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10/14/2006
Running up that hill
Before starting our first IVF, about 500 million years ago, way back in the Paleozoic era during that brief but turbulent period geologists like to call the Early Craptaceous, Paul and I had to undergo what our clinic called a psycho-diagnostic interview. This was a two-hour meeting with the staff psychologist that entailed discussion of our expectations, our coping styles, and our approach to some of the ethical issues ART involves.
Part of the assessment was done through conversation; another part was done through a written questionnaire, the kind where you indicate that you "strongly agree," "somewhat agree," et cetera, on down the line to "Okay, wait, you're serious? No, really. Seriously?" The statements at issue ran along these lines:
- I am angry at my partner for selfishly undergoing the lifesaving chemotherapy that rendered his poor beleaguered testes unable to produce sperm.
- Sex drive? Hahahahaha. Ohhhh. Good one, dude.
- I feel guilty that I am unable to give my partner the only thing she truly wants — an Audi. Wait, did I say Audi? Sorry. I meant a child.
- I feel ridiculously unsuccessful at even the most basic of biological functions, although — well, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am pretty excellent at crying.
- Carefree-looking pregnant women can blow me, Jack.
We talked about my insomnia, which is the form my anxiety takes. We talked about my reluctance to discuss the details of our treatment with my family, because, as my grandmother once said, speaking for us all, "I don't like unpleasant things." We talked about stress relief, with the psychologist kindly giving me a thick sheaf of photocopies outlining silent and motionless exercises to do as I lay in bed, wide awake and freaked out while Paul slept solidly next to me. And we talked about my endometriosis, which causes a great deal of pain during the middle and end of my cycle.
"Have you tried running uphill during your period?" she asked. "It will improve the muscle tone in your lower abdomen."
- I stare blankly at well-meaning professionals when they recommend physical activity, particularly of the sort that requires heavy breathing, sweating, and, oh, hey, DID I MENTION MY PERIODS HURT LIKE A LITTLE WHITE BITCH?
Strongly, strongly agree.
Doctor Mama wrote an inspiring series of posts intended to turn her readers into runners. At the time of her first post, I wrote, "Thank you! I promise to consider thinking about it, which is about eight miles closer to doing it than I've ever been before."
I promised, so I considered. And having considered, I thought about it. And having done that, I started today. As she recommended, I went slowly, "so slowly that you could probably walk faster." (I did, on the walking portions of my walk/run alternations.) "So slowly that you will feel humiliated if you see anyone you know." (I did, and I was, so it must be working.) I went so slowly on the trails through the park that I distinctly heard the rev of a slime mold's engine as it blew past me through the leaf mast, every one of its millions of fruiting bodies jeering, "Eat my spore-spewing dust."
I did not hate it. In fact, I sort of enjoyed it. Since that is probably the most enthusiastic endorsement of exercise you will ever hear me utter, you may assume I will continue. Take that, class Mycetozoa!
After our interview with the psychologist, we left feeling disturbed, not because we felt any less equipped for what we thought lay in store, but because it was clear that there were people whose answers were sadder than ours, people who'd been hit harder by infertility than we had. People who disliked themselves or blamed each other. People whose relationships were shaken before even starting.
Later I would read her report from the session, and I would feel I'd been grievously misunderstood. "[Julie and Paul] cite major ambivalence about having a child," she wrote. "I think their ambivalence will enable them to accept the results of any negative outcome of this treatment."
At the time I read the report, after the failure of our third cycle, this infuriated me. How, I wondered, could anyone accept the "negative outcome" — the bizarre ways each try had gone haywire — with anything but anger and grief and the bitterest disappointment? Furthermore, if we were so ambivalent, would we even be doing all this?
But in a certain sense she was right. Although we were sure we wanted one child, we had reservations about how our lives would change; those have been borne out and then some. If those reservations were strong before Charlie, they're stronger now, and it does make the last failures easier. And I suspected even before the last cycle that it wouldn't end up working, but we did it anyway, and are contemplating what comes next.
500 million years later, here in the Middle Labyrinthine, when nothing seems clear anymore, I owe her an apology.
Popular lore has it that the champagne glass — not the flute favored by people who actually like their bubbly bubbly, but the inferior shorter, wide-mouthed coupe that causes carbonation to disperse more quickly — was modeled on the breast of Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henri II of France. It is said that she commissioned a glassblower to recreate her shape because the king had long harbored a fantasy to drink wine from her breast.
(Trust me. I am going somewhere with this. I know! Slime molds, infertility, and champagne all in one post. What can I say? I like to get a little crazy on Saturday nights.)
