August Q & A: Run with Whitney

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Run with Whitney August whitney with her kidsPin
with my crazy kiddos this month, Cal & Eleanor

I just love getting these questions from you all. This month we are talking a lot about staying healthy while running. When dealing with injury or illness, it is so hard to not feel hopeless at times—like we will never figure out what’s wrong or heal, but you will. As a runner, you must endure and not give up—because the loss would be too great.

So, let’s get after it!

I recently had mono, but better now.  I was able to run through it until I I hit the wall and I started having a hard time on even my easy days. My heart rate is elevated and I have tried to take a few days off and run easy, but after 5 weeks I still haven’t recovered. Any advise? Before mono I was running 30-40 miles a week and was so excited now I’m so bummed. 

I am so sorry you are dealing with this! I had mono in November and it totally wreaked havoc on me. I am not a doctor, but I can tell you from my experience what I did to help get better.

First, I got my bloodwork done to figure out what was going on as I had strange symptoms and we were unsure if it was an auto-immune disease, or something else. My GP would not test for auto-immune diseases, mono, or Lyme. I got this done through my chiropractor’s office which is also a holistic wellness clinic.

I found out I had a intense infection of the Epstein Barre Virus (mono). We started on supplements including L-Lysine, which supports the immune system. I have heard of other supplements as well to help your body recover from mono.

Then, I rested as much as I could and did not fight the fatigue. I was still dealing with an injury during this time, so not running. However, when I had long COVID, I learned to not fight it by forcing my running, and let my body heal. This helped me recover faster so I could then gradually increase my volume.

As with any virus and its after-effects—rest, listening to your body, good nutrition, and time must be part of your prescription to getting better. I hope you feel more like yourself soon!

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I’m going to run a half marathon soon and on long runs during training I would like to use energy gels to help boost my energy and add carbs but I just don’t know if I can use any specific ones or if it’s even OK to use while running and breastfeeding.

Great question! I got with Megan Robinson, a registered dietitian for this one. She says that “any gel would be safe to consume except for those containing caffeine. They may prefer Huma gels, Applesauce pouches or Muir gels since they are made with more whole food ingredients.” Personally, I love Huma PLUS gel as it also contains higher levels of sodium, key for hydration.

Best of luck!

More resources:

Just wanted to ask about your stem cell injections for your hip labrum if possible? I’m still really struggling one year in and am looking to possibly go to the US (am in Canada)..for stem cell injections. Did you get umbilical stem cells from a donor? Do you need just one injection? How is your labrum feeling now?

I am so sorry you are still struggling! I did two PRP injections and an umbilical cord plus PRP injection in the middle for a total of three shots over three months.

My hip is fully healed and doesn’t cause me pain though I will say it took a long while for the joint to settle down—much longer than when I returned after a hamstring tear and a plantar fascia tear.

It took about 4 months of a gradual return to running with one 3-week break for the hip joint to stop aching and feeling stiff. I also worked with two physical therapists to help with the process, including a pelvic floor physical therapist.

I am now about 7 months into the return process and have zero pain when running, including during speedwork which I just introduced about a month ago. So, while it is a longer recovery process, it is possible to get to the other side! I hope this helps!!

You can read about my whole process and timeline, plus how I felt here:

How I Healed My Hip Labrum without Surgery

I’m training for my first marathon, but I’m starting to have bad upper hamstring/glute pain—maybe proximal hamstring tendinopoathy—yes, I’ve been googling lol.

I’m icing and took a day off this week from my training plan. This morning I ran 7 and my glute is pretty painful—it was starting to go into my groin and my hip. I just don’t know what to do. I am super nervous to take time off because I’m just nervous about training for the marathon you know. Any advice? I know I should probably rest, but how do I do that and still build up mileage?

I am so sorry you are dealing with this pain. I feel your conundrum in my bones as I have been here before. And I made the wrong choice. In 2019, I was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials marathon. I tweaked my high hamstring and rather than take time off, I continued to train until it eventually tore during a half marathon. I took 6 days off and then right back into intense training. It took me close to 1.5 years to heal and rehab it.

I felt afraid to take time off and give up on my goal. But I could have easily taken some time off on the front end and been able to toe the line healthy—including for a later marathon, if needed.

While every BODY is different, I don’t want you to make the wrong choice out of fear. That said, I advise you do the following:

  • Take one week off and do cross-training that does not aggravate your high hamstring. Avoid any activities that make you “feel it.” Swimming or aqua jogging maybe best in your situation, or the alter-G treadmill.
  • Ice, take Epsom salt baths, lightly foam roll, and DO NOT stretch it.
  • When pain has dissipated, you can start loading it with hamstring bridge variations such as the hamstring dig bridge which actives the high hamstring. I am not a physical therapist or doctor, but I know the hamstrings very well from my battle with a high hamstring injury. I would do this exercise 3 by 30 seconds each side.
  • If your pain is below a 3/10, you can gradually resume running, starting with a 30-minute test run.

A running coach such as myself can you help you navigate the return to running. I hope this helps! Learn about my coaching options here. I currently have open spots on my roster.

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I’ve been skipping my strides at the end of my runs because I am just so hot and tired. Is this a big deal? 

Yes, you are short-changing yourself if you are skipping your strides at the end of your run. You may not think that strides are incredibly important because they are so short. But these short bursts of speed give you a lot of bang for your buck.

Research shows that running strides a couple of times a week can improve running performance by improving your neuromuscular connection. This boosts running form, turnover, strength, and running economy.

If you are finding yourself totally spent at the end of an easy run because it is hot or you are fatigued from life, I advise you cut your run short by a half mile or mile and use that extra time to do your accelerations. Remember to fully recover in between them as these are meant to improve neuromuscular fitness not cardiovascular fitness.

Learn how to run strides and more about their benefits here: How to Run Strides & Why You Should. 

Thanks for the great questions! Email me whitney@themotherrunners.com if you have a question for me. See you next month!

See all the posts in my Run with Whitney Q & A series here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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