Circle North

1

Shutting it down (Read 184 times)

    Hi folks,

     

    As much as it saddens me to say this, I am shutting it down for next 2 to 3 months.  The plan is to essentially get the knee better with what remains of 2011 and focus on 2012 goals.  I did set new PRs this year in my 5K, 10M and HM this year, so I'll let the marathon go for now rather than risk more damage.

     

    While the knee isn't really swelling up at this point like it was, the issue isn't going away and unless I change some things I don't believe it will if I still want to get to that next level.  I haven't even tried to run hard in weeks and the discomfort returns and gets worse with consecutive runs.  After another week or so off, the time I was spending running (and probably more) will be spent on the Patellar Tendinosis / Tendinopathy issue.  Over the next several months I plan to do various stretching and very gradual strength training programs which i hope will allow me to return in 2012 as an even stronger force.  Any aerobic stuff will likely be limited to the bike or the pool.

     

    Best of luck in your running!  I'll still pop down on the occasional Tuesday if nothing else to say hi.

    What was I chasing again?

    L Train


      Rob, I'm very sorry to hear this.  I wondered what that log entry meant, exactly.

       

      You've trained pretty hard and it must be tough to let go of the race that you were training so hard for.  That said, I'm sure you are doing the right thing for you, and that all of this work won't be for naught in the end.  It will just be delayed, and as you said, next year will be even better. 

       

      Good luck in the rehab, and I hope to see you around. 

       

        +1 on everything Lance said. I was secretly predicting big things for your race before the knee thing. Next year they'll likely be even bigger. Heal up quick.

        A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.


        "Beep, Beep!"

          Hey Rob... Get well. Make sure you see a good PT guy who can help you strengthen the knee. Running alone doesn't keep all the muscles in balance and it doesn't take much to screw things up. I know a good PT guy if you are interested. Worked wonders with my hip issue in summer 2009.

          DT

          Life's journey is not to arrive safely to the grave in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride!


          My salty dogs

            Hey Rob... Get well. Make sure you see a good PT guy who can help you strengthen the knee. Running alone doesn't keep all the muscles in balance and it doesn't take much to screw things up. I know a good PT guy if you are interested. Worked wonders with my hip issue in summer 2009.

            DT

             

            Rob, Not having watched you run, I can't say for sure, (t-Dave could). but with the down time this is an opportunity to look at your form from an alignment stand point. I believe most lower leg injuries stem from poor alignmrnt and foot strike. Lance lost a bet on my last visit as I didnt comment on his form within the first mile as he predicted. Ass!! That said, since moving to Plano I've have a few dozen clients who I've help to reduce pain (most in the knee) by teaching them better alignment and posture (Chi Running). if no one in the group has shared this with you iIt's because they don't want yout to beat them (kidding). Several in the group have either the Chi Running book or DVD. I suggest you look into it this off season as you have nothing to loose by perhaps a dramatic change in how you feel. There is also plent of info, you-tube clips, and other resources online. If you do become interested, I'm always here as a source. Goog luck. - but don't just recover by laying off- change how you run.

              Thanks all,  I appreciate the feed back!

               

              I like to challenge myself, if i didnt let the race go, I would likely really hurt myself that day or trying to get there.

               

              Salty

              I actually believe my form to be fairly solid at the moment and the best it has been.  How disappointed I was when you didnt comment on it was tough after Lance's predictions.  Joking  I would like to increase my cadence a tad still but will work on that later.  Historically, it has been a weak point, I tended to over stride and heel strike. I  actually worked on that a lot during the year. I've heard of the chi-running but haven't seen it, so will have to google that later. Its hard to watch your own form, so when I do start back up, I'll revisit it with the group.

               

              I believe it to be more of a muscle imbalance, with my quads especially being weak in comparison to other leg muscles .  This was observed by my PT back in February when I had a stone bruise from a defective shoe.

