That Was Stupid

I decided to go to the gym Monday night for a run. I wasn't 100% but I figured that a good run would shake things out, even if I had to run a little slowly. It was a crappy run, I'm tapped out, and my left knee feels worse now than it did 5 days ago. Needless to say, I'm not running tonight. :(

I maxed out at 6.0, which I thought was pretty good considering I started with a heart rate of 80. Standing still. (I'm normally around 65 or less standing). That lasted 2 tenths of a mile. I went pretty rapidly down to 4.0 mph (15 min/mile), and stayed there. I had to drop it down to 3.9 and walk until my heart rate reached around 135 before I bumped it back up to 4.0. Had to do this at 2, 2,5, 3.25 and 4.25 miles (4.25 was mostly because the treadmill went into auto cool down and I had to reset it).

My knee started mumbling at around 2 miles in and I ignored it thinking it would shake out. Then I was too stubborn (read stupid) to stop and call it a night. Definitely a case of runners knee. Since I've been kicking this can down the road for a long time I finally started to do some research into preventative medicine.


So according to Dr Pribut straight leg lifts are a great quad strengthener, and because you don't bend the knee, easier on the runner's knee. On a separate page he recommends a set of exercises/stretches for regular consumption that might be worth some time to look at adding to my routine.

Apparently cycling/the exercise bike can be used to get your cardio in with minimal stress on the knee (if you use correct for and don't lock your knee). Apparently the exchange rate is between 3 and 4 miles of riding per mile of running. (With the acknowledgement that specificity is still king, and if you are training to run, you should run, not ride. Also important are rpms between 90 and 100 (closer to ideal running cadence). Apparently heart rate riding is lower than running, so it may be advisable to anticipate that your HR for the same effort level will be lower. (I've also read that may just be a training issue. Needs more research on my part.)

I my try a ride tomorrow instead of a run if I'm up to go to the gym.