Pushing too hard is....... pushing too hard

Sometimes pushing too hard is really just... pushing too hard. Truer word were never spoken eh?

I frequently tell others that if they want people to seek their advice, don't force it on them when they aren't asked.

A wise man once said (and yes we are assuming this was some time ago long before women became wise - like in the 50's or something) - Giving advice is easier than following your own.

True dat wise man.

Recently I kept trying to push the envelope on my nagging overuse-of-the-knee injury by running a bit more but paying very close attention to the recovery of my knee (ITB Band) during and after each planned run. Problem is, each time i ran... I felt fine before running and not after. This may sound simple but it is less than.

Each day I had slated for running on my training plan, I would "listen" to my knee and see if it's recovering. Each day it feels like it has recovered from the last run... Then I run - even slowly as to not provoke the over-training gods. Then I enjoy knee pain the rest of the evening (I generally run after work if at all possible).

What to do?

Well, in the absence of a Panacea, and/or the willingness to take NSAIDS (Advil) prior to and after running while wearing more and more supportive knee stabilizing straps etc..... One must stop.

It sucks of course because it forces me to remember that I'm getting older - which no one likes. When you get older (as old people will tell you) things don't heal like they did when you were 18, or even 30...

So, I've derailed my running training for a week (starting yesterday with no running) in order to allow my legs and knee the chance to heal and recover from the recent beatings. I really don't know what else to do that wouldn't just be insanity to heal my knee.

I am making more trips to the pool to swim the equivalent TIME that I would have run. I am also kicking off the wall with only my left leg (non-injured knee) when I'm not distracted by a swimmer wanting to compete - prior to their inevitable disappointment in their own poor judgment :)

I've read and heard so many stories from marathon runners that everyone should take a week off in their training for marathons to heal and recover and then go again.

Hopefully, much like unsolicited advice, the lack of a thing will make the opposite reaction a very positive one.

Stay tuned!