Running Rehab

Running

I was pleasantly surprised when I hit the pavement a few weeks after my son was born. My knee didn’t hurt and things didn’t feel that different. I took things painfully slow- alternating walking and running, being uber diligent not to overdo things.

running after pregnancy

While things were ok at first, it quickly became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to give myself the consistency I needed in order to train properly. As we reached the peak of the no-sleep debacle, I just didn’t have it in me to get out there and run on a consistent basis- slowly cutting down the walking intervals and gradually building mileage. I definitely didn’t have the time the dedication to commit to my rehab exercises in the manner I needed to in order to see progress. You don’t build muscle or gain strength by haphazardly doing a few PT exercises every few days. So after awhile I sort of subconsciously through in the towel.

Once the baby started sleeping {halleluiah} I started to get some of my energy back. Before long I was itching to get back out there, but the lack of sleep and breastfeeding had taken it’s toll on me. Even with a good warm-up, five steps into a run I was limping in pain. While I was angry and frustrated to still be dealing with this old nagging injury, I knew what the problem was this time- I had {and have} zero muscle.

Forget muscle imbalances – a leading cause of injury – I had a serious case of muscle wasting. Lack of sleep destroys you, both mentally and physically. Add to that the physical burden of breastfeeding and I was a lost cause. I love nursing my son and I think it’s the best choice for him, but it requires a TON of calories. Even when I stuff my face, I can barely keep up with the demand. There are no extra calories left for me to build muscle, gain weight, or fuel a run.

running rehab vibrams

Even though I’d love to just lace up my neon shoes and dart out for a run, it’s a back-to-basics approach for me. Instead of waiting for injury to knock me on my butt, I started where I left off last time around- with my beloved chiropractor. He’s a sports-focused chiropractor specializing in Active Release Technique. He’s an athlete himself and I knew from my past experience with him that he could help get me off on the right foot {pun intended}.

Turns out it may not really be my IT band that’s the culprit. Over the course of the month he gave me a whole boatload of new exercises to target my weaknesses, kneaded out some of the kinks in my leg, and helped me work on my running form and cadence {again}.

Now it’s up to me to be a good patient and find the dedication to truly focus on the rehab and rebuilding my strength. Committing to the rebuilding phase is what will get my back on my feet, running like I long to be. I can’t wait for the physical and mental relief a nice long run brings. Smile

On a Roll

Injuries

If you’ve ever had trouble with you IT band, chances are you’ve been told to foam roll, foam roll, foam roll. And maybe stretch.

 

That’s what I was told too: by other runners, by my physical therapist, by nearly everyone I encounter that knew what an IT band was.

And I listened: I foam rolled the crap out of my leg. And then it got worse. The more I foam rolled, the worse it felt. {And not in that foam rolling “this hurts so good way”.}

It wasn’t until I found my chiropractor that someone finally believed me that the foam rolling and stretching wasn’t helping. See, my IT band was never tight. No stretch would target it, and foam rolling was just beating it up.

Instead of all over foam rolling, my chiropractor focused on specific points of tissue along my IT band that were bothering me. He said the key was to get those spots loose before anything else would help.

New research just came out that shows maybe this guy knew what he was talking about. {I had no doubt he did.} They’ve now shown that foam rolling isn’t a productive treatment method. Instead you need to target several trigger points that are related to the IT band, specifically the tensor fascia lata {TFL} and gluteus maximus.

tensor fascia lata trigger point

Trigger points are essential knots of tissue. Targeting these areas with massage, whether it’s a tennis ball, a foam roller, the stick, or someone hands, is what will make a difference in the recovery of the IT band. {Trigger point therapy.} Everyone has different trigger points, but the TFL and glute max trigger points are extremely common when it comes to the IT band.

The TFL is the tissue on the upper outside portion of your hip- if you’ve foam rolled, you’ve likely screamed bloody murder here once or twice.

tensor fascia latae foam rolling

The glute is, well, your butt. That doesn’t usually feel too good either. But working through these areas can make a huge difference in your treatment.

gluteus maximus trigger points

So while generic, non targeted foam rolling isn’t the answer, targeting specific trigger points can make all the difference. The reason foam rolling works for some people? You’re probably hitting those trigger points. For other people, the trigger points are too deep into the tissue to get it with a swipe of the foam roller.

So just a reminder, the answer isn’t always where you feel the pain.

 

 

PS I’m talking glucose tests over on tiny sneakers