I have just seen my lovely physio, and well, it's neither good news nor terrible news. The good news: no ligament, muscle or tendon injury in sight. In other good news, he said my strength was very good (glutes, legs etc), and he could see no biomechanical issues (after doing a series of weird and wonderful tests.)
The not so good news is that it is looking like ITB friction syndrome. Pfffft. Given that I have no strength or biomechanical issues, the only thing I can think that caused it is my "prancing" – that is, to relieve aching hips on my last long run I ran for a while lifting my knees in an exagerated fashion. This relieves the repetitive strain I was feeling in my hips, but maybe caused extra friction on the ITB where it is by the knee. (This is my theory not his; physios seem to find it hard to pin point why the friction has happened if there are no biomechanical or strength issues to be found. He concurred that this could be the cause).
The confusing news: well, he said that I should continue to ice and rest as long as I can before my HM. We won't know if it will flare up again at the 17km/18km mark as it did on my last long run until I do a long run again (so, my HM aaaaagh!) I have just 2 weeks to go, so don't want to risk irritating it again before the race. I need to give it the best chance to recover from the friction.
I agreed with him to rest a week, during which I can do some more targeted strengthening and stretching exercises he gave me which can only help. I can swim, so I will do that. And then...maybe the week before, I can do some short gentle runs, mostly to help me mentally before my race (the idea of not running at all two weeks before a HM terrifies me!). ITB friction generally only comes on later in a long run, so I guess I will find out if it is okay on the day I do the HM. Adds a bit of extra tension to the run I guess! LOL! Obviously he was not able to tell me if this would happen or not, but he didn't advise not to race. So it's up to me. Yikes. He said it could be fine, or maybe not. Again, LOL. Not. What a funny position to be in.
It's a weird ailment as it is giving me no pain whatsoever now, and doesn't hurt when I walk at all. But it could come on with the friction of a long run. Baffled, I am! I will give it as much time as I can to calm down and cross my fingers I guess.
So that's my knee news. What do you all think?!
Sadie-runs (but no longer prances, that's for sure) xxx
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Sadie-runs
Half Marathon
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Thanks Stephen. Yes, it is definitely good to be informed, and I heartily recommend seeing sports physios! Though, wish my case had been a bit more cut and dried, if you know what I mean! x
No, we didn't talk about pace...I would imagine that friction would occur at whatever pace you ran? I dunno! So confused, kind of not sure where I stand or what to do to be honest! xxx
Hi Sadie, to me that sounds vaguely optimistic news anyway!😊 You haven’t been told not to run, so that’s good. I think you’ll just have to rest up this week and just do whatever you can to keep yourself fit.
Hopefully you’ll be fit enough for your HM but you mustn’t prance at all between now and then!🤣
Very best of luck. I’ve got everything crossed for you!🤞🍀🍀🙂👍
That sounds VERY good news to me! A two week rest will do no harm to anything but your head. In fact it will do the world of good. You will be refreshed and raring to go. You can go at whatever pace you choose as you have no record to beat. Hopefully the atmosphere on the day and good old race magic will distract you from spending your run worrying about the onset of pain; your only objective for the day is to enjoy it 🙂
Thanks Linda. x I feel quite fit, so hopefully two weeks out won't render me completely unfit to run – fingers crossed. I plan to swim and strength train to keep my spirits up. Thank you for being so supportive, you are a love. xxx
While you are resting and not swimming look at Pete Magill’s exercises for runners and his stuff, if you do not already do them.Or indeed looked at his link on pinned posts on this site.🤔 Magic stuff I reckon.He is not a marathon runner but the worlds quickest 50 year old over 5k.Inspirational he is and the myths he has dispelled.
Very best wishes from here on in and on the HM day.
Thanks dear Tbae, I shall check this Magill fellow out! I have some good exercises from my physio too, so this should keep me busy. And it cannot hurt to focus on getting stronger, right? xxx
Hi Sadie,Check out his thoughts on repair strategy, amazingly simple and never go until your ready stuff, and not doing strength stuff that is not needed for runners, an example never do full squats, runners only use limited parts anyway, he only does half squats and he demonstrates them.
