Back on Track

For the first time in about a week I was able to run.  Feeling confident my left knee could take it, I went to the track at Timpanogos school and hit their track for 30 minutes.  While I was unable to run I looked into some other running programs and found one in the Runner's World Complete Guide to Running.  One thing I appreciate about this new program is its' emphasis on beginners focusing on being relaxed and not working too hard as this will lead to injury.  One thing I liked was the statement that the marathon has been 26.2 miles in length for over 2000 years and will still be 26.2 miles by the time your are ready to do one.  So true.  I am in no hurry.  This program is much more gradual and that is good considering I really do need to take it slow and gradually build up to running non-stop.

On Monday I have an appointment to see the physical therapist and am going to ask him about exercises I can do to strengthen my joints and avoid injury.  It felt so good to be running again I want to do everything possible to make sure I can keep running without getting hurt.

Injury Updated

My knee seems to be on the mend.  The swelling is down and the is nowhere nearly as bad as it was before.  This has me hopeful that this injury will be a short one and I will be up and running again really soon.

Dealing with injury is something all of us who exercise regularly will have to deal with.  The key, it seems, is to workout so as to avoid injuries thus eliminating having to take time off.  As I think back to the nature of my injury I am convinced it is a case of too much too soon.  Riding my bike on the off-days is what pushed my left knee over the edge.  So if you are starting a running program, or any program, remember to make your off-days truly off-days.  I am hopeful that a couple of visits to my physical therapist should remedy this situation pretty quickly.

One thing I have learned is the value of cross training.  I will be doing lots of hiking until my knee gets better.  Thankfully there are some really good trails really close to my house in Orem I will be hitting up.  Overall if you keep a positive frame of mind you can deal with minor injuries avoid discouragement.  This is what I have learned from this.

Injury and some lessons learned

Being sidelined due to what I think is tendonitis stinks.  I was in the groove of running four to five times a week and loving it.  Now I am waiting on my body to heal and to get into physical therapy to strengthen my left leg so this won't happen again.  Here are the lessons I have learned from this experience.

-If you are just beginning a running program, or coming back from a break, take it slow.  Real, slow.  I ran cross country in high school and have to remind myself I am no longer sixteen years old and can just jump off the couch and run three to five miles at will.  These are things you have to gradually work up to and the quickest way to find yourself sidelined with an injury is to try to set a world record when you are just getting started.

-An injury is not the end of the world.  These things happen.  Even people who are taking it really slow and being super careful can still get hurt.  I think this is where I fit in.  My injury was not a case of too much too fast but something that just happened and will, with time, heal.  In the mean time I am thinking of things I can do to exercise so I don't lose all of what I have gained since I began conditioning.

-Cross Train.  About six months ago I was able to run for thirty minutes pain free.  As I have reflected on that something stands out.  I was cross training.  Once I am healthy again, this is something I am going to take more seriously by working in at least two days a week of strength training, or strength train in addition to the days I run.  This will ensure I have strength and endurance.

-Stay Positive.  I have a choice.  I can either bemoan my state or be patient and realize that people have come back from much, much, worse.  For instance, last night I read about an ultrarunner who had a severe Achilles tendinitis who came back to complete the Badwater.  As I read his story the thing that stood out to me was he believed he could do it and then trained smart to prevent injury.

If you are sidelined like me, hang in there and realize that for some of us shin splints, pulled muscles, stress fractures, blisters, and even tendonitis are part of the challenge and can be overcome.

Chris

Sidelined for a bit

One of the realities any athlete in any sport faces is the reality of injury.  Right now I have decided to take some time off to let some things heal and begin physical therapy once I get back to Utah.  The problem I am facing is not serious and should clear up pretty quickly.  The amazing thing is that I am not at all discouraged and realize that bumps in the road happen to everyone from elite athletes to people like me who are just starting an exercise plan.  So don't worry about me because I am not worried and I am sure this will all get sorted out.

Progress

I have made progress.  Yesterday I did the 2 minutes of running followed by a minute of walking for 30 minutes.  For this run I chose my Asics Foundation 9 motion control shoes.  I also chose to wear braces on both knees to ensure that my kneecaps tracked properly and to reduce the stress running places on my knees.  Here's how it all went.

My Asics performed well.  Due to the support and stability they provide I felt stronger.  My shin splints were not as bad as usual and I was able to complete the 2 minutes on 1 minute off cycle ten times with no problems.  Well, there was a slight problem.  After the first cycle one of my calf muscles felt tight, so I stopped my watch and stretched it out.  After that there were no problems.

My quads must be getting stronger because I felt very little fatigue in them during my workout.  The knee braces followed by Advil kept the inflammation down.  Using the motion control shoes was good though they don't offer the same level of cushioning my Pegasus provide.  Then again running shoes are not all about what provides the most cushioning.  Even though a shoe might have the most cushioning on the planet they still could be the worst shoe for your feet.

Tomorrow is another workout.  My goal is 3 minutes on and 1 minute for seven cycles with 2 minutes of running at the end.  I am planning on doing this workout on the track at either Timpanogos High School or Provo High.  I am going to give my body a rest from the road and see how my knees respond to a rubberized track.  Good, I hope.

That's it for now.  I will log how tomorrow's run goes.

Chris

Shoes

I am now the proud owner of a pair of Nike Pegasus 27 running shoes.  Twenty seven years ago Nike introduced this line of running shoes and they have popular ever since.  The Pegasus have significance to me because my dad gave me a pair for my first season of cross country in high school.  The iteration of the Pegasus I have are very different from the pair my dad gave me in '93 but they are just as good.  I used them for a couple of runs and am impressed with their cushioning.  They are wanting in the support area but are a good light weight shoe and will probably be good for speed work (if I ever get to that).  Right now I am just enjoying my runs and looking forward to later this week when my Brooks Adrenaline and Asics Foundation 9 arrive via UPS.  Having three pairs of shoes to rotate through might seem a bit excessive, but the way I see it, having a pair of fresh shoes to run in will go far in preventing injuries and preserve the longevity of my shoes saving me some money in the long run (a good pun).