Can You Feel It?

I can! It's (half) marathon season!

In case you didn't see my training chart (or forgot), it's a 5 mile week! And since I didn't run...oh, pretty much ALL SUMMER! I must admit that I am feeling it. The delightful, yet miserable combination of pain and general discomfort. Also, I'm a chronic under-eater. I eat food all the time - but I feel full so quickly. And I'm training for a half marathon. Which means I need to eat extra food to fuel my body. You burn approximately 100 calories for every mile you run. Every day I run, I'm running 5 miles or more and that means I have to eat an extra 500+ calories. [Side note: It is advised for women who run intensively to consume at least 2,500 calories every day!!! If you consume less, it is important to get your iron levels checked by your doctor.] Yikes... SO I have to plan out my meals so I know I'm getting a) all of my servings and b) enough calories. I eat a diet high in vegetables: vegetables = high fiber, low calories. And dang it is hard to eat enough calories when you're full of vegetables!!! So I plan out five mini "meals" every day and then allow myself to splurge on dessert. This week it is pecan crunch. There is also cashew crunch. Let's just say this is a definite weakness. A hot cup of tea and a piece of crunch and I'm all set. That's one way to relax after a day of work!

Anyway, I've been feeling good because I am planning out my meals to get all of my servings and enough calories. Today my body felt pretty good. Some minor soreness in my hips. (Q angle strikes again?) Just some minor muscle aches. Make abrupt directional changes? Prepare to feel some joint in your body crack - in a good way. I have the highest expectations for this round of training. Which also means an increased potential for pain. But "no pain, no gain" right? Today I had a chance to talk to a pharmacist, who is also a fellow runner, about the pros and cons of NSAIDs. That's non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for you less medicine-savvy folk. Also known as ibuprofen (advil, motrin), naproxen (aleve) and aspirin (bayer, bufferin). They have properties to reduce fevers and minor muscular aches. Ibuprofen and naproxen also block prostaglandins, a type of protein, that cause inflammation. This minimizes inflammation and swelling in the body. Of course, on the backs of all the boxes of NSAIDs it says things like "do not take for more than 10 days" etc etc etc. I'm training for a half marathon... it's not always pretty and some days you are in so much pain that you cry yourself to sleep. I looked up so pros and cons for ibuprofen and naproxen. (Aspirin does not block prostaglandins and is consequently less popular within the distance running community.) This all started the other day. I was taking ibuprofen a few hours after a run. I was taking the same amount I've always taken - since high school, but for some reason I checked the recommended dose anyway. Needless to say I was taking more than the guided dose and that made me nervous. Historically I am an ibuprofen girl, but naproxen uses fewer pills/dose so I wanted to get the facts straight. I finally had a chance to talk to the pharmacist knowing that I have eight weeks of intense training in my future and wanting to do the best thing for my body - not just for my legs, but for my stomach and liver. The pharmacist confirmed what I was doing though. Naproxen has a dosage of one pill every twelve hours. Sounds great right? Well... when you're training and taking a pill that may not actually provide twelve hours of pain relief, good in theory but bad in practice. So onto ibuprofen. I had taken three 200mg pills. A dose that I have been taking since at least my sophomore year of high school, if not earlier. (Yes, this dose was OKed by multiple nurses and yes I am still alive with a functioning liver, but I want to be kind to my hepatocytes.) You see, the label recommended taking one 200mg pill every four to six hours, but not to exceed six pills within twenty four hours. How is THAT supposed to get me through my training woes? Well false alarm. Probably in part due to the abuse of other OTC pain relievers (chiefly acetaminophen), the dosage ceiling of ibuprofen is advertised as being much lower than it actually is. Six 200mg pills, or 1200mg, every twenty four hours is the advertised dose ceiling. You can actually take up to four 200mg pills at one time, up to three times a day. That's twelve 200mg pills, or 2400mg. TWICE the advertised dosage. Way to give me a false alarm makers of ibuprofen... Also, because of the faster metabolism time, you can overlap pills if needed. No need to wait twelve hours between doses. Ibuprofen wins! Still, I try to be smart. Since the initial label incident, I have been taking only one 200mg pill at a time. I've been running 5 miles. I'm uncomfortable, not dead. In theory my body will appreciate me more when I'm running 9 miles and really hurting...

My second label scuffle of the day: ultra strength muscle rub. When you train for a half marathon, you quickly realize that muscle rub is not just for old people with arthritis. Menthol has pretty steller properties. [Also random fact: my cats think menthol is better than cat nip. Use responsibly.] This wouldn't have been an issue because I've used it before and know better... but there is nothing on my new box of ultra strength muscle rub to dissuade people from using the product before or after bathing. This is a huge NO. You must wait an hour before or after bathing/swimming/sweating before using muscle rub. Anything with methyl salicylate cannot be used with any increased chance of moisture: water, sweat, or otherwise. It's common knowledge (okay, coming from the person who cares because they run so they use it) Trust me - I've used it prior to running, and once you start sweating, you will feel like you are on fire! But for those who have not used it and are not aware of this unfortunate combination? Poor product advisory column! Bad news bears, muscle rub distribution company.

Unless you are planning on running a half marathon anytime soon, I realize this is probably a lame entry. But better luck next time.