Another top ultra marathon runner, put him in one of my post a time back,done everything , Young guy has dispelled the myths of pushing loads of stuff.Post his name later.Ben Greenfield.These guys are not rebel’s they have done it all and trying to share there experience.The 50/50/50 iron cowboy James Lawerence, unbelievable simple stuff and story.50 triathlons in 50 states in 50 days.There stuff is simple and inspiritational.
Sorry to have gone off on one but pick up there jewels.
I’ve got a similar knee injury which is baffling, reverse if yours as I can run with a support on it but without the support when I’m walking my dogs it comes back, crazy. Hope you recover quickly 😀😀
Oh so sorry to hear this! Has it been diagnosed as ITB friction too? My physio talked about kinetic tape for support. I have a follow up with him before my HM; might ask him to strap me up! Hope your knee feels better soon. x
My first reply to someone on this forum and it's you, you lovely lady 🙂
Sorry to hear you're crocked Sadie. I sympathise as I have a dodgy ITB too. We're all different and you just need to find out the cause. It could very well be overuse and once you're rested it'll be fine. Mine was caused by a pelvis that drops on one side and a slightly overpronated foot but orthotics has sorted me out plus strengthening for obliques in particular. It still flares up from time to time but only after I've overdone squats and when I've overstretched a bit on distance.
Rest and ice is the sensible way to go but I'll send you lots of fingers crossed and a big virtual hug xxx
I’m just surprised we haven’t seen you here sooner! Welcome, welcome. 😘
Oh dear, you have a grumpy ITB too? Pfffft! Good that you know what caused it; my physio didn’t seem to know in my case, as he said I was strong in all the right places. 🤔 Like I said, I am sure it was my impromptu prancing. Stoopid me. I wouldn’t be so stressed if it wasn’t for my HM on 15th. Flipping sucks, but heck, all part of the journey.
Thank you for you very kind wishes and hope all the crossed fingers don’t result in pins and needles! 😱
So glad it's not bad news. A specific diagnosis is always better than vagueness but at least you are not being told to NOT run.
You have practically done the distance, for my HM my max distance before was 20k and I did not have the finish you have so I am sure that fitness wise your will be fine.
Take a good rest, keep looking after yourself and we are all hoping for a good prance free post race report. 👍
Thank you so much for your kind reply, Richard - these reassuring messages of hope are what keep my spirits up! I will be sensible - I do feel very fit and now I have a diagnosis I have a plan. 😊 xxx
I think that your plan sounds great! Nothing more you can do really, so just focus on the race and run all the way with crossed fingers🤞🤞. No weird footwork this time though. 😊
That’s what I have. Fine on flat. Downhill triggers it and getting to about 18k. No issues with it any other time. Very annoying and is threatening cancellation of all of my booked trail runs. I’m sick of icing and stretching. Don’t want to carry on paying for a physio to tell me to ice and stretch. Which exercises have you got to do?
Oh no, sorry to hear this Tasha. What a pain (literally). Did your physio give you any exercises for strengthening areas that could be causing the friction? Or look at your gait? Mine did. Although he said he could not see any areas of weakness (which makes me think I brought it on with my prancing!), he gave me two exercises – side-leg raises and hip drops off a step, and a glute stretch. Of course, I shall dutifully do them and hope for the best...It wasn't a particularly conclusive visit to the physio, I got the sense that he had no idea what my prognosis was, or if I would be okay on my HM. But I guess they are not fortune tellers!
No he just said stretch for now and exercises later but didn’t give me any yet. I think I’ll try the exercises. As long as I stay on the flat it’s ok. Thank you and good luck!
