IT Band Blues

On Sunday, I took the train down to Brooklyn to meet up with my friend Andrew for our 17-miler. It was cold and pretty grey out, but we got the chance to run over the bridge and along the bottom tip of Manhattan just as the sun set so that was nice. However, the run quickly entered a downward spiral, with the wind picking up and the temperature dropping. Around mile 7, my knee started to bother me a bit and I had to pop an Advil. Of course, it didn't get any better and as we entered the park at mile 11, it became clear that I was done for. I hobbled 3/4 of a mile to the subway and froze the whole way there.

The next day, the mile walk to the subway nearly killed me. The 10 steps down to the platform actually did kill me. I was in less pain when I broke my arm snowboarding. The walk from the subway to the office was even worse. Monday night, I ended up working late just so I could take a car home and not have to face the brutal walk.

The final self-diagnosis is iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). The IT band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed, or the band itself may suffer irritation.

I haven't dealt with this type of problem since freshman year of college, but I have noticed tightness in the area during the past few bike rides so I guess I should have seen this coming. Anyway, the pain yesterday had me very, very worried that I'd have to scrap the marathon and take 2 months off to recover. Luckily, an aggressive icing regime has killed most of the pain. I've done a lot of research the past two days and it seems that I may be ok if I start a really good habit of stretching out the band, doing self-massage and wearing an IT band strap on my leg. So, at this point, I think I'm going to play it careful but try to keep on track for the marathon.

Most of my research indicates that a) I'm a prime candidate for this problem (flat feet, bowed legs, over-pronation, mileage, biking and running, etc.) and b) I'll really have to be vigilant to deal with this.

So, here's the plan.

1. Stretch my IT band 3 x 10 minutes per day.
2. Start wearing an IT band strap above my knee to reduce movement of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle.
3. Ice my knee 4 times daily.
4. Hold off running for a few more days.

In the end, I think I'm going to have to keep up some regime for long-term management of this issue because I'm sure that, given my predisposition towards ITBS and the fact that I'm upping my mileage for the Ironman in October, I could be in for more problems...

One last change of plans... and a trip!

So, I was out on a long run and had some time to think... It donned on me that the `hardest Ironman in North America' was probably a bad first Ironman. So I think I'm canning the Silverman and choosing yet another Ironman. I have now settled on the Great Floridian. It is supposed to have fantastic race support and a great turnout. It's in Orlando which (while not the coolest place on Earth) is convenient to get to and reasonably close to the beach if I want to take a little vacation afterward. I don't think wandering around Disney World post-race will really be my cup of tea. So, that's that.

And now for my trip... I'm off to Arizona on Saturday for a nice 4-day vacation. Looking to relax, do a little training and hang out with my parents -- my dad's down there for a conference. We're staying at this pretty posh looking Marriott spa and resort so that should provide some good R&R and a fantastic place to put down some runs and swims. May even rent a beater with my dad and go for a ride.

Change of plans

Just a quick post... with some change of plans. I've carefully considered things and given the time, commute, etc., I think I'll be scrapping IronmanUK this year. In the end, I've decided that 140.6=140.6 so doing an official Ford Ironman isn't a real necessity. I've revised my schedule to do the Silverman Ironman in Nevada. It'll be a little later in the year, easier/cheaper to reach and leaves me a little extra cash to spend on my bike. Even better, I can throw in a few days of post-race enjoyment in Vegas!


The only drawback is that Silverman is considered the toughest Ironman in North America, with over 9700 ft of climbing in the bike over 112 miles (think, 1/3 the height of Mount Everest). The run is equally challenging with 2000 ft of climbing! That said, it'll be a great challenge and the course is absolutely beautiful. Some pics that I've found.

So, here's to a new plan!

Back in the saddle again

First post of 2008, so I'll start off with a Happy New Year!

The past two weeks have been busy but fantastic. I wrapped up my trip to Canada with a few good workouts and some time with friends. New Years was awesome as always. A little less insane than usual (which doesn't take much) but still a very good time. One picture from the night... with me in surprisingly good form and my buddy Duncan on his way to being "drunken Duncan."

Had a great first two weeks back in the City. Been riding my new Kreitler 3.0" rollers a bunch and it has definitely improved my spinning and the quality of my pedal stroke. For those who don't know what rollers are, they're like a self-powered treadmill for your bike. The challenge comes in balancing yourself and not varying your path more than 6 inches in each direction. I don't have a picture of me on my set yet, so I've just included a random Google image search so you can take a look.
Anyway, it took some practice riding between a wall and a treadmill and bouncing back-and-forth like a bowling ball in a lane with bumpers, but I think I have the hang of it now. At this point, I can ride with just a wall or chair on one side to get started and can put down an hour no problemo.

That said, the weather has been so fantastic the past three days that I just had to get outside. Put down two 5 AM rides in the Park and a few nice runs along the eastside. Fantastic! However, looks like we're headed back for winter -- the ride this morning was a little cold -- so I imagine I'll be back on my Kreitlers in no time!

In the world of fun, my buddies all had friends in from out of town this past weekend. Highlights included:
- going to the Met and the Museum of Natural History (probably good since we all pay NYC rent and never take advantage of the City's amenities)
- a party that was nearly 85% dudes and basically turned into a massive frat/drinking game event
- trying to ride my rollers at said party... and not hurting myself by some miracle
- a two-guy competition to prove their love for my buddy Clarke's visting lady friend: who can burn their hand the worst with a cigarette lighter

Well that's about it for now.