Keep Pushin'

Good to rest the knee while not training for anything now---keep up the good work with the toning--that will pay off big!

Prayers for you and sis and hubby.

Hey Kathy, just catching up. I'm sorry to hear about your sister and I hope she feels better soon.

I don't know about the flow but I've just recently started running in the Pure connect and I like them.

I recently had a knee problem and the thing that I think helped me past that issue was to do one legged squats on the stairs. I did them like I was taking a step down to the next step and then raised back up. I did 20 - 30 reps 1 - 2 times a day on each leg and my knee was feeling stronger and much more resilient after 7 - 10 days.

Is the roof finished yet?

John Kilpatrick wrote:Just checking in Kathy - I hear you about your sister and I'm sorry she is going through that. It stinks. Hope the knee continues to feel a little better and you can get back to "normal" soon. If you like cycling at all that might break up the monotony of the elliptical (I have a love/hate relationship with those damn machines), but sounds like a wise decision to not push anything TOO hard. Good luck.

Thanks John! I certainly am looking forward to getting back to normal. I do like cycling, but the truth is that I'm a bit chicken, my window to work out is around 'drive time' and traffic is high. I've come to appreciate the elliptical, though, and have sweated through a bunch of movies without having to worry about traffic. ;-)

Alex Kubacki wrote:Kathy, smart holding off. Better to be safe than sorry. You'll get there.

Mark B wrote:You're making wise choices, Kathy, and it's paying off for you. Better to fully recover than rush into anything that'll slow the healing process, or even make it worse.

I'm glad your sister is staying strong. It's no wonder she's feeling it, though. Tell her to hang in there for us, okay?

Alex and Mark, yes, staying away from running for a bit longer seems to be a wise choice right now.
Mark, I'll tell my sister that she has friends she didn't even know she had pulling for her...thanks!

Peg Coover wrote:Good to rest the knee while not training for anything now---keep up the good work with the toning--that will pay off big!

Prayers for you and sis and hubby.

Thanks Peg, for the continued prayers for sis and hubby!
Yes, the toning is good stuff. I still can't do as many push ups as you, but I continue to work on doing them every morning along with the rest of my routine!

T Miller wrote:Hey Kathy, just catching up. I'm sorry to hear about your sister and I hope she feels better soon.

I don't know about the flow but I've just recently started running in the Pure connect and I like them.

I recently had a knee problem and the thing that I think helped me past that issue was to do one legged squats on the stairs. I did them like I was taking a step down to the next step and then raised back up. I did 20 - 30 reps 1 - 2 times a day on each leg and my knee was feeling stronger and much more resilient after 7 - 10 days.

Is the roof finished yet?

Tim, the one leg squats on the stairs...YES, that's exactly what I've been doing for the past 10 days. I saw that exercise on the website of the UNC Hospital sports medicine clinic in the 'runners knee' section. It DOES seem to be doing the trick, although it hurt like hell the first couple of days I did it. This is an exercise that I will continue to keep in my morning routine

The roof isn't quite finished yet, although the end is in site!
Thanks for the good wishes for my sister!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another day of no running/elliipticalling. But that's ok...My knee is getting stronger/better every day! I can go up and down stairs without any pain now (almost), and at a speed that doesn't cause a traffic jam if there are people behind me. When my knee was at it's worst, I had to hang on to the rail and go VERY slowly up and down the stairs, and it hurt so badly that I grimaced and grunted. Not attractive or very professional.

The morning strength/toning continues. As does the flat shoe experiment. Honestly, it's been a LONG time since my legs have felt this good. I didn't realize how much pain my knee has been in for so long until the pain was taken away. The pain is not completely gone, but let's face it, at my age I expect to be a bit creaky anyway.

Keep pushin', everyone!

This is the week I said that I would start running and ellipticalling again.

So, I hopped on the elliptical for an easy 20 minute session this morning, just to see what kind of knee pain I would have. I'm happy to report that I had NO knee pain! I just couldn't help myself, though....the treadmill is just steps away from the elliptical. I just HAD to see if I would be able to run pain free, so I started a VERY slow jog on the treadmill. VERY slow. While I can't say that my knee hurt, it didn't feel quite right, either. It felt like it had to crack...like when you crack your knuckles. I ran for just a minute or so, just to see what would happen. The really good news is that my knee didn't hurt at all going down the stairs when I finished.

I'll still plan to run tomorrow evening. I expect that I'll run outside, it's supposed to be clear and cool tomorrow...in the low to mid 60s, so it should be perfect for a short run. I'll keep that run short, too...probably only 2 miles, just to see how it goes.

Good luck with the run tomorrow Kathy. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks Alex...I certainly will report back.

I'll be honest...I'm a bit concerned about it. My knee hurts a bit again today. Not terrible, but not wonderful, either. After 2 weeks off my fitness level is shot, I'm sure, and I really don't want to take any more time off....at my age, it's just sooooo hard to get back to the level I was pre-injury.

But, all of my running stuff is laid out so I can hit the road when I get home from work. I'll just have to be mentally ready to shut it down if it seems like I'm going to re-injure myself.