By contrast, if my breasts had a liquor-related analog, it would be one of those giant 6,000-gallon washbacks used for fermenting single malt.
(Look, I didn't say I was going anywhere good with it.)
What I mean to say is that the restraining of my rack is a serious business indeed. I took to heart the advice of Doctor Mama, who says all you need to start running are half an hour every other day, comfortable running shoes, and a supportive bra. Enter Enell and its Last Resort.
It has approximately a dozen hooks up the front. Its upper edge hits me somewhere between the collarbones. Its satiny fabric conceals, I don't know, guttapercha? Chain mail? Kevlar? Whatever it is, it's strong. Wearing that bra, I am gently but uncompromisingly cradled, my breasts pillowy mounds in the iron fist in the velvet glove. But this flibbertigibbet rhapsody is intended to convey only one thought: On my inaugural run, my breasts went nowhere without me.
The recommendation for this bra came from Jul. I am grateful for the suggestion, and for Doctor Mama's step-by-step course on how to get started. I assume that there are runners here — because, hey, do you know a group more likely to be committed to physical fitness than depressed infertiles, pregnant neurotics, and harried mothers? I would like your advice, if you please.
What do I need to know as a beginning runner? What common mistakes should I try to avoid? What the hell am I going to do come January in New England, because, Jesus, people, it snows here!
Oh, and does running uphill help with menstrual cramps? Because if so, damn, that psychologist's good.
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I have the chance to be the first commenter, and it's a post about RUNNING? Can't help you there, Julie, but more power to you. And your imprisoned boobage!
First, let me say that my RE doctor also gave us a battery of questions before our IVF.
-How will you be paying?
-Will you get airline miles with this card?
As for running, I speed walk since I hate the feel of my jiggly bits trying to out run me on the trail. And I don't mean the breasts.
I speed walk at 7 in the morning but only because we go to a local bakery for tea and bread before or after the walk. It has worked for over two years for my neighbor and me. I happen to know New England is nothing but a festering hole of bakeries so get going, Missy!
Running....hmmm sounds like torture. I like swimming myself. I live in New England too, though, and it does snow here. And even in the middle of the summer this year our pool was cold enough to freeze the tits off a witch.
Good luck with it. I can't imagine running uphill when I have cramps, though. I just want to curl up with a heating pad and die. Let us know how it works for you.
I'm absolutely no help with the running question...I'm allergic to exercise...
But, yay! for you! and your boobs!
Ha! I have that same bra, which I like to think of as "the corset." Title 9 actually also offers some other bras that have done the trick (to my surprise), though I have been walking and not running, so the corset might be the order of the day for running... Good luck and as always, you have all my admiration!
Oh, dear. I believe I commented right after you did on that first Doctor Mama post, saying that I would also consider thinking about it. But now you've actually gone and RUN. Damn. Does this mean I really have to do it, too? And uphill, no less? Because, as it happens, I have menstrual cramps right this very minute.
It still disturbs me to read that in some places infertile people are required to do such psychological evaluations before they can receive treatment in their quest to become parents. Either the tests should be eliminated, or everyone should have to take them.
I understand where you are coming from about evaluating what to do next since your cycle was cancelled. I start the big drugs for our new IVF next week, and this will be our last IVF. (Thankfully, after much horror, we had a success who is sleeping upstairs now.) But for 10 minutes I tell myself what will happen if the cycle works -- introducing the new baby to Jack, figuring out life with a new baby, etc. And then for the next 10 minutes I tell myself what will happen if it does work: I start running again, I lose more weight, I buy new clothes, I go for a fabulous spa day, etc.
FYI, I've been running to lose they weight, and slowly increased the running (and by running I mean slowest ever jog you've ever seen) time as compared to the walking time. I got to where I was running for 20 minutes and walking for 5. But then I read about this freaking study [ http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/060929/29womenshealth.htm?s_cid=rss:site1 ] about how those who jogged/run for 4 hours a week or more for the last 1 to 9 years were much less likely to be successful in their IVF cycles.
So I freaking quit running again. I miss it. I will get back to it. But I wanted to make sure you saw this too, just in case you decided to go back for another cycle.
Hmm... running advice. I've never found running to help with any kind of cramps, though wouldn't that be nice. I found it helpful to hook up with a group (I did austinfit which was marathon training). They followed a run 10 min, walk 1 minute schedule. Which was doable. We gradually built up on both time and milage. I also found my iPod to be a very valuable companion. The more driving the beat, the better I did with the running. And once a month my friend and I would have giant pancake feasts to reward ourselves for sticking with it that month (similar to the bakery idea, I guess). Good luck!
