quote:<HR>Originally posted by jbrown731:
I've done weight training to try to strengthen my legs.<HR>

What are you trying to strengthen? What exercises are you doing? If you haven't bought one already, go get a foam roller and google ITBS stretches with it. Start doing those. It will hurt like a mofo at the beginning, but do it anyway. Have someone watch your form. You might be "off" a little and that can have major consequences. These things I mention as I have been dealing with ITBS for the last year. If you don't tackle it head on then you will deal with it a long time. That's my .02

eta: this site will show you a move to do for ITBS
http://www.power-systems.com/news/01_26_06b.aspx[/URL" target="_blank">

And this one is just awesome. Anyone who has ITBS should read this
http://www.anaerobic.net/runnersguide.html[/URL" target="_blank">

http://This message has been edited by hawaiiantk (edited Mar-20-2007).

polar--you do the exercises daily?? How many reps?

jellie, yes. Now for the kicker. I am 53. In the last three
yrs I have lost 87 lbs. I need to lose 25 more, that's the
though part, but still at it. Lived a totally sedentary life
from a child, by choice. Now know I missed a lot.
Started running on a treadmill slowly with the help of
a friend, who was a marathon runner and now a marathon
cyclist. Spent eight mos on the dreadmill due to its
softness and used coolrunnings newbie plan. Took me
six mos to get to three miles. That treadmill was in a gym
of which I still belong. In the first year as well as running
I did the following:
1. Treadmill running
2. Entire body stretching
3. machine and free weights
I still do all of the above, except dreadmill occasionally. Into the second year I decided
by encourgement of my wife and my trainer friend to attempt
a 5K. Finished it running at a whopping speed/pace of 12mm,
5.01mph. I broke the sound barrier. I continued running
jogging for those who think different, (I wasn't walking)
and at the end of the second year, near winter I was
running 15 miles/wk outside, with an average pace of 10.5mm.
I ran three 5K's the second year.
The third year I hit my first injury in Sept 2006. I was at
25 miles/wk at a pace of 9.80 mm. Then the unthinkable
happened. Too much to fast of speed work/hills/farkleks...
The sheath of the anterior tibilias tendon got trashed, bigtime.
I was down for the count for 1 month running.
At year one at the get go I had an IT band problem. Tried all
the typical stuff, to no real avail. I had it bad and was not
even running. When the running started and exercise it
got so bad and I was so discourged I almost quit. I kept going
searching the net and talking to people. Finially the big one
was when I realized that the muscles involved with the bio-
mechanicals of walking/running had to be dealt with and not
just message/rollers/sticks........When I did, that is stretch/
and most importantly strengthen them it went away. It was
a long haul. In the interim I got snapping hip syndrome. The
band got so inflamed and the bursa, and the muscle contracting, it would snap over the bursa and
bring me to my knees, literally. Not while running but when
I did the typical IT band stretches. Got through that and
here I am now starting over again at 12 mile/wk and working
back to 25. Gotta love this sport.
And yes every day I exercise at home/road/gym/work
everywhere doing something.
The IT band: find a good step that is six inches or better,
follow the pictures. Pivot your hip up and down. I use 5/10
lb weight now, on the leg hanging and locked. I now have
incoorperated tibalias strengthening exercises also-10 ankle
weights/walk on tip toes and heels-my wife thinks I look
funny when I do it. She wonders what she has unleashed.
So now I look around me and see so many 23 yr. olds
I can blow away running and cycling. Makes me feel like
23, but don't look it.......Hehe
I thank God I got a wake up call for health before something
really went wrong quicker than it should have.