My knee is trashed. Lovely. I can lift it up, I can go up and down stairs, I can go to weight lifting class and do squats, deadlifts and lunges galore. Knee feels fine. However, propel the knee in a forward motion to get from point A to B, not so much. In fact, it's totally agonizing.
This makes running a wee-bit challenging. Actually, it makes it impossible.
I ran about 8 miles on Sunday with my neighbor, which went okay, but not perfect... later, post-run, I spent the rest of the day limping and all day the next. Today I woke up and though the knee was better than it was yesterday, but just the processing of picking up the knee and making it carry my body to a new location was just difficult.
So I'm going to take a few days off. Again. This time for the knee, though truth be told, the heel wasn't very happy about the 8 I ran on Saturday. I'm going to have a little pity-party and eat 6 gallons of Ben and Jerry's for dinner tonight. Does B&J come in larger than pint sizes? Do you think B&J will give me some of their product to review for free since I'm going to consume so much... hey, maybe have a B&J giveaway. I can join the masses and do my first giveaway - woohooo!
Ughhhh, please don't let me take my blog to giveaway land. Nothing wrong with it, I just never wanted my blog to go there. That's just me.
I don't think biking is going to help the knee, so that's out. I don't think the elliptical trainer is good for the heel, so that's out. If I took up knitting, I'm afraid I'd poke my eyeballs out with the needles. So what's left?
When I'm done moping and stuffing sugar down my throat, I think chlorine and I are going to become pretty intimate for a couple weeks. I really hate the pool - hate hate hate hate it, which is kinda ironic because I actually had a collegiate swimming scholarship, but that was another lifetime ago - so I'm going to limit my temper tantrums of going to the pool to 4/day. Ok, 5 max.
But I gotta go. I have to. I must. I don't have any choice; I have no other cardio options so swimming is it. It'll be good for me. I gotta believe that it's going to help me come back to the running world stronger and fitter and ready to charge. I promise to start monitoring my diet better, continue my weight training, not talk to Tara for half of our Wednesday swim session (sorry, Tara! 5 minutes pre-swim, kick board laps, and 5 minute post-swim hot tub is all we're now allowed!).
I even got some new goggles today, since I spend more time de-leaking the 3 pink pair I have than I actually spending swimming laps (anyone have any suggestions for non-leaking goggles??). I hope at least one of these puppies hold only eyeballs and air. How many people take pictures of their goggles, huh huh huh?? Only those trying to psyche themselves into the new task at hand.
So come along, Swim With Jill awhile....a week, maybe two, who knows. It can't be any worse than hearing me whine about my heel and knee. Well, actually it can.
55 comments:
Oh, Jill, I am so sorry to hear this. ::big big hugs::
okay...now you've promised!
interesting about your past swimming life. My wife was a great swimmer in HS, a few from her team swam D1 in College.
I swam today...I didnt want to...I never want to before I do it. But there is no better feeling than walking away from the pool having completed a planned swim workout session!
Yes you can
Derek
Jill-
Join me in putting down the spoon and stepping away from the Ben & Jerry's. You and I should start a Co-op Blog called Come Limp with the Gimps. What do you think? Hang in there!!!
It was great visiting with you Sunday!
K
Sorry about your knee. I'd be on suicide watch if my only option was the pool! :). I need to find a noon master swim program or a group to swim with. Know of any?
Resist the give away temptation, Jill! Run, no swim, the other way! JK...but I'm super sad to hear about your knee, dear, dear girl. You deserve some pain-free runs. I'll be thinking good thoughts for you, HUGE hugs.
Ack! Sorry to hear about the knee.
Even though I swam (slowly) for my high school, the last time was when I injured a leg muscle and couldn't run. I re-discovered countless other muscles in my shoulder, because they were all sore! I also had to turn in my Speedo for something a little more... age appropriate. I'm pretty slim, but not Euro-slim (i.e. wearing that thong *no matter what*).
I don't know if you have a foam roller for the legs, but mine seems to have warded off any injuries so far. If I feel a tweak in the knee, I roll the IT band, and poof it's gone. I find it's simply because something is too tight.
Good luck with recuperation.
I know your in agony over this one. Yet, this is really a fun post to read. I agree with your give away thing as well. Plus I am back in the injury pool as well. Sorry Jill. If I lived in Denver I would have a Pity Pool Party with ya.
Hate, hate, hate injuries! I've got another cardia suggestion for you - one of those special, you-beaut wheel chairs. Take it to a track and get an awesome upper body workout.
I knew my knee problems were contagious. :(
Thanks for making the ultimate sacrifice as a coach...just like a cold, the only way to get rid of it is to give it to someone else.
