I wrote this post on Monday but neglected to upload it. So here it is…
Training has been going well even with my continued knee pain. I’ve continued to train but have focused on other aerobic activity instead of running to in an attempt to give my knees time to rest and heal. I completed my 7 mile run last night running straight through (no walking, just varying the pace). My knees began hurting after only a few miles, not so bad that I needed to stop but it makes me worried about 26 miles. After my run last night I iced my knees 2 times before going to bed and it seemed to help a bit. This morning my knees were only slightly sore and aggravated a bit going up and down stairs.
Today I placed a rush order for Endura tape so I can try McConnell taping to help with the knee pain. My plan until the race is to primarily cross train, I will do a little running to test out the taping, and icing after all workouts.
Cross training over the past few weeks has consisted of cycling and elliptical machines – they are both fairly easy on my knees but irritate the neuroma in my right foot. There are a few other cardio machines that I’m going to be trying out and I hope to find one that gives me a good workout without irritating my knees or my feet. On the technical side I know that 2 weeks off wouldn’t actually decrease my conditioning but psychologically it would hurt me.
Currently I’m putting all my energies into strategies to finish the race (at this point I know that my knees may hurt during the race but I’m confidant that they won’t suffer any permanent damage).
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Conquering 20 miles
Well, it almost conquered me. I set out early this Sunday for my last really long run before the marathon, 5:00pm (I planned to leave at 4:00 but mapping the course and placing the Gatorade bottles slowed me down). To make a long ordeal short I’ll first state that I made it the 20 miles.
Elaborating on that I’ll start my saying that in many ways it was easier than the 18 mile run I had a few weekends back. I woke up Sunday morning feeling great but a little anxious concerning the 20-mile run I was to face later in the day (all my training runs in the past 2 weeks went well but my performance on my 18 miler made me worried). The run started well, I decided to run an elongated version of a course I’ve been using only in reverse (for safety reasons mainly, I wanted my actual road running to be in day light and after dark running on sidewalks as much as I could). At 10 miles I was feeling pretty good, tired but pretty good. By 14 my left knee began hurting a little bit (I felt it earlier than this but wouldn’t really call it painfull). By 16 it really began hurting, mainly around the kneecap (mostly right below it and on the outside area). At 17 miles I was in some trouble, for this run my knee hurt more when running than walking (and I mean really hurting – almost falling down hurting). I discovered that I could run about 20-30 paces without increasing the pain too much and that I could walk pretty fast without to much pain. With this discovery I focused on counting steps – 10 steps with the left running than 10 walking – and tried to increase it when I could. Eventually I made it home – total time about 4:35.
Today, Monday, my knee’s still hurt a little (actually my right more than my left). I decided to do a little exam on both of my knee’s – it seems that both knee caps are a little tender on the end closest to my feet (inferior pole of the patella for any other doctors out there). After my run, and this morning, going up and down stairs increased my knee pain. I tested my hamstring and quad strength at the gym and determined that my hamstrings are about 60% of my quad strength (I expected higher).
From my own determination (and just remember that the adage “A lawyer that represents himself has a fool as a client”) I would seem to have “runners knee” also known as Petallofemoral Syndrome. To be certain, I plan on having Dr. Stephanie Easterday-Bartuch look at it tomorrow afternoon.
In case you may be concerned, YES I will still be running the Chicago Marathon and YES I will finish it (even if I have to limp over the finish line). I have always believed that the Marathon (as an event) is a test of will as much as conditioning – I have always been most inspired by those people who have dragged themselves over the finish line even if it meant crawling
I have talked to a few friends and acquaintances early today about my experience last night and while supportive one thing I have heard repeatedly is “just shows you we’re getting older”. I want all of you to know that is not something I accept – I have patients that accept all sorts of joint pain when they are in their 30’s because they think they are getting older yet I have other patients in their 70’s and 80’s who want my help getting rid of their back or ankle pain because it’s getting in the way of doing what they like doing (they don’t accept pain and dysfunction and are determined to live and enjoy life). I can say that I almost gave up running after High School because of hip pain and a popping/snapping feeling in my hip when I ran. Later I learned that simply stretching my IT band fixed the problem.
Don’t let pain prevent you from staying active and reaching your goals – find out what’s causing the pain and fix it.
Elaborating on that I’ll start my saying that in many ways it was easier than the 18 mile run I had a few weekends back. I woke up Sunday morning feeling great but a little anxious concerning the 20-mile run I was to face later in the day (all my training runs in the past 2 weeks went well but my performance on my 18 miler made me worried). The run started well, I decided to run an elongated version of a course I’ve been using only in reverse (for safety reasons mainly, I wanted my actual road running to be in day light and after dark running on sidewalks as much as I could). At 10 miles I was feeling pretty good, tired but pretty good. By 14 my left knee began hurting a little bit (I felt it earlier than this but wouldn’t really call it painfull). By 16 it really began hurting, mainly around the kneecap (mostly right below it and on the outside area). At 17 miles I was in some trouble, for this run my knee hurt more when running than walking (and I mean really hurting – almost falling down hurting). I discovered that I could run about 20-30 paces without increasing the pain too much and that I could walk pretty fast without to much pain. With this discovery I focused on counting steps – 10 steps with the left running than 10 walking – and tried to increase it when I could. Eventually I made it home – total time about 4:35.
Today, Monday, my knee’s still hurt a little (actually my right more than my left). I decided to do a little exam on both of my knee’s – it seems that both knee caps are a little tender on the end closest to my feet (inferior pole of the patella for any other doctors out there). After my run, and this morning, going up and down stairs increased my knee pain. I tested my hamstring and quad strength at the gym and determined that my hamstrings are about 60% of my quad strength (I expected higher).
From my own determination (and just remember that the adage “A lawyer that represents himself has a fool as a client”) I would seem to have “runners knee” also known as Petallofemoral Syndrome. To be certain, I plan on having Dr. Stephanie Easterday-Bartuch look at it tomorrow afternoon.
In case you may be concerned, YES I will still be running the Chicago Marathon and YES I will finish it (even if I have to limp over the finish line). I have always believed that the Marathon (as an event) is a test of will as much as conditioning – I have always been most inspired by those people who have dragged themselves over the finish line even if it meant crawling
I have talked to a few friends and acquaintances early today about my experience last night and while supportive one thing I have heard repeatedly is “just shows you we’re getting older”. I want all of you to know that is not something I accept – I have patients that accept all sorts of joint pain when they are in their 30’s because they think they are getting older yet I have other patients in their 70’s and 80’s who want my help getting rid of their back or ankle pain because it’s getting in the way of doing what they like doing (they don’t accept pain and dysfunction and are determined to live and enjoy life). I can say that I almost gave up running after High School because of hip pain and a popping/snapping feeling in my hip when I ran. Later I learned that simply stretching my IT band fixed the problem.
Don’t let pain prevent you from staying active and reaching your goals – find out what’s causing the pain and fix it.
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