I’m glad you’ve got some answers, vague as they are. It will be tough mentally to rest but sounds like that is what is in store. You’ve got a great plan; it will go well on race day. It is a first HM so no pace pressure, it’ll be a PB regardless. Just run to finish and enjoy (I’m telling myself that right now as well for my upcoming trail race. I figure if I tell you that, I will need to head my own advice, right 😆)
Thanks for your reply, Sask. I will keep busy in my rest period, so hopefully won't feel so sad about not being able to run in the lead up to my HM. It's not ideal, but we have to work with what we got, right? But you are right, I am not trying to beat any PB here, so why sweat it?! Good luck with your upcoming trails! x
That's pretty good news overall I think 😁 though I get your frustration that there is no straight forward diagnisis or indeed solution! 🙄
I think your plan of resting for a week and then putting in a few gentle runs is a good one.
You can do this distance and it sounds as though even if you have an uncomfy couple of kilometres at the end you're not going to do any lasting damage if you finish your race.
Chin up - I know you'll not let this beat you without a fight!
Sending all positive thoughts to soothe friction 😂. Xx
Aw, thanks Deb, appreciated. I guess it will add a whole other level of excitement come race day i.e. will I be in agony in the last few km or not?! LOL! (Gallows humour is all I can muster right now!) But seriously, I am feeling okay about it now, I mean, what else can a gal do?! Thank you for your kind thoughts and positive vibes. xxx
Hey Sadie, at least you have a diagnosis and something to work with, and you know not to prance any more either! You should do as I do and mince. My strides are so short my joints are hardly moving! 🙄😅
It’s great hearing you sounding so positive. All your patience will pay off, you wait and see. ❤️
Cripes SR, all this will-she won't-she stuff is playing with my nerves, so gawd only knows how you are coping. But you've already worked out your game plan.... All you can do is go for it and see. Not as you would ideally like it to be, but fab news that you are otherwise strong and fit, must be reassuring to hear from the physio. You know what to do in the meantime to line yourself up for your best shot. Other than the knee - it sounds like you are in really great shape and a couple of weeks of not running isn't going to change that.
I have everything I can cross, crossed for you! xxx
Ha ha! I know, it is all rather exciting, isn't it? I am up and down like a yo-yo. Part of me sees this as another challenge to overcome, another part of me thinks, pfffft! What's the flipping point, the "running gods" are clearly laughing at me. Well, "running gods", you can laugh all you like, I am not giving up after 12 flipping weeks of diligent training, you heartless b*stards!
Do you have your eyes crossed too, FPF? Thank you, lovely! xxx
Permanently! And my knees, but that's for another reason! I am getting old!!
That's the spirit, 2 fingers up to the world, you ARE going to bloody well do this!!! I'll even offer you my piggy back services for the last 2kms if needed.... previously only offered out to Headintheclouds in dire emergencies. I hope she is getting on ok. I do miss all of our stupid banter on here..... but there are only so many posts I can write about arsecheekitis and grinding to a halt at 4k. On repeat..... tut and bother.
Anyway, I love hearing all about your progression and the hurdles you overcome. You've done so flipping well. Makes me think, one day.... possibly!!
Oh whatever happened to HITC?! I do hope she is okay, too. Both you and her regularly made me guffaw on here!
And of course what I have achieved you can do too! Though, snort! Do you really want to end up like me, haphazard injury prone baffoon that I am? (All my injuries are a direct result of me doing something daft.) xxx
I just googled ITBS and came up with lots of exercises, Sadie. I wish you all the best In your preps for the half marathon and hope that the rest will do the business.
The scary thing is that this sounds like the niggle I got in my 15th km this week. I’ve had it before when fell walking, but never found out what it was. I will be joining you in these exercises to see if I can avoid a recurrence.
