Running...

It's been a week and a day since my visit to BCSM and Matt's recommendation to take a break from running; and a few more days since my last run.

It's official - I miss running. These beautiful fall days are perfect for trail running but certainly not conducive to healing an aggravated knee. I've also been thinking about the Denver Marathon and not running it tomorrow. Mentally, I know that I have bigger fish that need frying - rest, heal, strengthen.

I've developed this borderline insane obsession/relationship with the squat rack and leg press at the gym. Three increasingly intense workouts to date where I have all but wrecked my legs. I can't really tell if my knee is getting a lot better or if I am just distracted but the incredible soreness everywhere else. I do think the healing has begun as sensitivity has decrease and changed more to a tightness.

True to form with my addictive personality I have also become very attached to my Moji, its kinda like a woobie for my malady.

The fitness curve with legs is STEEP...but I am hooked; with swims on off days to loosen those puppies up - I know the plan and will stick to it as I wobble off to the gym for another torture session.

Benched...

Since about three weeks before Ironman I have had this nagging pain in my knee...some days worse some days better than others, but constant. Not really a surprise with the givens...a long season, big volume, 3 marathons, one Ironman, a half-iron distance and a few shorter races...3 prior knee surgeries and a leg that's an anatomical 15mm short.

The prognosis, grade 3 chondromalacia...more commonly known as runner's knee (varying degrees of severity grades 1-4). My self diagnosis was spot on. I know my body - now all I need to do is listen to it. Easier said than done, but I am making strides...I had to make the decision to not run Denver this week, which was not easy. Must shut it down and rest, and while I rest, relish in the accomplishments of this year (thanks Jess).

Dabbling in medicine in my free time, I have obsession with needing to know, learning to diagnose, and trying to treat, and should I by the grace of God win the Powerball, I'll go to med school. To that end, I have learned that the principle causes of this type of injury are overuse and imbalance of musculature; so its no surprise that my right leg, aka "little guy" is the root of the cause. Better than 90% of these types of injuries lead to full recovery given earlier enough recognition of the problem, a giving in to the stubbornness of managing and working thru pain, rest and strength training.

I plan to take 4-6 away from running and then start back slowly. Before I return, I'll have read "Born to Run" to see what that does for my thoughts on running, as it seems to have influenced all my friends who have read it. Also, I plan to decrease my shoe lift to 8mm rather than the 10mm that I have been running on all year to compensate for my leg length inequality. A realization that I came to while watching my shadow as I ran and feeling that the material used for the lift was far less compressible than the other shoe making the lift seem larger than it should be (I know I lost Kristina here with the details). Trial and error, inexact scientific methodology . I'll do all this in some new Mizunos Wave Riders as well...hoping for a good fit, literally.

So begins a more restful off season that will include lots of swimming and squats and long z2 bike rides until I run again...with a small score to settle in June in Coeur d'Alene. For now that's as close to the bench that I am prepared to be.