt my right calf (soleus) but it didn't slow me down and never really became and issue. I followed that race up with a day of rest, then a couple mixed workouts of biking, swimming, and running. That following Thursday I did a 6x1 mile repeat workout, Friday was an easy 2,000m swim, and Saturday was my longest run of 24 miles. That all went without a hitch. My 24 mile long run went really well and did it in 3:08 with breaks (7:50 pace). the Monday following was an 8 mile easy run and Tuesday consisted of 3x4 mile intervals at or below goal race pace. On Thursday I completed a brick workout which started with a 2 mile warm up, then 3 sets of 15:00 on the bike and 1 mile hard on the treadmill. I ended with a 1 mile cool down. That workout ended with a total of 6 miles running and about 45:00 on the bike for a little over an hour and half. That Saturday was the Jailbreak 5k. I started that morning with an easy warm up and did notice my right calf again, but once again, nothing that would prevent me from racing. It wouldn't have even raised a concern if I were training opposed from racing. The next day I distinctly remember feeling sorer than usual, especially for just a 5k. On Sunday, I opted for an easy recovery ride on my indoor trainer, to hopefully stretch out my legs.
That Monday was supposed to be my last long run before the Green Bay Marathon. I got up super early (3:30am) just to get it in before work at 8am. I had planned on doing 4 laps on a 5 mile loop for 20 miles. I was going to run then harder and try to maintain a 7:30 pace and have it feel relatively easy. I started running and just didn't feel right...at all. I pushed through the first 5 miles and at about mile 3 of the first loop was when my right calf started to feel like a painful cramp, it felt really tight and it just hurt. I decided to continue running one more loop with hopes that it would work itself out. That wasn't the case. It got worse. I then called it a day after 10 miles. My training took a serious hit after this day. I didn't complete a single scheduled run from that day up to the marathon. I missed my last long run, I missed my last race pace interval work out, I missed pretty much all my workouts. Again, you can reference my Dry Needling Post for more specifics on how the "injury" progressed and how I attempted to cope with it. My hope at this point was just to allow myself to finish by relying on the fitness I had stored away the past 3-4 months. I tried several times to see if just a couple of days rest would solve the problem just to have the problem reappear either in the same location or in a different spot on my calf. I knew the dry needling was working, it was just a matter of whether or not it would be enough to allow my body to push hard for 26.2 miles. With about a week to go, I knew the calf was still an issue, so I took the approach that I had to just rest if I wanted any chance of finishing. From April 27th (the day after the 5k) up to the race day, I ran a total of 6 times for 38 miles.
Day/Night Before
The day before the race was spent running errands with the family. I was out of town for a SWAT training conference from Wednesday until Friday. Immediately after getting home, we all went up to Green Bay for the packet pick up after I finished my last dry needle treatment. It was kind of funny, as I am always stiff and sore immediately following dry needle treatments, so I got some pretty weird looks limping around the race expo with my bib as a fellow runner. On Saturday, it seemed to help my tight calf moving around all day, but I would have honestly preferred to stop moving around a little earlier. Regardless, we finished running our errands around 4ish and I then started prepping for dinner. I cooked up some rice, vegetables, a sweet potato, all along with a filet of fish. After dinner, I helped Sarah get the girls to bed, then I prepped a hot bath tub with Epsom salt to assist with the muscle soreness in my calf. I was ultimately in bed around 8:30pm with a 4:00am wake up call.
I should take a moment to be honest here with my mentality leading up to the race. I spent probably the entire week leading up the race mentally debating whether or not I should or should not even attempt to run the marathon. My training mileage was basically nonexistent, and I tried running 3 miles on Friday, but needed to stop after just 2 miles. I basically had two trains of thought - 1) I shouldn't put my body through any unnecessary stress and potentially ruin the rest of my race season. and 2) I could at least try running the race and just pull out at the first sign of discomfort. I played through just about every single scenario the last few days leading up to the race. I sat and thought about the worst case scenario of DNF-ing for the first time ever. I always think I will never DNF, I would crawl to the finish line of a race to avoid posting a DNF. There's a joke that has made the rounds through social media that basically says an endurance athlete's alphabet goes "ABCEGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXYZ." The joke is that the alphabet is lacking the letters, DNF, meaning an endurance athlete never uses the letters DNF. I believed it. I dreaded the thought of not finishing a race, it was the last thing I ever wanted. To me, it meant I quit, I gave up, I didn't try hard enough.
