Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I'm gonna cry a little

You know how my left ITB was itching a bit on Saturday so I had to shorten my run and then also ran less on Sunday but it did not hurt at all, shorter run was just a prevention.
So I was supposed to do 1200s workout today but the track was closed because soccer match was played there.
Hm, I had to decide what to do. 11 miles on Tuesday at 7:30pm just did not sound right but better than on Friday at 5am. So 11 miles it was. I felt awesome, no pain at all. The only problem was that I was not prepared for this...I did not wear knee bandage. (I am not sure about the logic behind this, but when I wear a bandage under my knee, ITB does not hurt.)
No ITB problem, not at all until around 7 miles and then bam! It did not hurt, I juts got this feeling in that area. I stopped immediately because I knew that feeling and knew that if I continue it will get worse. So I just walk 4 miles back, no pain but I was not going to force it.

What's the deal with this??? Are ITBs like Achilles' heels that when you have a problem with one you can expect to have a problem with the other one very soon. Does it mean that now a one-year long Odyssey of on and off running starts? I really do not know what to do. I have never ever had any running related problems when I was in Slovakia. Then when I came to the US I had one small problem with ITB but nothing serious and slight stress fractures in shins. Then I moved to France and all those right ITB issues started. I did not even run on roads. I ran mile to a park and then ran there and then 1 mile back. So how did this happen?
And now I do not even run that much. I have run only 5 days a week past few weeks and my mileage has not been that high. SO WHAT'S WRONG?!? And it is LEFT ITB this time!
Maybe I just felt so good that I stopped being cautious. Not enough stretching, icing etc. But I went to pool to loosen up after all workouts. But not last week since it was closed. Maybe that's the reason.

I am going to ice and stretch as crazy and pray that it goes away and never come back. Maybe I am just not supposed to be a long distance runner. But that's bullshit, c'mon, everybody can be a long distance runner.

OK, let's see how it feels in days to come.

4 comments:

  1. So very frustrating. Really sorry to hear that. Your plan of icing and stretching sounds very good. Take the time & energy that you normally invest into training and invest them into recovering. if you focus as hard on recovery as you normally do on training and approach it with the same dedication (which it sounds like you are/will) then you will hopefully not be out very long at all.

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  2. take time to recuperate. use my experience as a lesson...you dont want to be out for 6 months.

    do you know any good sports massage therapists? my ITBs tighten up sometimes, and my therapist is key in keeping the issue at bay...

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  3. I have learnt my own lesson....I took 5 months off last year because of my right ITB.

    I do not know anyone...maybe I should try to look up someone. Is it usually expensive?

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  4. yes...it usually is :( i am lucky because a member of my track club is a great massage therapist, and she gives club members 1/2 off. and, good therapists usually are sort of pricey (i wouldn't go with a cheap person because they probably wont know what they are doing...).

    :(

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