Mr. Brightside,
Received! Thanks for the tip.
As for not quitting, I'm completely sold on that already, but there are times when even my high pain tolerance is tested and if my knee plays up halfway through this race (assuming I can train enough to compete) then all the codeine in the world won't help me for the last 30 miles. Well, it might.
Anyway, off to the physio when I can get an appointment so I will report back when I find out what's wrong.
So, physio...
After a fair amount of watching me try and balance, stretch, move, etc my physio is pretty sure that my knee problem is due to the knee not tracking properly, probably due to the nearly month off that I have had so far from training. He's given me a load of exercises to do, advised me to keep on with the cycling to keep general fitness up, and gradually work in running from shorter distances upwards.
Apparently there is nothing structurally wrong with my knee that he can find (well, no more than normal and the last time he saw me) so this is just an injury to be worked through as opposed to damage that would mean a retirement. All good news then.
Speaking of which, time for me to get started on some exercises. Stay tuned for updates in the amazing saga of the tall person's knees.
If you've got the VMO recruitment exercise remember the importance of clenching to 100% in your reps. The last 3% of muscle tension is the bit that counts and the bit that will shove your kneecap back in the right direction.Originally Posted by jameseyb
Which one is that? Sitting flat on the floor with a rolled up towel under the knee and pushing down, or something else?VMO recruitment exercise
Just to add, I went out for a run on Sunday and within a mile I had the pain back again. I am extremely upset with my knee and want the damn thing replaced with a better design that actually works properly. Thanks to the weakness of my body I am now having to face the harsh reality that I might not be able to actually compete in the race I was training for.
I feel for you Jameseyb, it's so disheartening to see the same injury crop up again and again no matter what you do. I know that turning in your number will feel like failing but I would ask myself whether I want to push to do an event which in all likelihood I wouldn't be able to complete, or in my case couldn't even train properly for or concentrate on getting rehab and simply getting back to the basics of enjoying any kind of running.
It might depend on what type of person you are but I felt a sense if disappointment but also relief when I traded my number for a forthcoming event. I no longer had to think 'will I make it or won't I'. I felt more in control.
Yeah, I know that, but I use running (and cycling to some degree) as a means of clearing out my head and working off the stresses of the day. The fact that I can't do that is putting a lot more of the stress onto me and because I feel like my body is letting me down, it means I'm just getting more upset with myself. Cycling's just not the same. Maybe that will change when I get my new road bike.
I hate quitting.
Aye, that's the one.
It won't go away in a week or so, i can promise you this, i ended up off for 6 months. The time off is necessary for tissue repair and the recruitment exercises need time to kick in. Please trust me on this- every time you think f**k it and go out for a run you go back to square one. You may not need 6 months off like me, but you need an extended break from all exercise and to be totally and utterly focused on your rehab exercises.
I've been through all the emotions you're describing, it's like breaking up with a girlfriend for the first time, it's bad for weeks on end and you are waking up every day filled with a new negative emotion; but you deal with it because you have to. Gradually the process will get easier, i took up a program of intensive race marshalling to get me out on the hills. By going at it pissed off and half arsed you only cheat yourself out of more time that could be spent resting and healing; take it from me- years can go by like this, years of nothing but wasted time and pain.
I now have more patience than a saint, and a greater level of discipline than a Wing Chun master after my ordeal. The fact you can still cycle pain free probably means you can see the back of this with the discipline of a yellow belt. Best of luck.
Thanks master! I'll give it a try, but being without my primary means of exercise is going to be tough. It took a long time for me to get rid of the excess weight I had and get to this level of fitness and I hate to think of what will happen to me in the interim. I guess I can also look forward to failing next month's PFA too unless I can stretch my knee out to 1.5 miles just that once. Oh, and an 8 mile OFT.
Happy days.
Having had this problem myself earlier in the year and getting so fed up with it and all the conflicting information that you can find on it, I bought an e-book on the subject. It turned out to be basically a systematic review of all the evidence that exists on ITBS, the causes and cures. Sadly the only two things that have actual proven clinical results are surgery and long term rest, and by long term it means at least 6 weeks of complete rest followed by a lengthy transition phase back into full training. The conclusion on all the other treatment methods was that they probably won't hurt and they might help, although no-one has produced anything concrete yet. Because of this I figured the best approach was to just try everything I possibly could - foam rolling, stretching, hip strengthening exercises etc, and stick to the routine, doing something every single day, and building my runs back up very slowly (starting at 1.5km and increasing by about 0.5km per week). It's been a long process but I think I'm pretty much over it now.
The most important thing with any injury though is to find out the cause of it and treat that cause rather than just treating the symptoms. For some people it's a weakness in a particular muscle, or a tightness, or a defect in gait etc. For me I'm pretty sure it was the motion control shoes that the running shop 'prescribed' me to correct my overpronation, but don't get me started on that.....
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