With only 3 weeks left of training, I was scheduled to complete a 9 mile run one Tuesday night. This is when I was put to rest, as an intense pain shot through my left leg, almost bringing me to my knees and in tears. By this time, the pain had been settle for the last 2-3 weeks, until I pushed my limits in a 1/2 marathon, resisting the urge to stop and not listening to my body screaming at me. The idea of quitting was not an option, and I just assumed I would rest my leg for the next couple of days, while icing it, stretching and rolling. I somehow muscled through my 4-6 mile runs in the following week, listening closely to my IT Band. Until one evening after work, I was scheduled to run 9 miles. About 20 minutes in to my 9-miler, I decided maybe I should just do 7 miles, as I started to feel heat building in my leg. Well, with 1 1/2 left to go, the pain was more than I could bear and my eyes welled up, as I sat on the hard sidewalk in utter disappointment. I'm still not sure if I was crying because of how much it hurt physically or mentally!
After about 5 weeks of rest from running, I'm still having a hard time sleeping on the left side of my body, because my IT band starts to ache from the pressure :(
My advice to any of you who want to train for a big event, such as a Marathon...TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!! Something I should have done from the start.
Roll and stretch before and after each run. Make sure to warm up properly and cool down. Ice right after long runs, and heat later. Get fitted for running shoes, and don't be cheap. Eat healthy, take Glutamine to help repair muscles, and drink lots of water.
In order to rest my IT Band and let it heal, I'm taking on other challenges in the meantime. Stay tuned :)
Cheers to Being Fit N Gorgeous :)
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