The only thing that helps endo is drugs and curling up into a little ball...
As for the running, I know a bit as my husband is a committed runner/marathoner. Must purchase high quality shoes at a running store and have the clerks watch you run to make sure the shoes are okay. Don't run downhills and walk uphills. Very painful, takes about 6 weeks to heal all the knots in the calves (I know by experience). Find a running group, or someone who runs at your own pace. Also, having a goal in mind is good, such as a 5K race, and then building up to that goal. Try to run on soft surfaces (no sidewalks/roads). Hard surfaces can be very jarring on the joints.
Back in the day.. meh 2002.. I ran. When winter creeped up I started going to our local hockey arena. They opened it up during the mornings and evenings for walkers and runners. You can do laps, and they even had lane separators. Of course maybe that is strictly a Canadian thing.
But yep, I ran when there was snow. I highly recommend a electric car starter. It's flippin cold getting into a car when you've cooled down and are still wet.
Running laps is the WORST. In New England winters, stay outside if you can stand it, and fleece is your friend. Fleece pants, fleece jacket, fleece scarf, fleece mittens, fleece hat. Depending on how much you sweat, the fleece may wick it away from you to the surface of your jacket, where it will form frost! Awesome! And slow the heck down in the winter, even more so than normal, because you never know when your feet are going to slip out from under you. Good job!
Have a slipped in to some weird time warp? I suppose that I'm going to click on Tertia's blog to see that she's now teaching jazzercise?
(Seriously, though? Good job! And, are you familiar with the little things you can clip on to your shoes so that you don't fall on your ass when it gets to be winter there next week?)
I like running now, but hated it when I started. One thing that helps me whenever I feel slow is to make the slowness itself a challenge. I tell myself I'm going to go so slowly that I'll impress everyone with how slow I can go and still be running. Okay, that works for me because I'm a dork. But also because there was this lady who I used to see running almost every day at lunch, and she actually did impress me with how slow she ran. I mean, it was a crawl. But she was out there, running, or rather, shuffling along, every day. And bundled up in long pants, a jacket, and a warm hat even in the summer time. I think she might have been sick. But her slowness was something to aspire to: "I can go almost as slow as that weird molasses lady."
Also, it's really easy to go slow when you have a baby in a jogging stroller. It also keeps your run times short. My two and a half year old has about a 20 minute attention span for sitting in the jogger. See if you can borrow one before you buy it, though. It can be pricy if it's only going to sit in the garage.
Congrats on starting a fitness program. I know it's not easy to psycho yourself up for these things when you've been slothing off in that department. Like me. At the moment I'm just doing a lot of walking. I'll never be a 'runner' again (not that I ever ran for fun - played a lot of sports for many years) because I've had waaaaay too many knee surgeries for that.
I love running, but gave up at the start of this pregnancy as all my miscarriages have started after some heavy excercise. [This is pure superstition, btw, my m/c are all to do with low prog and an antiphospholipid thingy. sorry, I'm digressing, but I felt I had to excuse my pregnancy].
My tip would be to run somewhere scenic- the park sounds ideal. Don't start by running around a track, it is as boring as batshit, and nothing will turn you off sooner. I prefer to run alone; having a running buddy only serves to remind me how slow I am. I love Bex' idea of trying to see how slow you can get, too.
It does help with my period cramps, but then I don't have e'osis, just regular cramps.
And, oh, it *never* snows in Sydney, so wouldn't have the first clue about that, sorry.
Just stopping by for the first time & trying to catch up with everything.
congrats on the running & finding a bra that works. I'm still looking, but then again, I have seen a few that looked (and promised) to be great, but at $100 upwards, it's going to be a few years before I can afford them! I wonder if I can count them as tax deductable?
On the ambivilence thing - that's only normal for anyone who has actually thought about the reality if having a baby. however much you do (or don't) want it, you know it's going to change your life & change is scary. I'd be far more concerned about a couple who thought everything was going to carry on exacty as before (I've met some)!
I used to say running was boring. Then I wanted to get in shape for our wedding, and discovered that actually it was fun, not to mention the weight loss sideline. Then I started IVF, freaked out about exercise damaging my chances, and stopped again. Now I'm inbetween, having gained weight and lost fitness, not to mention buggering up my back, so that now it hurts to run and the physio told me I had to stop because I'm putting too much strain on it.
So my advice is (i) yes, the bra, so glad you found one, (ii) the shoes, like someone else said, make sure they watch you run in them, they can make sure you've got the right shape shoes, (iii) Keep pushing yourself to run a bit more than you did the day before, (iv) ipod, (v) can't help with the snow as I just move inside and run at the gym during the crappy weather and you may not want to spend that much money, although (vi) a bit of weight training helps with the running.
