Archive for June 17th, 2009

I understand now.  My IT band is something I need to pay attention to forever and ever till I die.   Fuck.

Since last Thursday, it’s been quiet.  I’ve kept to 9-milers, not wanting to chance double-digits for a week.  Sunday I had the 5K, then Monday I did a recovery 7-miler like a good girl, then yesterday decided to test double-digit territory; went 11 for the first time since this thing appeared 3 weeks ago.  It was a great run, some parts of it ecstatic even, but at 8.75 miles I felt the shadow around my knee.  I stopped and stretched, then a mile later felt the need to stretch again.  Got home fine after that, but I was discouraged at needing to stop at all.

Today I went 8 and horror of horrors, had to stretch at mile 5!  I was able to get home without walking, but it took a couple more stretch stops to get there.  So I’m kicking myself for easing up a bit on the rolling and stretching.  Looks like I’m stuck with doing it three times a day for a while.  And I was just beginning to feel like life could return to its old simplicity: get dressed, run, shower, sit on my ass till the next time.

It appears that rehab maintenance is part of my life from here on in.  But I can deal.  I’m telling myself that the elites do all sorts of rehabby, pt, stretching stuff all the time so if I need to stand on one leg for 5 minutes (my new exercise), it’s not that much of a sacrifice.

Anyway, I haven’t had a day off since the 2nd and I’m coming off a 50-mile week with half of it devoted to IT band drama, plus a race.  I think it’s fair to say that taking a rest day tomorrow would be a wise move.  I’m going for it.

But enough about me, what do you guys and gals do for stretching/rolling/anything – do you have a routine?  Before your run, after your run or both?  And what exactly?  I’m interested.