weekend recap

I had a great weekend with the 'rents and my youngest sis, taking in two nights of Sioux hockey. Friday's game was good and they one 3-2, but last night's game was horrible. They just weren't playing their best and the reffing was disgusting and completely one-sided. It was so hard to watch. If a couple bad calls would have been reversed, it would have been 3-2 Sioux, instead of 3-2 St. Cloud.

I took in a little shopping and found a couple cute sweaters at Macy's yesterday. I usually don't shop there for clothes, for some reason or another, and I was really happy to find a couple sweaters for less than $20 each. I am so sick of my winter clothes from last year (and the year before) that I was on cloud nine when I found these.

This afternoon I attempted another run and the knee just wasn't feeling it. I wanted to cry. Now, it was no where near the pain I was dealing with over a month ago, but it was a good run. Some things just not right. I guess I best be getting back into my PT exercises. I have been kind of slacking since I got sick and things were going well.

I really want this knee to heal. I am hoping to be able to do the Turkey Trot 5K Thanksgiving day and then the Jingle bell 5K run I did last year, which is the 5th of December.... we'll see!

How was your weekend? Who raced out there this weekend? How many of you have races you are looking forward to before closing the books for 2009?

Running again...

After an extremely busy workday, I couldn't think of a better way to blow off steam than by hitting up BodyPump class at the Y. Yeah, it was one of those days. To make things interesting, I increased my weights on the barbell and pushed myself hard on all lifts, squats, and lunges. I love that class and highly recommend it to anyone who's gym offers a similar class!



Asside from BP, I am back in the running world again! Slowly but surely. I think the combination of doing the PT exercises a few times a week, incorporating BP into my schedule once or twice a week, and keeping up with my biking and swimming, my legs are getting stronger!

I have run 5 times since my PT session a few weeks ago. These runs have been very short and very slow, ranging from 1 mile to 3 miles. All runs have been on a treadmill with a 1% increase, wearing my orthotics. I'm just not ready to push myself too hard... too fast. But, I am truely grateful that I am able to do some running, even if it is slow ... and I will continue to pay no attention what-so-ever to the finish time....

baby steps...

baby steps...

An eye opener

Warning: Long Post Ahead



Knee History:
I am writing this for my reference - so feel free to skim or skip over this portion. :)

February - I started getting some seriously painful pains in my knee when running 2-3 miles - all following a glorious 7 mile run one day. I "cut-back" on running to 2-3 miles about 3 times a week and then finally made the decision to see a PT. He asked a few questions, checked the strength of some of my muscles, checked my flexibility, and sent me on my way with a sheet full of exercises and stretching routines to do 2 times a day for a week. I went back and got a few more exercises and then was on my own. At this time, things were better.

May /June - I was still only able to run no more than 3 miles. I started playing sand volleyball 2 nights a week (about 3 hours) and 2 hours of softball one night - following sand volleyball. During softball one night, I did something to my knee that hurt really bad. It was located more so on the inside of the knee and the back of the knee. When I wasn't working out or playing sports, it was more of a dull pain that rain down the outside of my leg.

July - Pain was pretty much gone and I was able to pull through with a 5 mile run at one point. I finished my first triathlon with no pain what-so-ever.

August - struggled with running again, but a different kind of knee issue. Now, after only completing 1-2 miles, my knee would get tight on the upper outside of the knee causing more discomfort than anything. This happened right around the time that I was tapering for my next triathlon. Needless to say, I walked through most of that triathlon.

September - after a few runs the first week of September, I decided to take a few weeks off. I ran once, only a mile or so a week ago and came home in tears. The same pain/discomfort/tightening of the knee was present. It was time to make a move and see someone.

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Next Step:
For the past month or so I have thought long and hard about who I was going to bring this "issue" to: a physical therapist, chiropractor, or orthopaedic? I finally made a decision about my knee and called to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist yesterday. Since I wasn't too thrilled with my PT from last February, I tried getting in with a guy that was recommended by two coworkers. The receptionist said he wasn't taking any "new" patients, but would check with him to see if he would still be willing to see me and get back to me. To my excitement, he was willing to squeeze me in, and I was able to get in TODAY!

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The Results of the PT Session:
A little over an hour with a new, and very professional PT, I was able to leave that room on a more positive note than when I went in. He did a number of things such as watched the way I walked, looked at my arches, rotated my ankles, knees and hips, put my legs in positions I didn't think they could go, had me do lunges, etc. From all of the above, he was able to determine a few things that are probably causing my knee to act the way it's acting:

1. Arches - He said that based on how my feet look, it would seem as if there are no concerns with my arches but there is a slight concern with the part of my arch where it meets the ball of my foot.

