Weekly Mileage 41st week of 2012

[NickW]

Knives are too close range, too risky.

Martial arts require years of training and even so the greater upper body strength of a man may neutralize whatever advantage in technique you have gained. Best to learn how to launch a powerful kick to the groin, or kick out his knee, then run. Low kicks are hard to see coming, don't take too long to develop, deliver about as much power for a woman as for a man (pound for pound, women have just as much lower body strength as men), and you can maintain balance relatively well. High kicks are worthless in street-fighting, punches bring you in too close where he can grab you and turn it into a grappler's game. OK, you can learn lethal or crippling moves, like collapsing the windpipe or gauging the eyes, but most women have a hard time actually following through on this, even when their lives are at stake. And basically, in any street fight or attack, you have to assume that the worst possible outcome--death--is possible, so you might as well just get a hand gun so that you can keep some distance between you and the perp. Shoot at the upper legs until you've drained the gun, or at least for the first four shots, because you have to assume you're going to miss at least a couple of times. Meanwhile he's closing in on you. This stuff is a lot different than in the movies. I trained martial arts twenty years ago, and even used it a couple of times to defend myself, but would I use it now? Absolutely not! It's not something you know forever and ever. If you don't keep practicing, your skills will deteriorate. Same with handguns--it's a lot harder to hit a target than in the movies. I vote dog first, not running in the dark in the middle of nowhere second, and hand gun third.

Having had lot of training with knives, hand to hand combat, and firearms of all sorts, I understand this reasoning, but I really think knives and guns are not the way to go at all when running (which is weird because I am very pro weapons for self defense). You would have to secure each very well on your person so you didn't inadvertently hurt yourself while running. Most attacks you may not even know are going to happen until the perp is nearly or already on top of you, especially at night. Trying to pull a weapon free in time is going to be difficult and worse, the perp may get it while wrestling with you while you're trying to get it free. Best to have a big dog and/or learn some sort of hand to hand combat.

There was a fighting style I learned while in the military that shocked me at how easy it was for me (a short 5'7" 160lb guy) to over power a 6' 200lb plus man enough to be able to save my own butt. I don't recall what this style was called (not a normal martial art, it took bits and pieces from all different types and was geared as strictly for using defense as an offense) but it was very easy and saved my butt in a real life situation against a 6'3"+ Afghan man who attacked me. It was similar in some ways to a jujitsu (which I have had some training in too), but then it also had some unique concepts. I've taught my daughter bits and pieces of it so she can defend herself if she ever needs to. Anyhow, I think a true type of krav magra (spelling may be off) would be best. It's geared for defending yourself and being able to fend off multiple attackers and women can really excel at this type of martial art. I believe it is what the Israeli military (police maybe, can't remember exactly) uses. It is a very effective fighting method that can give you enough time until someone else gets there or for you to get away. This combined with a dog would be the best, or just running with a partner.

 

[Bare Lee]

Having had lot of training with knives, hand to hand combat, and firearms of all sorts, I understand this reasoning, but I really think knives and guns are not the way to go at all when running (which is weird because I am very pro weapons for self defense). You would have to secure each very well on your person so you didn't inadvertently hurt yourself while running. Most attacks you may not even know are going to happen until the perp is nearly or already on top of you, especially at night. Trying to pull a weapon free in time is going to be difficult and worse, the perp may get it while wrestling with you while you're trying to get it free. Best to have a big dog and/or learn some sort of hand to hand combat.

There was a fighting style I learned while in the military that shocked me at how easy it was for me (a short 5'7" 160lb guy) to over power a 6' 200lb plus man enough to be able to save my own butt. I don't recall what this style was called (not a normal martial art, it took bits and pieces from all different types and was geared as strictly for using defense as an offense) but it was very easy and saved my butt in a real life situation against a 6'3"+ Afghan man who attacked me. It was similar in some ways to a jujitsu (which I have had some training in too), but then it also had some unique concepts. I've taught my daughter bits and pieces of it so she can defend herself if she ever needs to. Anyhow, I think a true type of krav magra (spelling may be off) would be best. It's geared for defending yourself and being able to fend off multiple attackers and women can really excel at this type of martial art. I believe it is what the Israeli military (police maybe, can't remember exactly) uses. It is a very effective fighting method that can give you enough time until someone else gets there or for you to get away. This combined with a dog would be the best, or just running with a partner.

There you have it, advice from a real pro.

 

[NickW]

There you have it, advice from a real pro.

Not pro, just a little experience is all.

 

[Barefoot Dama]

25 minutes going up and down stairs and 20 mins of back/hip excercises crap.

 

[NickW]

A little over a 1 mile barefoot walk to take my son to the park plus about 20-25 minutes of walking on woodchips while there. Once home we went to gym to make up for yesterdays lack of gym (tv was out and my son will not let me work out if its not on, he gets bored easy in there being strapped to his stroller).

