What I am about to write is not something you can't find anywhere on the web, but since my IT band is in cranky pants mode, I figured it would do myself some relief to write about it.
The IT band is a thick band of fascia that runs from the outer-knee to the hip. IT band syndrome is when the band becomes inflamed from too much use.
The pain: I feel it above my knee and the outside of my hip. Its dull and achey.
The treatment: Acupuncture helped get the pain down from throbbing to dull so there was progress. I wish I could afford deep tissue massage for this as well. I am also using a foam roller. I just bought a new roller because my old one was caving and not really doing the job it was supposed to be doing.
Stretching and yoga has provided relief
How did this happen?
I ramped up too quickly from my back injury into cycling and running. I stupidly ran 12.7 miles the day before a half marathon race. The race was a training run but still, it was dumb of me considering I had just got back to training only five weeks before. I also had incorporated speed work once per week which also added to the impact on the IT Band.
Take away is to ease yourself into any program-regardless of your level of fitness. Too much too soon will always leave you on the sidelines.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Mental Side of It-A PR
I have to admit, I was teary when I saw the results. I just wasn't expecting to break my 4-mile PR of 7:16 minute mile for a while. And I wasn't even racing to try-I was racing because I like to and wanted to get steady speedwork in before next weekend's half-marathon.
The odds were against me. It was 17 degrees out with a windchill and I was wearing four layers-one of which was a puffy patagonia jacket. I didn't care about bulk-I just wanted to be warm because in the last race, I was frozen.
About ten minutes before the race, my ipod died. Argh-I hate running without my iPod. I need music to block out everyone else's labored breathing. I thought the cold weather had turned off the iPod but it turns out I didn't charge it.
I decided not to fret because there was nothing I could do but just focus on my breathing and just run.
Usually at a race start, I feel pumped and excited. I felt sort of numb and ambivalent-I just wanted to have a good run and knew I could do that. I didn't feel numb because of the weather-that happened much later.
The first mile took me 7:30, which is slow for me, especially at the start. But in the first mile, there is arduous but short hill to push over and plus a gaggle of people to get around. I decided to speed it up and then started to realize that my face was frozen solid and my hands were hurting. I then just focused on my breathing.
After mile two, I had run a seven minute mile, which was better, but I was then starting to feel off. I felt like i had no oomph and wasn't feeling it at all.
I tried to stay calm and focused on my breathing versus my misery and blahness.
I schlepped from mile two to three-I think it took me about a 7:15 pace but that mile has three hills to pass. And then the last mile, I definitely wasn't having it so I kept repeating something in my head over and over again.
The funny thing is, I have no idea what I was repeating over and over. I cannot recall it for the life of me.
Whatever it was, I ran a good last mile and finished with a time of 28:54. (7:14 minute mile) While this is not a huge PR, it is one and the beauty of it is, it was highly unexpected. And happened in somewhat adverse conditions.
The lesson here for me is that sometimes I need to not give in to my body signals of pain too soon and learn how to manage them. I think I did a good job of that today.
Also, I think the speed work I have incorporated in my routine are working! (see prior post!)
The odds were against me. It was 17 degrees out with a windchill and I was wearing four layers-one of which was a puffy patagonia jacket. I didn't care about bulk-I just wanted to be warm because in the last race, I was frozen.
About ten minutes before the race, my ipod died. Argh-I hate running without my iPod. I need music to block out everyone else's labored breathing. I thought the cold weather had turned off the iPod but it turns out I didn't charge it.
I decided not to fret because there was nothing I could do but just focus on my breathing and just run.
Usually at a race start, I feel pumped and excited. I felt sort of numb and ambivalent-I just wanted to have a good run and knew I could do that. I didn't feel numb because of the weather-that happened much later.
The first mile took me 7:30, which is slow for me, especially at the start. But in the first mile, there is arduous but short hill to push over and plus a gaggle of people to get around. I decided to speed it up and then started to realize that my face was frozen solid and my hands were hurting. I then just focused on my breathing.
After mile two, I had run a seven minute mile, which was better, but I was then starting to feel off. I felt like i had no oomph and wasn't feeling it at all.
I tried to stay calm and focused on my breathing versus my misery and blahness.
I schlepped from mile two to three-I think it took me about a 7:15 pace but that mile has three hills to pass. And then the last mile, I definitely wasn't having it so I kept repeating something in my head over and over again.
The funny thing is, I have no idea what I was repeating over and over. I cannot recall it for the life of me.
Whatever it was, I ran a good last mile and finished with a time of 28:54. (7:14 minute mile) While this is not a huge PR, it is one and the beauty of it is, it was highly unexpected. And happened in somewhat adverse conditions.
The lesson here for me is that sometimes I need to not give in to my body signals of pain too soon and learn how to manage them. I think I did a good job of that today.
Also, I think the speed work I have incorporated in my routine are working! (see prior post!)
Monday, February 1, 2010
How hard was your last workout?
I have written a lot about the softer side of working out. But as I work toward a new triathlon season and new running season, I think about how am I going to improve my performance and overall results. The truth is, I want to be a lot faster. Don't we all?
The thing is, for the last few years, I had abandoned hard workouts for more moderately paced long distance workouts. I feel like I have plateaued and other people are catching up. Workouts have gotten easy. And while that is not all bad, that is not the path to improvement.
Lately I have been doing intervals to push myself. Following are some of my fave:
Running:
10X400s: I do these on the treadmill. I have gotten up to six and am working toward the ten. These make me nostalgic for high school track.
warm up: one mile
Run really fast for .25 on treadmill
jog super slow for .25 on treadmill
cool down one mill
For the first workout, do four and then increase by two until you get to ten.
8X800s on treadmill
Warm up: one mile super slow
Run hard for .5
run easy for .5
Repeat 4-8
cool down one mile
On the bike trainer or on an exercise bike:
warm up 10 minutes
ride hard for 3 minutes, easy for 6 minutes
repeat seven times
cool down for 10 minutes
I got this workout from Bicycling Magazine and the time on the trainer went by really fast.
It is recommended to do no more than two speed workouts per week.
I have a half-marathon race in two weeks, we shall see if the speed work paid off!
The thing is, for the last few years, I had abandoned hard workouts for more moderately paced long distance workouts. I feel like I have plateaued and other people are catching up. Workouts have gotten easy. And while that is not all bad, that is not the path to improvement.
Lately I have been doing intervals to push myself. Following are some of my fave:
Running:
10X400s: I do these on the treadmill. I have gotten up to six and am working toward the ten. These make me nostalgic for high school track.
warm up: one mile
Run really fast for .25 on treadmill
jog super slow for .25 on treadmill
cool down one mill
For the first workout, do four and then increase by two until you get to ten.
8X800s on treadmill
Warm up: one mile super slow
Run hard for .5
run easy for .5
Repeat 4-8
cool down one mile
On the bike trainer or on an exercise bike:
warm up 10 minutes
ride hard for 3 minutes, easy for 6 minutes
repeat seven times
cool down for 10 minutes
I got this workout from Bicycling Magazine and the time on the trainer went by really fast.
It is recommended to do no more than two speed workouts per week.
I have a half-marathon race in two weeks, we shall see if the speed work paid off!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
