See BamaDave Run (and Lift)

[cappuccino]

ouie, dave.

sorry it wasn't your magical 4! Good sign PT is going to look at your shoes, and hopefully your gait too.

[BamaDave]

Thanks, Cappy! I'm in the Mobility Clinic, and I noticed that they had a gait analysis lab. I'm hoping I get to go there and am able to milk some really good information out of this for future use.

I'm pretty pathetic this weekend. At home alone with two dogs. LOL! And sick. I think I picked up a bug from my nephew last week, and I'm popping a pretty good fever with chills. I need to go to work for awhile, so I guess I'll load up on some Tylenol to break the fever.

At least my knee is better on the ITB side and isn't really painful anymore. I noticed when I was limping last week that I kept unnaturally shoving my knee to the inside, so that seems to have aggravated the inner part of my knee.

I splurged and bought the Mag Mobility package with Inside Out. Combining that with CB's deluxe TT package, I'll have all kinds of cool stuff to do. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel like working out!!

Okay, I'll quit whining. Perspective... perspective.... perspective.... LOL!!

[hard_rox]

Dave, happy New Years to you and your family. Kick that cold and rehab that knee!! You'll be back to posting jaw-dropping workouts in no time.

[BamaDave]

Thanks, Greg. Happy New Year's to you and yours as well.

I think being laid up all weekend with a fever may be doing wonders for my knee. LOL!! Certainly has kept me off of it. Hopefully starting this month I'll be able to look back at December as a nice "recovery month."

[cappuccino]

Happy New year!!

Well at least you can spend your sick time reading and watching DVDs about working out and getting mobile. And be sure to get some foam rolling in while you're laying around

Hope you feel better soon!

PS Think your new shoes had anything to do with the cold?

[BamaDave]

Thanks Cappy!

PS Think your new shoes had anything to do with the cold?

Damned things didn't keep my feet warm enough!! That's how I got sick. That's what my Doctor said, at least...

[BamaDave]

My second PT session on Tuesday was again nothing more than localized iontophoresis of cortisone plus icing.... I have another one today. Friday, my appt is again with my lead PT, and he is supposed to check out my shoes.

At this point, I feel like the knee is feeling better than it has since before the marathon, with very little discomfort at all, especially when I'm barefoot. Hopefully that's a good sign. I think being forced on my butt by whatever crud I caught has helped.

I'm hoping to resume working out tonight, although I may not jump in with any Turbulent Training until I can get my breathing up without a coughing fit. I'm thinking Friday AM may be my next running attempt.

[BamaDave]

WED. 1.3.07
PM WORKOUT

-- Foam Rolling, static stretches for legs

A. DYNAMIC LEG WARMUP ROUTINE

B. PULLUPS: +30#: 6; 5; 5

C. BB SHOULDER PRESS: 120#: 8; 6; 4

D. DIPS: +30#: 9; 7; 6

E. HANGING PIKES: 6; 6; 6

-- Finally back in my basement. Felt kind of shaky on the leg warmup for some reason... maybe a little weak from being sick. I added some upper body stuff afterward but kept it moderate in length. Tonight I may attempt a TT workout. I did feel some mild pain at the knee when I started the dynamic leg warmup, but not much toward the end. Also some mild pain when power cleaning the bar for shoulder presses.

If it's not pouring down rain, I may attempt a short run in the AM.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Be careful, Dave. I want to read all about those grueling 14 milers through the mountains followed up with a heavy-ass squat workout, but I can wait. If your still feeling a little pain, I'd be careful. (That being said, you've got to be going nuts not running. )

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

If it's not pouring down rain, I may attempt a short run in the AM.

Originally Posted by BamaDave

I decided to run 4 miles down in Louisiana on Wed. morning. The knee felt pretty good during the run, although not entirely pain-free. Actually, it felt similar to how it did during the marathon... definitely not 100% and "stressed." I kept the pace up, since "faster" running is supposed to be better for ITB issues, although "faster" is kind of open ended.

