We followed the rain to Arizona and ran the Lost Dutchman 10K in the Phoenix area.  I finished it in 1:19:11, but I think I'm sidelined for a while.  I didn't even make it a mile when my knee started killing me from my IT band.  I ended up walking for a while (it doesn't hurt when I walk), running just a little and then walking more.  It has not hurt like that since RnR Vegas in December and has in fact not bothered me much at all since I took the break.  The ironic thing is that I went to my sports chiropractor this week and he found the place that was jumbled up in my IT band and worked it.  I have been cross training, working on my leg/hip muscles, stretching it and rolling it on the roller.  I am very frustrated at this point.  My sciatic nerve was bothering me from traveling in the car for 6 hours yesterday so I don't know if that affected it or not.

On the drive back home I decided I'm going to stop running for 2 months and continue cross training.  I would like to find a good sports medicine doctor to evaluate everything that's been going on.  Most doctors just think you're crazy when you get to be my age (51 as of this month) and want to run.  Nothing works my heart and lungs like running or leaves me feelling as good as I do after a run.  I'm not willing to give it up yet.

Laurie - I'm so glad that you are doing so well!

PJ, sorry to hear about your pain/injury issues. Hopefully the 2 months off will allow for healing. Keep us posted. You will be in our thoughts.
Marie

Oh, bummer, PJ!  It is so frustrating and worrisome when you can't figure out what's causing the problem, too! I actually had IT Band Syndrome when I ran back in the 80's.  I can't remember if I ever figured out how to treat it or if that was the reason I finally had to quit running.  It was either that or back pain from my fibromyalgia.  Yeah, I've had it since I was young.  Blah.

I do seem to remember a good stretch for the outside of the knees.  Just stand with one foot crossed over the other and bend down as far as you can go and hold it awhile, then switch feet. You should be able to feel a good stretch in those knees, but don't overdo it. I still do that when I'm doing a full stretching routine. I have a hard time making myself do the full one, but lately I've been doing it while watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire and it seems to be working well, lol, since I don't have to have my eyes on the tv every minute.

DJ, by my calculations 27:04 is a sub-9 min. 5k.  It's about an 8:46 pace [oops, I think 8.72 is closer to 8:43 or 8:44, even better).  You have to remember that 5k is not exactly 3 miles, and that one/tenth of a mile extra definitely counts for something!

Bill

Great run today!!

Look at the web site below. You should be able to find the manual for your Garmin.

Jack

https://buy.garmin.com/support/manuals/searchManuals.faces?refresh=true

Hi PJ:

I ran the 1/2 marathon in the Lost Dutchman too!  WOW! Would have liked to say hi ...... bummer!  It was pretty chilly, sprinkling rain, some breeze now and then, around 50 degrees!

I rarely get 'sick' so wouldn't you know it, I was fighting a head cold all week with some lingering congestion, so today's race was pretty sluggish for me.  I did finish in 1:55 .......... not bad, considering how I was feeling but I was hoping for between 1:45 - 1:50.

I came in 273 overall out of 1069 runners, 7th in my age category.

I didn't like the course. I didn't like the event overall.  I thought it was a trail course.  I don't like road courses.  And, the weather certainly didn't help.  Yeah, not very happy with my run today.

More importantly, my right knee has an issue.  During one of my training runs about two weeks ago, I slipped on some ice/snow down a hill, grabbed a branch which kinda softened my fall but my tailbone hit a large smooth rock jutting out of the ground and covered with ice.  Needless to say, the left side of my tailbone has been a pretty shade of deep purple with a huge bump for the last few days!!!

Hurts to sit or lay on my left side.  But it didn't affect my training runs in regard to leg muscles/ankles, etc.

Well, last Saturday, I did some intervals, about 10 miles on the treadmill and noticed some 'stiffness' but I was in denial ...........thinking I need to 'run it off' ..... but that evening, my knee was swollen.

I know my right knee kinda gave out when I fell but I didn't think I pulled or strained anything.

