Though my weekly mileage did not increase, the intensity and frequency jumped a bit. Apparently, my Iliotibial Band took offense.
The bad news: ITBS can take a long time to overcome. If the athlete continues running while it is inflamed, it can become chronic.
The good news: I have not progressed to the stage where pain has halted my running (it starts feeling tight and hurting a few hours after I run). So I'm doing the smart thing: laying off running entirely. On Monday I'll be on the Physical Therapist's table. I am confident that I caught it early, and that he'll be able to get me back in the game quickly.
Thank you to all my Twitter and running friends who have given me advice, exercises, referrals and support! I am grateful.
In the meantime, I'll try to stay optimistic, hope that I'll be allowed to bike and swim in the interim, and keep my ultimate goal in mind when I get impatient.
Stay tuned.
ITB is my nemesis. Good luck with the PT and rest. Sending healing vibes!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure my ITBS will be a constant presence in my running life. Sometimes my IT band feels good, sometimes not so good, and sometimes, so downright bad, I know I have to halt all activity to let it calm down. I postponed my training for the Marine Corps Marathon last year until August for that very reason. Keep up the optimistic attitude—and the sensible approach to training/resting!
ReplyDeleteSending you loads of well wishes. You're doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteHere's to hoping it gets better quick and also hoping my doesn't go down that road as it has been a bit cranky lately. My problem is I am not sure if it is the cycling or the running that has it angry.
ReplyDeletehugs for your IT band! mine felt good this morning, so i'm sending you some of that karma.
ReplyDeleteThis is what worked for me when I had ITBS for about 8 weeks, after I ran/hobbled the Ring in 2004:
ReplyDeleteHeel lift to help with leg length discrepancy;
PT that taught me a great skill set for core, hip, and glute strengthening;
2 x weekly strengthening using above skill set for the past 6 years, with no ITBS issues since 2004;
Changing shoes often---sometimes after only 200 miles;
Deliberate stretching of hips and hams after EVERY run.
Kir, I know we are all different cases, but after Farouk get's the "gnar" out of the ITBS (all the "gunk" that he is massaging out), and you can get some good strengthening work on those vulnerable areas, you'll be good to go. You are smart to stop running. I waited about 3 weeks too long to get PT and it just delayed everything. Good luck, stay strong!
Three weeks off running. Some like foam rollers, yet this could aggravate it more.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to hear about the injury sis :( can you still bike?
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hope you can still do a little bit of cross training...I know someone that did the Insanity DVDs while recovering, and that seemed to work well for her to keep in shape and active.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Amy...this may just be something I deal with forever. When I found that rest (2 months of NO running) didn't do a damn thing for my leg, I just started running again. I can't decide if I should keep MCM training or defer to 2011 and really try to rehab it. So far nothing's worked, but there are some good new ideas in these comments.
ReplyDeleteAre you opposed to cortisone shot?
Ah, the lovely ITB syndrome. Sucks, doesn't it?! I have suffered from that in the past and it is just no fun.
ReplyDeleteYour header photo is absolutely beautiful. ;)
Ow, I had that after my first 50K (over trained!!) rest up!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI struggled with this in both of my legs for the last 2 years. I have been running free of IT band pain for about 5 months now. It takes so much patience to keep your pace and distance down when you feel like you want to do more. My BFF is my dense foam roller. :-) Sending you fast healing wishes. I think you're doing exactly the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteyikes...ITBS has been my nemesis lately. The thing that helped it the most? New shoes. I didn't realize I needed new ones until I got them and my IT Band stopped bothering me. It still gets tight and I try to roll it regularly, but it is much better.
ReplyDeleteI hope you heal quickly!
oh no! I'm glad that you caught it early, hopefully you'll heal quickly. Damn injuries! Stay positive!
ReplyDeleteI know how hard it is to stop running entirely, but I agree that it's just the right thing to do. It'll pay off in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI'm nursing a hamstring injury and have committed to stop running until it's ready. I actually wrote a letter to my hammy, trying to make peace. Funny enough, it actually helped me cope.
http://www.analternateroute.com/2010/a-letter-to-my-injured-hamstring/
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHang in there! Best wishes for a quick recovery! I could not help but notice that you are a 101 Cookbook fan, too. :-)
ReplyDelete