               

              So before things get chronic, I have a series of eccentric exercises I will be doing on a slant board targeting the knee.  Besides that, I will be doing some Quad specific stuff my PT wanted me to do, but I ignored to my own peril.  I blamed the shoe for the previous issue, which was accurate but ignored the observation on the weak quads, which I believe caught up to me after piling on the miles for the marathon training. 

               

              Thanks, Dave.  I will keep you PT in mind depending on how things go.  The one I was using was in Peabody, MA, which is a hike.

              What was I chasing again?


              My salty dogs

                I believe it to be more of a muscle imbalance, with my quads especially being weak in comparison to other leg muscles .  This was observed by my PT back in February when I had a stone bruise from a defective shoe.

                 

                The root cause of the imbalance would be something to determine. With a simple phone camera- have some one video you coming at them, running away,and from the side. Drop it in a DVD and give me a chance to look at it. When I speak of form- most of the time it is about correcting a non-symmetrical aspect the runner can't detect on their own - at least not unless they video them selves. Nothing to loose- I'll send you back comments to use or ignore but you will have something edited with slow motion snippets.

                  Thanks Salty

                  Once I get back to running, I will probably do that.  I critique my son's form but it is hard to see your own unless you tape it, so I probably should do just that.  I know once the pain started, I could feel my stride alter which is when i knew I was probably screwed and it would be down hill from there.

                   

                  Like i noted above, I know my old habit was to overstride and heel strike.  While i have been working on it, perhaps it still isn't where it needs to be.  Overstriding and heel striking would put a lot more pressure on the knees and result in the hamstrings doing more work putting them out of sync with my quads based on my understanding of the biomechanics.

                   

                  Chi running seems like the latest evolution of natural running.  Running like the Kenyans or Tarahumara Indians seems like the ideal everyone is trying to match these days.  Back in my competitive days, we never thought about these things much.  I wish i had this much interest and motivation back in those days. 

                  What was I chasing again?

                  GregM


                    Rob, I'm just visiting this topic for the first time.  Very sad to hear your plans to run 26.2 in Maine have been derailed.  What a bummer! 

                     

                    As others have said, though, you have made the right decision.  Your goal has not been defeated, only delayed. 

                     

                    Rule #1 in my book:  "Don't run with pain." This is the body's way of telling you when you need to rest and recover.  You are wise to cross train on the bike and in the pool.  I have found spinning and pool running to be very effective during times of injury. 

                     

                    As for the cause of your knee pain, who knows?  Salty may be right that it's a form issue.  I suspect that Tall Dave and your PT are also right.  Sounds like you wish you had done more PT work which might have prevented this.  I can relate.  I should be doing hamstring exercises, but I can't seem to discipline myself sufficiently to make the time for this.  I know I had better do so before I try racing the shorter distances.

                     

                    Regarding form, that's a tough issue.  I think Salty is right, and yet it's difficult to train the body to run differently than your own natural form.  Over-striding and heel striking are the most basic (and dangerous) form problems, and you should credit yourself for working on this.  Salty's emphasis on breathing is also easy to implement.  Beyond that, it can be downright difficult to change one's natural running style.  Consider Dick and Lance.  They have an unusual arm swing, and yet no one can argue with their success.  Dick's 2:38 marathon speaks for itself, as does Lance's improvement to a 1:28 half time.  If you can improve your form and efficiency, great.  But you also have to be natural and relaxed.  I can't imagine Dick or Lance being relaxed while using a different arm swing, just as I can't seem to get my heels to elevate like Salty and Laurie.

                     

                    Give yourself a break from running as long as needed for the body to recover.  Cross train in the meantime to maintain your aerobic fitness, and use the time otherwise spent on running also to do the PT exercises that have been recommended.  You will be back.  In fact, I still stand by my prediction that you will eventually be the fastest person in our group, besides Jim and Salty.  I should also mention John Webber (mancub), as he is a member of this forum who has been on a tear for quite some time.  But you have the benefit of youth, while he (and others) are fighting Father Time.  We know who always wins that battle.

                    Older, slower, and trying to keep up with Tall Dave.