GREAT JOB AT PAINTERS EVERYONE!
It's was really fun reading everyone's race report. Although, I really should say that there was an extreme lack of picture-taking. Somebody better post some pictures, or there's gonna be another smackdown! Speaking of smackdowns, the most important fitness related event that happened to me while resting my knee and getting over my cold was a phone call to Sasha. I had to tell him that I wasn't able to do Painters, and thus was in violation of our little agreement, wherein he was supposed to try to play a hymn on the piano without making any mistakes within 48 hours (which he did) and in return I would run the Painter's Half Marathon. Geez! I really didn't think he was ready to do that! One thing you must all never doubt is Sasha's tenacity. Anyhow, I asked him if he could please think of some other way I could fulfill my side of the bargain. I gave him some lovely options, such as running a half down here in AZ, going up to St. George even though I wouldn't be running, hosting a pasta party for the Del Sol Relay team when they come down, etc. etc. But his choice was for me to simply to adhere to the "good conscience" diet (meaning don't eat anything that I believe to be unhealthy) until I break 2:00 in the half marathon. And thus we see the extreme futility of trying to argue a point with Sasha. That guy will NEVER give up, and eventually he will win. I can't keep up the whole fire-breathing-debate thing forever, eventually apathy takes over. So tonight when my family was at Souper Salad, and they all went back and got some brownies, I went back and got a bowl of diced beets...It's okay, I like beets...a little. Almost like a brownie... About my run tonight--it was fine, it was great! I've really missed running. No pain whatever. I did 2 miles outside at "injury pace," which is 1.5 min. slower than "easy pace." I think that I've figured out what the heck was going on with my knee, but it is convoluted, so you may want to tune out now--just leave me a comment like "Good job!" and move on. I think that my piriformis muscle is the main culprit. It attaches to the tailbone and controls how far out you hold your leg sideways (I think). So my chiropractor said my tailbone was was "out" and I know my piriformis was all bunched up like a rock in there. Someone recommended massage, and I'll tell you, I could NOT stand for that thing to be touched without yelping. So I think it was pulling my leg in a little too much and THAT is what was causing the pain in my knee and down my leg. I think that it altered my gait in such a way that my right leg was landing harder than usual. I don't think I actually had a real injury in my knee, but I do think that if I had continued to run on it like this I could've ended up with an injury in my knee or with shin splints. So I've been adjusted by the chiro, and I've had some massage--now I am going to make sure I do my 3 lower back exercises (which my chiro has been begging me to do for a long time, but I've been to lazy to do it) in order to hopefully keep my lower back in the right place, and I'm going to do my piriformis stretch before and after every run. Tomorrow I will hopefully run 3, 4 on Wed, 4 on Thurs. 5 on Friday, 6 on Saturday. Next week I'll try to do 5-6 miles most days unless something starts hurting again. Maybe a 10 miler that Saturday...  Look at this picture I just found. Who is that booking it back from the finish of the race? He he he. | 