Weights again and 1 mile
I ran a mile on the ‘mill. I want to keep up some running but not to the point of any pain at all. 1 mile. I ran one mile and my knee had a tight feeling near the end but no pain. I stopped. I wanted to run until it really hurt badly, but that would be entirely stupid.
Then I lifted weights. I did the full upper and lower body set, and I did the ab/ad-ductor thing again. I know I probably should have waited a day but the first night was really light stuff and this was some harder lifting with a little more weight. I’m going to build on these lifts that same way I build the others. I think my long term goal for this is to double the weight I can move for both exercises. This would probably put me into September. I’m hoping the running canstart in ernest before that.
I’m registered for the CRIM on 8/28 still. If things go well with the weights/stretching etc, I may be able to atleast run that. Chicago? A dream. Obviously I’m not running 10 miles on Saturday or 15 the next week. Not 16 the next. If I can get 5 miles at the end of next week it wil be an absolute miracle. My max right now is probably 2 before the pain completely cripples me, but I don’t want to let it get that far.
Ofcourse, the shin splints are still there, but the decreased running gives them time to heal as well. You know, its funny, I almost miss my shins hurting. It was painful, but it was a manageable pain. I could run through that pain. This ITB thing, I cannot run through. No way.
This is a drawing of the tensor fascia lata that runs down the outside of your leg. This is the muscle that becomes irritated (especially where it loops down under your knee) when you have ITBS. Its part of the illiotibial band.
There are some more excellent articles on it here and here. They emphasize that by building your hip abductors (tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius are both leg abductors), you stregthen the leg’s ability to prevent the femur from adducting when you run. The adduction is caused by the natural rolling of your foot inward as your heel strikes and as your wieght rolls forward to the toe. Hence, the leg abductors at the gym. I’m doing the adductor machine as well for proper muscle balance.
Lots of fun medical stuff! Uh, ofcourse, that doesn’t make my leg heal any faster, but its fun to read about.
As a side note of annoyance, the My Doom virus has spread havoc here. People get a garbage virus note from the server as if it came from a big distribution list. Then they hit REPLY ALL and say “I don’t want to receive this anymore.” which goes out to the WHOLE company. Then other fools hit REPLY ALL and say “I didn’t send it!” which also goes out to the whole company. Then I send a note saying “STOP THE MADNESS, DON’T HIT REPLY ALL!” which goes out to the whole company. Then I receive OVER THREE HUNDRED automated emails back saying that those people are out of the office on vacation!
Onward.
