Today, I visited a physical therapist in hopes of getting some help with my ITBS. I've been dealing with this on my own for the last 6 weeks, with not much improvement, despite my best effort to try various stretches, etc. After visiting with the PT for a bit (she's a very competitive marathoner, and now has a doctorate in PT), she's given me several stretches to try to get my body back in alignment. She feels that my hips may be slightly out of align, and has given me a toolbox of things that I can do to get back on the mend, including stretches, and also hip positioning techniques.
I guess I was perhaps looking for a smoking gun, and a magic bullet to get me on the road to recovery, but in the end, I think it will just take time. One thing she did do was give me an Empi patch, which essentially micro-treats the pain location with an anti-inflammatory medicine called dexamathasone. This technique is called iontophoresis, which uses a small electric charge to deliver a medicine directly through the skin. But, this should really help to knock down the inflammation in my knee. She also suggested a full course of Aleve, twice a day for 10 days. The pain is a result on inflammation in the insertion point of my ITB, and until that goes away, neither will the pain. Icing my knee after every run will also help. She also suggested that I think about custom orthotics, since my feet pronate a bit. At the very least, she suggested I try some OTC orthotic inserts like Superfeet, to start getting my feet in the right position.
Hopefully, all of these things will lead to a solid recovery! At this point, I need all the help I can get.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Decided to Visit the Doctor
I decided to visit a sports medicine doctor today since my knee pain just doesn't seem to be getting better. After the run at the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Denver this past Sunday, I guess I need to get this checked out. In hopes of avoiding the middle man, I skipped a visit with my family doctor, and went straight to a well-known sports-medicine group here in town.
The good news, after taking a series of x-rays, the doctor is sure that I haven't really torn anything and that I just have a very tight ITB. This puts pressure on the knee, which leads to the the pain on the lateral side at the insertion point where the ITB connects. My knee-cap is slightly displaced on the lateral side (just grew that way), which also compounds the problem.
The solution is to see a physical therapist, since there's no real damage that a doctor needs to repair. I've made an appointment for June 25 with one of the leading running PTs in the area. She has run numerous marathons, winning 8, and has qualified for the last 3 Olympic Trials. I'm pretty sure she knows her stuff.
The good news, after taking a series of x-rays, the doctor is sure that I haven't really torn anything and that I just have a very tight ITB. This puts pressure on the knee, which leads to the the pain on the lateral side at the insertion point where the ITB connects. My knee-cap is slightly displaced on the lateral side (just grew that way), which also compounds the problem.
The solution is to see a physical therapist, since there's no real damage that a doctor needs to repair. I've made an appointment for June 25 with one of the leading running PTs in the area. She has run numerous marathons, winning 8, and has qualified for the last 3 Olympic Trials. I'm pretty sure she knows her stuff.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Where to Go From Here
I've been evaluating my running to date, and I'm now at a crossroads, of sorts. I've run 3 half marathons, and while I've done OK in them, I've also not done exceptionally well either. In other words, I'm not fast. I never thought I would be, so that's not really an issue. But, I have a choice now, and have to give this some serious thought.
I've found that I really love running. Sure, there may be times during a long run that I'm not particularly fond of it, but overall, I really love the way I feel after a run. It's that runner's high I guess. So, I have a choice. For the rest of the year, I can continue to focus on the half marathon, and do additional events as time allows. There are several regional events that I could do, and that would be fun. Or, I could start focusing on shorter events, and do more 5k and 10k races. But, I'm not sure I really like the shorter events. Granted, I haven't done a whole lot of them, but for now, I think I'm more content doing longer runs. Since I don't necessarily have the speed to be competitive, I think I would get more satisfaction from being a mid-packer in longer races. Or, I could shift gears and attempt a marathon this fall. I know there are many folks that say you should not rush into marathon training, and I respect that. But, at the same time, if I can overcome my knee issues, and can continue to lengthen my training program, I don't see any reason why I couldn't do a marathon this fall.
Either way, any of the 3 choices above keeps me out there, running. That's the most important thing. There are merits to each one, and I'll need to give this some serious thought. Now, having said that, the 3 choices aren't that exclusive from one another either. In other words, if I choose to train for a marathon (assuming my body can take the beating), that could also lead to improved times in the half marathon, as well as 5k and/or 10k races when I start doing them. Can I really do a marathon? Actually, I think I can, but do I want to?
I've found that I really love running. Sure, there may be times during a long run that I'm not particularly fond of it, but overall, I really love the way I feel after a run. It's that runner's high I guess. So, I have a choice. For the rest of the year, I can continue to focus on the half marathon, and do additional events as time allows. There are several regional events that I could do, and that would be fun. Or, I could start focusing on shorter events, and do more 5k and 10k races. But, I'm not sure I really like the shorter events. Granted, I haven't done a whole lot of them, but for now, I think I'm more content doing longer runs. Since I don't necessarily have the speed to be competitive, I think I would get more satisfaction from being a mid-packer in longer races. Or, I could shift gears and attempt a marathon this fall. I know there are many folks that say you should not rush into marathon training, and I respect that. But, at the same time, if I can overcome my knee issues, and can continue to lengthen my training program, I don't see any reason why I couldn't do a marathon this fall.