I hope your knee heals waaaaayyyyy quicker than mine did!!!!!
Sorry sorry sorry about your knee. It is terrible to have yet another body part that hurts. I am back to being more not less discouraged about my heel. I have ordered a Pro Stretch to help me stretch my calves/heel as what I am doing is not cutting it. I have several appts coming up. Right now I am biking when i can but today I have to go back to the gym and use the elliptical or walk. Not looking forward to it. Find some good goggles!
I think it’s a smart move to go swim at this stage. I really hope all the injuries heal soon. Good luck!
What is the meaning of all this? I'll go consult my magic 8 ball and be back. In the meantime keep swimming and healing. I heard chlorine is a great giveaway repellent.
AHHH - what a bummer. Maybe you could get an ipod for the pool.
Step away from the ice cream or at least send it to me!
Hang in there, friend. You will heal, swimming is a great idea!
wow. It is a dark day in Mudville. I know that it is no consolation - but you can have every one of my miles.
Step away from the ice cream and put the spoon down and no one will get hurt!!!
Prayers are being sent.
I just found your blog today....love it! I'm now a new follower too!
I am so sorry that you can't run but swimming will be good for you! I don't really care for it much either but I suck it up and do it. I just bought a pair of TYR goggles and they are great. No leaking and no fogging over!
gahh i am SO sorry to hear about your knee. i am sending you crazy healing vibes lady! but swimming can be fun. and no i'm not just saying that. i was a competitive swimmer for years before running took hold. so you can do it :D
So sorry abou the knee! Try to enjoy the pool, I'm sure it will be good rehab for the knee and a way to keep your fitness. And if you solve the problem with the goggles (and find some that aren't constantly fogged up), please let me know, because my goggles suck!
Bummer Jill! But I have done it before. You know I have done lots of deep water running and was surprised at how it kept up my running fitness. Water offers great resistance too, but without the pounding. Take care of your self; have a great pitty party, eat tons of B&J but remember ice cream hangovers can be tough! Love ya tons!
Bummer about the knee. Have you tried running backwards? I did a mile backwards and it revealed MANY muscles I never use, might help you strengthen up the area.
I'm pretty sure B&J is the best pre-swim fuel there is.
Hang in there girl. Thinking of you.
Unlike you I'm a giveaway whore.
what a drag.....here is to healing fast!
Swim it up....
I hope your knee gets better. Sounds like an injury I had a few years ago. It just takes time.
UGH for the knee and UGH for the heel. UGH!
Hopefully the swimming will loosen everything up so you can heal.
Have you seen the Ben & Jerry mini cups?? Get some of those...that way you can eat a variety of flavors all at once!!!
Swim with Jill is cool, I can get into that.
I wear those uber-large goggles. About 9000% more comfortable with a super huge field of vision but the trade off is how geeky I think they look. Sacrifices.
Ugh, sorry to hear about the knee! Enjoy your swims and hopefully you will be getting back on the road from Point A to Point B again soon!
I'm so sorry! I know swimmer Jill isn't as happy as runner Jill and we all like a happy Jill! Hang in there ... and there isn't anything wrong with Ben and Jerry's! :)
Oh that stinks big time, but at least you have the pool. I hate the pool, too and certainly didn't like it any better when I had to actually USE it when injured.
I hope that your knee heals quickly so you can get back out there.
BTW - you should ONLY do B&J giveaways on your blog. You could be known as the official B&J giveaway blog.
See what happens when you run up mountains instead of hills!?! ;-)
Actually, sorry to hear about your knee. Having been down after a knee operation I can feel your pain. Hope it gets better soon.
The good part about finding new goggles is that they should be easier to fit than shoes. Hope you find some pink ones! (And I hope I'm remembering right - that you like pink. If not, just ignore me!)
crap happens ... this will make you better ... looks like you have some tome for coaching ...
Are you kidding me Jill?! A Ben and Jerry's giveaway would rock ! heeheehee
I like Swim with Jill! It's catchy. Now back away from the sugar. You are an athlete! And a former swimming goddess! Have fun.
Jill I'm so "with" you on the giveaway thing. That email sat there for 6 weeks. Then I gave in today. I'm so lame.
Sorry to hear about your knee. Sending you speedy recovery thoughts from AZ. :)
Ditto on the giveaway thing. I think it's cool that people put in the effort to host a give away, but I keep going back and forth about it. I was thinking about doing just one to celebrate my 1000th post, but I missed it my own 1000th post. Ah, well.
