It was bound to happen at some point. I knew I was pushing fate by taking on a lofty goal, but it seems that my knee pain has caught up with me again. I stopped running just after tri season because I had a lingering pain in my right knee. I thought taking some time off would help, and it did. Temporarily. But as my running distance increases, so is the pain.
Up until Thursday, I have been able to run through it with no real problems. In fact, it usually goes away after the first 10 minutes. Not so much on Thursday though. I did an easy 10 minute warm-up jog, suffered through drills, and then did mile 1 of 4 at an 8:00 pace. And then I quit. It just hurt too bad, and was totally affecting my form. I knew if I kept up, I would likely do way more damage.
So I chatted with my coach and decided to call it a day. He's no doctor, but seems to think that all signs point to Runner's Knee. He told me to prop it up, ice it, and take some ibuprofen. The good news is that I don't think it's all that serious. A little bit of time off, and likely a new pair of shoes, will probably do wonders for it. I'm also looking into a few weight training exercises I can do to strengthen my quads and hamstrings a little more. But I'm torn about whether or not I should do my 10 mile run in the morning. Mentally, I have already psyched myself up for it and I'm ready to get it done (even though there is a good chance it will be rainy AND cold in the morning.)
On the other (more realistic) side, I know it's probably best to give myself a whole week's rest. I'm in a really good place as far as distance, and I have plenty of time to get up to a 12-13 mile run before the actual big day. BUT.....I HATE not being able to stick to a schedule. And I really dislike not being able to do something I should be fully capable of doing. Much like getting sick, I don't take to being injured very well, either.
I'm headed home after work for another round of prop/ice/ibuprofen, lots of water, and a good night's sleep. And I'll make a game time decision at 5:30 am (oof) about whether I should attempt a run or not. I've got a late breakfast with some girlfriends planned for after my run, and it sure would be nice to enjoy some creme brulee french toast without any guilt!
The Weekend Dish: 5/18/2013
1 day ago
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1 comments:
Hey girl, this hits close to home bc I have been there. In my humble opinion....you sit tomorrow's 10-miler out. No question. Runner's knee is an injury of 'overuse' so continuing to use your knee in that way will just continue to irritate it more. Call me captain obvious :) I had an injury going into a marathon...an IT band 'overuse' injury and I continued on and ran the marathon bc it was only 2 weeks away and I was too stubborn to listen to my body. My knee still has the same pain after I run 6 miles....and it is 3 years later. The best thing you can do is rest up...That way you can still accomplish your goal of a half-marathon. Being a good runner/athlete is training your best within your body's perameters. One week without a long run will only make your race better. Enjoy the french toast!
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