Thursday, July 22, 2010

PT visit...I'm happy!

“The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.”
Philipus Aureolus Paracelsus

Let me start by saying that my problem is not with the IT band...and that's a good thing. Two important things happened today to help me with me training.

First, I saw the dietitian and it seems that I'm not doing too badly with the food intake. However, I need to increase my proteins at lunch and my vegetables overall. Also, my snacks are not sufficient, it's not a fruit or some nuts, it should be both. She confirmed that chocolate milk was an excellent recovery drink and even the chocolate soy beverage does the job. Today, she mostly gathered information, but she will be giving me more of a plan next time...I think. One cool thing is that this dietitian is a runner and she gave me the name of a physiotherapy clinic that she got excellent results at, so...

Second, I got an appointment with the PT this afternoon and, according to Joseph (my PT), this is what is going on: He did lots of bending and twisting and tapping with both my knees and then he had me run on the treadmill both without and with my NEW shoes. I told him that the new shoes were the same brand and pretty much the same model (GT2140 to GT2150) as my old shoes. He explained that most companies increase the stability, the cushioning and sometimes even the arch on the newer version to justify the higher price. Can you see where this is going? He also said that my old shoes still had lots of wear in them. The really cool thing is...it seems that when I run barefeet, my running form is pretty close to perfect (his words).  BUT, and this is a very important BUT, when I put my new shoes on and got on the treadmill, even I saw that my legs weren't as straight and my gait felt more awkward. Plus, a mild ache started in my knee.

The verdict: I have three small injuries, but nothing major. The three muscles that link up around the knee cap are inflammed because my new shoes have such a high arch, that they prevent me from landing naturally on my foot and I end up landing on the outside of my foot. Also, my knees tend to go in and almost rub together when I have my new shoes on. So, the knee cap does not stay where it should. He explained that I have a naturally high arch and that I don't need an arch in my shoe...I don't need the stability...and he doesn't feel I need all that cushioning either. He suggested I go back to my old shoes for now, which have a little less of all three, but he basically said that I was a good candidate for light trainers, racers or even vibrams eventually!! He also told me to run more often...yes, you read well, more often, but not as long. Basically, I am to run 6-7 days a week for now, but no more than 4-5K. The most important part of my homework, is that I have to make sure I am running 180 steps per minute (3 steps per second). Seems that when I put my shoes on, I have a harder time keeping a natural running rythm. I was okay barefoot, but I slowed down with my shoes on, which also affects the form. Of course, I asked if I should get some light trainers right away...but, apparently, it takes a while to make the transition (maybe 4-5 weeks) and he's not sure if now is a good idea, since I'm training for my first marathon. He did say that if I want to try, he will help me...and I'm very seriously considering it. For now, I can sometimes run barefoot on the treadmill for a bit :)
I can run and I did 4.5K today!
I wore my old running shoes and counted my steps...I would check my watch count to 90 and see if that was 30 seconds. At first I was too slow, then I started to get pretty close, sometimes a bit fast, but mostly good. It was quickly evident that this helped me with my form somehow. I also made sure to not land on the outside of my foot (if I didn't think about it, I felt mild pain immediately). So, no pain until about 3.5K and even then I could control it with my cadence and my form.  Around 4K it was getting harder to control and I stopped at 4.5K.

I'll keep you posted...Cheers!

20 comments:

Teamarcia said...

I find the whole injury/shoe/no shoe/running gait thing to be fascinating. Sounds like you're getting some good guidance!

MomRunningFromCancer said...

Great news that you don't have IT band issues. Sounds like you are dealing with knowledgable people regarding your knee. I have read about counting your steps before - but haven't tried it. Maybe I will try to counting my steps tomorrow morning.
Hope your weekend runs go well.

Alma said...

So interesting! My PT said very similar things to me. Just last week I replaced my stability shoe with a neutral shoe for the first time in about 18 years! AND, I run barefoot for about 5 min every other week to remind me of how I'm supposed to be running with my shoes on. Seems to be a common theme among us

Barb said...