But everyone else told you that already, so I'll just say have fun. I wonder what the psychologist would have said about us before we started, if they'd made us see one. "Completely fixated on having a child, do not cross on any account"??
I don't have endo however my one trip to the ER in the back of an ambulance was because I had forgotten to take my period pain medication that morning and I ended up collapsed on the floor at work, calling for an epidural. Since then I have taken 500mg of naproxen twice a day for every day of my period. But then a couple of months ago I went on the Dr Joshi 21-Day Detox (just for fun) and when I got my period I had NO CRAMPS. Well, maybe a tweak. But I didn't even need to take Tylenol. I can't explain this, and I don't know if it would help an endo-sufferer, but maybe it could? As for jogging, it has only ever caused me pain so I just walk fast.
When I started running, I bought Claire Kowalchik's The Complete Book of Running for Women, which I love and still refer to. Also - all those people who tell you you only need shoes are liars or southerners. You already have a good bra. Now you need good winter time clothes, because you won't run this winter if you're cold or if you're uncomfortable from wearing five layers (learned that one the hard way). And I second whoever up there said to sign up for a 5K to give yourself a goal. There's a Couch to 5K 10 week running program somewhere in the internets that's pretty good, I think.
Go Julie go!
Love that bra!! That is the only way that I can run. For the colder months, get some Under Armour. It got me through 6am runs in Ohio last winter.
Good luck!
That program Courtney just referred to is here http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml I've actually recently started it and will do wk4 this week. As someone who has always pooh poohed running and how bad it is for your joints etc (but always secretly been jealous of those people running) I'm actually really enjoying it. Although so far I'm seeing no weight loss benefits I'm proud of myself for sticking with it, I also do 2 mornings of weight classes at the gym, so 5 days in all. But then I'm single and don't have to worry about fitting a child into my schedule. Good luck with it, and your future cycles.
Oh and like drjen I'm in Melbourne so the weather is getting nicer and nicer and eventually I'll run round the local park rather than on the treadmill at the gym.
running uphill with cramps envokes images of sisyphus pushing his rock up the steep hill for all eternity but maybe that's just me. i just can't imagine getting out and running when in that much pain but maybe i should try it as well. i would also like to start running and thank you for the link to dr. mom's beginner tips. i find exercise really staves off my anxiety and depression. i truly think i wouldn't need any anti-depressants if i ran everyday (i used to but can't now because of a bum foot. but! i'm getting it fixed!) i'll be following your progress in admiration and maybe i'll join you in a few months after i'm healed. and running in the winter? is there a Y with a track nearby? or you could just walk really fast in an indoor mall while pushing the boy. treadmills blow and i find them mind-numbingly boring. but that is just one little white bitch's opinion.
this is terribly un-PC and all but you know what helps me with cramps? pot. smoking a joint when i have terrible cramps makes me feel 100% better and it makes the chocolate binge that much tastier. i'd rather smoke than take pain killers so it works.
not sure why i'm delurking to comment on running of all things as i detest moving faster than a brisk stroll, but when i worked at gardener's supply in burlington one year, they sold yak trax. grippy spikey things that attach to the bottom of shoes like snow tires. i suppose they'd help with the traction issue you're bound to encounter.
I did the Couch to 5K program from coolrunning.com and it was great. I started running in June, and I can now comfortably run 5 miles once a week. I run about 3 miles the other 3 days/week. The message boards on the Cool Running website have been terrific for getting questions answered.
The best thing I did was joined a running group right away. I joined a group called www.momsinmotion.com. It was great because it was just starting out in my area, so most of us had never run before. We trained for 10 weeks and at the end, we ran the Race for the Cure 5K. If I hadn't joined this group, I probably would've given up early on.
Running tidbits. Hmm. I haven't run in a long time, but when I did, I started from scratch: hated it, built up to tolerating it, realized one day that it felt kinda good, ended up really loving it. I started some months into a losing-weight process, when I was starting to feel like I might have it in me to try something new and more physical...and I was intriguied by the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program; my friend had recently run the New York Marathon with them. Went to a meeting, found out that I needed to build more of an "aerobic base" (20 minutes a day) first, worked on doing that, and trained with them all summer before running a half-marathon in September.
The beginning was hell. I would finish every run feeling like I was dying - gasping for air, heart rate somewhere in the stratosphere, headache from stopping too fast, sore muscles the next day. Then one day, I finished a run, dropped to a walk, and realized that I felt fine. In fact, I felt all nice and loose and relaxed and awake. From then on, I started feeling like maybe I could be a runner.
