Saturday was my first true test on my knee. I felt good going in given the fact that I was able to log 16 miles throughout the week with no sign of push back from my knee. However, I knew that I needed a long run to be the "true" indicator. Jeff was doing the Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon on Sunday so he was out for Saturday. I was going to have to go it alone. I went with the same receipt of 2 weeks ago. I started early 6:30, and I planted some water at Indian Bend and Hayden. The temps again were chilly...just cold enough to see your breath. Perfect! My game plan which felt good on my 19 mile run was to hold myself back the first 3 miles. I monitored my pace and kept it between 9:30 and 9. By the time I reached Indian Bend and Hayden (4.25 miles) in, things felt good...a nice warm up. Headed down the canal, I picked up the pace and kept it between 8:15-8:30. I love this portion of the run. The sun has come up over the horizon but it's still cold. You can actually feel the city waking up. You see more and more people begin to hit the paths, it's quiet....it's peaceful. Still going strong, no sign of trouble. I reached the 8 mile point feeling good, and after a brief refuel, I made the turn for the back 8. I kept the pace between 8:20-8:40 and fell into a great stride. Then came mile 10, and trouble. Cruising along, I felt a twinge in my knee. At first it was a gentle reminder as if to say, "Hey, remember me...I'm still down here...don't get to cocky." I didn't want to jump to the "worst" so I kept moving. Unfortunately, my knee had other plans. It progressively became worse and the sharp pain that visited me the week prior was definitely back. Discouraged is an understatement. I remembered from 2 weeks ago that things got worse when I stopped, so I decided to try to make it to Indian Bend and Hayden. I became very cognizant of my footstrike and form, making sure that I was not getting sloppy. Making to the water drop, things seemed to work themselves out a bit. I finished the last 4 cautious but strong. Ended up running 16 at 8:51 pace which was great, but my fear was validated. Post workout, things felt OK, but my knee was hurting last night and from time to time today. My knee is not a fan of long runs right now....26.2 isn't very long, is it? All kidding aside, I'm day to day, and I'm really not quite sure what to do???? I don't have the time to take anymore recovery time and be ready for race day, but I don't want to risk permanent damage. I got a IT band wrap for my leg, that is supposed to help those suffering with ITBS, we'll see if it helps. I feel like I'm "band-aiding" solutions to help me get through the next five weeks. I'm concerned and discouraged and like I said.....day to day! Activity
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