Another week complete and this was a rough one! It started with the 8 mile knee fiasco in Tallahassee; followed by a pesky cold. I thought this was suppose to be any easy recovery week! Despite the mini-obstacles, I powered through and finished all 4 runs. I am still battling the sniffles, but my knee feels much better.
I have to say I was pretty scared Saturday when I couldn't bend my knee after my run. I thought this was an injury that would keep me from running for weeks. But there was no swelling and after a few hours I could bend it and walk. So this week, even though I still ran, I took much better care of my legs. First, I pulled out the foam roller every night this week, focusing on my IT bands. Damn, that thing is painful. Second, I returned to yoga. I was really shocked at how much flexibility you lose after skipping class for three weeks. Regardless of the tight muscles, it felt great to stretch everything out. Very therapeutic and calming.
So now it is on to week 10. I am definitely a little nervous about this. Not only is my knee still getting back to normal, I also kick things off with a 14 mile run. It will be the longest distance I have ever finished. I am pretty sure I can do it though. Let's face it. It's not even a full mile longer than a half marathon and I have run one of those. I think it will be more difficult when I hit the 16, 18, 20 and 22 mile runs. Of course, it's really all mental. As my magical marathon mate always tells me, positive thoughts!
