Saturday 20 March 2010

ITB & Sympathy

Turns out my knee is still sulking with me for putting it through the High Peak Marathon.

Following the race, and a bit of waddling about on the Sunday, by the Monday, I was walking fine. I went out for the Tuesday night headtorcher over Pendle with Clayton and was running really strong, up until my headtorch started failing and I planted myself on the ground after a fall at speed, cushioning the blow with nothing but my dodgy knee. Towards the end of the run I started getting a pain so eased off, but after a bit of poking and prodding in the pub afterwards, it turned out to be a bruising pain on the surface rather than the sharp pain just under the surface you get with ITB.

So, given the all clear, I managed to get out for another run on the Thursday: a glorious run in the sunshine over Pendle. Shorts, t-shirt (first of the year), beautiful views, so a very slow one just enjoying the mild weather and the views, but ending once more with a pain in the knee. Again, poking and prodding suggested the bruising, but I might have been using a bit of wishful thinking here.
[Pendle run]

At this point, I think I'm in the clear, so start planning a run round Widdop. A nice 10-12mi loop taking in some dramatic scenery I've been meaning to explore for a while. I drive past this area on the way to the office regularly, and on Thursday it just looked so nice in the sun, I thought why not. So on Sunday, armed with a hand-drawn map (a copy of the 1:25,000 OS map from www.streetmap.co.uk) I start the run in great weather again eager to see somewhere new.

Attempt at a panoramic view over Widdop whilst I was still enjoying myself (they preview in line, anyway).

What a miserable run it was. Started well enough on public footpaths, nice soft grass underfoot, great running. But my route soon took me off-piste and I ended up slogging for what felt like miles up this knee-high heather covered hill which just wasn't runnable at all until you hit a burnt patch here and there. I eventually made it to what was marked as a bridleway, but was just tussocks, with the odd line of bog marking the way. All of this slowed me down; and also, with footing being so uneven, and not being able to run with a regular rhythm and normal gait, ended up with a really sharp pain in my knee which was, this time, unmistakably ITB. Which slowed me down even more. So made the decision to cut it short (with a few miles still left to get back to the car), and finally covered 7mi in about 2hrs...which was our average HPM pace!
[Widdop run]

Next day, the pain was non-existent, so I decide I can run, but just need to take it a bit easier: avoid rough terrain, and anything too long, setting a limit of 15mi. With that in mind, Wednesday I hit the road for a quick but hilly 7mi route. Just shy of 2mi I pull up with my ITB again. Decide to cut it short, again, and shuffle my way home, again. Was agony making my way home, especially getting overtaken by...joggers!! Oh, for shame!
[Aborted run]

So, I've made my mind up: 2 weeks of complete rest, no running whatsoever. Just a focus on stretching my ITB this week, then introducing some strengthening exercises week 2, as well as doing more Pilates at home for my core stability. Then slooooowly back into it after that.

Fellsman looking like a long-shot now. Maybe if I called it iTB I might enjoy it more? Make it sound young, and funky...

4 comments:

  1. joggers!!! :( ....hope your back running soon

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  2. Cheers Kate, fingers crossed!

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  3. Gosh, sensibleness? What's happening to the world ;o) Srsly, take it easy with PROPER healing, none of this temporary puncture repair kit nonsense...

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  4. Make the small "i" thing permanent, secure the url, adsense it and start selling. It's got to work.

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