The solution? - He gave me over-the-counter orthodics and cut out a piece of the orthodic to better suit my feet.


2. Hyperextended Knees - When he said this, I wasn't totally shocked. This basically means that I am able to enxtend my knee in the oposite direction, and too far. He asked me to stand and noticed right away that I was standing with my knees locked. I stand like this a lot. This puts a lot of pressure on the knee cap and something behind the knee (forgot the name). In addition, standing with my knees locked gives my thighs a break from supporting my body.

In addition to this, The PT said that he thinks there may have been a knee injury at one point, whether it was a week ago or 10 years ago, there are reminents of that injury. I think what happened during softball in June is the real cause of this issue and I think I should have seen him then. When he checked the "flexibility of my knee, bending it from side to side, you can see a bone/ligament on the inside of the knee that bends. I was totally disgusted and he said it just proves that it is a bit more loose than the other knee.

Also, there is some damage to the under part of the knee cap, causing some grinding. It is not painful, but the knee cap is rubbing and putting pressure on something (a protective fluid sac of some sort, I think?).

The solution? Be more mindful of how I stand, refraining from locking my knees, and it will help tell my legs muscles to support my body and making them stronger. Also, there are some stretches and exercises that are not good for my knees and I need to be mindful of these. The PT showed me some exercises that I could do in replace of them, making sure I am not locking my knees. I cannot do the hamstring stretch where you stand and pull your foot up behind you to your butt; it puts too much stress on the knee.


3. Gluteas Muscles - My PT thinks that if I work on strengthening my glutes, I will see a huge difference. He also told me that the majority of women that come in for knee issues have week glutes and just working on their glutes alone have made a huge impact on their knees. Wow.

The Solution? Strengthen the glutes with a few PT exercises using resistance bands.

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Overall Results/Recommendations:

• PT says surgery isn't necessary. - thank god.
• No MRI necessary - at this time.
• I can still run, but need to ease back into it. PT couldn't tell me if I would be able to run more than 3 miles down the road, or even if I should try. He wants me to wait... and see how things go.
• Perform the handful of PT exercises with shoes on and orthodics given - a few times a week.
• Run with shorter strides and if on a treadmill increase the incline to 1-2% to create less direct pressure on the knees.
• When outside, run on a level surface, no sand, trails, or cement (hard to to in ND).
• Refrain from any sort of speed work. Maybe a little fartlek here and there, but no 800's and especially stay away from smaller tracks that require 10-12 laps for a mile - this is a no brainer as I hate tracks anyway.
• Refrain from standing with knees locked.
• Refrain from the following stretches, exercises, or strengthening routines - too-deep of lunges, both leg and single leg quad machine, hamstring stretch (unless knees are not locked), and bent knee quadricep stretch.
• Modify stretches - especially ones that require knee locking such as this calf stretch - do not lock knee of back leg. and hip flexor stretch - making sure the pelvic is rotated forward.
• Call PT with any further questions or concerns, and/or schedule a time to go over some other exercises if necessary in the next couple of weeks.

I feel good about this. Real good. Time to try to turn this injury around. Baby steps... baby steps.

At my wits end...

Sorry for the absence from blogland. Things have been very busy at work and I am still in a bit of a funk with running.

I have reached a point where I don't know what to do anymore with my knee. I have rested, I have iced, I have stretched, I have incorporated strength training, I have been implementing my TriPower routine, I have slowed down, I have crossed trained... I have done almost everything I can think of ... besides taking a longer break.

I am down right irritated. Frustrated. At my wits ends with this issue.


Knee history:

I had a problem with this same knee in February and saw a PT. I was given exercises, did them and the knee improved. In June I had some issues with the same knee after a night of volleyball and softball. Something was "pinching" on the inside and there was a pain behind my knee that was running down to my ankle - almost as if a ITBand issue. It was painful.


Current issues:

I am only able to run about two miles, maybe three miles before the "pain" sets in. I use quotes because it isn't a pain, but more of a tightness/stiffness that forms on the upper-outside of my right knee. After stretching like crazy after a run, it really isn't noticeable. The knee doesn't really bother me when I am walking even though I know it doesn't feel right. I have felt my knees while walking a bit, and my right knee does this weird popping thing. What the heck is going on?


