Forums >Health and Nutrition>Nursing an ITB injury with a big race coming up. Stationary bike or short runs?
Hi all I'm new to the forum but not to running. I just wanted to come on here for some advice as I'm getting desperate and nor sure what to do. Some brief background.
In two weeks I have the Comrades Ultra which is a 90km road race in SA. This will be my 5th. Normally up to this time I would have run around 1300km from January as part of my training but I have only reached 800km as I have not run for the past month as I deal with a painful ITB on my right knee. I have been to physio and the chiro and while its helped the ITB flared up yesterday after only running 5km (very slow). So I am now on a course of anti inflamatories for the next 3 days and I will do no exercise.
This is my last chance to run comrades, for various reasons I wont be able to run it next year, so I am desperate to get my 5th. I have 13 days left. I am stretching twice a day and using the foam roller as often as I can. After I finish the medication I want to be able to keep my legs as fresh as possible so was thinking of not running but sitting on the stationary bike for an hour a day. There is no pain at all when I cycle but then I'm worried this wont be enough. Would it perhaps be better to rather run 3km or so every day, very slowly, just to keep the legs awake? In two weeks I will be lining up at the start so have accepted that I've lost a large chunk of training and will be going for a far slower time, I just want to be as prepared as possible now. Any advice appreciated!
SMART Approach
I assume you are well aware of the risks of doing this event......being laid up for weeks or months? I just don't think you have enough time to heal. I would probably cross train like crazy and not run. However, a couple days before the event, you need to go out for a few miles to see how you feel and how it responds. It is one thing to fight through a 10K or half marathon but 90K??
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Pace Prophet
I have to agree with Tchuck. I had an inflammatory type injury (peroneal tendinitis) before Boston one year and nursed my leg for the few weeks before so I could run it, which I did. (It was my worst marathon ever in terms of bad pacing and feeling terrible at the end, even though it was a PR at the time.) But that pretty much wrecked my summer as I spent it doing PT and pool-running instead of hiking, running, and biking.
For my injury-training I ran every other day and kept the injury at bay. But your comment that "the ITB flared up yesterday after only running 5km (very slow)" makes me think that 90k in two weeks is a very bad idea for you.
Old , Ugly and slow
If running this race is more important than risking doing more damage to your knee then rest until the race.
On race day run walk take a lot of pain pills and finish the race
Or you could skip the race and let your knee heal.
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
Thanks for the comments all. I understand the risks and while I am desperate to run I will not be stupid about it. I will abandon the race if the ITB becomes unmanageable I just want to give myself the best possible chance to start the run. I am on anti inflammatories now but will not take any pills during the race. Thats something i believe in quite firmly. Thanks again.