Mind you, every time I went out, no matter how carefully I warmed up, the first half-mile always sucked. But after that, it was fine. And I knew I was hooked one day, when I'd had a particularly rotten day, and instead of thinking, "I need Ben and Jerry's," I thought, "I need to go run."
So..advice. Don't ignore blisters. You can get these wonderful pads that cover them, and they help a lot. But more important, if you tend to get blisters in the same place...it might be the shoes. I ran on a pair of bad shoes for a while, and ended up with terrible blisters on my arches...and then sore bones on the outsides of my feet from favoring the sore blisters. Eventually, I found a store up here in my new habitat that helped: they had me try on different pairs of shoes and run up and down the sidewalk outside while they looked to see what my stride was doing. Not cheap shoes, but the most comfortable I've ever had. And they didn't try to sell me the fanciest priciest ones, either. They said, "You don't seem to actually need the Big Ticket stability control shoe, but this medium-supportive one might be just the ticket."
You can get these nifty double-layer socks that help prevent blisters: the outer layer moves with your shoe, while the other layer stays nice and smooth against your foot. LOVE them.
Drink lots of water.
If you get stitches in your side, besides staying hydrated and stretching well, there's an easy trick you can try in mid-run. Try noticing which foot hits the ground as you inhale (most of us are right-foot breathers). Try inhaling on your other foot for a while. Alternate now and then.
When I was up to a fair amount of mileage during the day, I'd find myself waking up hungry at night. Not just, "Gee, I wonder if I left a cookie in the jar" peckish but "FEED ME NOW" hungry. A snack with a little protein in it before bedtime really helped.
I don't run well with other people - always felt like I was holding them back.
I pulled a hip flexor at one point. Friends recommended some good stretches, and another friend suggested going to the gym and doing some general leg strengthening weight training. Leg presses (for quads) seemed especially helpful: stronger quads meant that the smaller hip flexors weren't being overworked trying to raise my legs on each stride.
Sunglasses. Love the sunglasses.
Warm up and cool down! Walk for a while on either end of the run. Try to stretch after you've warmed up: walk a little, or do a slow jog, then stretch. (Cold muscles don't like to stretch.)
Give it time. =)
Have fun -
Oh, for good cheap winterwear go to TJMaxx. I haven't had to run in winter conditions yet, but I've been told to stay away from cotton, and go for the "wicking" stuff. I found several long-sleeved shirts for about $10 each.
January?
Take up swimming at the local Y. ok, well that's what I do. So, of course you should too.
and then there's still the matter of the concrete shoes for Gilligan and his swim in the lake...
I also did couch-to-5k, having literally been unable to complete one quarter-mile lap before starting, and now I run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler every year. :) Starting slowly is key, as you already know, and the other other advice I would have is about socks and knees. Socks: don't be afraid to wear 2 pairs. Don't be afraid to wear Smartwool over regular running socks, even if you look like a dork. It's ok to let the running socks take over your sock drawer, sucking up your fun socks and spitting out the colorful strings.
Knees: a lot of first-time runners get a strained ITB (illio-tibial band, i think), which is both really painful and really easy to prevent - look online for ITB stretches. Also, make sure your calves and your quads get the same amout of stretching, otherwise your knee caps will suffer.
Good luck! you've inspired me to go for a jog RIGHT NOW :)
Long comment coming...sorry...
I'm a runner (doing the Chicago Marathon next week), though I'm not a *good* runner. I'm very slow. I am also formerly a woman of truly giant breasts (that is, until I took the check from my 5th egg donation straight to the plastic surgeon).
My number one suggestion for beginning runners would be exactly what you did - get a really good supportive bra. Not one of those cute pull-over-the-head ones like yoga girls wear. I have to consciously stop myself from stepping in front of women whose breasts are swinging around in a U pattern as they run and handing them pre-printed cards listing several models of bras designed for high-impact for D-DD-DDD-areyouserious cups.
Ok. That aside. I found when I started, and still today, can be motivation. One very true thing is that if you start doing this consistently for a month, you will start to *want* to do it. I totally didn't buy that, but it was true. However, it still takes me an hour or so to get my lazy ass out the door in the winter. The best advice I got on this point always works for me. If you don't feel like going, get dressed and just plan to go a block and come back. Once you are out there and you get to the end of the block, see if you feel like going 2 blocks. Sometimes, this ends up being less than a mile run for me (I usually do 3 or 4), but most of the time, once I am out there and going, I feel good that I'm going.
On this point, I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of comfortable running clothes that are not too tight or pinchy. If you feel good in them, you will be more likely to get out there.
