Running
It’s been a long time since I wrote about fitness. It’s pretty boring to read something like this:
Oh hey, I didn’t run again today. My knee hurts. It won’t get better. Nope, still didn’t run. Tried to run. Didn’t work. Now it really hurts. Why did I do that? Hey I did a triathlon. Whoops, my knee still hurts three days later.
Boring, stuff, right?
Well. Maybe not anymore. I’m not getting ahead of myself; my knee’s not fixed, but it’s 1,000 times better than it has been in the last four years. I can run for up to three minutes four times in a row on a good day.
I know, that sounds like a joke. That’s like, what? A mile and a half maybe? But it’s a mile and half longer than I’ve run pain free in years. That’s the big difference this time. I’m not just pushing through; I’m actually running. And not slow either- running faster actually helps my knee feel better by improving my stride.
Though starting from scratch while running faster than you’ve always run is rather interesting in and of itself. It’s ridiculous how fast I get winded. Almost embarassing. But it’s a small price to pay to actually be able to run and not hobble.
So what worked –finally?
A serious combo of:
- finding the right doctor
- realigning my femur
- physical therapy {with the right physical therapist}
- dry needling {a technique to relieve trigger points}
- building strength in my hips & glutes
- changing my stride
- sticking with it
Nothing glamorous but some how it’s all coming together and actually working this time. I haven’t written much about it along the way because it felt like it was just another one of those things that wouldn’t work and womp womp womp. But now that I’m seeing progress in the right direction, I might start sharing some of that.
I’m not doing high fives yet {and defintely not signing up for anything!}, but it feels good to be back in my running shoes. 
books
Since barefoot running is such a hot topic and since I had an expert at my disposal, of course I took the opportunity for some good brain-picking.
While the physical therapist was measuring my feet for orthotics, I just had to ask what he thought of barefoot running. He laughed a bit and said he just knew that question was coming.
After reading Born to Run, I was really interested in the mechanics of running barefoot vs. the technology of shoes. Even though everything the author said in Born to Run made sense, I just had to ask a “real life” person about it.
The physical therapist didn’t really give me the answer I was looking for (“It’s awesome!”), but he did bring up some very valid points that I appreciated hearing. Especially since he was in the midst of measuring my feet for clunky orthotics that have to be worn in shoes…
He made two good points to consider about barefoot running:
– It’s not really a trend. Well it is. But not a new one- a push for barefoot running comes up every 10 years or so. It alternates popularity, much like everything else in our lives.
– Running barefoot is great- if you’re built for it. Ultramarathoners are ultramarathoners for many reasons, but one of them is quite essential: their bodies are built for it. The same goes for running barefoot- it’s great, if your feet are built for it. The structure of some people’s feet just isn’t going to hold up to scooting around barefoot- that could lead to injury.
There’s one part of Born to Run that talks about how the muscles and structure of your feet change & your arch can become higher. I still question this point- can feet really adapt, or does it depend on your foot structure to start with?
I literally walk around barefoot 98% of the time. I haven’t worn in heels in 19 months. Yet I still need orthotics?
Obviously there are different sides to the concept, like any good story, and I still have questions. But this part made me happy and content for the time being:
The PT pointed out that barefoot running is great for training. He brought attention to the idea that that’s why minimalist shoes like Nike Frees were developed- for training. Whether you run barefoot or in stability shoes, running barefoot occasionally (such as strides in the grass) can be a good training exercise.
So until I get my hands (feet?) on my orthotics and get to give them an honest try, I’ll sit content with the idea of “barefoot training”. You know, once I’m training…. 😉
What are your thoughts on barefoot running vs shoes, etc?
Injuries, Lunch
Despite indulging in three of my cinnamon rolls this morning, I was starving come lunch time.
I made a veggie quesadilla with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, vegan mozzarella, and veggie joe mix.
I couldn’t fit nearly enough of the lentil combo in the quesadilla, so I piled some along the side.
I think it’s time to put this stuff in the freezer- I seriously have a ton more and I’m not sure how many more days I can eat it.
PT
Today was Round 2 of physical therapy. I was looking forward to going after such a good experience at my first PT session.
I worked with one the athletic trainers today instead of the physical therapist. She started by using the ultrasound machine on my knee to “warm up” the IT band deep down.
Then she did a few minutes of soft tissue massage. Um ‘soft tissue massage’ is a complete misnomer. It is not soft, and I doubt you could classify this as a massage. It felt like a foam roller on steroids. Ouch!!! Even though it hurt, I could feel how well it was working- I wish I could bring her home with me. (Although I’m not sure she appreciated me telling her so…)
Apparently my IT band is well known in the PT gym- for how ridiculously tight it is. Who knew my 5 minutes of fame would be thanks to my tight tissues?! It seems that although the tightest part is around my knee, I also have a pretty big knot further up my leg. Loosening up that knot of tissue should help my knee loosen up. Cool.
Then I graduated to the elliptical!! Woohoo! I was allowed to do 10 minutes, then see how it feels later. Hopefully I’ll get to learn some more exercises & stretches to be doing next time.
Injuries
I wish we could see physical therapists for all ailments- not doctors.
I had my first physical therapy appointment today and my PT confirmed what was wrong with my knee just from feeling it. No “come back in 2 weeks”, no crazy x-rays or MRIs.
Most of the appointment was spent taking measurements for orthotics, with maybe about 5 minutes of actual PT, but I still feel good about it. I’ll be stretching, strengthening, and massaging my knee back into good shape. 🙂
A few things I learned:
– My legs and feet are oddly symmetrical- same length, same overall shape. Apparently that’s weird. Even weirder considering all the hip injuries I’ve had in the past.
– “Tight” & “flexible” aren’t necessarily related. My hips are fairly flexible, but the part of the band that’s near the near is super tight. (The PT barely touched it and went “Whoa-yeah, that’s tight”.) Being flexible actually makes it harder to stretch the band.
– IT band syndrome occurs frequently in both runners and cyclists. Cyclists are usually affected in the hip area, whereas runners are more often affected in the near area.
– Not only do I have IT band syndrome, I also have patellofemoral pain syndrome. Which explains why it hurts in 2 different places, and explains the “weak & crunchy” feeling.
– I’m allowed to progressively increase my exercise. As in set progression– no pushing through pain, no toughing it out, no “I feel great today, I’m doing more”- no “typical runner” stuff. 😉 Two thumbs up to that! 🙂
But on 2 conditions: 1. I promise to foam roll & ice afterwards and 2. Not until my orthotics come in and I break them in. So, a little more patience required. 😉
The PT was really good at explaining why things were happening in my knee. Essentially, my IT band, which is on the outside of the knee, is too tight. Not only is it getting irritated, it’s pulling my knee to the side (out). (Some of the fibers from the IT band actually go in and connect to the patella.) The inner lower quad muscle is supposed to pull the knee back, but mine is weak, so it’s not happening.
So now I get to do “quad sets” to my little heart’s content (basically flexing my quad over and over to teach it how to work again). And I get to continue my love affair with my foam roller. He was very happy to hear about the quality time the foam roller and I have been spending together.
During the few minutes of actual therapy I had, the PT massaged my IT band. All I could think was “Ouch” and “I love you”. I couldn’t decide which one I was thinking more… 😉