Dave,

I want to encourage you to go back to the corrective exercises that were recommended in the physical therapy link. Do those on a daily basis. Keep up the mobility warm-up before activity, but in a pain-free ROM.

When you do try a run, please begin with the short easy sprints on a level surface that were recommended as the first step back to running. Four miles is not a short sprint! A fast pace is recommended for the short sprint, not for a four mile run. Short = a few yards, maybe 10. Fast is qualified as easy, so you determine that pace, but pain should not be present. If your knee feels "similar to how it did during the marathon," then stop. Limit the number of sprints in the first effort so you can determine how you knee feels afterwards and the next day.

If you are not willing to take this recovery step-by-step, then your knee will continue to cause you pain and limit your running. You can do it right or you can wait until your body insists that you do it right.

[BamaDave]

Lisa, I just noticed that I completely missed your post from 12/26 with the hamstring article link. I posted my workout that morning just before leaving for Louisiana, and I never looked back above my post! Thanks for that article... I'll read over it today.

Oh yes, you're right. 4 miles is not a short sprint. I got very over-confident based on how my leg was feeling... And I have not done those corrective exercises since before Christmas. I definitely should have plugged those back in last night instead of worrying about pullups, etc. I have been rolling and stretching, except when I felt like I had the Bird Flu over the weekend.

Regarding shoes - I have not purchased a new pair. The PT is supposed to look at my shoes tomorrow (previous style and the newer pair that I blame all of my stress in life on), so I was hesitant to order a new pair of my previous style in case he found some indicator of a gait problem with them. I did read that overused shoes can cause ITB problems as well, so now I'm a little concerned that my previous pair, which I used for a lot of miles in Oct and Nov plus the Dec marathon, could be "bad" as well at this point.

Otherwise - not much else is happening at PT. I've had three sessions, and all they are doing is the cortisone iontophoresis plus icing the knee. My PT had never heard of a foam roller, BTW. Neither had my doctor. I didn't realize foam rollers were such a well-kept secret.

Thanks!!!!

[BamaDave]

Originally Posted by Lisa~

Keep up the mobility warm-up before activity, but in a pain-free ROM.

Lisa, does that mean I shouldn't do it at all if I can't bear my weight on one leg without feeling some pain?? I had mild pain last night, especially at first, with those exercises when I would bear weight on the left leg....

Oddly enough, I again had little to no pain when doing the side lunges with the injured left leg as the weight-bearing leg. HOWEVER - I again noted that I had problems with that leg as the "dragging leg." I can't go down as low when the injured leg is the dragger, and it's definitely that leg that is the hindrance. I don't feel as flexible. Is this likely due to a tight adductor on that side?? I've been doing adductor stretches, but I notice a definite difference between legs with that particular exercise.

[BamaDave]

OK, read through the tight hams/glute-firing article.... I think that could very well apply to me. I have so much hamstring tightness, even when NOT exercising. I should probably add the glute-activation exercises to my regimen as well.

[BamaDave]

THURS. 1.4.07

-- Didn't have a lot of time, since I didn't even get home until after 8PM and hadn't eaten. (Note to self: Thursdays are a morning workout day, not PM, unless I start doing spin class with wifey again!!)

I did my foam rolling and some stretching... plus gluteus medius strengthening exercises as recommended in the ITB recovery article. I really had no pain even with the most "progressed" exercise - the pelvic drops - and even did the max recommended sets and reps (3 sets of 20). Before that I had done 3 sets of 30 lying leg raises.

Today I am finally back with my lead PT, and I have my running shoes for him to evaluate... hopefully not too stinky for him!

[Lisa~]

I'm happy to hear that you have been foam rolling and stretching. I can't wait to hear what the PT says about your shoes. I can see why you waited before getting another pair. I'm guessing that since you had no problems before the new ones that the style of the old ones is going to be what's right for you and a new pair just like the old pair is going to be recommended!