Don't overdress. It is a common beginner mistake to wear too much when it's cool. This tool is pretty good:
http://tools.runnersworld.com/dresstherunner/dress-form.html target=_blank>http://tools.runnersworld.com/dresstherunner/dress-form.html
I actually have my own spreadsheet of what I should wear at what temperature (because I am obsessive and insane, but that's beside the point). The tool helps.
Also, have you read The Penguin? He was a very fat man and is still a very slow man. He writes great, funny, inspirational stuff about running. For some light reading, his books would be worth checking out.
http://www.johnbingham.com/ target=_blank>http://www.johnbingham.com/
I was really encouraged by him when I started and I recommend him to all the new runners.
Finallly, I promise, if you like to keep track of everything, set up a training log. There are tons of them online, but I adore the one that nike has
http://nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml?ref=http://www.nike.com/nikerunning target=_blank>http://nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml?ref=http://www.nike.com/nikerunning
(look in the lower right)
My whole life works by keeping lists of things, and the running log really helps motivate me.
So i guess that's it for now. Feel free to email me if you want.
-egg donor
p.s. I can't resist. This is cool too (map a running route on google maps and get exact distances and such):
http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/index.asp? target=_blank>http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/index.asp?
So now I just read all the comments and I want to "AMEN" to Kristin. I still get hungry at about 2am (an hour before bed) and I eat. I have cereal almost every night.
Running burns between 100 and 120 calories per mile.
And also, I hate running with people too. I would never ever join a running group. That helps some people, but don't do it if you hate people :)
Done commenting now...really...promise.
If you're lazy like me, but you like running, I have a trick for you. Just tell your body that you're going to put on your running clothes. Tell your body you're JUST putting on your clothes... nothing more. No obligation. And then once you have your running clothes on, your body gets all antsy and says, "Ah hell, I have a crazy idea, let's go running!" And you have tricked it into a nice little run.
I'm so proud, I'm verklempt.
I was worried that that study mentioned by Jess would make women afraid to run. I just want to point out a couple of things: first, IF you find the results credible (and the study has issues -- it looks like they had to do a lot of manipulation to get the results they did), it's not the people on the DoctorMama half-hour every other day plan who had trouble. This is directly from the study:
"In general, women in exercise duration category 1 (1–3 hours of exercise per week for 1–9 years) or exercise duration category 3 (1–3 hours of exercise per week for 10–30 years) did not have less successful IVF outcomes than women who do not exercise."
Second, the study started in 1994, when IVF techniques were WAY different than they are now.
I personally didn't run on the days just prior to retrieval, but only because my ovaries felt like angry manatees. (I did, however, drink alcohol. I believe that if everyone undergoing IF treatment were to drink more, run more, and treat themselves less like a malfunctioning vessel, although IVF success might not go UP, the world would be a much happier place.)
The uphill with cramps thing ... can't say my cramps were any less severe after I started running than before, but I don't know that I ever tried that specific maneuver.
hey there,
I ran for a long time in highschool and college. Then I got fat. Then I started running again...it's different now with a lot of body to bring with me. But it's good.
My suggestions:
1. Be hydrated. Lots of water throughout the day will make it so much easier to do.
2. I made a music playlist for my MP3 player. It's my running mix. It has all sorts of good songs with similar "upbeat" beats to them. They are also songs that I love and will sing to when I'm feeling like I want to stop.
3. I go alone. I need a half hour a day where I don't have to be anything to anyone. I just go. I don't have kids yet but I have a partner who would like to come and I have always said no.
4. I love when people stare. I live in Denver, CO....there are more yuppies per city block than anywhere on earth...they like to stare from their SUVs at the 225 pound, beet-red faced woman as she runs past. Also, after a while I don't notice. One of the best things about running is the endorphin high that comes with it. Once you find your sweet spot with running, you go to a different place...you'll see.
5. Shin splints. If you get a searing pain down the front of your shin(s) do this:
Sit with your legs out in front of you. Point your toes and have your sweetie push down on them while you pull up against his resistance. It hurts like a white hot bitch but it will make it feel better, I promise!
That's all. Just some suggestions from a lady who loves to run. In fact...I should go do that right now. Good Luck!
hey there,
I ran for a long time in highschool and college. Then I got fat. Then I started running again...it's different now with a lot of body to bring with me. But it's good.
My suggestions:
1. Be hydrated. Lots of water throughout the day will make it so much easier to do.
2. I made a music playlist for my MP3 player. It's my running mix. It has all sorts of good songs with similar "upbeat" beats to them. They are also songs that I love and will sing to when I'm feeling like I want to stop.
