Caretaker/Overlook Hotel
HA! I like that play on words. And what if I double... triple... quadruple up? We're buying them in bulk, after all!!
Ya, at LEAST quadruple!! and then we need something for the bottoms of our feet, too. Maybe some bubble-pack shoes. Oh and ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder & neck braces.
All that plus one of Justin Tuck's helmets & I MIGHT survive a week of running!!
Randy
Dad on the run.
Tomorrow will mark Day 1 of no running for me. I am going to focus on strengthening my legs, hips and core and see if I can get this IT band issue under control. Running through it obviously isn't working. Depending on how my leg is feeling I plan to try again Dec 1st, if not I may wait it out until the start of next year.
Chasing the sub 20 5K.
Ya know, I often wonder (hindsight is usually 20/20 though this might be the exception) if I'd had "incorporated" more breaks into my running if I might not have avoided some injuries that I've had.
*IF* there's any truth to the whole "cumulative wear" theory, then I wonder if giving joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, labrums, ITB, etc. etc. etc. a chance to rest & restore wouldn't be a very wise approach to running? (Moreso recreational than competitive)
Here's another great conundrum.....
#1.) Rest
#2.) But don't rest to much. Even in an injury be sure to include some strength training & exercise full range of motion in your limbs
#3.) But don't strength train wrong or you'l make your injury worse. Ditto on the range of motion. (Stretch your ITB. Don't stretch your ITB. WTH?)
Super B****
Coming from the most conservative runner on the planet... if I incorporated more rest into my schedule, when exactly would I run?!
And I'm pretty sure you can't actually stretch the ITB itself... it isn't a muscle, it doesn't stretch.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Coming from the most conservative runner on the planet... if I incorporated more rest into my schedule, when exactly would I run?! And I'm pretty sure you can't actually stretch the ITB itself... it isn't a muscle, it doesn't stretch.
Conservative as in what?? 20 mpw?? Puuuleeeeeease!
But seriously, I was thinking like a seasonal break. Like maybe twice a year, just shut it down for 2 weeks.
And for the ITB I just glanced over a recent article (or web blurb) where there was a "yes continue stretching for ITBS" and "no, whatever you do, don't stretch during ITBS or it'll get worse". I have no clue, but can relate on the knee. Since I can only guess that it's either meniscus or maybe LTL or MCL or maybe bursitis, I don't know how far to push stuff.
Lunges, squats, wall sits, give me kneecap pain. But should I do them anyway to strengthen the supporting tissues of the knee??
Should lateral movements be done?
Do you wait til your injury's completely healed?
Conservative as in what?? 20 mpw?? Puuuleeeeeease! But seriously, I was thinking like a seasonal break. Like maybe twice a year, just shut it down for 2 weeks. And for the ITB I just glanced over a recent article (or web blurb) where there was a "yes continue stretching for ITBS" and "no, whatever you do, don't stretch during ITBS or it'll get worse". I have no clue, but can relate on the knee. Since I can only guess that it's either meniscus or maybe LTL or MCL or maybe bursitis, I don't know how far to push stuff. Lunges, squats, wall sits, give me kneecap pain. But should I do them anyway to strengthen the supporting tissues of the knee?? Should lateral movements be done? Do you wait til your injury's completely healed?
Conservative as in exceeding 30 mpw is highly unusual... and half of those miles are on the AlterG!!
As for what to do / not to do -- if it hurts, don't do it! I couldn't do squats without pain when I started the ITB Rehab Routine, so I just skipped them. You're probably doing more harm than good by pushing through it even if it hurts. Just my $.02!
Conservative as in exceeding 30 mpw is highly unusual... and half of those miles are on the AlterG!! As for what to do / not to do -- if it hurts, don't do it! I couldn't do squats without pain when I started the ITB Rehab Routine, so I just skipped them. You're probably doing more harm than good by pushing through it even if it hurts. Just my $.02!
I would love to try an Alter G. They were showing Kobe Bryant on one the other day. Of course he snapped his achilles clean off (I get light-headed just saying that) but he's working back slowly & he looked pretty steady on the AlterG.
I agree on skipping it if it hurts. Thus I stopped all the squatting movements. (lunges, wall sits, etc.) I might try to incorporate reverse lunges but maybe I'll wait to see if doc has any news on my xray next week.
Oh, I forgot to mention that he had them do an arthritic test in my blood work. Like I ran 30mpw one week & got arthritis the next. (Not that it isn't possible, I just thought that was interesting. Whatever, he's the doc, not me)
P.S. Anything between 20 & 30mpw is still extremely respectable IMHO!! I think we treat 40-50mpw as the new 5K around here. I'd give up the extra 10 miles per week & stick with 20 if I could go back to pre-injured.
Hip Redux
I got injured on 15mpw and running 3-4/days week. lol
When I was in the middle of the ITBS stuff, any squatting movement made it worse for sure. I focused on graston and active release, icing, and strengthening the hips with the band side walks.
Singer who runs a smidge
Regarding the "Will I ever run again?" question, it was never an issue with me. I think that the body will always seek to repair itself, no matter what the injury is.
Since I'm dealing with runner's knee and have been for the past year and a half, I question this. My body doesn't seem to be repairing itself at all, it's just hanging out in painland.
When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved.
I have my tilt table test tomorrow where they will look at my BP and see if it's dropping (and that's what caused my almost fainting stuff). I'm not sure if I want them to see a drop in BP or if I want to pass the test. On one hand, I want an answer, and on the other, I don't want a BP issue....
I don't want this to slip the page because I think your complaints warrant merit!!
Curious as to what you have tried/done/attempted in an effort to heal it?? Seen your doc?
