Karen writes: Update on the ITB injury
I have been following my plan for ITB recovery religiously, and on Sunday morning I went for a run...with trepidation...if the plan didn't work, I would be off to the experts and I was pretty sure I would be told the Sunshine Coast marathon in 8 weeks was not going to happen for me. Before I left home, strapping tape was applied down and across the thigh per instructions, I am sure the excellent orange colour has something to do with the likely success of the treatment. The dreaded roller thing to loosen the muscles and tendons on the thigh was done (it is getting much more comfortable and I dont look like I am trying to turn myself inside out anymore), some stretches, and a gentle trot around the Te Puru sports fields as a warmup in the brand-new shoes.
Then it was time to be off running with other Te Puru runners, through the Omana bush and down the beach to the end of Maraetai where we turned around to come back. There was not a twinge of that dreaded ITB for that whole 5km. I said to the other runners when I got part-way back at 7km that I would have been happy to have to stop then, it was just such an improvement, but on I went, 8km. Then came some small twinges, I stopped for a stretch and restarted with a shortened stride, posture changes, and more focus on 'toe-push'. Another km brought us to the only real hill, at the top of that hill there came tightness above the knee and that familiar ache halfway up the outside of the thigh, stop and stretch. Flat and gradual downhill for another 700 meters, and it was time to be sensible stop and walk for the last bit back to the carpark.
I got to the car and had a drink of water and a banana, I was hungry having deliberately not had an early breakfast as I would normally before a Sunday 'long' run, just in case I couldn't resist the temptation to keep going. At home with a preventive icepack on my knee, I felt really positive. I wrote in my training diary the first good news for what seems like AGES. "Successful 10km run, twinges towards the end, plan seems to be working".
Then it was time to be off running with other Te Puru runners, through the Omana bush and down the beach to the end of Maraetai where we turned around to come back. There was not a twinge of that dreaded ITB for that whole 5km. I said to the other runners when I got part-way back at 7km that I would have been happy to have to stop then, it was just such an improvement, but on I went, 8km. Then came some small twinges, I stopped for a stretch and restarted with a shortened stride, posture changes, and more focus on 'toe-push'. Another km brought us to the only real hill, at the top of that hill there came tightness above the knee and that familiar ache halfway up the outside of the thigh, stop and stretch. Flat and gradual downhill for another 700 meters, and it was time to be sensible stop and walk for the last bit back to the carpark.
I got to the car and had a drink of water and a banana, I was hungry having deliberately not had an early breakfast as I would normally before a Sunday 'long' run, just in case I couldn't resist the temptation to keep going. At home with a preventive icepack on my knee, I felt really positive. I wrote in my training diary the first good news for what seems like AGES. "Successful 10km run, twinges towards the end, plan seems to be working".
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