Monday, January 12, 2009

Deflated

Saturday was our long TEAM run, and I am soo disappointed at how it turned out. The weather Friday had been beautiful, so when I awoke to freezing temperatures Saturday morning I was a little disgruntled. I had three layers on top –- but once I stepped outside into the howling wind, I quickly discovered it was the wrong three layers.

It was hard to tell which direction the wind was blowing, as it seemed to be forcefully blowing in whichever direction I was running. I couldn’t get warm. Two miles into the ten I was supposed to run, my right knee began to ache and pop again. It did the same thing when I ran around my neighborhood on Thursday, but it seemed to be feeling worse.

I tried to focus, tried to distract myself with my iPod, even tried talking to myself between breaths. But I kept shivering, and my knee was getting worse. As I neared the end of the first five miles, I took a left for the parking lot instead of a right to continue.

I felt a bit like a quitter. Kim, a TNT mentor and mom of our honored hero Austin, provided water and encouragement. She said to take it easy on the knee this week and try to incorporate more cross-training into my schedule to help strengthen it.

I was feeling better but still a little bummed when I got home. My thighs were wind-burned through my pants and my knee was starting to stiffen, but at least I went. Half of our team didn't even show up. I never thought I would be disappointed about only running five miles -– up until last week, that was the most I’d run in eight years.

Justin took me to Rudy’s for breakfast for some brisket and egg tacos. The cashier commented on the cold wind, and Justin told the guy that I was out running five miles in it at 6:30 in the morning. The look of horror and awe on the guy’s face was enough to make me feel that at least I had accomplished something.

I took it easy tonight with a simple weights workout. Tomorrow is our Tuesday night TEAM run ... hopefully it'll go smoother than Saturday!

10 comments:

Sonia said...

You should definitely NOT feel like a quitter. Better stop at the first sign of pain and RICE (Rest, Ice, Compressio & Elevation). You don't want this to become an overuse injury so take time to rest. Do some cycling or water running and try it again in a few days!

Congrats on getting the 50/50 book! It's an amazing read! Not sure if this is your first marathon but it will definitely pump you up!

Marlene said...

That's the best thing about running in the winter - people are so amazed! Or is it disgusted? lol

Don't be too hard on yourself - sounds like the weather was miserable and you really have to be careful of that knee. I hope next week is better!

o2bhiking said...

Low miles are better than no miles Katie. There are plenty of people who don't run or walk five miles in a week. Saving lives with every mile, not just with long miles. :) You rock! Art

BeachRunner said...

Sonia's right. You did the right thing. Your priority now should be to take care of the knee.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the weather was far from ideal. You got out there and gave it your best shot. Don't feel bad about running 5 miles. Take care of your knee.

Sonia said...

Walked to the post office, the book is on its way!! Enjoy =)

That Pink Girl said...

Hi! I found you from The Chic Runner's blog! You are right - the weather was BRUTAL in North Texas on Saturday. Even though it wasn't as cold as it could have been, the wind can really put a damper on a good run. You are smart to make the right choice for you knees! Good luck in your training!

Unknown said...

I am a newnbie to your blog. Terrific blog. Sonia of Solo Running Chick has mailed the book to you. Enjoy reading the book. Make sure you visit my blog for the wonderful details at SeeTedRun.Blogspot.com

Katie said...

Hi Katie! That sucks about the knee - have you thought about getting it checked out by a PT or sports medicine doctor? I ended up getting patellar tendinitis when our long runs started getting in the double digits - and I went to a sports med doc and did physical therapy twice a week for about 3 weeks - TOTALLY FIXED ME UP! Just something to think about.

Also - did you have a windbreaker on? I run with an underarmor coldgear long sleeve shirt, sometimes a fleece jacket and then a windbreaker over that. But that's when it's about 10-20 degrees here - not sure how cold it gets there. But, the windbreaker makes a big difference with the cold - doesn't feel like it's blowing right thru the clothes.

Hang in there, you're doing awesome, don't fret about not doing 10. As our coach in WI says, "undertrained is better than injured." You can do it!

Unknown said...

Hey, man, we all have off days. I've had PLENTY. Don't kick yourself, just pick yourself up and get going again. You'll have better days ahead.

"Inside a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down, it's staying down that's wrong."
~Muhammad Ali

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