Running break

My running has been hold for most of January. I started the month strong with a 3.5 mile race and a nice 6 mile run. And then it all went downhill. All of a sudden my knee started hurting. And it wasn't the knee that has been bothering me since the marathon. Nope. It was my other knee. How annoying is that? Yup. Really annoying. So I took 10 days off. And then I ran 3 miles on the treadmill, and the pain came back. It was so bad, in fact, that I was hobbling around for 24 hours after the 3 mile run.

So what's a girl to do? I went to the sports medicine doctor. And  I crossed my fingers that he could fix me. After all, I have a half marathon to train for and time is ticking. The half is in April and we are already closing in on February. I need to get going. 

Let me tell you that Dr. S. was great. He is an Ironman and knows his stuff. I knew I could trust him to get to the root of the problem. And what is the root? Well, it is my hips. Apparently I have weak hips. And my weak hips are what is causing my knees to hurt. He had me do a series of squats in his office and he studied my legs and knees as I squatted. This is what he said, "Wow. You are a mess. But the good news is that you are fixable!"

Seriously?

Yes. He was serious.

The long and the short of it was that I have to stop running for 2-4 weeks. And I have to do hip exercises. And in the meantime, I can use the bike or the elliptical to keep up my aerobic activity. He promised me that I would be able to run the half in April. He seemed convinced that these exercises would heal me.

And that's what I need. I need to be healed. I am tired of worrying about my knee and wondering if the pain will flare up out of nowhere. So if I have to work on my hips - then that is what I will do!

In the meantime, I am trying to enjoy this running hiatus. I am trying to embrace the bike and the elliptical machine. I do have to admit - that it's not the same. I do miss the challenge of my daily run.