You know what? Injuries suck. They especially suck when you are just getting into a groove and then have to take a step back. Because I'm a new runner, I'm just now learning how to "listen to my body". During my runs, my biggest enemy is my head. Things like: "I can't do this" or "no way I can run this far" are constantly running through my head. So, when my knee started bothering me I had to really pay attention to the pain and make sure it wasn't just my head getting in my way. About 2 weeks ago I started noticing that my right knee and hip were starting to feel a little tight. Then, after a 4-mile midweek run the tightness turned into actual pain in my knee. Because my husband is the great and all-knowing when it comes to sports injuries (he seriously is a genius!), he quickly diagnosed my issue as ITBS.
Apparently IT band issues are common to all runners (new &/or experienced)...I had no idea that I even had an IT band before all this. So, my plan of attack was to take a week off from running and focus on icing and foam rolling the hell out of my leg. Let's be honest...I didn't ice &/or foam roll near as much as I should have but I think I'm back on track! This last Saturday I decided to do a "test run" at Katy Trail (love that place!) I ran a slow 3 miles (11:17/m pace) and it felt great! I probably could have gotten another mile or 2 in that day but I didn't want to overdo it. Yesterday I got in 4 miles (10:40/m pace) and I felt pretty darn good. My plan is to do an 8-mile long run on Saturday...think good thoughts!
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