I hate you, Charlie.
Ta-Town (Wichita) was what we expected and more...pretty boring. The wedding was a wonderful time, but Wichita in general (and no offense to anyone out there associated with this fine town), is rather...well, lame.
The flight was good...as we're descending they tell us it's 93 degrees in Kansas City. Say wha!? 93? I can't remember the last time I was in that kind of heat!! Chicago was a brisk 56 when we left at 3. So we land, Mike changes into shorts, and we get the rental car. And because the University of Kansas is having graduation while we're in town (ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK GO KU!!) they tell us they're out of midsize cars. Damnit. But have no fear, we're being upgraded. Woohoo! To a CONVERTIBLE. SCORE! Okay...so it was a silly little PT Cruiser convertible, and it was KU blue...so it was a lot of fun. We stopped to pick up a wedge pillow from my parent's house, grab an iTrip from Best Buy for our iPods, grab a sandwich and we're on our way.
We rode around with the top down all weekend...even on I-35 for 3 hours each way. And I've got the lobster-red shoulders to prove it. Me in my Chicago mentality had not thought to bring sunscreen...then again, why would I check the weather channel? That's for folks who plan...right? And planning...seriously...who needs to plan anything in life these days? Anyway, we get to Wichita, get settled into the hotel, grab Taco Bell for Mike and visit with my dear friend Laura for a few minutes before hitting the hay.
The "plan" was to get up early and run before the heat set in on Saturday morning. Alarms were set and mentally we were ready to do it. In true Barb and Mike fashion, we set the alarm super early to get a few snooze hits in. So bad. I know. Don't lecture me about this. In between one of the snoozes...my body literally jolted in bed from the most painful, horrid, excruciating charlie horse in my left calf. OH.MY.GAWD. It was so f'n awful. I wanted to keel over and die. I couldn't move at all...all I could muster up was to roll around on my back, squeezing my calf with one hand, and biting the other to avoid screaming. Somehow in this dramatic process, I manage to whack Mike in the eye...it wasn't a pretty sight.
After the pain subsides...I get up and my entire leg (including my piriformis) is really tight. It hurt to walk. Majorly sore overall. Needless to say, a Saturday morning run did not happen, much to my dismay. I couldn't walk, Mike could barely see...and I had to get to the bride's house to help her out with a ton of stuff. It was a brilliant start to the morning. DAMN YOU, CHARLIE!
So I guess my question to all you fabulous running bloggers out there...how do you avoid charlie horses? What do you do when you get one? I've had a few of them...most of them happening within the past 2-3 years...always while I'm laying in bed...always while I'm asleep. What is going on with my legs?!?
But the rest of the trip went well. We got in last night around 7 and went bowling with Taylor and Jacob. And I would like the record to show that yours truly ruled. I broke 100...three times (which never happens). I could attribute my mad skillz to this guy I dated once upon a time--he was the youngest person to bowl a perfect game in Tennessee (and apparently still holds the record)...but that was many, many, many years ago (like 8-10 years ago or something insane like that)...and we only went bowling once I recall...so any tips he may have offered have since vanished into the chambers of my brain. So I will attribute my mad skillz to natural talent. Move over, I'm the bowling queen. Hah!!
And I am totally counting bowling as our Sunday night cross-training.
Mike and I have a few runs scheduled this week...and that dreaded 10-mile race on Saturday...have I mentioned we are sooooo not prepared for that one? Cause yeah...we're still not ready. And come 7:30 on Saturday morning, we're definitely not going to be ready. So we just have to wing it, I suppose. Plus I'm serving as TNT race crew for it, so I can't exactly bail. I know, I know...it'll be a lesson learned.
The flight was good...as we're descending they tell us it's 93 degrees in Kansas City. Say wha!? 93? I can't remember the last time I was in that kind of heat!! Chicago was a brisk 56 when we left at 3. So we land, Mike changes into shorts, and we get the rental car. And because the University of Kansas is having graduation while we're in town (ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK GO KU!!) they tell us they're out of midsize cars. Damnit. But have no fear, we're being upgraded. Woohoo! To a CONVERTIBLE. SCORE! Okay...so it was a silly little PT Cruiser convertible, and it was KU blue...so it was a lot of fun. We stopped to pick up a wedge pillow from my parent's house, grab an iTrip from Best Buy for our iPods, grab a sandwich and we're on our way.
We rode around with the top down all weekend...even on I-35 for 3 hours each way. And I've got the lobster-red shoulders to prove it. Me in my Chicago mentality had not thought to bring sunscreen...then again, why would I check the weather channel? That's for folks who plan...right? And planning...seriously...who needs to plan anything in life these days? Anyway, we get to Wichita, get settled into the hotel, grab Taco Bell for Mike and visit with my dear friend Laura for a few minutes before hitting the hay.
