Ham

I've been blessed over the years to have only had a single injury issue, my shins. Knees, achilles, plantar fascia, all fine. I don't even know what the hell an IT band is (I've done those ITB stretches and don't feel anything's getting stretched, whatever they are, mine are wicked awesome.)

The right shin had been trouble for a good year after starting running more consistently again a couple years ago. It cleared up last fall but moved to my left shin. That's been okay now for a couple weeks. Well now the trouble's moved on to my right hamstring. It's a zero sum game for me apparently.

I think it's my hamstring that's trouble anyway. It seems to be so deep within my thigh, just above midway, that it could be the ham or quad. But I think I'll classify it as hamstring trouble since if I apply pressure from below, with The Stick for example, I feel a little pain, but when applying pressure from above it's fine.

The trouble began during my 20 miler last weekend, felt some twinges, tightness, discomfort in my right hamstring or quad, but it seemed to get better after a while. Took a day off, then ran 5.6 and 6.5 miles on the treadmill at work on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, typical progression from high 7:00s to mid/high 6:00s. It wasn't too painful, just pressure, but wasn't any getting better, so took yesterday off.

Today, 4.5 miles on the home Landice. Definitely still an issue. But the good thing was, normalizing for the hamstring problem, I felt really strong. Running at 6:50 pace hasn't felt so easy on the mill in a long time. I can even imagine getting back to my good old 4-6 mile treadmill tempos at 6:35 to 6:15.

So despite this minor setback, I'm optimistic. Just hope I'm okay by Sunday to do the 14 miles I should be running, but need be mindful to cut it if it goes badly. I'll be paying more attention to my stride. On the treadmill I was really noticing how my stride rate/length effected the discomfort. I think running faster is actually more comfortable, and I think that's because I'm bending my knee more when swinging the leg forward — shortening the pendulum. I have noticed my tendency on longer slower run to sort of drag my rear leg, letting it hang back, sliding it forward, not picking it up so much, maybe creating extra stress on the hamstrings.

Anyway not so bad, still thrilled about the lack of shin issues, life's good, healthy, settling into the new job, saw Z in her opening of Really Rosie tonight, then excellent dinner at the new Indian bistro in town, what else is there.