What to do next?

I have thought about cutting out running for a while, but it's a hard thing to do. Why is it that all you want to do is run, when you know you shouldn't? I am going to cut back, significantly.... keep up with my swimming and biking while encorporating more yoga, stretching, PT exercises, and strength training.

I feel like this a never-ending issue and it's all I talk about. I am sure all of you are sick of hearing about it. I am trying to figure out what I need to do next. Go back to my PT even though it's different issues but same knee? See a different specialist, but who? A friend recommended a chiropractor type guy that has been a miracle worker for her, but is that what I need?

When the going gets good....

... the good keeps going?



Today I went to the gym after work and knew that I needed to do some running. I have been pretty easy on my knee for the past two weeks with this darn issue. I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another.

Today's run was glorious! I was able to kick out a mere 5 miles and felt strong. It's one of those things that when it's going good, why stop?! A part of me wanted to keep going, finishing with 5 miles, but I knew I didn't want to push it. I still had a lot of my TriPower workout to do, as well as some stretching and PT exercises. Plus, I had to save some energy for volleyball tonight!

The results?! No knee pain, no stiffness, no soreness. Glorious! Like I said, this so-called-injury is the weirdest thing ever. It doesn't really bother me on the treadmill, and only bothers me on a rare occasion when walking. Sometimes I will rotate it funning and it will pinch. However, I will keep up with some strengthening and stretching, as well as rollin' around with the foam roller and hope it continues to get better.

Tomorrow morning I have swim practice if the weather cooperates. It just seems like all we are getting up here is rain for 3-4 days and then a day of sun, and repeat. Oh well, if we don't have outdoor practice, I have already written up a 2000M workout plan for at the Y. Gotta have plan B!

If you haven't checked out my previous post, I put up some pictures from the Tour De Cure this past Saturday! Once again, thanks for all the support!

Happy Monday, y'all!

Just thinking out loud...

If you haven't check out my post from yesterday about my 2nd swim practice, you can do so here. Like I said, I have and will be adding all of my swim practice workouts to the sidebar if anyone is interested or looking for a workout to do in the pool!



....The knee issue is still present, barely noticeable but still ... present.



.... it's not so much that I am in pain .... it's just a weird tweak that isn't going away.



..... It's almost as if something is pinching and I can't figure out where or why.



..... Most of the time it's just feels like a dull ache; kind of like a growing pain, maybe?! Not only was I noticing it in my knee, but it felt as if it was running down my leg.



.... However, on occasion, when I would turn or rotate my knee, every once and a while a pinching behind the knee would happen. And that hurt. A cracking noise would follow. (Almost like when a person cracks their nuckles).



.... Tuesday afternoon, while driving, it seemed as if the dull pain was more prominent while in sitting position. I could feel a slight sting in my hip as well.



.... This is when I started to wonder if something was going on with my hip.



Rewind.



.... For the past week or two, I would occasionally feel as if something was pinching in my right hip, but I just couldn't figure out what or how to stretch it properly. I probably only noticed it less than a few times, but I wonder if this has anything to do with my knee.



....on the positive side .... it was much to my benefit that late yesterday afternoon, storm clouds rolled in and not only was volleyball cancelled, but so was the 2 hours of softball to follow. Too bad this was after I already contacted my captains to tell them that I wasn't going to make it... and felt like a goon for bailing. I kinda felt like a quitter.


Fast forward.


.... Today I got in a run/bike/run combo. It's wasn't painful, but it wasn't spectacular either.



.... All of this "so-called-injury" crap is really annoying. It's nothing like the difficulties of the injury I experienced this winter, nor near the pain, but it sure is annoying because I don't know how to make it better.

blogger shout out!

The first day of summer school followed by 2 hours of tutoring ... in the bag. Both went pretty smooth and the time went by fast. However, I didn't really prepare my nutrition properly, only eating breakfast and a CLIF Zbar between the hours of 6am and 4pm. Not a good plan. Lesson learned and my breakfast, snack, and lunch is already packed for tomorrow.

Today I had volleyball. I was anxious to see how well my knee felt during and afterwards. The concensious? No change really. I didn't expect it to be better, but I was at least hoping it wouldn't get worse. It's almost like a pain behind my knee, possibly at the ITband and I noticed that it kind of runs down my leg to my ankle. So, I got home popped a couple ibuprofens and iced the back and front of my knee. I still haven't decided if I am going to do volleyball AND softball tomorrow night. Part of me hopes the rain expected tomorrow night cancels both, so I don't have to throw in the towel.

