Just Say “NO!” to Frostbite!

But before we discuss frostbite…

Let the cross training commence!

Oh what fun!!

I have begun my lifting and cross training this past week. Yesterday I rowed 4000 m! My back and neck are SORE. I also jumped rope, for 5 min, which is a great workout and helps build speed! I am hoping to jump rope about 15 min at least 3 times a week. I did some squats, but my legs are still a little tired and I think I will be going easy on them for a few more days.  So I have left no muscle un touched over the past 3 days and it feels great!

Today I rest…then I begin my short runs (3 miles with up to 5 or 6 long run). I have a 5k Saturday and I am pretty pumped. I haven’t done a 5k since 2007! Whoa! And my time was 27:24. I feel a PR coming on, hopefully. Then I guess I am getting peer pressured into a half marathon on 3/20 with Breaking Pace! The training plan for that looks like a breeze compared to the marathon plans I have been using. I am excited to go for another PR (break 1:55 folks!) And there is a November marathon in the works with RED!!! That’s right folks, a destination marathon with my old running buddy! This is going to be awesome! I looked into Big Sur in May 2011 and it is already sold out (big fat super bummer. It’s in the books for 2012).

And, on to the frostbite (or lack thereof) portion of this post:

So a while back Shelley from Arctic Ease sent me a cold-therapy wrap that helps treat soft tissue aches and injuries. She told me it is an alternative to icing (so it’s awesome for using when you don’t have access to a bathtub full of ice or the patience to fill a tub with ice water –like in Vegas). So it is similar to an elastic bandage and get this, you don’t even have to put it in the fridge or freezer! It comes in a small, handy, sealable package. I put 5 packs in my suitcase to take to Vegas!

Hey, that’s right…just call me Vanna or Ms. White!

So, Arctic Ease say’s about their  Cryotherapy Wraps:

• No refrigeration needed
• Stays cold, lasts for hours
• Odorless
• Cut to fit
• Cools without the discomfort of ice therapy
• Conforms to injury, stays in place
• Convenient to use right out of the resealable pouch

Click HERE for more…

There you have it! I agree with all of those statements. After the Vegas Marathon Mel and I headed back to the room. I put these on my calves and left them there for about three hours maybe (during our room service lunch and a nap). If you leave a bag of ice on there that long it will turn to water, get leaky and be a pain. It could even freeze you, literally, cause frost bite and tissue damage. But these wraps stay at a safe temperature above 59 degrees Fahrenheit  to avoid vasodilation (like that big word?)  and fatal tissue damage (um, frost bite…yeah would not be cool!). They were easy to use, not messy, and stayed cool. I was under the blankets and even had wind pants on. When I thought maybe they were getting warmed up I just brought my leg out, moved it around a little bit and the cold was activated again! To read more about the directions and some of the details click HERE. 

So I am going to include these in my post-race bag from now on! The only thing that I was torn about was whether or not I needed to ice or compress. Since I was focusing on my calves I couldn’t really do both, or maybe I could have. But I think immediately after a run, for me, cold is the key. Later I go for compression.  Of course we all are different and you know what works best for you. I am not a professional and have no educational background regarding ice or compression or even exercise for that matter…so I’m pretty much a learn as I go kind of girl. So if you have an injury of course talk with your Dr. but I do think it is safe to say you can’t go wrong with some cold-therapy to reduce swelling.

So here are some pics from post Vegas marathon:

Oh so dramatic!

I would say the cold-therapy then the compression was a leg-saver! I was walking around the airport just fine the next day. Sitting down was another story, my hips and hammies were screaming. Guess I should have wrapped my thighs too…