 

[Spiderweb62]

So far, I have done 16km this week and my feet feel ok....tomorrow I plan to do some interval training which should challenge them a bit more....only running on concrete or relatively smooth surface for the time being....

I also plan to start going in the bush/trails but need some ideas on how to protect my feet/ankles as the wildlife is quite dangerous around here (snakes and spiders)

 

[Bare Lee]

Well, yesterday's short run was probably misguided. The knee felt a bit sorer today, although it's loosening up as the day goes on. Have to go back to waiting to run until it's completely pain free. So I'll just do my 2.2 mi barefoot walking circuit picking up the kids from day care and kindergarten, to stretch the legs a bit. I hope this doesn't last too much longer, I'm starting to go a little run crazy. I guess I'll start doing weights and rowing everyday and overtrain for a week or two. Sometimes that's beneficial in short spurts. I'm surprised the knee can take deadlifts and squats no problem.

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Well, yesterday's short run was probably misguided. The knee felt a bit sorer today, although it's loosening up as the day goes on. Have to go back to waiting to run until it's completely pain free. So I'll just do my 2.2 mi barefoot walking circuit picking up the kids from day care and kindergarten, to stretch the legs a bit. I hope this doesn't last too much longer, I'm starting to go a little run crazy. I guess I'll start doing weights and rowing everyday and overtrain for a week or two. Sometimes that's beneficial in short spurts. I'm surprised the knee can take deadlifts and squats no problem.

Refresh my memory Lee, where is exactly your pain located?

 

[scedastic]

Well, yesterday's short run was probably misguided. The knee felt a bit sorer today, although it's loosening up as the day goes on. Have to go back to waiting to run until it's completely pain free. So I'll just do my 2.2 mi barefoot walking circuit picking up the kids from day care and kindergarten, to stretch the legs a bit. I hope this doesn't last too much longer, I'm starting to go a little run crazy. I guess I'll start doing weights and rowing everyday and overtrain for a week or two. Sometimes that's beneficial in short spurts. I'm surprised the knee can take deadlifts and squats no problem.

I didn't want to like this one b/c you are still dealing w/ the knee issue.
There is no substitute for the running. On the other hand, I had been doing lots of strength training before the semester started and I truly miss it, almost like I would miss running, as it has taken a back seat (after the run, hardly any time).
You would love it though; my office mate has decked out our office with a balance ball, ab wheel, free weights, resistance bands, so that when we get bored/tired, we can do a few sets......

 

[NickW]

Well, yesterday's short run was probably misguided. The knee felt a bit sorer today, although it's loosening up as the day goes on. Have to go back to waiting to run until it's completely pain free. So I'll just do my 2.2 mi barefoot walking circuit picking up the kids from day care and kindergarten, to stretch the legs a bit. I hope this doesn't last too much longer, I'm starting to go a little run crazy. I guess I'll start doing weights and rowing everyday and overtrain for a week or two. Sometimes that's beneficial in short spurts. I'm surprised the knee can take deadlifts and squats no problem.

This is exactly why I warned you the other day. And you went and ran anyway... Lucky you didn't really set yourself back. Next time you might not be so lucky... Do more rowing or ride a bike or go for longer walks, but don't go running till your knee is better. I know you know this already, but I feel I must say it again because you are kind of stubborn... I don't know where I've heard this before... Couldn't be people saying that about me...

 

[scedastic]

Having had lot of training with knives, hand to hand combat, and firearms of all sorts, I understand this reasoning, but I really think knives and guns are not the way to go at all when running (which is weird because I am very pro weapons for self defense). You would have to secure each very well on your person so you didn't inadvertently hurt yourself while running. Most attacks you may not even know are going to happen until the perp is nearly or already on top of you, especially at night. Trying to pull a weapon free in time is going to be difficult and worse, the perp may get it while wrestling with you while you're trying to get it free. Best to have a big dog and/or learn some sort of hand to hand combat.

Good points, and that's what I worry about. If I actually get attacked, chances are I won't have the time to pull a weapon, or the attacker may get it.
Sigh.
Big dog.
That will be a hard sell. A very very very very hard sell, maybe even a marriage crisis.
Hmmm, but to keep me safe?

 

[dutchie53]

2 slow miles, but at least it was dry and slightly warmer then yesterday,+3C.

 

[Bare Lee]

Refresh my memory Lee, where is exactly your pain located?

Writing this with my daughter on my knee and everyone ready for bed, but I tried to illustrate in PhotoStudio (green blob is the area):

 

[Bare Lee]

This is exactly why I warned you the other day. And you went and ran anyway... Lucky you didn't really set yourself back. Next time you might not be so lucky... Do more rowing or ride a bike or go for longer walks, but don't go running till your knee is better. I know you know this already, but I feel I must say it again because you are kind of stubborn... I don't know where I've heard this before... Couldn't be people saying that about me...