I have swim practice tomorrow at 6am. I hope the weather cooperates. Now, tomorrow it's supposed to be 61* (compared to 44* last Thursday), but we have 50% chance of rain.... hopefully it won't get moved indoors. If so, they hold practice at one of the high schools that is too far out of the way and I wouldn't be able to get to work on time. If practice gets moved, I will just plan to do my own workout at the Y. Always gotta have a plan B!

On a completely different note.... if you haven't checked out Steve's blog yet, you must! He's geniune midwestern guy that is not only hilarious, but willing to post about almost anything and everything! If you don't believe, check it out for yourself! He's a rockstar!

I hope y'all had a wonderful Monday!

Enjoying the weather

Last night I played the "I am 21" card again. Actually it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We hit up happy hour at our regular bar after school and the dang place was like a time warp. Only had a few drinks in 7 hours, lots of water, and a few free shots. I didn't end up getting home until close to midnight. I left there with a bar tab of $5.60. Gotta love being a regular!

After sleeping in much later than usual this morning, I finally crawled my ass out of bed to try and make the most of the day. I did some cleaning, waiting for it to get a bit warmer this afternoon and just returned from a slow 3-miler.

It was 52 degrees, calm and sunny. I wore my knee sleeve and it seemed to help a little. I can say the run overall was better than my last run, but it wasn't perfect. Once again, about 2 miles in the knee started to get tight on the outside and I did a lot of walking in that last mile. The knee wasn't as stiff as it usually gets after an outdoor run. I popped a few ibruprofens, iced, stretched, and rolled around on the floor with the foam roaller. Ouch.

I think I am going to lay low for the rest of the day. Two nights in a row of being out late and drinking isn't good for me... especially when one of them was a work night. By the way, Deuling Pianos was awesome and if you ever get the chance to see a show, do it!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Talk about ironic

Thanks for the comments and ideas in my last post regarding my knee. I am going to try and get better about my strengthening exercises and continue to use the foam roller on the ITband. I will probably stick to treadmill runs for a while and see how things go.

Is it odd that after yesterday's post, the PT from school brought up the fact that she ran into my PT yesterday? And then, when I went to Scheel's to buy a knee sleeve, I saw my PT there? WTF? Talk about ironic.

The PT from school was the one who recommended the PT I worked with in February. When she ran into him, he proceeded to tell her that I have weak legs. I laughed it off at the time, agreeing (because it is very true), and then it's been in the back of my mind all afternoon. WTF? It just bugged me that he said that to her, but I am sure he thought we were pretty good friends. What happen to doctor/patient confidentiality? LOL.

I am going to go and do some of my leg exercises and then sit out on my deck to get some sun while I do a little reading. It's 80 degrees here. Almost too warm - such a big change from the 40/50 degree weather the past week. But, ND wouldn't be ND if it wouldn't be 80 one day and then 40 the next with the potential chance of "snow" this weekend. Yeah. You read that right.

Tonight I will be heading out to see the "dueling pianos" at a local bar. I hate going out on school nights. However I have seen them before and was pretty entertained then, so it didn't take much to talk me into going.

Treadmill vs. Outdoors

It's been a little over two months since my right knee started bothering me. Then it was excruciating pain when I ran. I did the PT, cut back on running for about a month, and am slowly trying to get back into it. I haven't run more than 3.5 miles since the "injury".

What's the issue now? Some runs are better than others and most of my good runs are on the treadmill. I am starting to notice that when I run outside, my knee bothers me about a couple miles in, where on the treadmill, I can go 3 miles without any issues.

What's it feel like? Today I went out for a short run this evening and about 2 miles in my knee didn't start to hurt, but it started to feel tight. It began to feel tight on the inside and outside.


Calling all running Gods... what's your take on this?


UPDATE:
* I am pretty sure I am not running faster outside than on the treadmill. In fact, I am able to do some sprinting or faster strides on the treadmill with no pain either. Hmm..



(I counted wrong... 26 days left of school! And Jess asked about my comment regarding Midterms due Friday. This year we switched to "trimesters" so we are halfway through the 3rd trimester and the last day of school is Friday, May 29th!)

