I am unable to run this morning because of a self-imposed rest period to ensure that my IT band returns to normal as soon as possible. For 5 long days I will not go running, although I will go for an easy bike ride on Saturday and go to spin on Tuesday. (Elsie and Mod 2B, I'm making stops at your places on Saturday).
I think it's ridiculous that some people either actually, or claim to make themselves look tough, hate skipping a day of training. Sure this weekend, when it's 50 and sunny on Saturday and 60 and sunny on Sunday, I'll wish that I could go running. But this morning? I'll take a pot of coffee and the excuse to stay in my apartment with no grumbling. This is not to deny that once you get your body used to regular exercise, you often do better sticking to that schedule; or that having to abstain for an extended period of time sucks. But come on, a couple of days here or there isn't so bad. And for all those people for whom it is a calamity, think of it as a much needed opportunity to reestablish some balance in your life.
As for the injury itself, apparently it's pretty common for runners. Since I try to avoid going to the doctor's, all I know about it comes from the internet, like this and this. As I sit here, I have an ice pack on my hip and just threw down 800 mg of ibuprofen. I will stretch afterwards. Experiences/tips are very welcome in the comments.
The pain arrives after about 4 miles of running and it located at the left-most point of my hip. I imagine the IT band is rubbing back and forth over this point and gets inflamed. Strangely, this pain didn't arrive until 4 days after the marathon. For the first couple of days I had sore muscles, etc. Then on Thursday, (two weeks ago) I started walking around with a limp. It's gotten better so it's only an issue when I run now, but it's dragged on long enough.
Between my superb ability to rationalize not getting up in the morning to work out, the end of the race season, and the crappy weather, I have no doubt that I'll get enough rest so I can really ramp up my training for Boston on time. At this point, I'm primarily worried about getting over this so I can continue to train for the Turkey Trot. This year the entire clan is running it, including some who just started running in the beginning of November. Being a competitive bastard, I know that I'm going to run however hard it takes to beat everyone else in the family, regardless of how much it ruins my hip. Therefore, my goal is to be recovered by Thanksgiving (and hopefully before then so I can resume running prior to the race).
This post has been brought to you by the Ice Manufacturing Association of America. Reminding you that injuries are the less talked about, but equally important, "fourth leg" of the triathlon world. Next time you're out, don't forget to grab a bag of ice to treat your injuries!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Rob: As a long time sufferer of IT band syndrome, it is really important that you strengthen it too- stretching is good, but to prevent future pain do strengthening exercises. They run the gamut from doing the hipflexer weight machine (where you sit down and push your legs to the side) or lying on one side and slowly bring one leg up for five counts, and back down for five counts (make sure your foot is perpendicular to your body). Next time I see you I'll give you some more tips if you'd like. Good luck with it!
ReplyDelete