Getting to the Start Line
The sunrise through the construction at Lambeau Field
My alarm went off at 4:00am and I was out of bed with the usual prerace jitters that I live for. The only issue was that I had some serious doubt in my head. My calf was tight, as usual, but I had a mindset that I was going to go out there and try and run. Sarah and I had made a plan that she would set up at the 5 mile mark and that would give me enough time to determine if I would pull out, or keep trying. After waking up, I made myself my new prerace breakfast of coffee, blended with a tbsp of butter, tbsp of MCT oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond butter. Around 4:45 my dad was at my house to pick me up in order to get to Lambeau Field early enough to guarantee a parking spot, which was going to be limited due to the construction in the road and the stadium this year. We made it to the stadium and were plenty early, as we were literally the 3rd car parked in the lot and the 2nd ones in the stadium atrium area. We found ourselves a bench to hang out and just relax. I spent most of the morning stretching and massaging my calf, which was actually feeling pretty good. Before we knew it, I was standing at the start line just hoping that my body would allow me to at least finish.
Miles 0-6
After the gun went off, I just started with no real concrete goal in mind. Sure, I would have jumped at the opportunity to finish in under 3 hours if it presented itself, but I was not going to stress if it didn't. As the first mile marker passed, my calf was a non-factor. Then, about a half mile later, I noticed an all to familiar tightness in my right calf, only it was in my lower calf, in the soleus area. I thought for sure, my day was done. I made the decision to keep pushing until it made me stop. For what ever reason, the tightness went away after about a 1/10 of a mile and I was back to feeling normal. After the first 2 miles, I realized that my auto-lap feature on my Garmin watch was turned off for what ever reason. I have no idea why it would be turned off, but it was. I always have it on and set to beep and alarm every single mile to make it easy to track my pace and my mile splits. I was actually happy that it was turned off. I was going to allow me to not stress over my pace and would truly allow me to run based on feel. After the first 4 or 5 miles, I knew a 3 hour marathon was out of the question, even though I was posting mile splits in the range of 6:38-6:48/mile. My body was clearly telling me that I missed a TON of training the past month. It was pretty damn obvious that I had not run more than 10 miles in one workout since April 19th, my legs were tired and I was only 6 miles into this thing.
Miles 7-13.1
At this point, I told myself I was going to stop looking at my watch and just run. I knew I was not going to be setting a PR and I had just hoped I could finish with a sub 3:30 marathon. I slowed to a more comfortable pace and my calf continued to be a non-issue. I took my first and second gels at the 7 and 12 mile mark, which I premade the night before in a multi-serving flask. I put a little over a single serving of Hammer Gel, along with Mito Caps, Race Caps Supreme, Energy Surge, and Anit-Fatigue Caps, and topped the rest of the flask off with water. I continued to feel surprising good, all things considered. When I crossed the half way point, I was at a time of 1:31:XX.
