Monday– Crossfit 7-8am
Tuesday– REST (Physio)
Wednesday– Run 2miles
Thursday– Crossfit 6-7pm
Friday– REST
Saturday-REST
Sunday– Run 3miles, Yoga for Runners

I have had niggling knee issues for a while now, and have partly stuck my head in the sand and hoped they’d go away, and partly powered on through because it “wasn’t that bad” and I wanted to complete the London Duathlon without someone telling me, “no you shouldn’t be doing that”.

However, with no races on the (imminent) horizon, I decided now was the time to take advantage of my work health cover and booked a physio appointment with Weybridge Physiotherapy on Tuesday. I saw the lovely and professional Tara, who having told me she ran the Ealing Half Marathon the previous weekend immediately put me at ease!

After listening to my story, some prodding and poking, and a few mobility exercises she concluded that I have “ITB Friction Syndrome“.

“Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common overuse injuries among runners. It occurs when the iliotibial band, the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin, is tight or inflamed. The IT band attaches to the knee and helps stabilize and move the joint. When the IT band isn’t working properly, movement of the knee (and, therefore, running) becomes painful.” Runners World

I also have extremely tight quads and hips, so have been given some exercises to do, as well as copious amounts of foam rolling!

My exercises

I had a second appointment this morning, and Tara seemed pleased with my progress so it’s just a case of being consistent with the exercises. She’s also happy that I’ve started doing Yoga and I’m under strict instruction to keep this up, focusing on classes that are stretching based rather than a lot of breathing or meditation. She suggested I investigate Bikram Yoga, as the increased temperatures of this type of yoga help to make stretching easier – any recommendations?

Anyway, I’ve been out for a couple of short runs this past week, ditching the headphones and the Garmin, and just enjoying building up from scratch again, and paying attention to how my legs feel.

Wednesday I managed to persuade one of the girls at work to join me on a quick lunchtime run, which was lovely! And Sunday, despite the torrential rain I ran 1.5miles up to Kingston (and back) to meet Leah and Katy for brunch after their race, and cheer on Charlie as she crossed the finish line after 24miles! Inspirational.

Injuries are one of the most frustrating things runners (and cyclists etc) struggle with, and I know a few other people who’ve been affected in particular by ITB issues. But I do feel pretty positive and happy now that I’m doing something about it, and she didn’t tell me to stop running! In fact, she said that my goal of a Spring Half Marathon (sssh) was a “great one” and that I should definitely go for it, so watch this space!

How do you deal with injuries? Which type of yoga do you enjoy or find helps with your running?

Beki x