Kathy - I've always found this site helpful for running injuries: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/

If it truly is "Runner's Knee" then it can be related to a tight IT band in which case that foam roller will indeed become your friend. I had knee issues when I started packing on mileage years ago and that is when I started wearing orthotics and tossing my shoes a bit quicker. Back in the day, they didn't have stability shoes or motion control shoes or whatever, so most shoes were neutral. I began running in those neutral shoes with the orthotic and I still run in neutral performance (just lighter weight and less cushioned) shoes today. I also change shoes at the first sign of wear on the back right heel (the right knee was the one I had issues with) and I have not had the issues in 20+ yrs. Because of this my shoe mileage is on the low side (250 miles max) - so I spend less in doctor bills and more in shoes.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Kathy - I've always found this site helpful for running injuries: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/

If it truly is "Runner's Knee" then it can be related to a tight IT band in which case that foam roller will indeed become your friend. I had knee issues when I started packing on mileage years ago and that is when I started wearing orthotics and tossing my shoes a bit quicker. Back in the day, they didn't have stability shoes or motion control shoes or whatever, so most shoes were neutral. I began running in those neutral shoes with the orthotic and I still run in neutral performance (just lighter weight and less cushioned) shoes today. I also change shoes at the first sign of wear on the back right heel (the right knee was the one I had issues with) and I have not had the issues in 20+ yrs. Because of this my shoe mileage is on the low side (250 miles max) - so I spend less in doctor bills and more in shoes.

Good advice!

I don't put more than 300 miles on shoes....

Hang in there Kath!

Hang in there, Kath.
Hopefully, you'll be able to run soon and pain-free!

Michele...thanks for the web site link...good stuff there! I rolled this morning....and will continue to be more conscientious about including my roller in my routine. I'm pretty good about ditching my shoes between 250 and 300 miles, and will continue to pay close attention to shoe mileage.

Peg and Michael...thank for the encouragement!
----------------------------------------------------------
I ran last night! Not far and certainly not fast, but I ran!!
The weather was as perfect as it can be for a spring run...low 60's, sunny, very light breeze. I'll admit I was anxious about running, there had still been some lingering pain in my knee after Monday's short elliptical session. When I got home from work yesterday, I pulled on my running clothes, strapped on my Garmin and hit the road.

After my first few steps I felt like cheering out loud because my knee felt fine! I finished my first mile very slowly (~10:30ish) without any pain other than a twinge here and there. A little after a mile and a half, my knee started talking to me, not screaming, but it wanted to let me know that a long run was not a good idea. I was discouraged, and I stopped to walk for a few steps. Then I decided to just try to keep going for the last half mile. I picked up the pace a little bit and finished at ~9:00 pace. Interesting, but there wasn't any pain when I went faster. What does that tell me, I wonder?

I was elated that I finished...just 2 miles, and slowly, but I totally loved being out there again!!! My knee felt fine the rest of the night...I kept expecting pain as I went up and down stairs, but never experienced any. UNTIL the middle of the night. I woke up and my knee was throbbing in places that hadn't hurt before. Damn. I took some ibuprofen and went back to sleep. This morning, my knee feels fine. No pain going up and down stairs, even.

I didn't do my normal Wednesday morning elliptical session, and instead did the strength/toning stuff that I do several mornings a week...including my knee rehap/strengthening stuff. And I rolled my legs. And stretched my quads, calves and hammies.

My tentative plan is to do another short run on Thursday evening. Just another 2 miles to gently get my knee back into running condition.

Keep pushin'

I just reviewed my blog...the last time I ran (other than Tuesday's 2 miles) was Feb. 29, and my post said that my knee hurt much of that run. Today is the 29th of March...that's a full month, I guess that's why my leg muscles are a bit sore from Tuesday's run. It's been a long time since I ran. It's very interesting to see how my body behaves as I get older...I wouldn't have thought that 2 slow miles would produce any muscle soreness. Sigh. It is definitely harder to come back from any sort of injury that it was even 2 years ago. Oh well, it is what it is. Keep pushin'!

I did my morning strength/toning workout and included stretching and rolling. Tonight, I'll go for another short, slow run. Jack said that he'd run along with me. Between his busted ribs and my angry knee, it's been a looong time since we were able to run together, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Oh...the roof of the outbuilding is finally finished, or mostly so. Just a bit of touch up paining to do. We've been having crappy weather on the weekends, so we've had to do all of the painting in the evenings after work.

Congrats on getting back out there Kathy. Are you icing the knee?

Ya know, Alex...I haven't been icing, but I know I should. And I did last night..thanks for the reminder.

I was able to run another couple of miles last night. Just 2. I'm trying to be very careful about not re-injuring or hamper the healing. So, just 2 miles to get back on the road again. The first half mile or so, I felt a little stiff, but then got into the groove and was able to pick up the pace ever so slightly. Splits were 10:18 and 9:44. Faster than Tuesday's average of 10:30. And my knee feels fine this morning!

