Two weeks ago while on my usual Sunday solo long run, I hurt my knees at the end of the short 14k run. I say short as over the past weeks we (team yykredit) have been eating over 20k's of asphalt for breakfast. The last one was a 25k across the city. It just snapped on the last minute of a pretty normal run. Could have it been the new shoes that I was wearing? I doubt it. Did I run too fast for this? No, it was a slow 7-7:30min pace. Was I running on cambered surfaces. Yeah maybe but I really can't blame it all together on it either.
First I though I had the typical runners knee problem and opted to rest for the entire week as I had a competitive race on the next Sunday which was a 16K run sponsored by holiday Gym and Spa. The Sunday came and it was a party. In all 24 of us ran the race with some racing for a short 6K while the bulk was running the 16K. I told myself to run a controlled and conservative run due to the injury that I had just a week ago. I Think it started pretty much the way I wanted it except they forgot to gun at 6am. The sun was much over the horizon when they finally started by 630am. There we go running initially at a 6 minute pace but slack it out a bit to around 6:30 pace which is the way I wanted for this race. We were behind the main pack and started just walking due to the many runners who joined the race. Many run like ferrari's opting to zoom ahead in the beginning. I told my brother to just pace with me and we'll just catch them over half way through.
I was kind of feeling my legs and the knees for any pain that may recur but nothing happen past the 2k, 3k and 5k. Feeling confident, I push harder by a few seconds on my pace. Except for a slight pain on the back, still nothing happen on the 8k mark. I told my brother and Larry who was pacing with me just to keep the speed steady until the finish line. By this time, we have caught up with the main pack and many were slowing down. One by one we past them. I never counted how many we pass but to my estimate we could have easily pass more that 50 of them. I kept running in the center line and if that was not possible, was running alternately from different side of the route just to keep myself from getting hurt again. By the 14K mark, I felt tired after a long inclined near UP but still managed to maintain the pace. My brother and Larry surprisingly kept it up. My brother zoom ahead by the 15k mark, leaving me and Larry by 20 meters. By this we pass by a pink lady runner who by the time we pass her kept up with out pace and at times speed up and then falter back. This kept going until the 15.5K. With over half a kilometer to go, she up her pace. I followed her feeling intimidated to lose to a girl. We cross the finish line together for a time which I remember was around 1:38.
For a well known gym like Holiday Spa, I didn't expect they don't have the timer that I use to see on other races. They should be well placing them on their 3rd run next year. We proceeded to stretch and received water and some bread after the run. I was feeling good with the time which was within my expectation. The good news was I ran pain free until the end of the race. So much for the runner's knee so I thought. After stretching and drinking some Gatorade, a sudden pain at the side of the knee came back with a vengeance. The pain though tolerable was really painful. My legs actually locked up for a few seconds. Oh no, i said to myself. This could not be my curse forever. After breakfast in Pasil, I went home limping. Putting ice on the wound help a bit but decided to take Arcoxia, an anti inflammatory tablet that kills the pain temporarily. It was a relief that at least the pain subsided.
I research the internet after thinking clearly this must not be runner's knee that I'm experiencing. I guess I was right on the dot. What I'm experiencing now although common among long distance runners like myself is known as Iliotibial Band Syndrome, those tendons that ran from the hip to my knees became inflamed near the area of the knee which rubs against the bone there. This was what John Pages experienced in the middle of the race in Hong Kong Marathon stopping him from completing the race in 2008. Its really painful when you go down the stairs. I was thinking how this could happen to me! Can I ran the marathon this January? Good to say the positive side of me took over whatever frustrations that I would have felt. Good to say, I have more that enough time to recover. With over 3 months till the race and with my schedule of long runs ahead I still have time to get back in shape. The cause? I didn't exercise and strengthen my hip abductors which control the tendons as it moves up and doen during the run. It means its lacks flexibility. I would have opted to go to an orthotic doctor like Tony San Juan or Dr. Ramiro but I opted to do strengthening exercise on my hip abductors from the many that I saw and read in the net.
Fortunately, it works! I started them immediately in the afternoon. By the next day, the pain was gone completely without relying on the anti inflammatory medication. I'm on the third day of rehabilitation and I hope to run again slowly building back my mileage next week. I am completely aware of the pains and injuries that may come with my running. One thing for sure, come like they may, It would not stop me from running. I thank God for this body he gave me even if its not the perfect athlete body. I might not have the gift of a fast runner but certainly I have the gift to persevere. My will is strong and it cannot be broken. Certainly it brings back what I have been saying all along, that pain is inevitable and that suffering is an option and that impossible is nothing.
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