The "plan" was to get up early and run before the heat set in on Saturday morning. Alarms were set and mentally we were ready to do it. In true Barb and Mike fashion, we set the alarm super early to get a few snooze hits in. So bad. I know. Don't lecture me about this. In between one of the snoozes...my body literally jolted in bed from the most painful, horrid, excruciating charlie horse in my left calf. OH.MY.GAWD. It was so f'n awful. I wanted to keel over and die. I couldn't move at all...all I could muster up was to roll around on my back, squeezing my calf with one hand, and biting the other to avoid screaming. Somehow in this dramatic process, I manage to whack Mike in the eye...it wasn't a pretty sight.
After the pain subsides...I get up and my entire leg (including my piriformis) is really tight. It hurt to walk. Majorly sore overall. Needless to say, a Saturday morning run did not happen, much to my dismay. I couldn't walk, Mike could barely see...and I had to get to the bride's house to help her out with a ton of stuff. It was a brilliant start to the morning. DAMN YOU, CHARLIE!
So I guess my question to all you fabulous running bloggers out there...how do you avoid charlie horses? What do you do when you get one? I've had a few of them...most of them happening within the past 2-3 years...always while I'm laying in bed...always while I'm asleep. What is going on with my legs?!?
But the rest of the trip went well. We got in last night around 7 and went bowling with Taylor and Jacob. And I would like the record to show that yours truly ruled. I broke 100...three times (which never happens). I could attribute my mad skillz to this guy I dated once upon a time--he was the youngest person to bowl a perfect game in Tennessee (and apparently still holds the record)...but that was many, many, many years ago (like 8-10 years ago or something insane like that)...and we only went bowling once I recall...so any tips he may have offered have since vanished into the chambers of my brain. So I will attribute my mad skillz to natural talent. Move over, I'm the bowling queen. Hah!!
And I am totally counting bowling as our Sunday night cross-training.
Mike and I have a few runs scheduled this week...and that dreaded 10-mile race on Saturday...have I mentioned we are sooooo not prepared for that one? Cause yeah...we're still not ready. And come 7:30 on Saturday morning, we're definitely not going to be ready. So we just have to wing it, I suppose. Plus I'm serving as TNT race crew for it, so I can't exactly bail. I know, I know...it'll be a lesson learned.
posted by Iron Jayhawk at 8:51 AM
11 Camper Comments:
oh my god, i got a charlie horse like that one morning and almost the same situation conspired over here. Jason was like what's wrong and I couldn't speak.
I don't know what to do about them though. Aren't cramps usually because of dehydration? I have no idea, I just totally made that up.
Oh and setting the alarm early to allow for snoozes. Absolutely.
oh and good luck with the 10 mile run!
I can't say I have ever had a charlie horse in my legs, I just think some get them and some don't. I get "cramps" when I stretch. Not like stretching before a run but like the morning point your toes and yawn stretch. Not sure why, but if I get one that is when I get it.
I am so helpful......
Good luck with the ten miler, I bet you will be fine.
Charlie horses are a bitch. Potassium helps a ton. Something about it helps break up the lactic acid that builds up in your muscles, therefore, leading to an excruciating cramp.
And, I'd like to add to the record, I did not cheat. I almost broke 100 on my own accord.
You guys will be great with the 10 miler.
Charlie horses...everyone says to relax it. But that's hard to do when the flippin' leg hurts so damn bad! But your story cracked me up!
Usually if you are dehydrated or have a lack of potassium you are more prone to them. But, like bob I try to stretch through them.
Good luck at the 10 mile run - I wanted to do it but will be home in humid St. Louis.
Huh, I actually have no advice to spew. Odd. I too was going to make something up, but she beat me to it. Good luck with the 10!
I sometimes get the worst charlies in my calves in the early morning; I stretch my legs as I'm waking and it's a sudden, shooting pain; it's terrible.
ew.. i get them. not too often (and you've reminded me to buy bananas tonight, so thanks!) but i always associate them to not enough potassium.
although how to deal with them?! cursing. rolling around in pain. squeezing the calf (or in sometimes my case FOOT) in efforts to alleviate said pain...
that's all NOT worked for me.
but regardless, thats what i do.
anyway. buy bananas. if nothing else, its a fruit. and therefore you get points for being healthy!
I think that you have to ease into a stretch, basically your muscles are trying to relax and contract at the same time. So you need to finish both motions for your leg, hopefully without shredding your muscles.
Charlie horses are bad news!
Stay hydrated all the time and keep your electrolytes high!
Good luck in your race!!!!
I usually get Charlie horses when I'm dehydrated, or extrememly tired/stressed.
I LOVE car upgrades!!
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