You do need glute activation before exercising (and probably before running too) but the dynamic warm-up you're already doing includes it. All of those single-leg RDL variations are all glute activation, so I think you're covered. Both routines are good warm-ups. You might try the movements from the hamstring article one day and use the dynamic warm-up another day. See which movements you can feel in your glutes the most, which ones seem to get you set-up for a better workout.

Lisa, does that mean I shouldn't do it at all if I can't bear my weight on one leg without feeling some pain?? I had mild pain last night, especially at first, with those exercises when I would bear weight on the left leg....

Just know the difference between pain and just feeling some slight pressure in the area. No pain. If a movement causes pain then either correct the form, shorten the ROM, or ditch the movement and move onto the next one.

Oddly enough, I again had little to no pain when doing the side lunges with the injured left leg as the weight-bearing leg. HOWEVER - I again noted that I had problems with that leg as the "dragging leg." I can't go down as low when the injured leg is the dragger, and it's definitely that leg that is the hindrance. I don't feel as flexible. Is this likely due to a tight adductor on that side?? I've been doing adductor stretches, but I notice a definite difference between legs with that particular exercise.

I'm trying to figure this one out. If I could see you do it I might see what's happening, but without seeing you...

Maybe you're lifting the dragging leg just a bit, using the TFL to lift the leg, which would pull on the IT band and therefore your knee?

If you think it's a tight adductor on the injuried leg, then I'm guessing that the adductor is tight because it's over-active, trying to make up for the glute medius not doing its job. I'm so guessing!

When you did those lying leg raises today, were you able to keep your heel leading the movement and keep the load in your glutes (rather than letting your toe lead and the load shifting to your quads)? Refer to the picture in the hamstring article to see what I mean. If the exercises in that PT article are too easy and not effective, you might use the movements from the hamstring article as your PT to do daily. What do you think of that idea?

I'm frustrated that your PT hasn't done more. I keep thinking that Health South is so big in B'ham that there ought to be a good PT somewhere up there. I have high hopes that his shoe evaluation will make it worth the visit this time!

[BamaDave]

Lisa,

The PT looked at my shoes and the wear pattern was clearly different on the new ones. In fact, I don't know how I missed it myself, it was so obvious. I was clearly over-pronating in the new pair, with lots of wear on the inside of the heel and almost none on the outside. In contrast, he thought the wear on my old pair looked exactly right, with a little more on the outside versus the inside. He also looked at the shoes I wear to work (actually a pair of trail runners) and said the wear on those looked nice and even. My doc made a remark asking me whether anyone had ever said I was a heel pronator, and I said, "no." But obviously that's exactly what I was doing in those new shoes. Now it definitely is time to beat them to smithereens!!!

The PT seems like a nice, patient guy. I get the sense he doesn't think this is a big problem... maybe not worthy of extensive PT?!?!? I dunno... I know a lot of runners have this and don't get to go. Today was just another dose of cortisone plus the shoe analysis. I still would have expected at least some stretching recommendations by now?!?!? Go figure.

You do need glute activation before exercising (and probably before running too) but the dynamic warm-up you're already doing includes it. All of those single-leg RDL variations are all glute activation, so I think you're covered. Both routines are good warm-ups. You might try the movements from the hamstring article one day and use the dynamic warm-up another day. See which movements you can feel in your glutes the most, which ones seem to get you set-up for a better workout.

That sounds good!! I definitely feel the exercises from the dynamic warm-up in my glutes!

I'm trying to figure this one out. If I could see you do it I might see what's happening, but without seeing you...

Maybe you're lifting the dragging leg just a bit, using the TFL to lift the leg, which would pull on the IT band and therefore your knee?

If you think it's a tight adductor on the injuried leg, then I'm guessing that the adductor is tight because it's over-active, trying to make up for the glute medius not doing its job. I'm so guessing!

My video camera is not working, so I can't video tape myself doing it too easily.

Actually, when that leg is the dragging leg, I don't feel much pain