Either way, any of the 3 choices above keeps me out there, running. That's the most important thing. There are merits to each one, and I'll need to give this some serious thought. Now, having said that, the 3 choices aren't that exclusive from one another either. In other words, if I choose to train for a marathon (assuming my body can take the beating), that could also lead to improved times in the half marathon, as well as 5k and/or 10k races when I start doing them. Can I really do a marathon? Actually, I think I can, but do I want to?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
2009 Rocky Mountain Half Marathon
Short version: I finished my 3rd Half Marathon with a time of 2:24:11. While that’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! My knee hurt throughout the race due to a flare-up of ITBS, so I’m just thankful to have finished and wasn't really concerned with my time!
Long version: I was a little nervous about this race because I’ve been dealing with a case of ITBS in my left knee over the past few weeks, and it hurts pretty badly when I run longer distances or run really hard. But, I had registered for the race a few months ago (prior to straining my ITB) and our hotel was already paid for, so I decided to do the race anyhow. Was that smart? Probably not, but I'm still learning. We spent a couple of days in Colorado prior to the race to get acclimated to the higher elevation and also visited some family and friends and enjoyed a small family vacation in downtown Denver.
The couple of days prior to the race, I made sure to stay super hydrated since we were up in the mountains, and also got in a lot of walking and some good swimming at the hotel pool, and felt really good up to the race with no major ills. Note, the knee does not hurt, unless I run. I slept really good the night before the race (oddly enough) and woke up promptly at 6am when the hotel wakeup service called. I ate my usual breakfast of a bagel, peanut butter, banana, and some Powerade, then dressed and walked the 1 mile to the race start.
I did some light jogging around the block to warm up near the starting line, and did some stretching to loosen up my muscles. Since I was particularly nervous about my knee and how well it would hold up, I had to use the porta potties not once, but twice to take a pee, finishing the second time about 3 minutes before the race started. Yikes, that was close! ha The weather was perfect, with sunny blue skies and temps around 60, along with light winds. It was a gorgeous day! The race started soon enough and we were running. My knee immediately began to hurt within the first few blocks, and I knew at that point that it was going to be a very, very long run. :(
My wife and daughter were able to meet me along the course at about 1 mile, and I was so thankful to see them. I waved and kept running. My motto lately has been, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, but never give up,” a quote by Dean Karnazes, and I just kept repeating this over and over in my head as the miles ticked off and the pain continued in my left knee. I ran mostly, but did stop to walk occasionally every mile or two, and mainly to stretch my left hamstring, which really seemed to help with the pain in my knee. I did have to stop at about mile 5 to use the porta potty again, but otherwise, the remainder of the run was OK and really fun, other than my knee just ached non-stop. The knee pain wasn’t severe, just a nagging dull ache that kept my pace pretty slow overall.
The course started in downtown Denver and continued for about 4 miles amongst the sky scrapers, then along the South Platte River, then past Elitch Gardens, past the Denver Broncos stadium, then to and around Sloan’s Lake (which was awesome with snow-capped mountain vistas in distance), then back into downtown Denver. Overall, it was a beautiful run!
I was also initially worried how the higher elevation would affect me since I’m a flatlander from Omaha, but I wasn’t really running hard enough to even be significantly winded. Unfortunately, what was slowing me down was my stupid knee and the pain it was causing. The last mile of the race was especially painful as I kind of hobbled toward the finish line, but I did cross it with a big smile on my face, as I again saw my wife and daughter cheering me on about 500 feet before entering the finisher’s chute. Ironically enough, as I saw them, the song “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive came onto my Ipod, which really pumped me up too to get me to the finish line.
I had a finish time 2:24:11 (well, well within the back of the pack), but you know what, I was still really happy with that. While it’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! I never expected a PR in this race because of the altitude and my ITBS, and I’m just super happy I was able to finish it, and despite the pain in my knee, I had an awesome time and am so glad that I persevered. The medal was also very cool, and certainly worth the effort put into the race!
After munching on a bagel, a banana, and drinking both a bottle of water and Gatorade after the race, we walked the 1 mile back to our hotel, I enjoyed a super hot shower and changed clothes, and then we hit the Interstate for an 8-hour car ride home to Omaha. Ugh. It was also lunchtime, so we decided to stop at Ihop for a much-deserved celebration meal. I enjoyed a huge stack of chocolate chocolate-chip pancakes (yes, double chocolate), 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and about 4 cups of coffee. I then proceeded to eat the rest of my wife’s breakfast, including her left over pancake, another egg, and also polished off the remainder of my daughter’s hamburger and French Fries. In other words, I ate like a pig, and it felt good with no guilt!
At that point, I let my wife do the driving so I could stretch out in the back seat and iced my knee all the way home. We did stop every once in awhile so I could stretch, and keep the legs moving. When we got to Omaha, my knee felt great, and I have no major aches and pains anywhere else in my body. Yeah!
And now, marathon training possibly begins next week for a fall marathon in either September, October or November. I need to let my knee rest a bit, but I definitely feel confident that after 3 half marathons under my belt, I’m ready to try a full. We’ll see. Race on!