Freakin' Fantabulous

I still am having a hard time fighting this "flu-like" stuff. Like I said before, Friday I really had the aches and chills, and slept for about 16 hours. Saturday and I Sunday I felt better. This morning, however, I woke up feeling neasuous and have on and off all day. My aunt, a nurse, says my symptoms all point to .... gasteroenteritis .... basically the flu.

This is rediculous.

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Yesterday I did a 5K in honor of Non-runner Nancy and it wasn't pretty. After the 2nd mile it all went downhill and there was definitely knee pain and discomfort. I have made the decision to cut out running for the next week. Period.

I am trying to get in to see a specialist.

I realized how hard it is to get in to see an orthopedic under my health care providers, after my school contract hours. You see, we are short subs, and they are really encouraging us to do doctor appointments outside of work hours. Easier said than done. The earliest appointment I could get after 3pm was March 30th. The earliest appointment during the day is March 12th.

I am going to check into seeing an orthopedic outside my health care providers, the cost difference and such, and see if I can get in earlier. Others have also suggested seeing a physical therapist too.... any thoughts from you out there?

Slow and Steady....

....does not win the race today.


However, I did complete this Virtual 5K...

... in honor of Nancy. .... Very slow...



I would have ran it yesterday, but I was struggling with flu like symptoms (just the aches and fever) Friday and into Saturday morning that left me in bed for about 19 hours. I was a little too weak to attempt it yesterday.



The Results: The first two miles were good and pain free. And then, it went all down hill from there. The knee just didn't feel right, it started to feel tight. I can't really say it hurt, because it really didn't. It was just very uncomfortable. And I was wearing the knee band as well.


I walked most of the last half mile. It was extremely frustrating.


The knee really only bothers me when I am running. And when I finish and stretch for a bit, the pain/tightness is gone. I doesn't seem to be swelling at all, however I still ice it and take ibuprofen after each run.


The knee has been bothering me for only about a week and a half, but it feels like an eternity.



This is killing me.




I think it's time to face the music and see a specialist.



*sigh*

Knee

I tested out the knee again. I did have a 5 miler on the schedule today, but knew that if the knee was going to bother me, I was going to quit right away.

Overall, I was able to run with little to no discomfort, for the first couple of miles. From there on out, I did a lot of walking. It just felt like my knee was getting really tight, causing the knee cap to not track properly. This is a bit of progress from my attempt to run Thursday, however. I came home, popped a few ibuprofen, iced, and stretched.

I know I need to take it easy still. I have plenty of time to build up my long runs. My plan is to take a handful of days off of running completely. I will swim tomorrow, rest Monday, short bike Tuesday, swim Wednesday and then try to run again Thursday. In the meantime, I will continue doing my knee strengthening exercises 2-3 times per day.

Taryn recommended a yoga video that works on knees, so I will look into that too. I know that my knees are the weekest/most injury prone parts of my body, so I really need to work on strengthening them.

Have a great weekend y'all!

Today's Workout:
Run - 3.4 miles
(miserably slow with a lot of walking)

Today's Song:
Coldplay - Lost (in sidebar -->)

Strengthening exercises

Sometimes I think I make a mountain out of a mole hill with some of my "injuries". Maybe I am just being extra cautious. I don't know.

Yesterday's issue with my right knee left me worried. Worried about my long run I had planned for this weekend. Worried about the half marathon. Yeah, the half marathon that is in 3 months from Monday. You would think I would be happy that I still have three months to prepare, giving myself some much needed rest before building those miles back up again. That however, isn't the case.

Last night I spent a good amount of time doing some strengthening exercises while I was watching some basketball on tv. I found this really good website that talks about the knee and different kinds of exercises you can do. After doing a handful last night, my knee was better this morning. The ultimate test was going down, and most importantly up the stairs. No pain. No issues. All day my knee was fine. Absolutely fine.

Was it a fluke?

I did a couple strengthening exercises on and off while I was at work today. At least the ones that I was able to do without having to lie on the floor. After work, I wanted to test it out on the treadmill. I told myself if it started to bother me, I would quit. 'Nuff said. Sure enough, it did bother me a bit... but not as bad as Wednesday. After a mile I called it quits and did some lifting and more leg strengthening.

Grr.

Tomorrow I will hit the pool for a nice speed session, giving my knee another day. I will just continue to do the strengthening exercises multiple time a day, and hope for the best.

One day at a time.

Today's Song:
Play'N Skillz ft. Pitbull - Get Freaky (in sidebar)
(Caution: lyrics are not for the ears of little ones)