I have been putting off giving you an update on my knee/IT band situation. This is not because I have bad news to share. It's just no one likes talking about their injury. And I certainly analyze what's going on with my leg every single day. The last thing I want to do is actually sit down and write about it.
However, it is part of my life! And there are people reading this that have been injured, are injured, or will be injured at some point in their running career. So I know it's nice to have support. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
After redefining my goals, I read the book Ready to Run, saw my chiro, and COMMITTED to getting my body back into a really healthy state.
First, let me tell you the things I have been doing:
- Warming up and cooling down properly before and after every workout
- Doing the couch stretch like it's my job
- Doing knee strengthening exercises 6 days a week
- Incorporating mobility work several days a week
- Wearing my compression socks after every workout that involves my lower body
- Drinking lots and lots of water
Now, this is what I need to start doing, or do more of:
- I need to branch out my mobility work to other areas of weakness. Particularly, I need to address my ankle ROM.
- I need to listen to my body 100% of the time. Even if I don't like what it is telling me.
- I'm still considering transitioning into zero drop shoes.
I have eased back into lifting lower body. Sometimes it feels good during/after and sometimes it feels wonky. The days it feels wonky is usually when I have sat for awhile before going to the gym. If I just get up and go, it feels pretty good.
Spinning definitely aggravates it. No more spinning for me!
The good news is I have been getting some runs in- even a couple double digit runs- and it holds up really well! It feels strong during and after about 80% of the time. That is a HUGE improvement.
So the good news is, it does not feel PERFECT, it is still something I am actively dealing with, but I am seeing progress.
Hopefully I will continue to see progress!
Have you recently adopted any healthy habits that will help you recover from an injury or help you not get injured in the first place?
Thank you, Meg! I love the picture. I always say "progress is not linear" and it's not. I deal w/ hip, SI joint issues that seem to then cause a number of other issues. I see a PT but she is quite hard to get into w/ her schedule so considering chiro care. I do not respond well to harsh adjustments (my muscles go into spasm) but if I can find someone do realignment gently, I might consider adding it. In addition, I do my PT exercises every day, I cross train (swimming and cycling and weights) and have added much more walking into my running. I just had to totally let go of my ego and not compare myself to my 20 year old self who used to run 4-6 miles (straight) each day! At 43, if I want to continue to run, I need to come down to much less and just take more walk breaks. I keep saying IT IS OK. In fact, just last night I decided I was going to quit tracking running miles vs. walking miles and just call them miles. Then I won't be tempted to compare to how I was doing in the past and better accept what is. Tough lesson for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt is awesome that you came to accept that though because it will ultimately make you happier and healthier. I like the idea of just tracking MILES!
DeleteThank you, Meg! It really was a big step for me to do this and let go of knowing how much I run. I appreciate your support :)
DeleteIf it makes you feel better I don't even log my miles. I don't add them up at the end of the week or the month. I used to do so obsessively but then I just stopped one day cause I was like, who cares?
DeleteI completely aspire to that! I am way too OCD w/ tracking everything.
DeleteIts definitely nice to know you're not alone and that your crazy feelings and thoughts during an injury are totally normal:) Its great that you have made so many positive changes and are seeing progress, even if it is on the slower side. Keep it up and you will be back to 100% before you know it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! Like I think I mentioned in a comment on your blog once, no matter what, each day we are 1 day closer to health. So I try to ask myself each day what I can do to make the day COUNT.
DeleteI have not been pushing the pace because I was afraid it would make it hurt! So no speedwork or anything. I have occasionally ran a mile or to in the mid 7s with no bad effects. But I am just trying to stick with a "la la la" pace for right now!
ReplyDeleteI understand the knee woes. :/
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear that. :(
DeleteI'm glad to hear you're doing better! I understand feeling like you're being a bother by posting about an injury a lot but honestly, I always appreciate it and I'm sure others do too. Learning from each other goes along way in helping to prevent injuries.