Miles 13.1-18
After crossing the half way mark, I mentally began counting down the miles to the finish line. My body continued to remind me how shitty my training was the last month. My legs were sore, and I kept thinking, this is just how it feels to run a marathon without training. At the 15 mile mark I was on pace to run a 3:12 marathon, which I would have been more then happy with. I saw Sarah and my daughters for the third time around the 15 mile mark while on the Fox River Recreation Trail. Within the next 1-1.5 miles, my right calf locked up and brought me to a walk. I stopped to stretch it out and tried running again, hopping that I could just work it out. I worked for about a quarter mile then it came right back. I again tried to stretch and run again, but it never went away. It was at that point I realized my day was done. I was going to pull out from the race. I knew Sarah and her family would be around the 17.5 mile point, so I just had to walk a little less then a mile before I could get pulled off the course officially. I kept telling myself I was making the right decision, and I knew it was, but I couldn't help but think about how I was quitting. I think I even called myself a "f---ing quitter" out loud a couple times. While I was making the walk of shame, I could hear volunteers and spectators try to offer their words of encouragement as I walked to find my family. I heard, "you're looking good," "keep it up," "you're almost done, just 9 more miles," and my favorite, "just walk a little bit, catch your breath, and get back at it!" Ehhh....I just wanted to say, you have no effing clue. But I just smiled and said thank you, they were just trying to help, which, hindsight, I do truly appreciate. Just before finding my family, my dad passed me, he looked good, he didn't even look tired and was running really strong. He and I just shared a look and he knew exactly what was going on. I shook my head to say, "I'm done." We shook hands quickly as he ran passed and said I was making the right decision and continued down the street. Below is my Garmin File for the portion of the race I did complete...
After pulling out and finding Sarah and the kids, we jumped in the car and headed to Lambeau to watch my dad cross the finish line. It was at that point were the emotions of not finishing the race hit me. I tried my best to not cry, but I would be lying if I said, I didn't shed a single tear. It was hard on me, completely regardless of the entire "quitting" aspect. I kept thinking back on the past 3-4 months of regimented training, all the sacrifices I had made, and ultimately all the high hopes I had when I scheduled this race. It was my first ever DNF. I knew I had made the right decision. I had two goals this race season. 1) Run a sub 3 hour marathon. 2) Qualify for Team USA at the USA-Triathlon National Championships. I knew that if I was foolish and just ignored the pain and pushed through the last 9 miles just to finish, I was not going to finish in under 3 hours and I would definitely put my second goal in jeopardy and more then likely have to miss other races this summer. I could have easily walked the final 9 miles of the race to finish and not get tagged with the dreaded "DNF." But really, why? If I had, Sarah would have more then likely remained along the course for the next 3-4 hours just to watch me walk. And also, what would I have proved? I have finished 8 previous marathons, 9 if you count Ironman Wisconsin. I had nothing to prove by simply finishing a marathon.
Sarah's post to Facebook, informing those, that I pulled out. This post still means so much to me.
Without a doubt the hardest point came after we arrived back at Lambeau Field and I was pushing Maya in a stroller to the finish line and she turned and simply asked me, "Daddy, are you going to finish?" Ugh, it still hits me where it counts. That made me cry, I felt like I was letting my kids down. They just wanted to see me finish and get a medal. They don't know the difference between a 2:59 and a 3:59, they just want to see me wear a medal and let them wear it around their neck. Maya was honestly just as sad as I was about not finishing.
Other Notes
I was able to make it to the start line to watch people finish their race. I got to see the other end of the emotion's spectrum and see the joy and elation of months of hard work come to an end. I was able to see a friend accomplish his goal of finishing a sub 3 hour marathon by finishing in 2:59:02. Shortly after I was able to watch my dad cross the finish line. He looked just a strong at 26.2 as he did at mile 17. He finished with a Boston Qualifying time of 3:28:03. It was really neat to watch him finish. We then shared a post race beer and talked about his race and my decision to withdraw. After we left, we grabbed a celebratory (for my dad) beer at Title Town Brewery.
Lessons for Future Events
Well, it basically comes down to avoiding injury, no matter how severe. I have no idea what the specific issue is, or the underlying cause of that issue. I have a few ideas however. First, I made the conscious decision to change shoe brands AND styles this year. I have been running in traditional high mileage trainers for my marathon training and racing and then traditional racing flats for all races 5k-10k. This year, I opted to make the switch to running in Newton Gravity's and Hoka One One Conquest's. Both of these shoes have a minimal heel to toe drop which puts an added stress on the ankle and calf. Secondly, after taking most of January and parts of February completely off from running, I jumped right back into run training, even with my 30 mile adventure on March 2nd. If I were to ultimately guess what the one cause is, I would blame it on the change of shoes with no real transition period into them. It comes down to the old adage, "DON'T FIX WHAT AINT BROKEN!" From here on out, I will go back to wearing the shoes that have worked for me for years. I have already purchased a new racing flat from a company who I have raced in before, Zoot. All my shoes have a more moderate heel to toe drop.
