SLOW DOWN!

"Good things come slow - especially in distance running." --Bill Dellinger, Oregon coach

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." --Lilly Tomlin

I am waiting for it to get above 10 degrees. I keep going back and forth on this knee thing. Gonna head out there and try it when Kath and Julia get back from ballet. I'm going to try the 10-miler LSD in loops: 2-3-3-2. This gives me 3 chances to bail if the knee is bad. I will also need to re-fill my H2O bottle.

3PM

Well, I'm back, and I think I may have pulled it off. Here are the splits (no even mile markers, so I timed the loops which are fairly accurate):

• 2 mi @ 19.07 [9:33/M]
  
• 3 mi @ 30.11 [10:03/M]
  
• 4.21 [H2o refill/toilet]
  
• 3 mi @ 29.15 [9:45/M]
  
• 2 mi @ 18.32 [9:16/M]
  

Factor out the pit stop, and my pace was 9:45/M which is a significant improvement in slowing down. Still, I need to be at that pace I had during miles 3, 4, & 5. I paid close attention to the knee, and here are some reflection:

• My legs were tight during the first two miles, and that right kneed kind of complained. I thought about bagging it after 2 miles. Then I tried to slow down even more.
• Things calmed down during the second loop--I think I really did a good job going slow during this part of the run. I did the King's Pointe loop, so it was nice to get out of the neighborhood. I also stopped to cross the intersection at Perry Rd., and I think that stop maybe helped a bit. I should stop or walk short segments if I want to on these long runs.
• During the third loop (miles 6, 7, & 8) I felt the need to stand up much straighter--this really helped things. I felt that the speed and knee discomfort was "teaching me something" about form--stand up straighter, open your stride behind you.
• At one point, I got a little knot or soreness in the back of my right leg: slightly above the knee and in the back, almost like a charley horse. It never felt painful--just a little knotted up. It went away.
• I wore that Ace bandage thing on my right knee; not sure how much support it gives, but it might keep that ITB from sloshing around too much. Again, it's not PAIN I am feeling; I call it softness or discomfort. It's a feeling that something's not right, so that's why I am paying attention to it.
  

After the run, I drove to the gym and did my hot tub/cold plunge water circuit. Fantastic! I was able to stay in the cold plunge for 10 min! I went in twice more: once for 2 minutes, and another time for 1 minute. Right now I feel good.

Reflection on the loops: My loop system here in the neighborhood actually works. 100 minutes of running, and I didn't get bored. Only one repeat, and I used that as bookends. The loops actually break things up; psychologically, it makes the thing seem more doable. I liked it.

Follow Up

I think I should make a point of recording how the knee feels over the next 36-48 hours. Record your times here for future reference.

• 5HRS: I feel great; I expected to be really hurting now. Almost nothing. Slight tenderness in the R knee, and a little in the front below the kneecap (new). But almost nothing.
• 18HRS: Still feels really good. A little "tight" and a tinge of that "soft/sore" feeling from before. Nothing severe, shooting, or intense. It's been 10 hours since any Ibuprofen, and I just took some. I think it's going to be okay--it's not any more sore than other parts of me (my back, for example) which I know are not hurt.
• 24HRS: Still fine--just a bit tender. I went to the track and bagged it after a lap; it felt a little odd, and I thought "this is stupid." My guess is that nothing good was going to happen with my knee during that run. I went and did 6 minutes in the cold plunge and babied it in the sauna and hot tub. I'll take a couple of days off.
• 33HRS: I am about to head off to bed the day after the 10-miler. This morning's lap on the track wasn't fun, but I have not had any pain to speak of today. I can tell there is something with my knee on a rare occasion--when I move it in an odd way or something. It will be interesting to see what happens during my next run. I don't think I'll run until Tuesday or maybe Wednesday to see what happens. Well, it should be Tues.
  

I love that cold plunge--my legs feel great. I have this sinking feeling that the knee is going to be sore later, but we'll see. Right now I am really glad I did the 10 miles. Article about cold plunge or ice bath.