running update

This is a blog about running, right?


I had a cortisone shot last Monday.  Dr. P said not to run until Friday.  After talking with him, I'm changing my running strategy.  Before, I was rocking the walk/run.  Now, I'm gonna rock the run/stop.  On Friday, I got a treadmill, walked for 2 minutes, ran a 9:20 mile, then walked for 2 minutes.  That's it, peace out, end of story.  I spent the weekend cycling.  Yesterday morning I had a sports massage, and my dude really focused on my IT bands - re: tried his hardest to hurt me while I chattered away.  Everything felt pretty stretched out, so I decided to do another test run (HA!  I punned!).  I spent an hour or so lifting, and then hopped on a treadmill.  Walked for 2 minutes, ran 1.25 at 9:12 pace, walked for 2 minutes.  


I think this is going to be a good strategy for now.  I've been following a walk/run plan since I got hurt 3 months ago, so I know I have the running in my legs.  I'm just starting to change my focus to one long stretch of moderately easy running.  I'm probably going to do yesterday's run 2-3 more times before extending the distance at all.  This is far less total distance than I was doing in the walk/run, so I'm hoping it won't irritate the IT, and I'll do gradual increases (I will, I swear).  


Of course this is all just another desperate ploy to avoid having surgery, but I'm really hoping it'll take.  The two runs I've done have been pain-free, although the second one had a little tightness.  It might take me 2 months to work back up to a 5K, but I'd much rather do that then go under the knife.  And now that I have a shiny new bike to distract me, it's easier to be patient with the running.


FIngers crossed, people.