My first DNF, so sad...let's drink
What's Next
With my first ever DNF now behind me, I am focusing on the start of my triathlon season. My first triathlon is already less then a month away. I will be racing the High Cliff Sprint Triathlon on June 14th. I found an aggressive sprint triathlon training plan leading up to the Age Group National Championships in August were I will try to qualify for Team USA. The training plan is very specific when it comes to paces and intervals. The training plan consists of short, yet very intense work outs. Most work outs are 30-60 minutes in duration with the longest one being about 90 minutes. I think the transition from long endurance work outs from the marathon to short duration intense triathlon training will be a good change of pace for me and my injured calf. This transition will also limit the miles of running and break it up more with swimming and cycling, which will also strengthen my legs which I think is something I could benefit from. I have also, already scheduled a redemption marathon later in the fall to hopefully break 3 hours at. I signed up for the Whistle Stop Marathon in Ashland, WI on October 11th. This race works out perfect with my current race schedule, as my last triathlon in August 10th. That will leave me with 9 weeks of training to prepare myself to run a fast marathon. This race also works out for my family, as I am already off from work that weekend and my in-laws have a cabin about 30 minutes south of Ashland. So we already have plans to go up there for an extended weekend as a family and watch the race and celebrate Maya's 5th birthday together. There is also a kids fun run after the marathon, which Maya is already excited for the opportunity to participate in. So the more I look ahead, the better I feel about my decision to withdraw from the race. I even created a wallpaper for my phone to keep me focused on my goals...
If you follow me on Facebook, you are aware of my current frustrations in my training for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon on May 18th. Yes, this May 18th.....as in 7 days away. If you haven't been following or don't follow me, I'll enlighten you with my current situation. On April 26th I ran the Jailbreak 5k and finished feeling just fine. I went to work that night and felt sore, nothing crazy, just your usual post race soreness. I had off from work on Sunday and just came home from work in the morning and rode my bike. Monday morning I was scheduled for a 4 hour block of EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operation Course) training from 8-12pm, I was also scheduled to run 20 miles. It was going to be my last long run leading up to the Marathon. I got up at 3:30am to get my run in before my training. My calves were still sore from the 5k, but I figured I would be alright and they would just work themselves out. I was planning on running four 5 mile loops. I finished my first loop with light pain and told myself, lets do another loop and we will reassess at that point. I got about half way and I knew I was going to be done running for the day after I got back home. My left calf was way too tight and painful to continue. I had to ask myself, "Ultimately, what is best for my marathon at this point - quitting after 10 miles or forcing another 10? It was an easy decision, I had to quit. I would get nothing but a possible injury that would prevent me from even getting to the start line. I decided to take some time and rest. I did just that. I took a couple days off from running and swam on Tuesday, did an hour on an elliptical on Wednesday and tried getting a run in on a treadmill. I felt fine the first 5-6 miles but then started feeling a pointed tightness/pain in my left calf again. I stopped again after 10 miles. I again took a couple days off from running and again, tried to get another run in on Sunday, May 4th. This time, I got to about mile 5 and it got bad, my calf was very tight and painful. I pulled up after 6 miles and walked the final mile home. It was at that point I knew I had to do something if I was going to not only get to the start line, but finish.
