Eureka!

After 2 weeks of trying to figure out what he heck is going on with my knee, it dawned on me this morning as I embarked on my long run (13 miles) that symptomatically, pain is not necessarily the location of the 'problem'. The body is funny that way - such a complex machine of muscles that extend and contract, it is no wonder the inside of both knees were hurting.

All the distance running and cycling has taken a toll on my IT band - something I'm not very good at 'stretching' (if there is such a thing). I have a foam roller at the house but it's not something I use very often. It was just a side-comment from my chiropractor the other day ("geez your IT band is really tight") that prompted me to really grind out the lactic acid and tension on/around my IT band last night.

Guess what? An amazing thing happened this morning - I ran 13.1 miles pain-free (negative splits as well). Hind-sight being 20/20, it is obvious to me that if the IT band is tight, it is causing tension on the outer part of my lower leg - which in turn is causing a different angle at the knee. An angle that creates additional pressure and swelling on the inside of my leg under the knee-cap. Duh.

So note to self - use foam roller more. Stretch IT band real good. Prevent knee pain.

Check, check and check. I'm back and ready to rock this mutha.

Fill the damn dam!

Well here we are almost 40 days before Ironman Arizona and already I am filled with a sense of accomplishment and anticipation...and I haven't even made it to the starting line yet!! So good news today however - let the dam filling process begin. Looks like Tempe Town Lake will be ready for the race.

Let me take you back to Sunday - long ride day. For the last couple weeks I've been tinkering with the notion of nudging my mileage up beyond the 60 or 80 miles that I've done for a couple weeks now. It was expected to be overcast and cooler so I threw caution to the wind and plotted a nice 100-mile ride that would avoid any kind of urban streets or traffic lights. I wanted to ride solid for 5 hours without hills or interruptions.

I personally am a little tentative riding a new route especially when you don't know the condition of the roads. With the number of flat tires I've had lately too, I was packed to the brim with extra tubes, bars, Roctane and a little cash to stop and get some food along the way. This route was excellent and I intend to use it again in the future. Spinning aero in the big chain ring for 20-40 miles at a time is exactly what I've been looking for to simulate the ride along the Bee Line highway come race day. I was also focused on nutrition and payed close attention to what I was putting in me, how often and what I was feeling at certain mileage markers - 30, 60 and 90 miles. I felt better after this ride was done than I have coming back from shorter hillier rides.

Since then, I skipped Monday swim drills, ran 7 miles this morning and then swam 2.4 miles this evening. It rained like the ba-jesus today so I don't think I'l be cycling in the morning (too much standing water and debris in the road). I'll probably wait until the afternoon.

The knee is still acting up, though not quite as bad as a few weeks ago. I think I'm resolved not to over-extend my mileage between now and race day. Max, I may try and put on 14-16 miles for long runs but honestly if I can't, I'll be fine with that. I don't remember where I saw the quote, but it always sticks in my mind during long runs -

"[A marathon is] 20 miles of hope, 6 miles of guts"

I'm sure we're going to find out. Cheers.

A little perspective

Granted, I know there are horrible things going on in the world that are far worse than the week I've had so don't think I'm ignorant to the fact that despite my issues, things could be much worse. Perspective is key and something I'm trying to maintain as I work through this rough patch.

The knee is still bothering me.

I went for a run yesterday morning (having not run since last Tuesday) expecting things to feel pretty good. Turns out, the same feeling cropped up at the beginning of my run. Determined to figure out what it is, I started messing with my running form a bit. Quicker steps rather than longer strides. Leaning forward just a bit more.

That go me through 4 miles nearly pain-free but obviously, the aches are more apparent once the run is over. I iced my knees for about 20 minutes to keep the swelling down. That felt good. I then put some e-stim on them for about 1.5 hours. I have to say, the pain subsided throughout the day and around dinner time, felt like I hadn't run at all.

That was encouraging going into my long swim workout last night. Except for one thing. I wasn't feeling so hot. You know how you get that feeling/sense in either your throat, eyes or ears that you're coming down with something? Throw in some achy shoulders/neck last night after dinner and I was fairly discouraged. I bagged my swim knowing that (a) it would not be a good workout and (b) even if I did get anything out of it, I'd be that much more likely to get sick.

Fast forward to this morning - my right knee is slightly tender. Not like I'm limping or anything. I can put my full weight on it. It just bugs the hell out of me more than anything. I am struggling with whether to take time off from running completely or to work through it with therapy and a modified running schedule.

I also don't feel great - not full-blown sick but I can tell that something festers. Discouraging to say the least. But with less than 60 days before the race, I guess it's better to get this junk out of the way now, deal and muster everything I can to finish (that ultimately was the #1 goal).

Thanks for reading.