About two weeks ago, I came home from an 8-mile run and shortly thereafter my left knee started to ache. Nothing major: a little ibuprofen did the trick and I was fine to run the next day. Since then, it's appeared after some of my runs, but not all. No correlation with distance or speed, just a random ache that goes away within 24 hours. My left hip has also been feeling tighter than usual, which I suspected as the root of it.
Yesterday, I had an easy 10 scheduled as my last double-digit run before the Pensacola Marathon this coming Sunday. I made it about four miles into the run, and my left knee started to ache. It had never bothered me DURING a run before. Hmm. Stopped, walked, assessed: all better. Within a quarter mile, it started to hurt again. Worse this time. I alternated walking and running, then took a good long stretch break at mile five. My left hip was exceptionally tight by this time.
For the next couple of miles, I hobbled along. I'd run for a few minutes, then I'd feel my hip starting to clinch. I could feel the tightness moving down the outside of my thigh until -- SHAZAM! HOLY PAIN! --it hit the knee. There was no running on that. I'd stop and walk, and the muscles would immediately relax and the pain would disappear. So I'd give it a go again, and sure enough, excruciating debilitating pain would hit me square in the knee. Strangely, walking was perfectly comfortable. I had to walk the last 3.5 miles, which was pretty humbling.
Maybe I sensed something was wrong before, because I had already scheduled an appointment with a sports massage therapist for today to deal with the tight muscles. I've had far too much time on my hands since yesterday morning to search the internet and self-diagnose. I'm pretty sure it is my IT band, which may or may not be treatable in time for Sunday's marathon. I can't imagine, nor would I even want to attempt, 26.2 miles on this leg right now. I don't think I could run one mile today. I am praying that my massage therapist can work a miracle. I don't need to run a marathon on Sunday, I just need to run.
No comments:
Post a Comment