3. I go alone. I need a half hour a day where I don't have to be anything to anyone. I just go. I don't have kids yet but I have a partner who would like to come and I have always said no.
4. I love when people stare. I live in Denver, CO....there are more yuppies per city block than anywhere on earth...they like to stare from their SUVs at the 225 pound, beet-red faced woman as she runs past. Also, after a while I don't notice. One of the best things about running is the endorphin high that comes with it. Once you find your sweet spot with running, you go to a different place...you'll see.
5. Shin splints. If you get a searing pain down the front of your shin(s) do this:
Sit with your legs out in front of you. Point your toes and have your sweetie push down on them while you pull up against his resistance. It hurts like a white hot bitch but it will make it feel better, I promise!
That's all. Just some suggestions from a lady who loves to run. In fact...I should go do that right now. Good Luck!
Ok, after the reading the comments, I have a couple more tips.
Running logs: I'm pretty OCD when it comes to this, so I keep 3. 4 if you count my blog. First, I go to www.runningahead.com to map my route when I get home and log my run there. This is, by far, my favorite mapping site. Second, I use the log at www.coolrunning.com. The only reason I do this is because I've been using for the past couple years (every time I'd start to run then quit after a month). I can't even though I don't really need it anymore. My favorite running log is this one: http://www.davidhays.net/running/runlog/runlog.html It's a downloadable excel spreadsheet that has everything I could possibly need. You can even keep track of your periods on it!
Mapping my runs: I definitely prefer Running Ahead as I mentioned above. I live in a hilly neighborhood, so I love seeing the elevation graph. It's the only site I've found that has this feature.
I wish egg donor hadn't mentioned her winter gear spreadsheet. I so want a copy now!
Hi Julie,
I followed DoctorMama's running plan, and I have to tell you...it's made a runner out of me! I am slow, but I can run about 2.5-3 miles in the 1/2 hour she recommends. It is just the right amount of time for me, as I find I get bored with any longer. The MP3 player definitely helps, too! I am also a well endowed woman, and I found Title Nine has a large selection of sports bras. Most of their models are based on other companies' bras...for example the Enell is the "Last Resort" at Title Nine. I would also recommend the "Three Reasons" bra. Good luck!
I know nothing about running since I am inherently lazy, but interesting thing about the endo...my endo Doc, who is *apparently* the master laser lap surgeon on earth, is very into macrobiotic diets and exercise like Tai Chi for women with endo who feel pain, experience infertility, etc.
Basically he asks women who are scheduled for surgery with him, to try doing it beforehand, and for months afterwards. Tai Chi, Yoga, and/or gentle stretching exercises helps lesson the lesion growth on ligaments, pelvic muscles, etc. and he is convinced that toxins in our diet builds up in our bodies and makes endo worse.
I've tried to do it, and have not kept it up, *hanging head in shame here*, but I've also decided that I like the moderation thing as well. A little exercise, betterish diet, a little wine, and a little ART and maybe my body will stop erupting in illness and let me get pregnant again.
WTF knows? Just don't overdo anything...
Not a runner. Might consider it; if Julie can start, maybe I can start. Won't need to invest in the breast-support; champagne cups work fine. The running with cramps idea? Further proof that (some) psychologists are crazy.
For whatever it's worth, there's a woman who runs in my area who runs VERY WEIRDLY in creative ways. Sometimes it's VERY SLOWLY and other times it seems to involve things like high-knee-lifts while running, or running with very long or very short steps, or combinations of the two. No idea how far/fast she can run, but to glance at her muscle mass, if the entire U.S. communications network fell and we needed a courier from this area to run a vital message to the nation's capital about 250 miles away, I think we might ask her. So, your audience should not feel free to deduce from your running slowly that you're not in shape...
My best advice for running is to have someone large, ugly and violent chase you. In my wildest fantasy I would love to become a runner (wow, thats a sad fantasy, isn't it?), but I do believe an attacker would be the only way to really get my feetsies moving. Good Luck to you, though, you are doing a great thing for your bod!
Speaking of having someone violent and ugly chase you to motivate running, here's a link to a gem of a Nike commercial that has just that:
http://dogsandjen.org/running/blog/2006/08/nike-chainsaw-killer-commercial_29.shtml target=_blank>http://dogsandjen.org/running/blog/2006/08/nike-chainsaw-killer-commercial_29.shtml
Running should only be used in self defense...you know, if a predator is after you....then it is okay to run. Or if your precious one if headed towards the street....it is okay then too. Otherwise...nope! *lol*
Good for you, though! I'm glad the 60 gallon drums were well contained! :)
The more you run, the more you will love it. You get to be stoned on endorphins and for the first time in your life, getting stoned enhances your self-esteem rather than harming it.
