The week before the Challenge is almost to a close and in five (5) short days the first day of this Dopey decision kicks off.
This week has come with a revelation and a dash of madness. I have been feeling a lot better. My shins feel smoother to the touch, my calves are nice and relaxed, and my ankles don't hurt. However, the pain around my left knee persisted and I felt a bit hopeless in fully recovering before the races. Nevertheless, I resolved to remain positive and visualize making it through each run and the exhilaration I will experience on Sunday. I believe in this type of thinking, if for anything, it keeps your mind determined to find a solution. Lo and behold, I did. I took to the Googles and searched for runner's knee pain. The search results that immediately came up where for IT band pain.
The good news is that as long as the IT was being properly stretched, I could recover. I found these simple stretches (Shape, Through Heather's Looking Glass, and B-Ready) and as soon as I performed them, it was like finding the holy grail. After one day of stretching, I felt a marked improvement. I am going on three days of doing the stretches and feel better and better each day. It has been nice not to feel like the tin man--you take walking normally for granted until a tight IT band doesn't let you bend your knee. The other assistance with the IT band is strengthening the hips and quads. I was doing this up until the end of October but stopped because of fatigue. Now I am kicking myself for stopping. On top of stretching, I have begun taking Advil and using the Biofreeze more liberally to ease the remaining inflammation.
The slightly discouraging news is that most people online reported they had to take six to eight weeks off to fully recover and begin running again. I will only have two and a half weeks of rest before I begin racing. I am trying to keep my mind positive and visualize making it through my races but those thoughts of feeling that debilitating pain at Disney creep in every so often. The only thing that keeps me on track is knowing I am feeling better and better each day and that by Thursday morning I see myself in my racing costume with a big smile, ready to be a part of something positive.
At least, I don't feel alone. Many of the DC Facebook group members have reported stress injuries like mine and even real injuries just this week, like sprained and bruised ankles. Essentially, we are all going to be beat up and hopefully encourage each other to make it through. The other buzz going around the group is taper madness! Pretty much everyone is going nuts having to shift down on mileage or injured people like me that have had to stop running all together. Not running for two weeks has definitely made me nuts. All I think about is running and how lazy I feel not going for a run. I have gone out on walks this week but it is not the same.
What has been getting me through is just planning for succeeding at the races. After all, that is the goal of all of this training--making it to the finish line. I have been inspired by the DC group members to put together some simple running costumes. I have also taken the time to draw up my nutrition plan for the week to help minimize my GI issues for the half and the full.
Through these roadblocks, I still cannot contain my excitement that I get the chance to be part of this inaugural challenge and I will finally complete my goal of doing a marathon.
This week has come with a revelation and a dash of madness. I have been feeling a lot better. My shins feel smoother to the touch, my calves are nice and relaxed, and my ankles don't hurt. However, the pain around my left knee persisted and I felt a bit hopeless in fully recovering before the races. Nevertheless, I resolved to remain positive and visualize making it through each run and the exhilaration I will experience on Sunday. I believe in this type of thinking, if for anything, it keeps your mind determined to find a solution. Lo and behold, I did. I took to the Googles and searched for runner's knee pain. The search results that immediately came up where for IT band pain.
The good news is that as long as the IT was being properly stretched, I could recover. I found these simple stretches (Shape, Through Heather's Looking Glass, and B-Ready) and as soon as I performed them, it was like finding the holy grail. After one day of stretching, I felt a marked improvement. I am going on three days of doing the stretches and feel better and better each day. It has been nice not to feel like the tin man--you take walking normally for granted until a tight IT band doesn't let you bend your knee. The other assistance with the IT band is strengthening the hips and quads. I was doing this up until the end of October but stopped because of fatigue. Now I am kicking myself for stopping. On top of stretching, I have begun taking Advil and using the Biofreeze more liberally to ease the remaining inflammation.
The slightly discouraging news is that most people online reported they had to take six to eight weeks off to fully recover and begin running again. I will only have two and a half weeks of rest before I begin racing. I am trying to keep my mind positive and visualize making it through my races but those thoughts of feeling that debilitating pain at Disney creep in every so often. The only thing that keeps me on track is knowing I am feeling better and better each day and that by Thursday morning I see myself in my racing costume with a big smile, ready to be a part of something positive.
At least, I don't feel alone. Many of the DC Facebook group members have reported stress injuries like mine and even real injuries just this week, like sprained and bruised ankles. Essentially, we are all going to be beat up and hopefully encourage each other to make it through. The other buzz going around the group is taper madness! Pretty much everyone is going nuts having to shift down on mileage or injured people like me that have had to stop running all together. Not running for two weeks has definitely made me nuts. All I think about is running and how lazy I feel not going for a run. I have gone out on walks this week but it is not the same.
What has been getting me through is just planning for succeeding at the races. After all, that is the goal of all of this training--making it to the finish line. I have been inspired by the DC group members to put together some simple running costumes. I have also taken the time to draw up my nutrition plan for the week to help minimize my GI issues for the half and the full.
Through these roadblocks, I still cannot contain my excitement that I get the chance to be part of this inaugural challenge and I will finally complete my goal of doing a marathon.