I shared my current situation with my teammates on The Tri Shop's Triathlon Team. Among the suggestions I had, ART was one of them. ART is an acronym for Active Release Techniques. ART is basically a painful massage with the goal of releasing tension in a muscle or group of muscles. I have a friend who I went to high school and college with who has become a rather successful Physical Therapist in Kirkland, Washington. He has partnered with another PT to start their own practice called, Doctors of Physical Therapy - you can check them out here - www.doctorsofpt.com Through my relationship with him I have seen a lot of posts and information regarding a "new" technique called Triggerpoint Dry Needling (TDN). I have seen photos of it, but never thought anything of it....until now. I jumped online and sent him a message asking about TDN and if it would be applicable with my current symptoms. I was encouraged with his response. He told me my issues could potentially see great results from dry needling. Compared to ART, dry needling will elicit a similar healing response, only in less time and less painful. PERFECT! With his help, we found a physical therapist in the Fox Valley who is certified to perform dry needling. Which brings me to Alex, my new PT of Orthopedic and Spine Therapy. But, before I share my experience with dry needling, I should first briefly explain what dry needling is.
What is Triggerpoint Dry Needling
First off, I am in no way associated with any dry needling certification that is out there. I have never taken an courses or studied dry needling. Everything I know about TDN is from many websites I have read in researching TDN prior to me proceeding to actually have it done to me. Most of this section is from my friend's article from his practice's blog, entitled, "What is Triggerpoint Dry Needling?" TDN all started when doctors would insert needles into muscles for various reasons and they observed that each and every time there would be an involuntary twitch of that muscle. Not much was thought of it, until that involuntary twitch was researched. It was learned that this response can in fact help treat muscular ailments. So in short, the process starts with the clinician palpating the injured/effected area feeling for "triggerpoints." Once a triggerpoint is felt, a very low gauge needle is inserted into that muscle. The needle is pulled in and out, but never coming out from under the skin. Each individual poke on muscle fibers will elicit a twitch response. this twitch response is what the clinician is seeking. When this occurs there are several chemical and physiological changes that occur within that individual muscle which help with the healing process. The insertion of the needle itself is in fact painless, in fact, I would be surprised if anyone could actually feel the needle being inserted. The sensation of a muscle "twitch" varies from patient to patient and is often described as cramp-like sensation. After the initial treatment, depending on the duration and the number of triggerpoints that were treated, the patient will generally have some minor residual soreness which typically lasts about 24 hours. It seems that majority of patients realize the best results after 2-4 treatments and individual treatments can last up to 72 hours with out feeling the original symptoms.
Triggerpoint Dry Needling can be used to help treat the following conditions:
Muscular Hematomas
Muscle Tears
Compartment Syndrome
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splints)
Rotator Cuff Injuries
Tennis Elbow
My Experience With Dry Needling
After my last attempt at running that Sunday morning, I knew something had to be done, otherwise there was no way I would finish my marathon on the 18th. I called up Orthopedic and Spine Therapy (OST) to schedule an appointment as soon as possible, specifically for dry needling. Luckily, with my insurance I was able to schedule an appointment without a doctors referral. OST was able to get me in on Wednesday morning. That morning, I went in not really knowing what to expect. I have no issues or fears with needles, never have. I was expecting the twitch to feel similar to the use of an e-stim (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) unit, which really has no pain involved at all. After a brief analysis of my "injury," we jumped right into the Dry Needling. Just as I had read, the insertion of the needle was pain free, I couldn't even feel the needle going in. But then he started to poke the muscle belly. Oh boy, that I could feel. Theoretically, a patient will feel a more aggressive twitch in the injured muscle tissue compared to a supple, relaxed, uninjured muscle fiber. The twitch had an electrical pulse feel to it. I could feel my muscles tightening with each individual poke of the needle. Now, I will be completely honest, I am a sucker for pain. I enjoy the way tattoos feel, I enjoy e-stim, and I enjoy suffering - to a point, obviously. The "pain" associated with TDN is a very gentle pain - if that makes sense. It doesn't hurt, but there is a level of discomfort associated with TDN. I have heard that other patients often find themselves holding their breaths or even gasping during some of their twitches. As for me, I found it to be relaxing....yea, I know...weird. My first TDN session consisted of 30-40 minutes of straight dry needling. Some patients can only handle one or two triggerpoints, were I think we did a good dozen individual triggerpoints.
