Circling the Runway

A couple of weeks into my 'running' blog, and still no running. Added a knee strengthening routine to my flexibility routine as part of my PT this past Wednesday, but still not seeing a breakthrough in pain elimination. Doing the flexibility 2x daily, the strengthening 1x daily, and the foam roller and ice massage 2x daily. Grand total is 2+ hours daily, which is challenging to work into my weekday schedule. Also taping my kneecap to try and adjust the tracking alignment towards the inside of my leg. After removing the tape that the therapist had applied, I quickly broke out the razor and shaved all the hair off my knee. Used to do that all the time on my knees and ankles back when I played competitive sports and had to get taped, so it brought back some memories.

In addition to the PT, I did 30 min on the bike on Thursday, and 30 min on the elliptical on Sunday, neither of which caused me any noticeable pain. Hopefully these options, and some swimming once the pool opens, can keep my fitness level reasonably solid until I'm back running again. I'm not a big fan of indoor aerobic activity - none of the 400+ miles of training for my marathon were on a treadmill - but I'm going to have to learn to love it for a while. Don't necessarily dislike the machines, but I look for any excuse to get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air.

Right after finishing the marathon I had retired one pair of running shoes and bought a new pair that I had found on sale. I had them in the garage with my other shoes waiting to get broken in, but I was doing some cleaning this weekend and sadly I put them back in the box and moved them to the back of my closet. Rather than inspiring me I found them to be amplifying the frustration, so I've taken them out of the equation for now. Finding that Mondays are my peak frustration day, as another weekend passes without any sort of run, after so many weeks of long runs on the weekend. Heading back to the therapist on Wednesday for another progress review, and trying to remain optimistic.

While I was doing my stretches on Sunday morning I caught the last ~45 minutes of Running the Sahara on Showtime. Probably old news to the running community, but I had never heard of it and was fascinated/amazed by it. 111 consecutive days of running, 4300+ miles, the equivalent of around 170 marathons .... absolutely incredible. However, I found myself very disappointed in the attitude and behavior of the main runner Charlie. Clearly it was a very mentally, physically, and emotionally stressful undertaking, but he came across as a bit of a jerk at several points, which is really unfortunate in the grand scheme of the accomplishment and the opportunity to inspire and to promote running. Possibly/hopefully it was just a function of editing, and reflecting the fact that in the midst of all that repetitive running they had to look for the more dramatic moments to keep the story compelling. With the time I've spent reading runners' blogs I've found an incredibly positive, supportive, and caring group of people, and I don't this the movie reflected that larger reality. In any event, I would highly recommend anyone watch the movie, especially if you have an interest in running.