Sorry your knee is bugging you so much! I wish I had a magic exercise to tell you about or special cream to put on it to make it feel better. Here's a thought, put the Ben & Jerry's container on your knee while you eat from the container. Just sayin'.
Take care, and I'll be sending positive and healing thoughts your way. :)
Sorry about your knee. I hope you'll feel better soon. B&J ice cream will send me to yummy heaven.
Take care of yourself. Eat some ice cream. Swim a few laps. :)
I'm right there with you...training for my first ever half marathon and my knee just won't continue with me. :( I'm off to the doctor after two weeks of rest without much change.
B&J taste good, but bad, bad, bad for you! Sorry to hear about the knee, hope it and the heel are better soon. I admire a swimmer. I would do a tri if youn could wear those little orange swimmies on the river or ocean swim. Til then I will run! Get well soon. Bubble Boy
Awwwwww. That sucks!!! Rest up so that you are not dinged up for RnRDen!
what is it with our knees, don't they know that we respect them enough to make them run and hence they should work with us and not against us :)
good luck with the swimming and weights, i'm sure you'll find ways to semi-love them until you can joyful hit the roads again
I wonder what is wrong with your knees. THough, I will be praying for them to heal properly. Have you seen a doctor on this issue, or is it one of those "YOu know what it is and they just need time off" things. I haven't tried the swimming thing but best wishes on that one. Take care Jill. Ill swim with you "in spirit". About the giveway thing on your blog. Every time you post, you give away the best thing. Your time, and advise and information on running. Keep it up.
Hmmmm. Step away from the B&J! Now what's up with the knee? Knees are the hardest thing to diagnose to me. Doctors just say "stay off it" and there never seems to be a distinctive pain for one condition vs another (aka ruins my google md). Anyway, sorry Jill :( at least it sounds like you are efficient in the pool unlike me, so you'll get in some good cardio? Perhaps you can also do some of that *exciting* pool-running...
Would it be rude or painful to ask if you want to run Pikes Peak next year with me? :)
Ugh! Sorry to hear the knee is giving you trouble...I'm with you on hating the pool...but, sometimes we do what we have to do to do what we want to do...so hang in there, do what you gotta and pretty soon you'll be back out there running your heart out! :)
Aquasphere Kayano are the only goggles I ever found that I truely love!
Hope it gets better soon!
This is sucky! I was swimming. Really I was! I was actually swimming fast...honest!.....and then I washed my swim trunks and went to find them and they were missing. I found them but it has been about 6 weeks till i put them back on.
Any luck on the intro for the web site?
This is a very nice post, so informative and interesting. Thanks for sharing such a great post.
Hmm, a swim scholarship, and now you hate the pool? Interesting. At least you know how to turn a swim session into a good workout, rather than just flapping and flailing like me!
Scoot over Jill. I'll join you for the Ben and Jerry's. Cherry Garcia please! I am having the *exact* problem with my knee. Chin up! We'll get through it!
I’ve been struggling with a nagging foot/ankle thing for over a month and just can not seem to get the darn thing back to 100% (maybe if I stopped running almost everyday it might get better).
Just like you, Ben & Jerry are my only option when I can’t run. I don’t know why they even bother to put lids on their pints; I’ve never needed the lid after breaking that plastic seal.
I hope you recover fast.
All the best,
Ron
Hahaha! Every time I read the "swim with Jill" I totally crack up. Chip up girlie! You'll get all of those aches and pains figured out and be back to running in no time. In the meantime, we will swim laps, whine about everything, and do push ups on the side of the pool. Cuz we're cool like that.
PS-I totally want that woman's swim cap (in the pic). Hehe.
And stay off the Ben and Jerry's for crying out loud!
Darn it! I am so sorry Jill! Sometimes things in life just don't go the way that we want to! I know that you are going to pull this one:) You are a positive person and you will come out on top! Take care of yourself! Mmmm...ice cream:) It works for me:) Love and hugs Jill!
Yes, stay away from the B&J. It does not help.
You've had a ton going on, Jill. Sorry about that. Maybe you need one of those long breaks from running that all these triathletes are talking about - I am thinking about one myself but I am scared!!! I agree with Lindsey, knee problems are tough to dg. I used to have runner's knee and ITB issues, but none since I started doing knee strengthening exercises. If you google MGH and sports medicine, you can see their knee strengthening protocol which is quick, easy, and has worked for me. In the meantime, swimming can be good!
Hope your knee gets better soon, I mean SOON. Cross training will help for sure. A tiny bit of ice cream won't hurt either. :)
Get well soon.
I just found your blog and read some old post here, I enjoyed it. Very interesting! :)
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