Wednesday, December 8, 2010

A Call for Help

7 comments:

  1. I had the super painful calves where it hurt to walk down stairs once. Unfortunately, time is what helped, and it took a few days. I wish I had a solution to offer that would help in time for the run on Saturday...I think I also tried to make sure I slowly stretched them as much as I could stand multiple times throughout the day. I hope to learn of a better solution from your followers!

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  2. Here's what i have for what it's worth.

    You could be showing symptoms of "runner's knee" which is a patella injury/ strain. I'm thinking this would be likely because one of it's causes are tight hamstrings and or calf muscles.

    2 things i would do if i were you.

    1. Stretch those calf muscles! stand on the balls of your feet hanging off a step. Hang on with your hand to a railing or wall. Relax and let your heels drop. Don't force it. Let your body do the work for you. Then raise up on your tippy toes and back down again. Do this several times a day if possible.

    2. Get a patella strap. It'll support your knee while you're recovering. It's also called a "runner's knee brace." You can find it any where from local sporting goods stores to target or a pharmacy.

    Good luck in your race. Above all listen to your body and don't push it. If you have to walk more than run, that's okay!

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  3. I agree with the stretching of the calves, it's really important that you stretch after every run, especially if your muscles have the tendency to get tight.

    Also, with the knee, it could also be that one of your legs is stronger than the other one, in which case the weaker leg's knee is hurting. If this is the case, try using the knee brace, but also include some cross training, like cycling or spinning, where both legs are worked equally, as it helps to balance them out. I had a similar problem about a month and a half ago, and I tried these pants called Stabilyx, and they have knee support in them, they worked out great...

    Btw, I like your vlog...I'm trying to get into running myself, so I hope you don't mind if I use your posts for inspiration to keep going...lol

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  4. Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I really appreciate them and will take them to heart. After some time passes, I'll update y'all with the results.

    @ Getting Heart Healthy: Of course I don't mind if you use my posts for inspiration! :D That's the reason I started this blog, so your comment makes me feel all warm and happy inside. We can all help and inspire each other. :)

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  5. First off see a professional, someone who actually knows wth they are talking about. There is way too much false info out there. I have 4 in laws who are physical therapists/ ultra runners and they all sometimes can really help with advice. I know that this is a little late to mention but make sure you are giving your muscles the stuff they need after your runs. I like to mix 1 cup blueberries with about 6 oz of greek yogurt and maybe a little bit of milk (to help with thickness if desired). Drinking this helps after runs and YES it will help with soreness. Also a little bit of granola along with it can help as well.

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  6. Have you tried stretching with a foam roller? I have never liked traditional stretching, and frankly it doesn't help. But as long as I'm rolling out my calves and quads once a week with a foam roller, I never get injuries.

    I also agree with The Running Gator, you should see a pro if it's really injured. Just make sure you see one that runs. They understand what you're doing and will try to really fix the problem, while the non-running pros usually just say "take a month off."

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  7. My calves are doing better than I thought they would after Saturday's run. My right knee, however, is really hurting. I'm going to get a knee brace today after work and see about making an appointment with a PT. Thanks, everybody!

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