Road Block
Interrupting my Reach the Beach Relay recapping (check out parts one and two if you missed them, because I do hope to post part three this week) to share some new frustrations I have encountered in my training for my first ever half marathon, the Zooma Cape Cod half, which by the way is THIS SATURDAY. How did that happen?!
I wish I had more time not because I don’t want to run the race, but because I’m having some issues that are much worse than the shin splints I dealt with earlier in my training. During Reach the Beach, I started feeling some irritation in my right IT band during my second leg. This continued during my third leg but after a couple of days of rest, the pain was gone. So I went for my first post-RTB run last Wednesday morning, a 3 miler, and once it was done I knew I was in some trouble. My IT band hurt the rest of the day – it was even difficult to get up and down stairs. So I told myself, only one more run until the half, and not for a few more days.
Flash forward to this past weekend in Newport, working the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival for 90+ Cellars. I took Saturday as my rest day (I’d done a bootcamp – but with low impact modifications – on Thursday and the StepMill on Friday, and had felt pretty good). Last night, I ended up going for a run when I got back from my trip. I was going to take yesterday off too, but the food and drink of the weekend were really getting to me. Lots of wine, LOTS of cheese, LOTS and LOTS of bread. I felt like I had to do something, and the dusk and weather and sunset definitely provided some pretty running scenery.
From the very first step of the run I knew that I was not going to be able to go as far as I’d planned, and to be honest by the time I was about a mile in I knew the smart thing to do would be to stop. But I was out there, I felt bad about my body, I felt guilty about what I’d consumed over the weekend. So I kept going, running about 3.5 miles total. And man oh man – my right IT band – and also my right quad in general – absolutely hated me for that. And still hate me.
This morning I went to the gym and tried the spin bike, but even THAT is irritating my leg. It honestly hurts to walk – I’m limping slightly. At this point I don’t know what to do. Well that’s a lie, I do know what to do. I need to ice, foam roll, and most importantly rest. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, but it’s easier said than done. If I can’t even do the bike without irritating my right IT band and quad, I’m not sure how else to get in some cardio. The thought of not doing any more cardio until the half this Saturday…well, it’s a petrifying thought. Especially coming off of this past weekend and knowing I have plans tomorrow and the next night that will surely involve “fun” food and libations.
I did do foam rolling this morning, after cutting my bike session short (much to my chagrin). I’m for sure just lifting upper body tomorrow and obviously Friday, the day before the half, is a 100% rest day. But even if I do manage to get in all the rest and foam rolling and icing I need, I’m worried it’s too late. This injury has flared up SO suddenly – it literally wasn’t even an issue a little over a week ago! – and suddenly I feel less ready for the half than I did even when I FIRST started training. At least then I knew if I told my body to keep going, my mind would power me through. But the mind can only do so much, and when one is running through an injury, things can get dangerous. I have visions of not being able to finish the half or not even being able to start altogether (I don’t know which would be worse).
So I had to vent and get it all out there. I’m not necessarily asking for advice because I’ve consulted many a running friend/family member and definitely have a plan and have heard lots of different tips. I just need to share the road block in my training, to collect my own thoughts.
Have you ever had a sudden injury flare-up?
Ever dealt with IT band issues?
