Last week I only ran 3 of the 6 days my schedule due to the tightness from my IT band. After taking those days off I felt pretty good and was able to do my long run of 19 miles on Sunday morning. I averaged a 9:45 mile which is 50 seconds slower than the 8:55/mile pace I hope to keep during the marathon. I was pretty pooped at the end and I thought, "How in the world can I run 7 more miles at a much faster pace than what I just ran?" I hate when self-doubt creeps in because it can really mess with my head. I was done with that run though, and in my mind that is all that counted. Post run was nice as I took an ice bath while eating fried eggs and a Coke that my wife brought me. Yes, it sounds as odd as it probably looked.
The bad news is how my body, more specifically my legs, reacted afterwards. I took the day off after the run and then tried to get out there again yesterday. My plan called for 10 miles but all I could muster was 8.5. The only way to describe the pain that I have in my upper quads and knees is debilitating. After this last run I could hardly walk. At night I could hardly sleep as my legs and knees ached. As I moved my legs from a bent to an outstretched position it hurt like all hell. When I walk down stairs my knees scream at me to stop.
It seems that at this point all I can do is not run for a while. This is hard because I have my first 20 mile run this weekend and I really don't want to miss it. I need to balance the need to try and get better with the need to keep up my fitness. I am stubborn and that doesn't help. It does help that my wife is more than encouraging but also practical in the advice she gives me. After work we are off to go find a foam roller to do some stretching. Hopefully that, along with other stretches I have found on the internet combined with some time off things can get better. If not I feel like all bets are off for my even running in the NYC Marathon, and that is the biggest blow in terms of self-doubt after 11 good and hard weeks of training.
Hey there! I just got a foam roller from Trigger Point. It's called The Grid and it really works on your legs. I too am training for a marathon and have had IT issues over the years. I cross train by cycling and it really helps with not overtraining and giving my quads some extra stability around my knees. Also, have you tried KT tape????? It's great stuff and has worked on a lot of runners with various issues. Go to you tube and look up how to tape up with KT tape. I've used it and it works pretty good. Anyway, don't give up on NYC. It's still possible!!!
ReplyDeleteMatt-
ReplyDeleteFoam roller is a must! Get the black one if you can handle it. Very firm and larger than the trigger point roller, meaning more versatile. KT tape is good. Rock tape will do the same thing. This is more to help the muscles to remember to fire, which may be an issue, but a PT can tell better.
Get a sports massage as well. I know how you feel, but you are not out yet. I had to pass on my Ironman and I had been training for 6 months. NYC is a great race and worst case you can walk/jog it, but that will not be the case as you can run it.
Another case is you might have a weak core which causes an imbalance over extended sessions. Incorporate some core work and get those large rubber bands (power bands) to do some glute workouts. Super cheap for the bands, but very helpful.
If time is the issue, you could shorten your runs by 1 mile and use that time to stretch and do core work.
Call me if you want to chat more.
Dan