Thank you, Dexy. 😘 Knees are tricky buggers, and sorry to hear you had a niggle on your last run. But, please don't assume it is ITB – it could be anything, so do see a physio if it happens again, or you are in doubt. Mind you, doing the exercises won't hurt even if it isn't ITB, as they are usually strengthening exercises for all the key areas. Fingers crossed for you, lovely. xxx
Phew. It's good to know that you are probably not injured but maybe you are. And it's really reassuring to know that it probably won't flare up, unless it does. But it's good bearing in mind that you can run your HM unless your knee explodes somewhere along the track which could potentially hurt or maybe not, depending on whether you need to stop, run, prance or wait for an air ambulance with your knee turned front to right, which is very possibly NOT going be the case. And just so you cannot take your physio to court if bad news happen, it's entirely up to you whether to run or sulk at home. I like that guy's thinking.
Thanks Lavender. I have no idea which way it's going to go come race day, but as I have said, it does at least add a whole new level of drama to my very first HM…😂
The good ol' ITB. Mine was a bugger for about 12 weeks earlier this year. Is yours worse when going downhill? It got to the stage where I could barely walk down the stairs...... I invested in a foam roller which,along with the exercises the physio gave me did the trick. I'm back on light runs now up to maybe 7/8 K and rolling regularly. Hope yours clears up soon.
I didn't get to go downhill once the pain struck (my route is fairly flat), so I don't know Pete. This was the first time it has happened, so I am truly hoping I caught it early and that resting for a week will calm it down. The fear is, will it come back when I get to 17km on race day? I won't know until I do it – eeeek. Glad to hear you are getting better and building up your runs again, phew. My physio dismissed rolling for this condition – annoying how you counter so many different opinions on the same issue! He did recommend I get a sports massage. As luck would have it, I do have one booked for Monday.
Echining everyone above, I'm really glad it's nothing too serious Sadie, and you can still run (but not prance!) your Half. I'm totally sure you're mentally and physically fit enough to get round despite 2 weeks of lower training! xxxx
Thanks Becky! Only time will tell (and a long run) if it is ‘serious’ or not, but I am seriously hoping the rest and strength training will see it off. 👍 Wish me luck! xxx
I’m glad there is no serious damage and you seem to have a plan. I didn’t tell you but my knee problem resulted in me being immobilised for a week and then it took me ages to get back to walking...
Doctors basically suggested that I strengthened thighs and bum to relieve pressure on knees. The two main exercises that i still do when I remember are: the clam and sitting again a wall with a cushion between knees and slidding up and down... good luck with your recovery, sounds like you are doing everything right
Eeeek! Poor you! That sounds awful. I have a bit of a mystery on my hands with my injury as my physio said that my bum and leg strength is good. 🤔 It’s not hurting at all now, but I am so scared it will come back on my next long run, as ITB knee pain can. 🙁 Thanks for the kind wishes. 😘
well as long as you rest, ice and exercise the rest of your body there is nothing else you can do. it probably wont come back but maybe you can ask them if they have any suggestions of things to have with you on race day. You'll do great!
Sorry for coming late to the party on this Sadie, I struggle catching up with this and Strava sometimes!! I would say you know your body best. I find that my posture worsens towards the end of a long run, and you might find that clenching your butt and tilting your pelvis is all it takes to correct it and get you through the run. I am quite sure you’ll smash your HM, probably in about 45 minutes knowing you 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks Neil. It’s just the not knowing if it will flare up again that panics me. I have no pain at all now, but am resting for a week just in case. Went for a grumpy swim instead this morning and resented every minute of it! Perfect running weather today. 😊 And 45 mins ha ha ha! Unlikely my love! I will just happy to finish with minimum of pain! Wish me luck. x
Well done for the swim. Sounds horrific! But horrific things seem to do us good, right? Good luck with HM of course. You don’t kneed it though! (See what I did there??!)
Thanks so much dear Jo. What a palaver! I am up and down about it like a yo yo at the moment. If I ever mention entering a race again, please punch me full in the face 😂 x
🤣🤣🤣🤣 it does seem to add such a lot of stress, although like childbirth everyone seems to enjoy it in the end and soon forget the painful parts and do it again! 🤣
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xxx
Good luck with HM of course. You don’t kneed it though! (See what I did there??!)
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