Reflections on Week #11

I don't have good news to report today, unfortunately.

My longer mid-week run on Wednesday was fantastic. I woke up early and completed 8 miles at an easy, comfortable pace. I felt strong and my heart rate was excellent. I came home, did my yoga cool-down, got the four kids off to school, and felt pretty darn pleased with myself.

But things swung wildly in the other direction on Thursday. Cue record scratch.

I have been having some mild pain in the outside of my left knee related to my iliotibial (IT) band. As I neared the 2-mile mark during Thursday's planned 5 mile run, that pain turned severe. Unlike previous injuries to my knees and calf, this was not something I could run through. I texted my husband, who turned around on his way to work to pick me up and drop me off back at home.

I went easy after that, spending Friday doing exercises to strengthen my glutes and hips (which in turn stabilize the IT band). My coach and I decided to switch my long run from Saturday to Sunday, so on Saturday morning I did some easy indoor cycling.

My knee did not hurt during my ride or normal daily activities. Until suddenly it did. As my husband and I prepared to leave the house to run errands, I was stopped dead in my tracks by excruciating pain. In a podcast I listened to on the topic, the physical therapist described pain from IT Band Syndrome to feel like being stabbed in the knee and then the leg often locks up. I can't explain it any better than that.

Through tears and gasps, I was eventually able to get to the couch and lay down with the help of my husband. As this particular injury is actually due to inflammation, not friction as used to be believed, I took some ibuprofen and applied ice to my knee. Fortunately the pain subsided, and I am now moving normally.

Although I feel no pain at this point, the suddenness and seeming randomness of yesterday's onset has me very worried. I don't know where to go from here. I spent Sunday morning on the couch instead of going on a 16-mile run as was planned. My coach is doing a half Ironman in Chattanooga this weekend, and I have not wanted to bother her. We will convene and talk this coming week, I'm sure.

I don't quite know where to go from here. I am wondering if the smart approach is to delay the marathon and focus on getting to a consistent 25-30 miles per week without any pain for a sustained period of time. Being in my 40s without a history of being fit, plus having a horrendous running form when I started, I might have been overly ambitious thinking that a typical 20-week training cycle would be enough for me to run a marathon. Maybe I should reach out to one of the specialty PT clinics in Seattle that cater to runners.

But before I make any decisions, I'm going to wallow in self-pity for a bit first. The parallels of this experience to the infertility I had to overcome in my 20s have triggered similar feelings of helplessness, fear, and disappointment. I am tempted to concede defeat, but there is still a determined and defiant little spark in me somewhere. I will have some big decisions to make this next week.

Mileage for week 11: 14 miles
Total mileage: 223.6 miles
Days until marathon: 60 days

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