You feel great, body and soul.
You want more. You start fantasizing about your next run during moments of stress. You carry mental images of yourself, running fleet and clean, when people start to bring you down.
Pretty soon you've subscribed to Runner's World, you've got a pedometer, you track your progress in a log, you take your resting pulse first thing in the morning and you feel really, really smug.
And you ignore that nagging little ache in your heels at the beginning of each run becaue it goes away when the endorphins kick in. And the lower back pain? Hah. You mock loewr back pain. You throw down with more and more ibuprofen. Take that, L3-L4!
Pretty soon you hurt when you're not running. You hurt when you get out of bed in the morning. Eventually, like me, you have to give up running altogether and you discover that all those miles have caused you to develop early-onset arthritis and you're looking at a couple major joint replacements about 25 years earlier than you should.
So, common mistake to avoid? Don't over do it. It's far, far better to underdo than over do. When you start fantasizing about marathons, just have a nice glass of wine or two and think about something else.
And the advice to stay hydrated? Uh, I overdid this too and ended up with hyponutremia. I collapsed on a 18 mile run at mile 13.5. I couldn't walk. I had violent diahrrea (out in public) and had to lie down by the side of the road.
But I finished the "run." I had to walk, lie down, walk, lie down, for the last 4.5 miles.
Hyponutremia can kill you. Don't overdo it with the water. On long runs when you drink a lot, bring salt or potassium with you.
As a veteran runner, I've got a few tips:
Buy your running shoes from a locally owned running store, they usually know much more than the chain stores about what will work for you.
I really like the Nike sports bras, good support and don't chafe.
If you ever have any chafing Body Glide is awesome.
Make sure your socks have coolmax or other wicking fabric. Shirt should be a wicking fabric too.
If you are prone to blisters, the band-aid blister products work really well.
Don't increase your mileage by more than 10% a week. Otherwise you risk injury.
I'm goal oriented, when I first started running I set a goal of running a 10k. After I did that, I kept upping the ante. I've done 6 marathons and 1 Ironman triathlon. Signing up for a race is a good motivator.
Stick with it, if you kind of like it, chances are if you keep it up you'll really like it. Running is great therapy, it has kept me sane through all of my infertility crap.
Running in the cold - I ran as long as it was above 0. Layering is the key, but if you are comfortable when you leave the house, you're wearing too much.
And finally, running is as much mental as physical, there will be days when you really don't want to run. I always bargain with myself, I have to get out the door and start running - then if I want to stop I can. I've never turned around yet. And when I was done, I've never regretted the run.
It looks like everyone covered all the important hints and tips, so I'll just add that the most important thing to consider is that the hardest part is not finishing, it's having the courage to begin.
Good luck and enjoy it.
PS I do have two big motivation tips: I taped two photos to the inside of my closet to help me on those cold, cold mornings. Once is a photo of a gorgeous, thin, muscular woman running along, graceful as can be. The other is a 78-year-old man finishing the Boston Marathon. If he can do that, I can surely get out and do my cheesy 3 mile loop!
I am very excited to see the comments here feom drmama about that study. (I emailed my RE about it to find out what she thought and never heard a word back. (I`m planning to print the full study to bring in for my friday appt. But I`m seeing one of the other REs then, not mychosen physician who always reads my file before violating me with the wand...))
As a fellow New Englander, try going to the Mall early in the Morning (before it officially opens) in the Winter. At least around me it opens its' doors early for anybody who wants to walk the mall, and at my local mall there is a group who meets and runs around the mall (the window shopping can make it fun- just make sure to leave before any stores open or your visa may not be too happy with you!)
I ran my first 5K yesterday, thanks to those DoctorMama posts. I ran it slowly (37:11) but I ran the whole thing. Go, Julie!
Just to offer my own two cents, I started "exercising" three months ago, doing a sort of power walk up huge hills around my neighborhood, though I do not run.
I get HORRIBLE cramps and I did notice that I did feel better when I exercised while I had my period, though I still can't go without 3 advils every four hours for the first 36 hours...
And one more thing. A friend told me that taking evening primrose oil for the month before my period would halt any possible future cramps. LIAR!!!
I didn't take any advil when I got my period that time, because I thought I wouldn't need to. Little did I know THE WORST CRAMPS I'VE HAD IN YEARS would come on, and only three hours after I took 3 advils would I have any slight relief.
So if there is a natural cure for cramps out there, I still haven't found it.