I am having a similar issue!Glad your finding some answers! I look forward to hearing more!
Barb

Johann said...

I am so glad to hear this! I've had new shoes problems before. I now wear my new shoes for a few full days before I run in them. I also run only my short runs with new shoes at first and only swap new and old once the old ones are really "gone". This works fine for me. Again, happy to hear it's NOT ITB!

262tothefinishline said...

I am a new follower of your blog but I am loving all information I am finding in it. I had a similar experience with my shoes, and it took me going to a specialized running shoe store to realize I had been wearing the wrong shoes all my life.

Julie said...

Hi Anne,
I would love to have someone help me with figuring out my nutrition. Did you see a regular doctor or a nutrition specialist?

The shoe thing is interesting too. I would love to have someone take a look at my form when I am wearing my running shoes. I noticed when looking at my race pictures that the photographers took of me running my last half...that in a few of them my form looks off. When I ran in my Lake Minnetonka half I sat next to a woman who finished in 1:25...she told me to purchase running/racing flats. She said that I could easily take 15 seconds or more off of every mile:) But it makes sense...you don't have the chunky heel and extra crap on the shoes to weigh you down and the flats are so much lighter! She said that she feels like she is flying when she wears them:)

You look great in that picture:) So happy! Have a fantastic weekend!

Marlene said...

Chocolate milk is my FAVOURITE post-run recovery drink! Hits the spit every time.

Sounds like a VERY positive PT session. GREAT NEWS ALL AROUND!

ajh said...

This is very interesting. You are so lucky to be getting such specific help in nutrition and exercise. I love the chocolate soy milk and often have it for my recovery drink. That is such good news that you can keep running. Keep us posted.

The Wineglass Marathon is in Corning, NY almost in Penn.

Jennifer said...

You look fabulous and happy! Glad you are getting help with the food thing and foot issues! Cheers and have a great weekend!

Asthma Home Remedy said...

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Hi! I'm Erin said...

Such interesting information! I've been having some minor issues and I find that when I focus on my form they go away, too.

Also, that's great that you went to a dietitian. I think fueling during marathon training is hard!

Iron Mike said...

Wow, you're getting some great info by going the scientific route.

And the best part is that you get told to run basically every day.
How many people go to the doctor with an injury and get told to run MORE?

Good luck with your continuing recovery. You're doing great.

Lily on the Road said...

Interesting deductions. I look forward to hearing how your increased foot stike works for you, with and without shoes. The body is a very intersting and complex machine. So glad you are checking out all of your options.

abbi said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Looking forward to reading yours! Sounds like you've been able to get a lot of great advice lately!

Jamie said...

Awesome you know what is going on now and how to fix it! I'm sure it feels good. Hope the recovery goes well.

I switched to Brooks Launch (lighter trainer) for my shorter and faster training days during my last marathon. Love them!

AM-GoalsfortheWeek! said...

Hi!
I just wanna say, running ~180 steps a minute is a definite process! It took me ~ 4 months of just focusing purely on my cadence to get there. Before, I was ~85-87 (per foot) and it just takes time, time, time. Also don't listen to music or anything so you can focus on your body's rhythm, breathing, etc.

Melissa said...

I'm glad it was nothing major!! :)

LMC said...

It sounds like you're getting good guidance and doing well with it. Glad you do not have IT issues. I am going to have to try chocolate milk after my next long run!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I always appreciate new readers and comments!!

Irene said...

It sounds like Joseph knows his stuff! I almost thought he was going to suggest custom orthotics, but if you can eventually go with racing flats (or the Vibrams) that would be great! I'm glad to hear everything is going well for you, including the visit with the dietitian. I just stocked up on single servings of soy chocolate milk for other reasons, but I'm really glad to hear it's OK for recover drink. Cheers!