Yes, running jogging.

That’s right, running jogging.

That was fun.

So, due to the fact that I was feeling more than 90% myself on Monday, I eased into a little bit of interval training on the treadmill.  I did a 3 minute walking warm-up, then for the next 15 minutes, I alternated between running jogging 2 minutes, and walking 1 minute.  During the last 5 minutes, I even cranked the incline up a tiny bit for some extra burn.

From minutes 18-23, I alternated between walking sloooooow at a 12% incline for 1 minute, and doing walking lunges for 30 seconds.  Then for the last 5 minutes, I walked at 4.5 and 10% incline.

To say that my thighs are killing me today would be true.

To say that my angry bursa were bothering me today would be a lie.

So, high fives all around.

pssstttt: I think the girl is back.  Don’t tell my bursa, they might revolt..

In the spirit of healthy knees, I want to share with you some of the exercises that I’ve been focusing on for the past 3 weeks.  I’ve been doing many of these exercises 3-5 times per week, in addition to leg training at the gym twice per week.  I can often be seen sitting at my desk in various contorted positions.  I’m not practicing my circus act.  I’m strengthening my legs.

I know that this may seem excessive for some, but in my case, the only way that I’ll be able to regain my prior knee happiness is by becoming as strong in the legs as I once was.

With the help of my PT as well as this website, I seem to be on the mend, and beginning to feel like my strong, sexy, jogging self again.

Here are my favorites, taken directly from the Knee Pain Exercises website.  Some of these are going to seem very elementary to those who have never fought with injuries of this sort.

Quad Strengthening Contractions (perfect for doing at your desk):

Sit in chair. Extend legs, heels to floor. Keep knees straight (or as straight as possible if you have arthritis.) Tighten thigh muscles. Hold for count of 10. Relax for count of 3. Do 10 repetitions. You can do this several times throughout the day. You can build up to 2 or 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a time.

Quad Strengthening Leg lifts:

Lie flat on back. Bend left knee at 90-degree angle, keeping foot flat on floor. Keeping the right leg straight, slowly lift it to the height of the left knee. Hold for a count of 3. Repeat 10 times. Switch sides. Work up to 10 sets of 10 over several weeks.

Quad Strengthening Knee Dips:

Stand with knees slightly flexed. Point your toes straight ahead.
Make sure your kneecaps are also pointed straight ahead.
Lift one leg up and balance on the other leg. Slowly lower yourself up and down ONLY a few inches. Keep the knee of the leg you are balancing on slightly flexed. Your knees must remain pointing straight forward. Do not let them turn inward. Stand straight, do not lean you body to one side. Do 10 dips. Switch sides.
If you feel pain in your knees, start with fewer dips.

Hamstring Strengthening Contractions: (this one is awesome for doing at your desk)

Sit in chair, heels on floor. Don’t move heels but pull back on them. You will feel tension in you hamstrings. Hold for count of 10. Relax for count of 3. Do 10 repetitions.

What are your favorite exercises?

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I’m currently not training for anything in particular.  I completed The Boilermaker 15K on July 12, 2009.

I fought with IT Band Friction Syndrome all through my Boilermaker training, but my physical therapist helped me through it.  After The Boilermaker, I moved on to my first marathon!  I planned on running The Baltimore Marathon 3 months after The Boilermaker-on October 10, 2009.

I was feeling good in my training up until about a month and a half before The Baltimore Marathon.  I started having severe pain in my fibular head due to my IT Band, and I ultimately spent the last 1.5 months of my training on the stationary bike at the gym.  On one Saturday three weeks before the marathon, I was on the bike for 2 hours.  Everyone though I was insane.  In hindsight, I probably should have backed out of the marathon and spent a few months recovering, but I’m just not a quitter anymore.

To a fault.

I did finish the entire Baltimore Marathon.  If you want to see the full race report, you can get it here.  It wasn’t pretty, but I finished.  I’m still not sure if I’ll ever complete another marathon.  If you asked me moments after the race, my answer would have been a resounding “HAIL TO THE NO”.  Almost a month later, however, I’m still on the fence.

At the present, I’ll be happy with just being able to run at all again.  I’d be happy if I could just run a mile.  A half mile.

My worst fear is that these pictures of me running races are all I have.  Right now, I’m scared that I won’t be able to run again in the future.  Hopefully I’m just being overly-dramatic.

Two Tuesday’s after the Marathon, I couldn’t walk.  I went to the gym and ran for the first time since the marathon.  I was excited to run, so I may have pushed it a little more than necessary.  When I got off the treadmill, my left knee (the “good” one) was all jacked up.  It hurt to walk and bend or lift my leg.  I went to my physical therapist the next day and cried.  This was the GOOD knee!  The one that wasn’t supposed to be hurting!  What the HAIL?

After seeing my PT and then my doctor, it was determined that I had bursitis in my left knee, but my PT was confident that it would go away quickly.  It has now been 16 days (not that I’m counting or anything), and it’s still bothering me.  Some days are more goofy than others, but it’s still there.  Although the doctor gave me Mobic to help the inflammation, I believe that DRUGS SUCK (thank you, D-Dub).  I’ve only taken one Mobic in the past 1.5 weeks, and things seem to be manageable.  Maybe even (dare I say) getting better.

Post-marathon, I set a goal for three months of cross-training, strengthening, and rebuilding.  My body was very damaged by the marathon training, and I’m confident that the only way that I will gain back all of my abilities (as lame as they may have been) is by starting from square one and rebuilding everything.  I’ve also come to terms with the fact that my body might not be cut out for as much running as I was doing.  I remained in a state of “training” for almost two years–training for one race or another.

In the midst of this “rebuilding” phase that I’m in, I can’t run.  I’m doing a lot of biking.  But I feel like I’m getting fat (albeit completely irrational), and this is causing me quite a bit of mental anguish.  I’m trying to find a way to deal with this issue without resorting to my old ways of coping.  I’ll get back to ya on that one.

I am registered to run the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon on March 7th, and I’m very much looking forward to it.  I also registered for the Celebration Sprint Triathlon next July.  I have decided, however, that I’m not in a hurry to begin training for March’s half marathon.  The goal at this point is to rebuild, regroup, and pray that running jogging will be part of my future again very soon!

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