Training Delays

Last week's training started out well.  Monday I ran sprints with Jennifer and we had an awesome workout.  Jennifer killed her usual pace and kept me chasing the rabbit.  Tuesday was an off day.  Wednesday was supposed to be a 6 mile run, and Thursday and hard threshold workout.  I decided to swap them and do the hard workout Wednesday.  I got the workout done, struggled a little to get to the fast pace dictated by my schedule but nothing unusual.

Later on Wednesday night I thought my right knee felt a little weird.  I foam rolled and figured it was just soreness.  Thursday I got up to do the 6 mile run and right away knew something was not right.  I decided to warm up really slowly and see if the tightness in my right knee (on the left side of the right knee) would work itself out.  I walked a little, ran a little.  1 mile in I headed back home.  This is not soreness, this was pain I didn't want to run through.  Not because it hurt a lot, but because it was a sign of something bad.

When I walked in a 6am, John was confused.  "Did you go running?" he asked. "Um, yeah, it didn't go well.  I came home."  John looks at me, wondering how to handle this.   Amanda at 6am without a run is not very pleasant.  "It's fine" I say, "just feeling a little off."

Thursday I iced on and off during the day, which helped a little.  But by the time I came home from work my mood was dark.  John had only to look at my face and he was scared.  "Uh... can I get you anything?  A drink???"  I had a beer and he sent Gwen to give me a big hug and tell me what a great Mommy I am.  I see through his game, but it was very nice.  After the kids were tucked in bed John approached the lion.  "Hey, what's the matter?"  "Well, my knee hurts.  Hurts in a not good way.  I'm not going to run for a few days."  "Uh OH".

So I didn't run Friday or Saturday and really by Friday evening it didn't bother me.  Friday night we went camping and I spent most of the day sitting around.  Saturday we went for a long walk and had no issues.  Sunday morning I met Jennifer for our 18 mile long run.  I felt fine for the first 4-5 miles.  We stopped to stretch a lot, but after about 6 miles I could feel that little pain in my knee again.  It was a warm, windy morning and we slowed down as we went around the lake.  By the time we got off the trail and Jennifer pulled up next to me at mile 17 she said "Your gait is off, you're limping".  Shit.  Double shit.  My feet hurt, my knee hurt.  It was ugly. 

I got home and John went out to get me 2 bags of ice.  I iced in the bath, Maddy chatting away with me for 20 minutes.  I didn't feel too bad Sunday.  I decided not to run Monday and booked a massage on Tuesday.  Monday I was sore and felt the little pain still nagging.  Tuesday's massage was just what I needed.  For about a month I had felt like my hamstrings and glutes were incredibly tight and I could not get a good stretch.  My suspicion is that the tightness in my legs is pulling the muscles around my knees into an uncomfortable position and running is aggravating it further.   The massage therapist worked my legs for almost an hour, and I was right, there were point in my legs she had to beat to release.  At least it felt like a beating.

John told me I would be stupid to run my planned 20 miler this weekend and I looked at him like he spoke another language.  NOT RUN THE LONG RUN?!?!  I sputtered for a moment "but I have a schedule, 20 miles, it's in the plan"  John kindly said "You've done the training, running this long run is only going to set you back.  Would you rather do this 20 miler, or the marathon?"  Humpf.

I didn't run Wednesday or Thursday.  I slept in *till 6:15!*.  I'm eating my way through the candy at my desk.  I'm trying to be rational.  This morning I woke up with a headache. I need to go running.  But no, I know the right thing to do is to rest and recover.  I will come back strong next week.  We are spending Thanksgiving in South Padre so I can do some short 3 mile runs and test myself out.  Since I won't have my regular routes I may feel less compelled to go longer.  I'm going to drink.  Beer, wine, margaritas.  I'm going to have pie.  Pie will heal my little knee.  I might even rub some on my knee.