Back to running

So, my running posts have been lacking lately. Not many of them. This corresponds, sadly enough, to real life. Not a lot of running going on.

I'm attempting to turn the corner. I've determined that pure rest just isn't doing a lot for my IT band. (I sure gave it my all, though).

As it stands today, I can run about 2.5 miles, and then I start to feel "it". Capital IT.

I can foam roll with minimum discomfort, so I'm guessing that I've just got some sort of muscle imbalance or something along those lines. *shrug*

While traveling, I got in a 2 miler, which was pretty awful. After I got back, I did a 2+, which was "ok".

Yesterday I did 2.5 total. I was planning to do 2 miles, but got a little sidetracked. I had a mile and a half "warmup". About this time, I got to the entrance to the nearby high school, and I said to myself, "Self, go check out the track." OK. So, I did. I'd never been, and it's pretty darn convenient, really only being about a mile away.

Niiiice track. Way nicer than ours was. It's along the lines of the college track that's not too far away, but really not convenient to get to. Only downside is that it's on top of a hill and it was damn windy. I wound up doing some blistering 1/4 mile repeats. 3 of them, all of them under a 6 min/mile pace.

Afterward, I did a little more running, but felt IT acting up, so I called it a day and walked home.


So, I've seen references to the IT band straps. I've wondered, does wearing them just kind of "hide" the problem? Are you not fixing it, and you're just slapping a temporary workaround on?

In the mean time, I'm working on doing some leg exercises and doing some stretching/rolling. Don't know what a "normal" amount to do is, but I'm going to up what I was doing (meaning, I'll do more than 2 minutes 3 times a week or so). My old plan just wasn't working.

Furthermore, I know I can't run long distances (sniff), but I'll keep doing these 2 milers and see where I get.. My fitness level has been slipping from where it was in February, so I really need to stay on top of this.

As far as other stuff.. let's go bulleted list style:

• I still haven't decided on getting a FB page or not. I'll let you know.
  
• Travel went well. Good to see the fam. I'm now back from the land of "y'all" and its plural "all y'all".
  
• Hitting the road at 3:45am sucks. Bad.
  
• Went out a couple of times at night while I was there. Big cities are SOOO much more happenin' than where I live. Wow.
  
• I haven't been out that late in years.
  
• One of the places I went had this line dancing to modern hip-hop/etc music thing going on. I was kind of regretting I ditched all of those high school gym classes where they went over that stuff.
  
• Got myself served some 'Knob Creek' in a plastic cup. Classy.
  
• I actually did some situps for the first time since completing the 200 situp challenge the other day. Way to make it a habit, Raul. Way to go.
  
• I'm about half caught up on blogs and email. I'll get to ya all.
  
• Go Celtics!
  
• Keep on rockin'......