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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Knee Update

Knees are complicated things.  Prior to running my 15K in Dec, I don't remember having such issues with my knees.  I wonder if I've beautified my memories, so to speak.  I know that often times you block out the bad and remember the good.  For example I'm struggling with running and I don't have any memories of struggling like this during 15K training.  I'm sure I argued with myself during runs, but I did the miles.  This time I feel like I gained 100 lbs.  My body is heavy and I'm slower.  I know I'm slower, so there is something going on.  

I remember telling someone that my knee would start hurting between miles 3 & 4 but that I'd run out of it.  It would twinge for a bit, but it went away.  Did it go away?  I'm sure it did!  But now I'm questioning it.   Maybe I just ignored it and thought it went away.  But I distinctly remember telling someone that I would run out of the pain.  *shrug*   So when my knee hurt during the 15K I didn't think much of it.  I have no memories of when it started hurting or what it felt like after it started.   There's so much adrenaline during a race.  What I do remember is that as soon as I started walking after crossing the finish line that it hurt.  It hurt bad.  I was limping.  I thought it was from the race, the miles, the hills (I don't normally run hills).  I gave myself 2 weeks off at some point.  I started running lightly before really starting training for my half.  But yet here I still struggle with my knee.  I don't think it's my shoes anymore.  

I ran 3.5 miles on Wednesday and I told my chiropractor that it starting hurting after 1.5 miles.  Somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles.  She said there's inflammation in my knee.  My massage therapist says there are muscles pulling on it and she finds some majorly painful trigger points.  My chiro gave me some natural supplements to help with inflammation.  I'm now icing my knee even on days I don't workout or run.  I'm also taking fish oil gummies as fish oil is suppose to help with inflammation also.   

Today I had 5 miles on the schedule and I'm not going to lie, I was worried about it.  I woke up and I iced my knee for 25-30 mins.  I took one Aleve and 2 Advil, hoping to help with inflammation.  I stretched my inner thighs before starting.  I ran 3 miles before I felt any issues and then it started out really minor.  I'm sure that I'm favoring my left leg even when my knee doesn't hurt in a way to protect it.  So I'm trying to keep my gait between my left and right leg the same.    When my knee stared hurting it seemed as if I increased my stride length that it felt better.  I run with a really short stride given how tall I am (5'10").  I finished the 5 miles at a very slow pace. (Why am I so slow right now?)  The good thing is that as soon as I walked there was no pain.  I was walking without a limp in my stride, no hitch in my giddy-up! :)   That's positive.  I should note that my knee never hurts when I'm not running.  When I first started running and I had the wrong shoes my knees ached when I wasn't running.  I felt pain going up and down stairs.  That is not the case now.  I think that's positive. . . sort of.  I'm not sure.  I stretched out my inner thighs when I was finished running and I rolled my IT band on the foam roller.   I then made my Shakeology smoothie and iced my knee again.  Next week my long run is 6 miles and then I have a step back week.  I hope I can keep making improvements.  I should note that my knee never hurts on the treadmill.  I know there's more give in a treadmill, but I'm still surprised that it doesn't hurt at all.  

For my five miles I ran around the block near my house.  I heard there was a 5K in town and I didn't want to get in the mix.  A country block is 1 mile on each side and I live a half mile off the block.  So from the end of my drive, the block, around the block and back to my drive is 5 miles.  It's kind of a boring run and I don't love it.  Here are my splits. . . slow as a turtle. 


You know, I have a degree in math. . . I've never understood the avg pace column.  The numbers match the lap time.  For example, on mile 2, my avg pace would be less than 12:06 cause my first mile was faster than my 2nd.  I don't get what that column is for.   It doesn't make sense to me.  

It was 30 degrees when I started running and 35 when I finished.  It's a heat wave!  It was sunny and felt so warm.  I took my light jacket off at mile 1.5 and ran the rest of the run in a tank top.  What a great day!

3 comments:

  1. You ran for an hour! Great job! Also, what flavor Shakeology are you drinking? I'm getting tired of mine everyday...

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    1. I've only tried the chocolate shakeology. I mix it with almond milk, banana and ice. I would like to try to strawberry, but I'm waiting for them to add it to the sample pack. I'm not brave enough to get a whole bag of it without a taste test. What flavor do you drink?

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  2. Jen, I'm trying to locate you to issue a refund for a product you purchased from us.

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