Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Knee

if you've read any of this blog for any amount of time, you know I have a bum knee. On occasion I have had two bum knees.  And if you've been reading lately, you know I'm doing a new training plan that is pretty intense.

My omnipresent knee brace. Don't leave home without it. 'cept I haven't needed it. 
It's called Run Less, Run Faster. It comes highly recommended by some peeps I know who have experienced some amazeballs PRs using it.  And as I have alluded to in some previous entries, it's a tough plan. There are no junk miles. There is not a high volume of miles. I'm doing the 10k plan right now, and after a 10k next week will be transitioning to the half-marathon training plan for my big goal race in October. My total volume has been about 20 miles a week. 

But a big component of the training plan is cross-training, which I've been getting on the bicycle (sometimes on the rowing machine at the gym, but mostly on the bicycle). And last night, after a particularly tough interval set in which I hit puke threshold not once but twice, as the endorphins wore off and I settled into bed, I had a realization. A realization that convinced me that even if I don't have crazy-drastic improvement in my times (something I won't know until race day come October), this training plan is working.  And that realization is:

MY KNEE DOESN'T HURT.

It doesn't ache as I drift off to sleep like it typically does. It doesn't snap, crackle, pop like it used to. It doesn't draw attention to itself at all.

I don't know if it's the reduced miles, or the cross-training, or the combination of both. Now, will that hold up once I start piling on more miles in the half training plan? I'm not sure. I won't know until later in July and August. But I do know I'm doing long runs of 8 and 10 miles right now with no problems. And that, friends and neighbors, is something to rejoice in on this Wednesday.

Now, what are YOU joyful about today?


3 comments:

That Pink Girl said...

REM has a song, Everybody Hurts. It's great but clearly no longer YOUR theme song! Hey-o to no pain!

I'm so excited for your training and glad Furman FIRST is working for you! Can't wait to cheer you on next week and see you kick some serious bootay!

Mwah!

Dagmar Mueller said...

Yeah to no pain!!! My knee is doing better as well. STill working on a comeback but I was wondering if you can share a webaddress for this new no junk miles kinda training plan???

Dagmar

Drum said...

What a wonderful Wednesday blog!!!! This is fantastic news!!