From ‘Afraid to Run’ to ‘Can Bearly Walk’…

Everything I read told me to make my transition into a pair of Vibram Five Fingers slowly.  So I did.  I had to.  Not running for six months puts you a bit behind.  So I did one and a quarter miles, a nice short riverside run.  And oh my God.  My transition obviously wasn’t done slowly enough.  My border collie looked at me dumbfounded as I shuffled my way to the back door this morning to let him out.  I couldn’t help but laugh at myself the whole way.  It was somewhat of a penguin-like walk.  But not any penguin, a slow penguin.  And penguins aren’t fast.  I had to take two ibuprofen just to make it to class.  But I have to say that, as sore as my calves and inner thighs are, it is really encouraging and exciting to feel a new group of muscles become stronger.

Did the new footwear prevent an inflamed IT band?  No.  Three quarters of the way home my lateral right knee had some twinges which turned to dull pain.  Definitely disappointing.  But not shocking. And while stretching my right leg post-run with a variation of pigeon pose, I got the familiar tingling sensation of my leg falling asleep and a ‘pop’ upon straightening it back out.  I guess the VFF’s aren’t the “miracle shoes” I’d hoped for and a PT appointment is most likely in my best interest.  However,  I will continue to run in them (once possible) and continue to strengthen my legs in a way more natural than any I’ve ever felt.  Primitive is the only way I can describe that run.  I felt down-to-earth and down-right primitive. And I loved it.

A Running Resolution

I never thought I would have to make running my New Year’s resolution.  That would typically consist of training to run an October half.  Not this year.  This year my goal is simply to get back into the act–safely, and for the long haul.  To do so, I need to get excited about meeting short-term goals–the first of which is to get my border collie happy again.  I can’t keep dreaming about the wet and winding tangled trails at my local preserve. The slushy streets of our declining neighborhood might not be much to zen out to, but if I can do it, I will need to see that as tremendous progress.

The Runner’s World ITBS Support Group forum has been a wealth of information, encouragement, and empathy throughout my research and planning stage.  It has helped me play detective, get to the root of my issues, and identify a few action items I hope will jump-start my recovery process.  This involves dealing with a leg-length discrepancy, known to cause ITB and piriformis syndrome, making sure I am absolutely in the correct shoe, and a daily yoga routine I hope will help keep my hips and surrounding muscles loose.  Who knew that little piriformis muscle could come out of hiding and wreak so much havoc!

I’m a bit nervous as to how my plan will pan out.  I’ve already been through quite the ordeal– rolling around on the living room floor atop a tube of  styrofoam, doing an excercise that resembles a chicken dance, and practicing, what I call, dead frog pose…  Staying positive will be key.  I am kicking-off my journey with a New Year’s Day yoga session and a January 5th appointment with a sports PT.  The news there will, hopefully, shed some uncertainty.