ReplyDeleteJust curious, do you have an idea of what caused your injury? Was it a running form/shoes/overuse issue or did something happen?
What knee stengthening exercises are you doing?
I have no idea what caused it. I was injury free and running really strong for awhile. I had surgery to remove a plica last year and it never felt the same. I don't think I needed surgery. And I think some of the pulsating I feel is still tissue healing FROM the surgery. Like today, I didn't do ANYTHING lower body (except my little exercises and mobility work) and it is PULSATING at a very specific spot.. like where I had surgery. Ugh I could talk forever about why I wish I didn't have surgery because I don't think it FIXED anything.
DeleteExercises I do: donkey kicks, hydrant kicks, and different forms/combos of the two that I used to do on a tae bo video. Gets the glutes working. I also wrap this resistance tube/band thing around my legs and walk from side to side. It is really hard. It's to get the glutes firing more so everything doesn't go to your IT band/knees/etc. I should do a post showing my exercises.
I would love that! I'm looking for ideas for knee strengthening exercises to incorporate into my strength training. I'm starting to do a lot of stength training work on the glutes, but knee is the one area that I just don't really know what to do.
DeleteThat success picture is posted all over our school. We want the kids to know success isn't linear either! (We just test it that way because standardized tests say so...womp womp.)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're seeing progress! I know it takes time and you're doing REALLY well and being patient! Lately I have been more careful about choosing snacks. I'm eating less sugary, empty-calorie foods and filling myself up with healthier snacks. I haven't seen a change in my running, honestly! I don't necessarily feel any better! lol
That is funny but I am the same way! Like I can eat CRAP the night before a long run and still feel great the next day haha. Now of course if I did that all the time I would feel horrible...
DeleteThe healthiest thing I have done for my body is to quit feeling like every run had to be hard. I used to push myself every single time and I had way more injuries. Now I just run at a nice pace most of the time and only push hard on occasion - it has made a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great one to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing that one, Kim!
DeleteI am so glad you are seeing positive results. I am sure all those habits you have adopted are contributing significantly to your recovery. It has been 1 year this month since my Achilles injury and subsequent skin graft surgery. It was the worst year of my life, but I learned so much from dealing with it. I am happy to say that I am back to running. I LOVE to run. The best advice I have is to NOT push the pace on most of the runs-big mistake of mine. Now, I run quite slowly, but can run several miles feeling great. I also swear by CEP gear. I live in their compression socks and tights-they are pricey, so I only own a few pairs of each, but I think they are so worth it. I also wear Hoka brand shoes (very strange looking, not for everyone, but they work for me...) I stretch as much as I can, massage my muscles, and try not to sit in one position for too long, as I am more stiff/sore if I do. Also, I am a huge believer that walking before/after exercise helps prevent injury. I drink tons of water and eat anti-inflammatory foods daily (tart cherries, turmeric, ginger, nuts, etc) but also have my sugar! (can't live without ice cream). I also get loads of sleep-at least I try ;)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are doing a TON of positive things to keep your body healthy and running- literally and figuratively! Going through such a huge injury like that probably puts things into perspective. My injury does not sound as extensive but it definitely does put things in perspective. 5 years ago I would balk at walking before and after, stretching, etc. But now it's like, if that's the price I have to pay to be able to run, I will DO it. I think injuries really test your love of running. SO happy you are running again Eugenia. Keep up the healthy habits. We could learn a lot from you.
DeleteThose exercise routines that you have lined up for your knee problem might just do the trick! Sometimes, it really comes down to keeping it in motion, even as simple as giving it a massage every once in a while. Pain can be caused by tension, and if we can remove that excess tension from our muscles and bones, then the pain will gradually go away. But if one has been living a very active lifestyle, sometimes slowing things down could be more beneficial. Anyway, here's to great days ahead! Take care!
ReplyDeleteAgnes Lawson @ Pain Relief Experts