Yoga!

It's Monday I need to run. Tuesday, I'll run. Wednesday, don't need to run. Thursday I should run. Friday, I can rest. Saturday, it's my long run day. Sunday, I can relax. Monday...

This has been my pattern, my rhythm, for the last several months. In fact it's become such a pattern that when I miss a scheduled day I have phantom symptoms from not running, like when the amputee can feel their leg but it's no longer there. I've got running on the brain 24-7.

My injury seems to be doing just fine and I continue to take it day-by-day. I have not felt any major pain in over a week (even after running 6 miles last Saturday). I've been trying to do a variety of activities on my non-running days. Wednesday night Rachel and I went to a Yoga class.

I'm a big fan of Yoga. This exercise / philosophy was one of the most relaxing experiences I can remember. Let me back up a bit and recap the night. Before we left our apartment Rachel said, "Make sure you wear comfortable clothes". I knew just what I was going to wear, my 1996 Aerosmith concert t-shirt from the bottom of my dresser drawer and orange UT shorts to match. I modeled my outfit for Rachel and she approved. When we arrived at the Yoga studio there was a Yoga bouncer at the front of the door taking down names. I felt like I was entering some hip Miami South Beach club. I was disappointed to find out that the only reason they take down names is to get a head count of how many people can be in the class. Yoga is a very popular class and we were numbers 46 and 47.

Jack Johnson was playing in the background, I guess to set the mood. I can totally see Mr. Johnson digging Yoga, it was a nice choice for music. We got our Yoga mats and blocks. The blocks, as Rachel explained, "If you need to cheat you can use this, you know if you can't reach all the way down to the floor or something". We finally found our spots and I noticed I kept getting strange stares. I finally realized, after I looked around the studio, that I was the only male in the entire class. Rachel was wonderful at easy my anxiety, "They're probably thinking 'Oh I wish my boyfriend would come to yoga class with me'". I couldn't agree more with Rachel, that was precisely the reason they were staring at me. After a few minutes of talking the instructor started class.

50 minutes later I was a happier, more relaxed man. If you haven't tried it you're missing out on a great opportunity. I'm defiantly game to do Yoga again. Nomis Day!

Good News

This post is written in a bit of a rush, but I had to share some news. Today I ran 4 miles and I had little to no pain at all in my right knee!!! I don't want to get my hopes up, or rush to conclusions, but this is the first piece of good news for my knee in a long time. What has attributied to this sudden turn of events? It's tough to say but I have a few ideas.

First, I've been trying to keep very active without strain to my knee. The Jillian DVD has been a good companion and gives me a nice full body workout. Second, after each run I have been doing a regiment of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Third, I've cut down my mileage. Here is the breakdown for this week: Monday - 3 Tuesday - 3 Wednesday - rest Thursday- 4 Friday- rest Saturday - 6 Sunday - rest. And Fourthly, I've been slowing down my pace and trying to control my leg on the down-step.

I've noticed that when this injury first appeared about a month ago my gait was not in control to say the least. I have the bad habit of kicking my legs when I run. Imagine running and kicking a soccer ball the entire time. Instead my movements should be much more controlled. I really focused on my stride in today's run, and I think it paid off.

Gotta run (ha, no pun intended).

"... Just a little patience..."

Knees are the pistons of a runner. Recently, well not recently but a while back, I've been struggling with a knee issue. One of my pistons refuses to fire correctly. Specifically, my right has been held captive of Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). Dr. Cluett explains ITBS this way, "[It] occurs when there is irritation to this band of fibrous tissue. The irritation usually occurs over the outside of the knee joint, at the lateral epicondyle--the end of the femur (thigh) bone. The iliotibial band crosses bone and muscle at this point; between these structures is a bursa which should facilitate a smooth gliding motion. However, when inflamed, the iliotibial band does not glide easily, and pain associated with movement is the result".

When I run the pain is on the side of my right knee. It bothered me enough on my last run (January 2) to take time off for at least two weeks. I do want to mention that I have not gone to the doctor and therefore have not been given a formal diagnosis. Because the injury is has not reached the point of affecting my daily life. The pain or rather discomfort only comes when I'm running 4 or more miles.

This ordeal has been very difficult mentally. While I'm driving my car I'll see a runner and act like a dog who sees a squirrel. This bump in the road has presented opportunities to do some cross training. I've been swimming and discovered that I'm not the swimmer I was 10 years ago. And I've even worked out to Jillian MIchaels 30-Day Shred Workout DVD.

The Jillian DVD is my new nemesis. It is one of the hardest and complete workouts I've done since I began training. The first day I decided to work out with Jillian, Rosie (our dog) had such a confused look on her face. Rosie has been a great support while enduring the DVD workout. She sits our our red corduroy couch and watches the whole ordeal and her affectionate face keeps me a goin'.

There are three levels to her workouts and I thought that level two would be a piece of cake, but I struggle to keep up with her. I started out with five pound weights and after the first workout, I picked my arms off the ground (and my pride). During the next workout I went with the two and a half pounders that come in a lovely hot pink color. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you my manhood takes a shot each time I press play on Jillian's DVD. But I've swallowed my pride and I have really come to appreciate the DVD workout home video.

Martin Luther King Jr Day (January 18th) marks my first attempt back at running on a normal routine. I'll be modifying my schedule some, in order to accommodate appropriate milage for the week. I've very anxious about my long runs and hope my piston of a knee is ready for it. But as I said in my first post on this blog, all I can do is put my "good foot forward".