TIA!
I have seen both my PCP and an orthopedist. At the time, my problem was in my right knee. The orthopedist prescribed anti-inflammatories, daily icing, and those isotonic exercises that when you do them you think "Is this seriously going to make any difference?" He also told me not to run, but that walking and swimming were ok. No squats or lunges, nothing that puts a heavy load on my knee or requires flexion past about 70 degrees.
This was around October of last year -- it took me about 3 months of stubbornness to go to the doc.
Around February, I was feeling much better, so I wanted to try a run. It was freezing out, so I opted for the indoor track at my gym. I survived 10 laps, but my right knee was beginning to tighten up. I limped back to my office in increasing pain. and then when I bent my knee to sit down in my desk chair, it hurt so much I thought I might pass out. I had to call DH and get him to drive down to my workplace (1.25 hours) because I didn't think I could drive home. I did manage the drive, but it was probably a stupid thing to do -- I could only brake with my left foot, which was all kinds of awkward. If the drive hadn't been mostly interstate (thank you, cruise control!) I couldn't have made it.
I went back to my PCP, who verified that it was still just runner's knee, and put me on another round of anti-inflammatories, icing, exercises. I did all that and was feeling better again around summer of this year. At which point I tried to run again, and my left knee screamed at me. Went back to my PCP last month, verified that the issue was still runner's knee, just in the other knee, and now I'm on anti-inflammatories again. I'm not icing regularly, which I should be, but I'm trying to follow more of a plan from The Book, which involves squats and clamshells, stretching, etc. I think maybe I'm making progress, but I tried to skip my anti-inflammatories a couple of days last week, and it was NOT PRETTY.
So who knows?
Starting Day 2 today. I did a leg routine, all body weight. Consisted of squats, lunges, one legged russian dead lift and swimmers. Followed that with some stretching (I know you can't stretch the ITB per say, but I did do the recommended stretches that are "suppose" to help). Also did some foam rolling. Last night I iced it for about 20 minutes while watching Sleep Hallow . Also taking anti-inflammatories.
Tonight will consist of stretching / rolling and icing again.
I have seen both my PCP and an orthopedist. At the time, my problem was in my right knee. The orthopedist prescribed anti-inflammatories, daily icing, and those isotonic exercises that when you do them you think "Is this seriously going to make any difference?" He also told me not to run, but that walking and swimming were ok. No squats or lunges, nothing that puts a heavy load on my knee or requires flexion past about 70 degrees. This was around October of last year -- it took me about 3 months of stubbornness to go to the doc. Around February, I was feeling much better, so I wanted to try a run. It was freezing out, so I opted for the indoor track at my gym. I survived 10 laps, but my right knee was beginning to tighten up. I limped back to my office in increasing pain. and then when I bent my knee to sit down in my desk chair, it hurt so much I thought I might pass out. I had to call DH and get him to drive down to my workplace (1.25 hours) because I didn't think I could drive home. I did manage the drive, but it was probably a stupid thing to do -- I could only brake with my left foot, which was all kinds of awkward. If the drive hadn't been mostly interstate (thank you, cruise control!) I couldn't have made it. I went back to my PCP, who verified that it was still just runner's knee, and put me on another round of anti-inflammatories, icing, exercises. I did all that and was feeling better again around summer of this year. At which point I tried to run again, and my left knee screamed at me. Went back to my PCP last month, verified that the issue was still runner's knee, just in the other knee, and now I'm on anti-inflammatories again. I'm not icing regularly, which I should be, but I'm trying to follow more of a plan from The Book, which involves squats and clamshells, stretching, etc. I think maybe I'm making progress, but I tried to skip my anti-inflammatories a couple of days last week, and it was NOT PRETTY. So who knows?
Sounds thorough enough. You definitely gave it a good go with doc's instructions and all. It might be worth a 2nd opinion too. I've had some bouts of runner's knee but never so painful I thought I'd pass out. And it's weird for me the way it goes away but I don't complain!!
Of course the big teller of truth in this scenario (mine too) is an MRI!! And of course, nobody wants to PAY for said MRI so we get diagnosed in ways that I'm not sure are 100% accurate & truthful. Just my $.02 but I almost had to laugh that I was getting an Xray for something that has nothing to do with broken bones, but my PCP said that's what it takes to get to an Orthopedic's desk & only they can decide on whether an MRI is warranted. (He said something about being based on whether the dimensional data shows badly enough to warrant MRI).
So I'm no doc, but I'd still probably chase it down further if you reeeeeally want to run.
I know about wondering whether I'd ever be able to run again, and wondering whether it was worth even starting up again. Since both of my injuries (pelvic stress fracture and probably pubic osteitis) came out of nowhere, after months of building up my mileage without any issues at all, it is very hard to trust that it won't happen again and again. Still, I really really want to run, even though starting up again is so frustrating. I remember when 8 miles felt comfortable. Now I do three miles and struggle to find a pace that's slow enough that I can breathe easily. My body says newbie, my brain says "Go for it."
However, the good news is that my last three runs I've had no pain at all, either during or afterwards. (Before I'd be fine while running, but the day after I'd ache.) I'm feeling hopeful again. It's likely I'll miss next spring's racing season again (which is probably for the best) but I'm really hoping that if I keep my mileage low, I can at least get out there three or four days a week again. I really have missed it.
HopesMom - have you asked about whether you could have a torn meniscus? My husband has torn his twice (once doing trail work, once while backpacking). In both cases, there was really no possibility of continuing to hike as usual. The pain was far beyond the usual backpacking knee issues that he was very familiar with. Jim saw his doctor and was in surgery within a week. It sounds like yours could be that kind of pain.