I am in my taper week. I have been dreading this week for some time now as I didn't know what I would do to fill the running void. Turns out I really had nothing to worry about.
I ended up last week with a 23K run and felt great...until the next day. I have been dealing with IT Band issues in my left knee to varying degrees for the last 6 months or so and it decided that a week before my Half Marathon would be a wonderful time to pop up again. Sunday was a planned rest day anyways, but now it was a rest day out of necessity as well. Monday came and my knee was feeling better, but still not 100% by any means. Michelle was out of town and our babysitter was on a family trip to Florida, meaning I was working from home for most of the week with Jackson by my side. This would significantly alter my regular running schedule as I normally run at lunch every day I'm in the office, getting in between 10-14K. The days I'm at home I am relegated to the hated treadmill (I'm one of those runners that can't stand that evil hamster-wheel). With the combination of my knee injury, home situation and of course the taper week itself, my mileage would definitely be seeing a drop.
Monday's treadmill run was an easy 7K run at a pace about 30 seconds per km slower than my average and I felt alright afterwards. Tuesday is normally my longer mid-week run (13 or 14K) and beach volleyball at night. I skipped out on the run entirely (the treadmill doesn't have the same pull on me that the road does). Knee was still good after volleyball.
Wednesday called for 10K. Okay fine, I'll give it a shot treadmill and all. The good news was that I was able to run close to normal pace and my left knee felt great. The bad news...my right knee was super sore after. I have NEVER had issues with my right knee. Great. Five days from my first Half Marathon and now I'm dealing with knee pain in both knees. Thankfully Thursday is another forced rest day as I am off to Detroit to watch the Tigers game (weather permitting!) and I'm pretty sure I will take it easy on Friday as well. Saturday is going to have to be a rest day as the race is on Sunday.
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| A Cheap Runner's Knee Pain Home Remedy |
As a Cheap Runner, I have a few tips to share on dealing with knee pain...these are just a few things that I do and they seem to work for me. First, I use Voltaren on my sore knee. Then I will affix an ice pack (dollar store is the best place to get these) directly to my knee with electrical tape (my inner redneck). The third thing I do is use a rolling pin to get some deep massage on the sore muscles, focusing on the IT Band up and down the thigh of the offending leg. I will also incorporate a few stretches, particularly one where I sit on the floor with my legs out in front of me, then cross my sore leg over the other and bend the knee so that the foot of the sore leg is even with the knee of the good leg. Then I pull my bad knee back towards my good hip and hold for about 30 seconds...if you do it right you will feel the stretch up and down the back/side of your thigh and it will feel great. Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor or a medical professional and these are only some of the home remedies that works for me...if you are experiencing any sort of pain you should always consult someone who knows more about this stuff than an aspiring blogger.
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| Redneck Ice Pack |
So it seems that the universe has forced my taper week in its own way...I had no reason to worry about running too much this week after all. How do you guys deal with your taper? let us know in the comments. Well, time for me to get out the rolling pin and get in some stretches before heading off to Detroit. Go Tigers!
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