I'll plan to run between 3 and 4 slow miles on Saturday morning.

Strength and toning, stretching and rolling all happened this morning before work.

I had the courage to get on the scale this morning. It wasn't pretty. No running or elliipticalling for a month has not been kind to my weight. Time to re-focus.

Ice is good.

Your run sounds good.

So I think things are good!

Michael Enright wrote:Ice is good.

Your run sounds good.

So I think things are good!

Yep, running-wise....it's all good. Or at least going in a good direction!

I ran 3 slow treadmill miles on Saturday morning. It was raining outside...didn't feel like getting wet, so I just stayed inside. My knee felt pretty decent the whole run. Yay!

We were able to get on the Harleys on Sunday and ride a bit...it's been a long time since we've had a chance to ride. Soooo nice!

This morning, I hopped on the elliptical for a 20 minute workout. Then stretching and knee strengthening stuff. My knee feels good today!

Next planned run is tomorrow evening. I'm going to ever-so-slowly build up the miles. I'll shoot for 3 on Tuesday.

I hope that I'll be able to get my weight back under control when I'm able to run more again....sigh.

Looks like you're starting to slowly build up. That's good. Just keep plugging away.

Thanks Alex! Yes, slowly getting back! Yay! I wish I could run more than 3 miles...but I'll get there again!

I did my normal morning workout before work: sit-ups, push-ups, squats, hip/butt strengthening, arm stuff, knee stuff, stretching and rolling.

After work, I'll plan on 3 miles. At this point, I'm comfortable that my knee can handle that. It's feeling better than it's felt in a LONG time! But I still plan to build up my miles ever-so-slowly.

Great to see the knee is cooperating and you're relatively pain free!

Hopefully all the other "stuff" you've been dealing with follows suit.

Thanks for the visit, Jim! And for the thoughts about the other 'stuff'.

We are all just trying to stay the course. It's certainly easier for me and Jack than it is for my sister, though. She'll find out the day after Easter if the tumor has shrunk enough to do successful surgery. If not...perhaps more chemo. I talked to her on Saturday. She's lost a lot of weight, but physically doesn't feel awful. But she's so anxious about the upcoming visit with the surgeon. She is keeping her sense of humor, though....even with all of the stress, we spent a good deal of the conversation laughing.

I ended up telling her that Jack had also been diagnosed with cancer. I felt like she needed to know that she was not alone (in our family) in her health struggles. Not sure if that makes sense. But I'm glad I told her.

I ran last night after work as planned.

3 miles at a 9:54 average pace. Started slow and picked up the pace with each mile.
I felt like I was plodding along, like my feet were made of lead. So I just tried to concentrate on form and how good it felt to be out running again. My knee said 'ouch' for just a second during the run, but felt fine the rest of the time.

After my run, I did the trimming and edging in the yard while Jack mowed, no knee pain at all.

But I was aware of my knee through the night, I wished that I would have iced after my run, but wasn't about to get up and ice at 2:13 AM. So I iced after my morning strength/toning/stretching routine this morning. I'm aware of my knee now, but it's not painful.

The ridiculous part is my quads. For a month prior to taking a break from running, I had been running all of my miles indoors on the treadmill. So this 3 mile run was the longest outside run in a couple of months. And my quads are sore. In a good way, but I certainly didn't expect any muscle soreness after 3 slowish miles.
keep pushin'

Did my normal morning strength/tone/stretch thing this morning.
Will run another 3 miles this evening. If the weather holds, I'll run outside, otherwise it will be on the treadmill.

I have no idea if I'll be able to run over the weekend....we'll be having Jack's daughter/hubby and our grandbabies at the house all weekend, so my Saturday morning run may not happen. On Saturday afternoon, my daughter and her sweetie will be joining us. My son can't come home because they don't even have a long weekend holiday for Easter. I sent him an Easter basket even though he's nearly 22....

KathyK wrote:Did my normal morning strength/tone/stretch thing this morning.
Will run another 3 miles this evening. If the weather holds, I'll run outside, otherwise it will be on the treadmill.

I have no idea if I'll be able to run over the weekend....we'll be having Jack's daughter/hubby and our grandbabies at the house all weekend, so my Saturday morning run may not happen. On Saturday afternoon, my daughter and her sweetie will be joining us. My son can't come home because they don't even have a long weekend holiday for Easter. I sent him an Easter basket even though he's nearly 22....

Sometimes, life gets in the way - and it's a good thing!

I remember my mother hiding an easter basket for me when I was about 22. I was hungover and refused to look for it!

My mom gave me a basket FULL of chocolate before I left to come back to Davis yesterday. I, the good son I am, went through it and picked out 75% of the goodies to leave at home so I didn't "ruin" my taper with too much junk food. My brother still gets a basket, too. He's 28. Don't give up on the baskets!

Michael and Mike....
Good to know that I'm not the only momma giving her 20-something son an Easter basket!
I was especially pleased that I found little camo-colored plastic egg (he's in Army flight school) that I could stuff with goodies and put in his basket. He got a chuckle out of that.