I have been icing it and resting it for four days, and then the head cold/congestion set in all last week. Darn!!

So I didn't get a good run in as I rested till Friday when I did an EASY workout by running slowly 2 miles, cycle 5 miles, elliptical 30 minutes, weights 30 minutes.

Think I over did it?!?  bummer!!  And it snowed here Friday, Saturday and Sunday (today) so it is pretty cold which didn't help, I'm sure.   
I wear a knee brace below my right knee during my training runs and races.

But, in today's race, I felt my leg muscles tiring at mile 9 and suddenly felt my right knee 'pop' into place at mile marker 10.5 ........ it was weird.  I had a good pace with a couple of other guys but I slowed down just to see if anything else would happen.  I thought about stopping but I ran up to mile 11 when I took a walk break, hoping that that was all it needed.

It started to sprinkle again, I felt the chills and my throat got sore.

I decided to go for it and ran the last two miles trying to catch the two guys but I could feel my knee swelling up again, it didn't 'hurt' but can feel some inflammation.

It is tender now and I have been icing it most of the evening.  Still feel some chills, coughing, sniffles, sore ...... but refuse to get 'sick'.  LOL!  Need to recover for a few days for sure.  I have a business trip to Denver so that should help in recovering and resting.

I have another HM on March 12th, a technical trail course, and I know it is a TRAIL COURSE ......... but its description of the course is interpreted into meaning I may not finish under 2 hours. Love these type of challenges!

Welcome aboard!

I would say you are over training , back off go a little slower and see if it feels better.

Are you taking days off? Your body needs days off to rest and heal.

Another suggestion is are you wearing a good pair of properly fitted running shoes? A good pair of running shoes is going to cost $100 and are worth every penney (speaking from experience) and also they need to be replaced every 400 - 500 miles.

You could be running through "The Wall" sometimes alternating between walk and run is the only way to break through.

Massage, Ice and Rest are very good for your pains.

I am 52 years YOUNG and started running in 2007 to lose weight. I have lost 60 lbs. and I am training for my 4th full marathon. I have started a blog to answer such questions as yours.

Good Luck

Art

Jack - Last year I bought 2 pair of the Nike Free 7.0's and loved them.  My last pair is wearing out.  I went online and and had a hard time finding the 7.0's.  I could find them but the color wasn't exactly the one I wanted but after checking several websites I finally got went ahead and ordered them.  I wanted the gray but in the size I needed I could only find blue.  But that's okay.  But I have loved them so much and they are so comfortable I was afraid to try something different without going in a running store to try them out.  These have worked for me.  The closest running store is over 3 hours away.  We have Hibbit Sports here in town but my experiences with them is they know not much.  Just like some of the mall stores 2 hours away.  They sell all these athletic shoes but have no clue what running is about.  One of the stores last year I tried on a pair of shoes and they just fit.  The young guy tried to sell them to me.  I told him I needed a bigger size because when my feet swell they won't fit right.  He thought I was crazy so I left.  They just don't get that if the shoe fits when you haven't been running it's not going to work when you have been.  My feet do get bigger when I run.  Or even walk a few miles.  But I have been so happy with the Nike Free and I have trouble with my feet so if I'm happy with a shoe I'm afraid to tamper with it.  But I just love the lightness and the flexibility.  I have feet that are big and a little wide so I buy a men's shoe because they don't come in wide width for women.  Nike tends to run a little small too.

PJ and Di sorry you both are hurt/sick...hope you take the time needed to heal. I was off running for about a month after the half I ran because I was to excited to run again and hurt my hip....lesson's we learn!

Marie- congrats on the 5 miles, you are one of the most determined people on here with all the rehab you went through and the hard work you've put in to come back!!

I was right in the middle of catching up on the posts when my husband walked in saying You got a box from Amazon....YAY MY GARMIN CAME!!!!!!!!!  I just ordered it 2 days ago!!

So off to learn what I can and try it out this afternoon!!!!!!!!!!  As Marie said I too reserve the right to ask silly/techno questions!!!!!!!

Good luck on all your runs everyone!!