So my first week back to running has not gone as smoothly as I would like. Monday's run went great, and I left feeling fine. Yesterday I had planned to do 6 miles with 2 at hmp, especially since I felt so good Monday and was so energized I was really excited to be able to hop back in.
Well the heavens opened up here in North Florida yesterday and sent me to visit the treadmill. I actually had kind of missed the treadmill, I couldn't even remember our last date, but I would say it had been at least a month. So I get started, set my first mile at 9:31 and feel great, and again almost effortless. I get into mile 2 and my right knee that one that has been showing the ITB stress starts to flare up. I keep going since it is more achy than painful, but during mile 4 it stages a rebellion and forces me to change my stride. While I could have kept running since it wasn't really painful, I knew that since I was running and landing funny that is was a recipe for disaster, so run cut short at 4 miles, boo :(
4 Miles- 37:12, 9:18 average pace
Mile 1- 9:31
Mile 2- 9:29
Mile 3- 8:49
Mile 4- 9:23
Since my run got cut short, I used the extra time to stretch and foam roll, and while it seemed to temporarily offer some relief, I am a little stressed now. Up until today, any knee/ITB pain has been post run or exercise so the fact that it came about while I was running is a little, well, terrifying!!!
This is textbook ITB syndrome, it starts in the knee, but shows lingering tension up my leg to my hip. I have not a clue how to be proactive about this, ITB is not something I have ever dealt with, and everything I read says 3 things: Stretch, Foam Roll, and/or stop running. I have no intentions of taking another week off, so any advice on this matter is requested, and well expected, and if it could before my 6pm track practice that would be even better! If you have dealt with ITB issues, lets hear it, how did you kill them off????
Stretch, foam roll, ICE and do some xtraining in lieu of running today to use some different muscles but still maintain fitness. I've continually dealt with it off and on and when it flairs up bad I usually end up taking a week off and just really hitting the gym for xtraining all while stretching, foam rolling and icing like my life depends on it! Good luck chica!
ReplyDeleteI had the worst ITB problems summer of 2008. It took forever for me to diagnose (I thought I had something wrong with my knee), but once I did ... I was fine!
ReplyDeleteFoam Roll!!! The most important thing you can do!
ALso, stenghen the inner part of your knee. Sit on the ground, back straight legs straight in front of you. Turn your toes outward and do little leg raises. You only need to come a couple of inches off the ground. Do both legs (roll both legs too). Stregthening the inner knee will help balance your leg (since the pain is on the outside!).
Also, at the gym, do the leg extensions (I dont know if that is what it is called) - the one where you sit and your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle and you raise them up.
Most importantly, foam roll like crazy! :)
The best thing about ITband pain is that even though it hurts like hell, it is easily treatable and cureable in only a few days! When it stops hurting, keep doing all of the above so that it doesn't pop back up!
Hope this helps! :)
keep doing what you're doing to recover/heal up! i wish i had the smarts to do what youre doing. i tend to just keep running out on it
ReplyDeleteI am experiencing the exact same thing as you right now! I am truly so sorry....it sucks!! I am taking 2.5 months off running completely, icing, stretching and taking glucosamine!! In the long run we want to be running until we are 100 right.... so what's a few months off? Be careful and keep us posted on how things go!!
ReplyDelete