More knee junk

[BFWendyBird]

I'm making serious progress with the knee injury (although pictures from the race I was supposed to do today have me totally depressed.)

What I'm finding is that following the initial injury, my left leg has become significantly weaker than the right. I wouldn't have noticed except running in my VFFs I could HEAR that one foot was landing louder than the other.

It didn't feel like I was limping or imbalanced, but I started intentionally using my left leg more until it evened out. I also found that shortening my stride and slowing down a bit kept my knee from twinging or having sharp pain. When I ran yesterday, I could really feel that i was engaging my left leg more and it was more tired than the right by the time I was done running, but no knee pain. Did the same thing again today.

At about mile two, I was getting knee pain so I again focused on being strong with my left leg and keeping my stride really short (no doubt I looked like I was running with a stick up my backside, LOL.) Anyway, it worked, knee stopped hurting and I was able to finish a 10 mile run with no pain.

So, now to focus on strength training to build the left leg back up and continue running. Still bummed about missing the amazing adventure race, but I will get over it.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Sorry about that race,

Sorry about that race, Wendy. I know it sucks to miss one you've had hopes for running. I missed a few lately myself. I really wanted to run the All American 5K barefoot in honor of Lt. Berschinski who lost his legs in Afghanistan. I volunteered to work the event instead. (Barefoot Rex ran it though. He's a Lt. Colonel in the Army and a Georgia BRS member. So that was cool.)

Your story reminds me of all the many shod runners who run through the developing injury because they can't feel whether or not they are injuring themselves. When we run barefoot or truly minimal, we are more in tune with what we are doing to our bodies. We get away with nothing. It's good.

 

[sole_foot]

Hang in there this too shall

Hang in there this too shall pass! Keep figuring it out. Good luck.

 

[BFWendyBird]

   I can't remember now if I

I can't remember now if I post here about what I think caused the original injury. When I ran the 24-Hour Realy, I took at nap at about 11:30 pm since I had until 7am to do my last 5 miles. When I woke up an hour later I could hardly move and just took off shuffling. I believe my ITBand had tightened up badly so that when I started running again with no stretching, and tighter than a watch spring from head to toe, I think it pulled my knee way off track. It was really stupid and this is the price I am paying for the shiny plaque

 

[Barefoot TJ]

How long ago was that? 

How long ago was that? Haven't you been running some since then? Not regularly?

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 wendy focus on strength

wendy focus on strength exercises for the vastus medialis on the leg that is weaker. a common side effect of knee injuries is the loss of the ability to contract/control the vastus medialis which helps stabilize the patella. getting that strong will give you that controlled feeling you have lost and balance out your stride

 

[BFWendyBird]

Yes TJ, I ran that back in

Yes TJ, I ran that back in April. I didn't run at all for a couple of weeks after the 50, then made it a lot more sore running a 5K, followed by low to no milage weeks with the wedding and travel. It will get better for a couple of weeks, then I do something stupid like race, or run a hilly trail and start back over again. Now I know, NO HILLS, until this is totally healed. I have one race on the 4th of July, but I think it will be okay for that now that I can keep the leg strong to keep my knee from hurting. I may have to take it slow though.



Thanks Jimmy, that is what I have been working on (although not dilligently enough.) I hate strength training and I'm paying for not building my quads up enough. Do you have any specific recomendations for vastus medialis? I'm doing squats and lunges, but can't quite do the one leg lunges safely.

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 a good one to do is one leg

a good one to do is one leg squats off a chair. sit in a chair that gives your leg about a 90 degree bend then with one leg stand up. just hold the other leg out in front of you as you do it. once you're up hold it and balance for a two count then sit back down and repeat. if you dont feel stable enough to sit down with the one leg then you can use both but do the lift with only one at a time

 

[BFWendyBird]

That is great, thanks!  I'm

That is great, thanks! I'm laughing though, I can barely do it and only got in 3 reps with my left leg :-D It seriously shows my imbalance though, I'm all over the place with the left leg, but pretty in control with the right. Any suggestions on how best to even them up?

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

Hang in there Wendy, injuries

Hang in there Wendy, injuries are a pain but they tend to teach us a few things about ourselves. Sounds like strength training is what will help your recovery right along.

 

[BFWendyBird]

Exactly Zumba.  My hope here

Exactly Zumba. My hope here is that maybe someone else can benefit from my stupidity, Umm, experience, yea, that is the word, experience

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 do some drill work like side

do some drill work like side shuffles in a squat position. only travel about five feet from left to right. do it for about 30-45 seconds then rest. repeat for about 3-5 rounds. lateral lunges, basically a lunge that you do to the side instead of the front will also help. oh and single leg leg press if you have it available. if not i like to use either resistance bands or yoga bands and just do a leg press with them while laying on your back. those should all help make the single leg work a little easier.

 

[BFWendyBird]

Thanks a ton Jimmy!  I'm

Thanks a ton Jimmy! I'm determined to regain balance so I don't get hurt again.