So after two great days last weekend I ended up with the stomach bug on Monday. Fun stuff. Nothing like a gut ache after your stomach already aches. Tuesday worked into being a good day and I jumped roped at night and played basketball and skateboarded a little with the kids. I was so glad to be feeling good again. I couldn't wait for the next day. Wednesday I jumped rope for 5 minutes in between my sets of upper body. I tried to take it easy but the whole day ended up being one of those non stop days and I knew by the night time that I'd overdone it. My belly ached again that night. Thursday I wanted to try running, just to see how my knee was. But opted for a 6 mile power walk with a friend.
So this morning was the day. I ran for one mile, starting out slow and then pushed it the last 1/2 just to see what would happen. Only a tiny amount of pain in the left knee. I finished with weights and jump rope. I've been rolling it out the last 3 days so I'll just keep going and hopefully it will work it out. I've noticed the pain isn't as bad the last couple of times I've been on it. I think the rest did me good.
Now I've just got to decide how far to run in the meantime. Do I go until it hurts and then stop? Do I rest it completely and just focus on rolling it? How do I work back into a normal routine again? Anyone have any ideas?
Jen, I have no great words of wisdom. I'm thinking if it's hurting it can't be good. I suppose I would be inclined to stop running for a while or perhaps switch to a tread mill (boring, but you can get caught up on Gilligan's Island re-runs or worse, the soaps). Take it easy for a while and stick with the shorter, slower runs. Most important... NO marathons for at least 6 months. Take care. PS I'm really enjoying the Republican/ Democrat conventions... I'm a pundit. Bye for now, M
ReplyDeleteHi Jen,
ReplyDeleteGot your question on my blog!
I started off with the roller almost immediately after the Ogden marathon in May. My legs were in pretty bad shape before the race, then running 26.2 miles (most of it downhill) did even more damage. Although I did have some pain in my knees, the bulk of the trouble was in my hips down the side of my thighs. I definitely cut way back on mileage after the marathon while I started rolling, but I never stopped running completely. Within just a week, I remember things feeling better and I took that as a good sign that I was doing the right thing. I just keep faithfully rolling then running what felt good for that particular day.
Your question about how to start getting back into the thick of things is a good one. I'd have to agree with the comment above. You've sustained quite a bit of stress on your knees with the races you've run this year and the problems you're having are your body's way of telling you to cool down for a bit. Doesn't mean you have to stop running... just means you need to put a lot of TLC into taking care of your knees with the roller and ice therapy and stretching. You might need to back way off to the point you were at when you first started running and building up your mileage. But as long as you don't have a more serious injury (like a ligament tear or something), your knees WILL respond favorably given a little time and patience. In the meantime, keep up your cardio capacity in other ways... biking and elliptical are great cross-training workouts for runners.
Whatever you do, try not to get discouraged! I realized after Ogden that three marathons in two years for me as a relatively new runner was just too much. I've made a deal with myself to take an entire year off from marathon training and racing, then next summer, if I have the will and desire, I'll look into training for a fall marathon. I wish I could be one of those types who runs a marathon every season, but I'm just not... and that's okay! I look at my running as being a life-long career and hopefully, if I take care of myself and listen to what my body is trying to communicate to me, I'll have many, many more years of running to enjoy.
Good luck! Feel free to email me anytime if you want to bounce off any more ideas.
tallgirlrunning@gmail.com