Nick, I wanted to get a sense of what I was up against. My little test run revealed that it's clearly a running-specific injury, as I can bend my knees just fine, whereas running aggravates it a bit. Complete rest is the only answer. My doc suggested that I could run through it, but I scoffed at this, and then after five days of resting I wanted to test his diagnosis to make sure. We were right. I will start icing tomorrow too. It's just really baffling. It feels like the kind of thing that would happen in the initial stages of getting back into running, before everything is set, not an overuse injury. It's acute and very localized, almost like someone hit me in that spot, but doesn't seem to interfere with bending, and the doc said inside the joint seemed fine. So I'm wondering if it's a ligament or something. When I massage and stretch there does seem to be some relief, but only just a bit. I'm think rest may be the only solution but if anyone has any ideas I'd be glad to hear them.

 

[NickW]

Lee, is that green blob the back side of the knee? Mine is on the front just under the knee cap. I'm assuming it's the ligament you have marked on that diagram on the right. Mines nothing bad and I am able to run on it. Really running doesn't seem to aggravate mine much, but stairs, squats, push presses, power cleans, etc seem to bother it a little. Hope yours heals faster than mine. I think mine started hurting a couple months ago when I first started doing squats again.

 

[Barefooting Bob]

3.5 mile jaunt with the dog tonight. Love the weather, temps sitting at zero, slight layer of frost on the sidewalks, I can see the prints my feet leave in the frost. Have to remember to take a camera to grab a picture.

 

[Bare Lee]

Lee, is that green blob the back side of the knee? Mine is on the front just under the knee cap. I'm assuming it's the ligament you have marked on that diagram on the right. Mines nothing bad and I am able to run on it. Really running doesn't seem to aggravate mine much, but stairs, squats, push presses, power cleans, etc seem to bother it a little. Hope yours heals faster than mine. I think mine started hurting a couple months ago when I first started doing squats again.

It's on the side, inside, a little towards the front. It feels like it's close to the surface, not in the joint, which conforms to what the doc found doing his various mobility tests, and with the fact that I can do body-weight squats. If it was inside the knee joint I don't think that would be possible. It appears to be minor, and is getting a little better every day--I'm no longer limping, can go up and down stairs no problem, etc. It gets a little stiff when I sit for a while with it bent--seems to do better extended. It happened with a step like any other. I didn't step on anything or have to twist on an uneven surface. I was running on pretty smooth asphalt, and had deliberately slowed my pace a bit after starting out closer to 9mm pace, so it wasn't caused by (relative) speed either. Really a mystery. Two days before I had a good 7-mile run at 9.26 pace, no problem. There doesn't appear to be anything I can do except rest it. I guess I sprained it somehow by running before I was properly warmed up, but I often run without any warm up. Maybe some kind of muscle tightness pulled on the knee one way to create an imbalance such that the joint wasn't fully supported when I landed. I dunno. I'm going to start icing it, which is what the doc suggested. I'm not taking any ibuprofen or anything.

 

[Barefoot Dama]

I have a friend here a work with exactly your same issue.
His ortho told him that it was inflamation of the ligament and gave him some Voltaren cream for it(anti-inflamatoty) the cream is like Celebrex but who wants that!
Anyways, If you like I could tell you what I do when my bad ankle gives grief(sprined many ions ago and it never healed properly and it bothers me from time to time).
Well wether you like it or not here is what I do.
Head to Amazon and look into Tropicin cream( a little pricey if you ask me but is all worth it to me).
Also look for Tubigrip this offers very mild compression and I like it because allows me to move freely without being too constricted.
I used the cream morning and night but you could use more often. It's completely safe as is made with natural herbs.
In the morning I use the cream only and at night I used the cream and the tubigrip to sleep in.
The method I use works wonderfully for me the pain goes away in a day or two.
There is also a book you might want to look at it is by Nicholas A. DiNubile and it's called Framework for the knee.
Good luck my friend I hope you find relief soon.

PS
I was just thinking you and Nick run pushing a stroller and you both are having some issues...uhm.

 

[NickW]

PS
I was just thinking you and Nick run pushing a stroller and you both are having some issues...uhm.

I thought Lee mostly did not run with a stroller? I believe my knee issue is related to me starting doing squats, as that time frame is when the pain started. I do know that the stroller affects my runs (builds really bad habits when going downhill), but I think the two "injuries" I have are related to other factors. PF from so much inactivity throughout the day allowing my muscles to tighten up really bad despite me stretching and rolling multiple times a day (I just sit way too much). The knee, like I said I think was related to the squats, or maybe even some broad jumps I had been doing back then.

 

[Barefoot Dama]

I thought Lee mostly did not run with a stroller? I believe my knee issue is related to me starting doing squats, as that time frame is when the pain started. I do know that the stroller affects my runs (builds really bad habits when going downhill), but I think the two "injuries" I have are related to other factors. PF from so much inactivity throughout the day allowing my muscles to tighten up really bad despite me stretching and rolling multiple times a day (I just sit way too much). The knee, like I said I think was related to the squats, or maybe even some broad jumps I had been doing back then.

Could I be wrong? Impossible!
It was just I thought though.