Injury…something that most runners go through at one point or another during their running career. Unfortunately, I’ve also fallen into that category.

I realized that something was wrong on Christmas Eve. I had a scheduled 10 mile run. The pain began around mile 3 and it never stopped. I of course was stubborn and ran until the end, unsure of what was wrong with my knee. I have never had an ache or pain hurt for longer than a week, so I figured if I iced it, took ibuprofen, etc. it would go away. Well, that didn’t happen. The pain was STILL there on New Year’s Eve when I was supposed to run 21 miles. I cried for 2 days straight (wasn’t in denial, just sad because I could feel the Marathon slipping through my fingers) then I called a local orthopedic massage therapist to see if he could help me.

He helped me figure out that my IT band was irritated which probably contributed to my knee pain. I attempted to run on my knee two days later and at between mile 1 and 2, the pain was there again. I then called a few running group Physical Therapy friends of mine and they got me in right away. Let me tell you, they are AMAZING!

We decided that my problem is tendonitis in my knee. They advised me not to run the Houston Full Marathon in January. They said I COULD run the marathon, but it would be painful and I would hurt for a very long time and Rock and Roll New Orleans would be out of the question. So I took their advice and I dropped down to the half marathon. I was VERY disappointed to leave my friends behind but I had to do what was best for my knee.

I’ve been seeing the Physical Therapist for about 2 months now. After watching me run, it was determined that I have a funky running formation. I most likely developed the tendonitis in my knee sometime after my fastest Half Marathon in December. I possibly pushed it too hard (even though I dont’ remember knee pain during the race). I also slacked off a LOT in December with my training runs.

We also determined that the strenght in my hips and upper quads is poor. This led to an exercise routine of (what feels like) a million squats and lunges – some with weights. I’ve also continued to run shorter distances.

So far, I’ve had the Graston Technique performed on my IT band ((Can we say OMG?!)). The Graston Technique is like INTENSE foam rolling. So take your most painful spots on your foam roller and magnify them by 10! Ouch!  I’ve also had a LOT of ice and stimulation on my knee.

Since I didn’t get to run the Full Marathon in Houston, I was able to meet Josh Cox at the Nissan Booth after the race. Josh Cox is the American record holder for the Ultra Marathon. He record: 31 point something miles (50K)  in 2 hours and 43 minutes! Holy smokes! I’m so glad I got to meet him and he was VERY encouraging! Something he said that really stuck out was:

“You can’t fully enjoy the mountaintops without the hills or the valleys.”

A profound statement that is SO very true! It gave me a little bit of comfort as well. I knew things would be ok in time….

What is my game plan for Rock and Roll New Orleans? Well, I’m going to get through the Full Marathon as best I can. I raised $1250 for the American Cancer Society and I’m going to run the race that I’ve worked hard to run! We’ll see how it goes! In a perfect world, I’ll finish with minimal knee pain. At this point though, I’ll just take the medal! :0)

I CAN do ALL Things!