This is a photo of me about 1 mile into the race. Since it was Flag Day today, I decided to wear a flag running outfit, with a flag visor, a stars and stripes singlet, and flag running shorts and flag socks. I got a ton of crowd support which was cool! Note the knee brace on my left knee, which helped, but certainly didn't eliminate the pain.
Long version: I was a little nervous about this race because I’ve been dealing with a case of ITBS in my left knee over the past few weeks, and it hurts pretty badly when I run longer distances or run really hard. But, I had registered for the race a few months ago (prior to straining my ITB) and our hotel was already paid for, so I decided to do the race anyhow. Was that smart? Probably not, but I'm still learning. We spent a couple of days in Colorado prior to the race to get acclimated to the higher elevation and also visited some family and friends and enjoyed a small family vacation in downtown Denver.
The couple of days prior to the race, I made sure to stay super hydrated since we were up in the mountains, and also got in a lot of walking and some good swimming at the hotel pool, and felt really good up to the race with no major ills. Note, the knee does not hurt, unless I run. I slept really good the night before the race (oddly enough) and woke up promptly at 6am when the hotel wakeup service called. I ate my usual breakfast of a bagel, peanut butter, banana, and some Powerade, then dressed and walked the 1 mile to the race start.
I did some light jogging around the block to warm up near the starting line, and did some stretching to loosen up my muscles. Since I was particularly nervous about my knee and how well it would hold up, I had to use the porta potties not once, but twice to take a pee, finishing the second time about 3 minutes before the race started. Yikes, that was close! ha The weather was perfect, with sunny blue skies and temps around 60, along with light winds. It was a gorgeous day! The race started soon enough and we were running. My knee immediately began to hurt within the first few blocks, and I knew at that point that it was going to be a very, very long run. :(
My wife and daughter were able to meet me along the course at about 1 mile, and I was so thankful to see them. I waved and kept running. My motto lately has been, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, but never give up,” a quote by Dean Karnazes, and I just kept repeating this over and over in my head as the miles ticked off and the pain continued in my left knee. I ran mostly, but did stop to walk occasionally every mile or two, and mainly to stretch my left hamstring, which really seemed to help with the pain in my knee. I did have to stop at about mile 5 to use the porta potty again, but otherwise, the remainder of the run was OK and really fun, other than my knee just ached non-stop. The knee pain wasn’t severe, just a nagging dull ache that kept my pace pretty slow overall.
The course started in downtown Denver and continued for about 4 miles amongst the sky scrapers, then along the South Platte River, then past Elitch Gardens, past the Denver Broncos stadium, then to and around Sloan’s Lake (which was awesome with snow-capped mountain vistas in distance), then back into downtown Denver. Overall, it was a beautiful run!
I was also initially worried how the higher elevation would affect me since I’m a flatlander from Omaha, but I wasn’t really running hard enough to even be significantly winded. Unfortunately, what was slowing me down was my stupid knee and the pain it was causing. The last mile of the race was especially painful as I kind of hobbled toward the finish line, but I did cross it with a big smile on my face, as I again saw my wife and daughter cheering me on about 500 feet before entering the finisher’s chute. Ironically enough, as I saw them, the song “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive came onto my Ipod, which really pumped me up too to get me to the finish line.
I had a finish time 2:24:11 (well, well within the back of the pack), but you know what, I was still really happy with that. While it’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! I never expected a PR in this race because of the altitude and my ITBS, and I’m just super happy I was able to finish it, and despite the pain in my knee, I had an awesome time and am so glad that I persevered. The medal was also very cool, and certainly worth the effort put into the race!
After munching on a bagel, a banana, and drinking both a bottle of water and Gatorade after the race, we walked the 1 mile back to our hotel, I enjoyed a super hot shower and changed clothes, and then we hit the Interstate for an 8-hour car ride home to Omaha. Ugh. It was also lunchtime, so we decided to stop at Ihop for a much-deserved celebration meal. I enjoyed a huge stack of chocolate chocolate-chip pancakes (yes, double chocolate), 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and about 4 cups of coffee. I then proceeded to eat the rest of my wife’s breakfast, including her left over pancake, another egg, and also polished off the remainder of my daughter’s hamburger and French Fries. In other words, I ate like a pig, and it felt good with no guilt!
At that point, I let my wife do the driving so I could stretch out in the back seat and iced my knee all the way home. We did stop every once in awhile so I could stretch, and keep the legs moving. When we got to Omaha, my knee felt great, and I have no major aches and pains anywhere else in my body. Yeah!
And now, marathon training possibly begins next week for a fall marathon in either September, October or November. I need to let my knee rest a bit, but I definitely feel confident that after 3 half marathons under my belt, I’m ready to try a full. We’ll see. Race on!
This is a photo of me about 1 mile into the race. Since it was Flag Day today, I decided to wear a flag running outfit, with a flag visor, a stars and stripes singlet, and flag running shorts and flag socks. I got a ton of crowd support which was cool! Note the knee brace on my left knee, which helped, but certainly didn't eliminate the pain.
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