Immediately following my treatment, my calf was tight as hell. We did some light stretching of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (the two muscles of the calf) and ended with 5-10 minutes of just relaxing with a heating pad on my calf. The remainder of the day, my calf was so tight I was forced to walk very gingerly. I tried to stretch it as much as I could to help alleviate some of the tightness. The next day I felt better, still a tightness in the calf, but I was walking normal and felt like if I had to, I could have ran. My plan for prepping for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon was to swim all week and do no running until the week before. I had made two scheduled appointments for additional TDN treatments, on Friday and then Monday.
Friday morning was my second appointment. My calf felt normal going into my appointment, I had little to no residual tightness. This session consisted of few TDN treatments, probably closer to 20 minutes of needling. The twitch responses were not as aggressive nor were they as painful as the first time. I was also walking more easily immediately following the treatments. The next day, I felt great, still a bit tight, but nothing more then how I feel after a tough running workout. I utilized my heating pad and foam roller daily to help with the tightness. I also stretched my calf whenever I had a chance.
The Sunday following my second appoint I finally got out for a run - my first run since being forced to stop in the middle of my run due to the pain in my calf. I wanted to do an 8 mile run consisting of two sets of 3 mile loops done at my goal marathon pace of 6:50/mile. I started the workout with a one mile warm up and jumped into my first set of 3 miles. I felt great, my calf felt like it did earlier in the year. I did notice a slight tightness in my right calf now, but didn't think anything of it. As I got into my second set, it continued to get tighter, until with about a half mile to go, it just locked up, like a bad cramp. I called it a day right there and just walked home. I had no issues with my left calf for the first time in 3 weeks. It was now my right calf. My plan of action now, is to go to my next appointment which is conveniently tomorrow morning and get both calves addressed adn hopefully be a green light in a week. I have never been so unsure about a race. It could go better then planned and I can beat my goal or I could seize up and not even get through the first 5k. I do know one thing though, I will be there at the start line with my game face on and the mentality that I will finish.
I am sold on TDN as an effective treatment for muscular issues, no doubt. The fact that my left calf felt like a new muscle in just a week is remarkable. Now, just to get both calves figured out and hopefully healed up not only to finish the marathon next week, but to set myself up for a successful triathlon season which begins immediately following the marathon. I will definitely update this post after the marathon with how the race went and how I feel TDN treatments effected my ability to run the marathon. But, for right now, I am personally at a loss for proper words to describe how I am feeling about the marathon. I am both excited, as this is one of my all time favorite races, and also a bit scared. Scared of the unknown of what the day will bring. As for TDN, I am believe TDN gets a definite 'YES,' and I would highly recommend it for muscular injuries. You can find a local TDN therapist at this website HERE.
This past weekend Sarah and I picked up a Ninja Professional Blender with Single Serve Cups. I have gone through 2 blenders now, only to have them last for a couple months before they crap out on me for various reasons. For what ever reason, the one that we had last, had been sitting in our cabinets for several years without being used due to a crack in the base causing it to leak everywhere when I would use it. Finally, Sarah agreed to make an upgrade in our kitchen and get a true blender. We picked up the Ninja from Target which was on sale for $140, plus we got a $25 gift card when we bought it. Let me tell you, this thing is a BEAST! It has three layers of blades and comes with two single serving mugs with drinking lids. One of the main reasons I wanted a new high quality blender is to make green smoothies - or smoothies made with a leafy greens base. These smoothies use various ingredients, but mainly some sort of leafy green, such as kale, spinach, mustard, or collard greens. In order to truly blend up the leaves into a drinkable smoothie, you need a decent blender to get the job done.
This morning I was finally able to put the Ninja to work and put together my first greens smoothie, which I had for breakfast. My plan is to try and replace one meal a day with a greens smoothie and maybe....someday use them as alternative meal for a sustainable low carb diet. Right now, however, I am just focusing in on real foods and not focusing in on avoiding carbohydrates. Below is the recipe I used for my smoothie. It was adapted from the video below which was posted by Ben Greenfield at Ben Greenfield Fitness, who I listen too, probably way too much, but oh well, he's a wealth of knowledge and really knows his shit. Plus he is not afraid to stray away from the "big dollar diets" which are often formed by our government through deep pocket government interest groups such as corn growers and the milk farmers.
