Monday: 3m easy run, 15 min upper body
Tuesday: 3m easy run, 25min Kettlebells
Wednesday: Rest
When you don’t have anything nice to blog, then don’t blog about anything at all. Is that a rule? I’m not sure, but either way my left IT band has been a little punk. When I’m not feeling great, it’s really hard for me to share with you guys, but I gotta suck it up, keep it real and let you know i deal with minor injuries & pains here and there too.
So a few things here before you think i’m benched: My chiro says I have a weak left hip adductor which is causing the IT band pain. Secondly, he also believes my body is finally moving more correctly (without overcompensation) than it has ever has before. My body moving the right way is bringing my weaknesses front & center and moving properly is making new body parts sore. I.E. my IT band.
handy lacrosse ball to work out knots in my calves & quads
I’m actually thankful that it seems like all the overcompensation that has happened for the last FOUR years, might actually be over with. I always feel bad not blogging immediately when things aren’t going right, but I like to be cautious and really find out what’s going on before I make a big deal out of something that might not be. When I felt that pain in my leg (about 10 days ago), i couldn’t run more than 1 mile without being in pain so bad I had to walk. I’m pretty sure a few tears were shed on the trails… this week I can do 3 miles before any pain appears, but i’m still being overly cautious and stopping when the pain starts coming on.
Reading up on EVERYTHING to do with running related issues & solutions
So i know all the hard work is paying off… all of those clamshells, lateral squats & lunges, single leg squats & dead lifts, jane fonda leg raises–the stuff that works the weak areas— is helping! I’m reading up & being smart with this issue, because not only do I want to continue to run happy, but I have a ton of runner clients now and I need to keep their bodies moving! One very large tip with the IT band: Stretching is not what will solve IT band pain. Lots of runners think that stretching or foam rolling is the key & it’s not. You must strengthen the weak hips & glutes and also work out the knots along the IT band. Speaking of which…
Rumble Roller
This is my new nasty foam roller. I can never go back to normal foam after this. It’s the meanest, hardest, bestest roll i’ve ever received. I named it The Dark Knight. All other rollers can suck it.
Last Week
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3.5 easy 9:05/pace, 35 min chest/back/abs
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 3.5m easy 9:30/pace, 15min hips & stretching
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 5.2m walk, 30 min TRX Rip Trainer
Sunday: Rest
Total Miles: 7 miles running, 5.2m walking.
Anyone deal with IT band pain?
shesgoingthedistance.com 
04/30/2015 at 9:47 AM
You need some MYRTLs in your life post run!!! They are my favorite and will work your hips. Here is the routine if you are interested: http://www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf, Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLrKr54yA0,
No IT band here, just my lovely achilles hating on me. Always something with us distance runners, right?
05/03/2015 at 10:48 PM
Perfect video! I might share this one in my next post if that’s ok with you. I’m doing most of those exercises with a few i’ll add in starting tomorrow 🙂 thanks so much for the information.. and yes, it’s always something!!
05/04/2015 at 7:40 AM
Of course I don’t mind!! Share away – we are here to help each other! I learned about these awhile back on someone else’s blog and it helped immensely. I find when I don’t do these and then start up again my hips get really sore…which tells me I should always be doing them!
05/04/2015 at 6:57 PM
Just got finished with the whole routine..and you’re right, hips are on fire! Gonna keep at it!
05/04/2015 at 8:49 PM
Whoops, I somehow posted my comment to you as a post…I blame the traffic I was stuck in! Anyway I hope it helps 🙂
04/30/2015 at 10:20 AM
Great post! I know my lacrosse ball goes everywhere with me – work, vacation, the living room floor during Game of Thrones, everywhere.
I see that looks like Kelly Starrett’s book aimed for runners; I haven’t checked that one out. How is it compared to his general book (Supple leopard)? Love to hear your thoughts.
05/03/2015 at 10:51 PM
It’s actually a Brian MacKenzie book, so good! It breaks down running/cycling/swimming/lifting to the bare basics and gives a lot of insight for exercises & stretches/myofascial release that are really helping me out right now 🙂 I haven’t read supple leopard, but i might purchase soon, because it seems a different.. next time i’m at the bookstore!
04/30/2015 at 9:42 PM
Bummer about the IT band (that is the one thing that I have not had), but good news about finally conquering those overcompensation problems. Right now my stick is coming to work with me everyday so that I can work on my stupid calves – although your roller looks about a million times scarier.
05/03/2015 at 10:52 PM
roller is crazy, but i’ve never felt better. it was the first thing that really seemed to loosen up my TFL & glutes, which is definitely helping me run through this (now minor) pain.
05/02/2015 at 6:34 AM
I find it so hard to blog when I’m not running or things aren’t going well. I want to be honest but I also don’t want to be super negative every time I post! Although I have been feeling 90% better my left TFL has been tight, and I also think that is part of things balancing themselves out. I am going to (another) new chiro closer to where I moved and they also do alot of PT stuff so I had a FMS screening and now we are working on exercises to address certain areas of weakness. Good luck and I hope things improve quickly for you!
05/03/2015 at 10:53 PM
Yep, TFL & glutes are killing me right now. It’s definitely not ITBS, it’s directly related to my TFL. –>and i’m certified in FMS as well.. go figure i’m all imbalanced! haha I’m so happy to see that you’re back to running. I feel about 70% right now.. better than 10 days ago when my knee would lock up and i literally couldn’t run another step