So I missed my race yesterday due to the fact that I had to pull an all nighter writing a term paper. I figured... no biggie, I'll just run the distance today instead. The distance would have been 7.4 miles.
I wake up this morning pretty pumped, eat breakfast and check the weather. Turns out it's supposed to thunderstorm all day :(. I can run in rain but not lightning. Okay so I'm a little frustrated but I still want to run so I head to the gym. Since 7.4 miles seems too much for a treadmill (I always feel kind of weird being on a treadmill for more than 5 miles) I headed to the indoor track and started running.
Everything was going well until about 1 1/2 miles when my left (inside) IT band started feeling funky. I thought "well that's normal, I'm running on a teensy tiny track, I guess it'll just be sore after my run today and i'll make sure I ice it and it'll all be better in a few days" because that's what normally happens when I track-run. By 2 1/2 miles I swear I could FEEL the band snapping over my bone ever time I extended my leg. I thought "okay.... no more track" and walk over to the treadmills to knock out the other 5 miles.
I start on the treadmill and for the first couple minutes things are good and then my knee pains returns with a vengeance. For about 3 minutes I gritted my teeth and decided I was finishing my damn run. But then all of a sudden my foot hits the treadmill and my knee just decides it's done. My leg buckles and I can't make my knee work :(. I came about 1 inch from faceplanting on the treadmill and was just able to stop the treadmill before I made a complete fool of myself.
At this point I was still determined to finish my workout so I decided I would go use a stationary bike so I limp myself over to the bike and get on.... it took about two rotations of the pedals to realize that every downstroke made my leg feel like I was inserting a knife into my knee. Okay.... I gave up. I tried and I failed. Done.
I'm so freaking upset. I need to remember to stay away from tracks. Seriously.
Marathon training starts tomorrow officially! Though it IS a rest day, it starts "week 1" of my program....
Lessons Learned:
1. Stay away from track. Feeling weird on the treadmill is sooo worth it
2. Check the weather before planning long runs. If I had gotten up 2 hrs ealier i could have been outside
You must give yourself props though -- you were determined to do that run!
ReplyDeleteBummer on missing the race but that's a part of running -- unexpected things will come up.
Hope your training week goes smooth!!
OW! I've had ITB pain before and it is no picnic, that's for certain. A dreadful way to start marathon training. Rest up. Use the ice. Be gentle on that ITB. Have you used a cho-pat strap before? It helped me keep running while my ITB recovered.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your IT issues. The good news is that the IT band will repsond to treatment. Moreover, if you stretch properly you can easily manage/get rid of this problem. Good luck
ReplyDeleteOoh, I just cringed reading about your ITB snapping. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteGet thee away from the track, stat!
I hate ITB issues. Hope it stops giving you trouble. Happy marathon training!
ReplyDeleteMy ITB plagued me for my first 2 marathons. I'm not sure what finally kicked in, but I haven't had issues in a while.
ReplyDeleteThe track was probably rough on your ITB with the turning - I think I read that somewhere, don't quote me though.
so sorry to read. be careful with that ITB!! I had ITB issues last year that caused me to DNF at mile 21 of my marathon. Thankfully they've gone away, thanks to lotsa icing, foam rolling, stretching/yoga, strengthening...take this time while you are early in your training to get rid of those issues.
ReplyDeleteHey! Wow! I also think I ended up with IT Band issues in college from running on an indoor track that was 1/10th of a mile. So I know exactly what you are talking about in terms of stabbing pain.
ReplyDeleteI should have stopped a run before I even made it to a mile on the track, instead ran 3, and limped walking around campus for a few weeks :( And definitely wasn't running.
I would say do NOT start marathon training until the pain is gone. You have PLENTY of time.
RICE, Strech, Roll, Swim... and probably leave it at that until the pain is 98% gone. For me, when I rested enough there wasn't another IT band flair up when I got back into it.