Anyway....below is the "recipe" I used to make my first greens smoothie....
Plenty of Kale (about 2-4 handfuls). But, again, feel free to use what you got, whether it's spinach or whatever.
3 Brazil nuts and a small handful of almonds. Yup, whole nuts...just another reason for a high quality blender.
Whole fat REAL coconut milk (about 1/2 cup - 1 cup)
Apple Cider Vinegar (about 1-3 Tbsp)
Whole Banana
Generous serving of cinnamon (helps stabilize blood sugar)
MCT Oil (Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil)...I will admit, this was the closest thing my local nutritional store had for MCT Oil, but it is only 93% MCT's....needless to say I will be ordering my MCT oil online from now on.
And finally, I tossed in my daily dose of Hammer Supplements....feel free to toss in your daily multivitamins or other supplements.
And after a little blending.....
The finished product with THICK, and definitely filling. The taste? It was OK, nothing that I would be guzzling by the gallons, but not too bad, tolerable, for sure. If I would add more cinnamon next time and maybe a splash of vanilla extract.
Here is the YouTube Video from Ben Greenfield about his smoothie:
It was only a matter of time before Sarah would have to go back to work. But I guess I didn't realize that day that was once so far out in the future was suddenly here. Sarah knew the day was coming and had complete mixed emotions of returning to work, as I am sure, so many other mothers have. On one had she couldn't wait to get back to work. She craved adult interactions, a more regular schedule, our "usual routine," and of course some time away from hearing "Let it Go" from Frozen. Me on the other hand, had a different view on her going back to work. To me, it meant, back to reality with busier nights, more chores around the house, and less family time in general. It also meant that it was time for my paternity leave to commence. When we had our first daughter, Maya, Sarah took at lease 8 weeks of leave and then I took a couple weeks during the transition of her going back to work, to prolong sending Maya to my Aunt's for child care. With our second, Delaney, I was just starting a new job and still on probation with the Sheriff's Office. It also feel right during our busiest time of the year with Country USA and other various festivals. I only missed 2 and a half days from work for her birth and that was it. Honestly, looking back, it seems as though I barely remember Delaney's infant stages. Now, with Harper, I wanted to be sure to lend a helping hand as I did with Maya, so I took a total of 15 days of leave from work to spend time with the kids. I planed it out that I would take all my time after Sarah returns to work, to keep the kids out of child care. This past Thursday was my first day alone with Maya (4), Delaney (2), and Harper (7 wks), on top of a dog (female), and 2 cats (both female). Yup, that's right, if you add it all up that brings the tally to 6 girls and one lonely guy. I was both anxious and excited all in one.
My day began, just any other day for myself, but making my daily to do list the night before going to bed. My day looked pretty busy, which was a good thing, it meant that we would be on the go all day and little time for fights, tantrums, arguments, messes, broken/missing toys, punishments, etc. There was only one thing on my list that I questioned whether or not I would be able to check off by the end of the day.... and I'll let you guess which it was.
The girls woke up around their usual time of 6:45-7:00 and it was game time! I was up and at 'em. I fed both the older girls breakfast right away and had them watching a movie so I could start working on my to do list. Sarah fed Harper just before leaving for work. Knowing that Harper goes about 3 hours between feedings (+/- 10 minutes - no joke), she would need to eat around 8ish. When 8:00 rolled around I was right in the middle of paying bills, so I needed to rely on my big helper: Maya. She stepped up to the plate and help out with feeding Harper. Secret is, she absolutely LOVES doing anything with Harper, whether it be carrying, feeding, dressing, bathing, or even just holder her. So she had no clue just how much she was helping me out by feeding her. To her, I was doing her a favor by letting her feed Harper. She even said, "Thanks Daddy!" Imagine that!
