Caged Runner.

Rock Creek, U.S. Park Stables
2-4-08

Update for the record.

Haven't run since Jan. 6 when the right knee went wacky. Tried once last week, after quite a few days of it feeling fine walking around and biking. Had to abort after .5 mile.

Went to Sport & Spinal for an exam. Very unlikely that there is a discrete/acute injury or problem with the knee or surrounding tendons and ligaments. My upper thigh and glutes are tight and my range of movement for the upper leg is significantly limited. Knee moves (dives? falls? collapses?) to the inside when I perform a standing one-leg squat. My feet are still flat.

All together, text book IT Band syndrome characteristics. As are the symptoms of Jan. 6 and the days thereafter. I know, however, that ITBS is a large catchall bag for many causes and symptoms. Identifying the true cause is difficult, e.g., is a tight muscle pulling the pelvis out of alignment? Or vice versa? It's a chain with many links. Finding the twisted link is the challenge.

Continuing some deep massage work, with the range of motion problem areas providing some guidance. Last visit to the therapist uncovered some real trouble spots, upper hammies and glutes. Me face down on the table, Lara perched on top grinding and driving her knees into my derierre. This may have been the most painful session ever for me. I'm officially a tight ass. I was a sore, but not quite as tight, ass for another 24-48hrs after. After that I was, of course, just my usual ass.

All of this is good news. It may amount to discovery of the underlying cause - the hard part. I'll proceed as if it is for now, focusing on the problem areas for 30-45mins a night on my own.

Tools for nightly muscle manipulation.

Continue to swim, seeing some small improvement. Biking as well. Bike legs are weak but not totally gone. Almost all trainer (hampster wheel) sessions, 60-90mins, long warm ups into some steady efforts then long warm down. All of it sitting up, no time down in the aero bars - no need to put added pull on the IT/glutes.

Got outside for a ride yesterday. 2.5hrs in near 60F mostly sunny no wind. Rock Creek Park. Lots of folks out on Beach Dr. Stopped to see some sights and stretch. Nice to be outdoors.

Bike, swim, no run yet.

Thoughts go out to J & N and the entire Oberlin crew. I hope you are getting through this time as best you can.

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Starting to think of slipping on the run shoes for a test drive. Holding off for now. The last three days:

Sat. 1-19-08 Swim-Bike
Swim 60mins. Free (~300-400), side(200), stroke and glide (250), kick bd (50), free (50), fist (300), free (50), 3x100yds (1:45-48)
Swim was 2-3p after working 9-1. Ride was ~3:40-5:40p after swim.

Bike
QR trainer watching Terps beat #1 UNC at UNC. No aero time. No hard efforts, more time at steady, steady+ efort than recent rides. No knee trouble.
Entire workout (164 watts):
Duration: 1:58:16 (2:00:02)
Work: 1167 kJ
Distance: 39.002 mi

Heart rate: 145 bpm avg
Cadence: 87 rpm avg
Speed: 19.8 mph avg

Sun. 1-20-08
Swim 60mins easy, steady nothing hard
~400free, ~350 side r/l (w/zoomers; trying to find high body position, looking barely fwd, and 45deg angle not 90) ~350 stroke and glide (w/zoomers), 50 kick board, 50 free, ~150 fist, ~400 free. ~1750 total
Core/Lift 35mins
2 x (fonda leg raises r/l, lat pulls downs, cable side bend (obliques) r/l, cable side arm raise r/l, tri pushdown, seated row, side plank)
3 x (bicycle crunches, feet together crunches, plank)

Mon. 1-21-08
Bike QR trainer. No aero time. Gradual warm up to some extended steady time. Watched Bourne Ultimatum.
Entire workout (165 watts):
Duration: 1:51:31 (1:55:44)
Distance: 36.768 mi
Heart rate: 137 bpm avg
Cadence: 86 rpm avg
Speed: 19.8 mph

Tue. 1-22-08 Swim 6-7a

Knee barely stiff out of bed. Taking stairs normally. ART tomorrow. Overall assessment at Sport & Spinal Fri.

Really wanted some more sleep.
Body was screaming sleep! Eventually I managed/decided to tune it out. Did I chose poorly? Ignoring the bod is high on the ingredient list for injury or illness. We'll see.

Solid hr of swimmin’. No one else showed = individual lesson.
Today's flaw fix - Keep my pulling hand at/near/under/traveling past belly button!!! Don't swing it out wide! This is a tough bit of muscle memory to break.

300 warm-up
10x100 alternating left/right breathing every 25 (:30 rest) (fastest 1:48, slowest 1:52)
500 with zoomers, same alternating breathing
5x50 on 1:30 (:48-:50)
100 cool down 2150 total

Hard to get a hold of, feel for grabbing water with the dif hand/arm pull position.
New (?) spots on shoulders, lats feeling the slightly dif use pattern - also carrying some fatigue from recent addition of back/shoulder weight work.