Did I Just Imagine that Knee Pain?

/

ASICS 2009 poster - Click to orderIt did happen, didn't it? Saturday? Where my right knee decided it was taking a vacation, checked out and went bye-bye? 

You'd never know it.  I got on the treadmill today and slammed out some speed work like it was going out of style. Not a bit of pain from the knee. Not even a twinge. 

So what happened? Here's my best guess: I psyched myself out. 

Early in Saturday's run, maybe around mile 7 or 8, my thoughts turned toward Boston. They weren't happy thoughts. I questioned whether I really wanted to run it. 26.2 miles is one thing when you're excited to make it happen. It's something else when you're dragging your butt to the start line. I looked at everyone around me and wished that I was almost done with my run, like they were. That I could join them for bagels and coffee instead of trudging through another 10 miles in the cold, alone. My legs were sore and I was tired. Boston did not sound fun. It sounded like something I wished I'd never signed up for. Stupid race.

Then mile 12 - knee blow out.

Well guess what? Guess who figured out that she really does want to run Boston? Guess who is ALL ABOUT kicking some Boston ass? Guess who has done a 180 degree mental flip and is ready to bring it? 

That's right, me, whiny knee girl. When it was actually put before me that gee, I might be injured and not be able to run, I freaked. I would be incredibly disappointed not to run Boston at this point. I've trained, I've made friends, and I only have 8 weeks left to go. All of a sudden I am ALL ABOUT BOSTON. Which is right where I need to be.

So maybe my knee pain, while quite real, was my body's way of telling my mind to put up or shut up. Message received. 

Let's hope that's all it was. Otherwise all you readers can look forward to months of moody posts about how I was soooooooo ready to nail Boston if only I hadn't been hurt. ;)

Knee Blow-Out at Mile 12

/

So I'm trotting along on my 18-mile long run yesterday. Run, run, happy, happy. It's the first time I've done a long run outside (with some large unidentifiable yellow orb in the sky) in over a month. I'm thrilled to be back. 

Chatting with friends, I mentally make note of a light twinge behind my right kneecap. It's not pain. More like a warning that there could be pain. Big deal. It's not a run unless something hurts. 

Since most people I run with aren't training for a marathon (or they are but are considerably faster than  me), they drift off after mile 10. I keep running. At mile 12, I stop for a water break. Throwing down the water bottle, I stand back up, hit the "Start" button on my watch... and almost hit the ground as my right knee buckles beneath me. 

Read More