With Maya having school at the YMCA at 12:30, I planned my workout to coincide with that to make our lives easier and minimize the running around to as little as possible. Our YMCA has an awesome drop-in child care service for members to utilize while the adults use the facilities. It is an awesome benefit and especially considering how cheap it is - plus our kids truly LOVE going there and playing and doing crafts and projects. I was scheduled to get in a 10 mile run that day, so instead of getting my butt out of bed at 4am, I figured I would take advantage of the Kid's Korner and bring the kids to the Y with me and just run on a treadmill. After some simple time crunching, I figured I would leave around 10:30 to have the kids in child care, and on a treadmill running by 11am in order to have enough to time to shower and get the kids out of child care to get Maya to her class (at the Y) by 12:30. It worked like a charm...Bingo-Bango.
After dropping Maya off at school, it was just me and the little 2 for the next few hours, until I had to pick Maya up from school at 2:45. After getting home, Harper was sound asleep, and Laney was asking to watch a movie....perfect! I put on Puss in Boots for Delaney, and tossed Harper in her swing and I actually was able to get a few minutes to myself to start prepping stuff for dinner and eat a lunch for myself.
Sarah was planning on being home no later than 4:30, but around 2:00 she called. It turned out they were busier then they anticipated and needed someone to stay a little later to help out. She called to see if I was indeed surviving and would be able to handle the evening hours as well, as she didn't think she would be home until after 6:30. Oh boy, I thought, but sure, I can handle this. All I needed to do was pick Maya up from school, give the kids a snack, get Maya to her first night of dance class, bring her waiver to participate, all while maintaining Harper's homeostasis. Sounded easy enough! So I told Sarah she can stay if she wanted, as we could use the extra cash. So, 2:45 came rolling around and I was on time for picking Maya up from school and we decided to pick up Mommy a special treat from the grocery store for her first day back to work. We were going to surprise her with "Make Your Own Sundae Night" after dinner. So, the four of us trucked on down to the local grocery store and I pushed Harper in a cart, while Maya and Delaney both pushed their own "Customer In Training" Kiddie Carts. We picked up some extra apples and carrots for the home, and then the girls each got to pick out their own toppings for the sundaes. I picked strawberries and mini angel food cake cups (since I know Sarah loves them). Maya picked Cool Whip and Sprinkles. Delaney picked chocolate syrup.
After getting home I gave the girls a quick snack before dance class and fed Harper her afternoon bottle. Before I realized it, it was almost time to get Maya to dance class. We quickly changed her into her dance outfit and for the 3rd time I loaded up my "Man-Van" and tucked the girls over to Maya's dance class. The class only ran a half hour and I brought our iPad to entertain Delaney, so the half hour came and went in the blink of an eye. Maya absolutely loved her dance class, but really, who would though otherwise? We were done and home around 6:15ish and the dinner was just about done cooking, as I had it set and ready to be done around 6:30. In the morning I prepped a simple Hawaiian Chicken Dinner in the crock pot. I set the table and before we knew it Mom and finally home. The day flew by, but left me with the confidence that I can handle the three of them again, with minimal problems.....so long as we have a full schedule.
Just to share some pictures, I'll fill y'all in on what we did the next few days. Friday I had SWAT training during the day and my cousin held their wedding ceremony that afternoon which Sarah and the girls attended while I was at training. We met up with each other later in the afternoon for the reception, which was at the same hall Sarah and I had our reception at. All three girls were well behaved and had a blast! It really made Sarah and I sit back and realize, how lucky we are to have three healthy, well behaved, beautiful girls, all on top of a caring and loving family.
On Saturday, our local YMCA held their annual "Healthy Kids Day," to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for kids in the valley. I brought Maya and Delaney there and met my parents there as Sarah and Harper went to her cousins wedding shower. The girls got to participate in obstacle courses, a mini NFL combine, see fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, race cars, a police bomb sniffing K-9, numerous projects, and anything and everything a kid could possible want to do or see.
