Running Can Truly Suck

Today I went for an easy 8k morning jog and ‘tweaked’ myself. A little over one klick into my run I slightly pulled my right vastus medialis, a muscle that wraps around the inside of the knee and keeps the kneecap proper aligned. When it happened I had a hard time believing it – I was, after all, jogging along at an easy seven minute mile pace and had even done some stretching beforehand! A real runner never stretches before a jog; instead he or she will stretch afterwards when they’re warmed up – because an easy run can’t hurt you. You’re simply moving too SLOWLY (like who hurts themselves walking?). But a few more strides confirmed it and I proceeded to walk home. I’m really getting old. This is an annoying injury not only because it hangs around for seemingly forever, but because coaches think … oh heck, they plain out tell you … you’re a ‘wus’ and to stop using the knee as an excuse not to do intervals or any of those other stressful workouts. When I was younger and running seriously I would rest the knee for the day, get some physiotherapy, and then run taped for, oh, about a month, but I don’t have a physio to tape my knee and I’ve never mastered that fine art. So I’m simply not running until it feels better (which you really can only find out by trying it out). But this is OK with me as I’m getting ready to triple my swimming workouts starting in a couple of days anyways. I’ll be plenty tired as it is. This brings up the marvelous benefits of cross training in both rehabilitation and general fitness, something I’ll cover tomorrow.