The problem is, despite trying to be careful with my training - to only build it up gradually, I have managed to over train my quadriceps, and it's these stronger muscles in my thighs that are pulling on my knee when I run causing the discomfort in my lower leg. I haven't torn or pulled anything, so all I need is some remedial therapy for my quads to loosen them up a bit, and things shold be back to normal.
Why do my quads hurt my knees? Because I pronate. This in itself is not a problem, as I have the right running shoes for this style of running. However, I am still landing so that my foot turns slightly inwards, thus twisting my knee, and my quads are pulling against the joint.
Why have I only hurt my left leg? Now here's the new thing I learnt today about me, something that I never knew before. I have odd legs. I have one femur that is longer than the other, and on the other leg the tibia is slightly longer than the other to compensate. So overall my legs are the same length, but my knees aren't in exactly the same place on each leg!! It's this imbalance that means my left knee is under a bit more stress.
To fix the problem, I need heat, and to massage it. The physio spent some while massaging my left thigh with a machine. So it's back to gentle running tomorrow after preheating my quads with a hot water bottle, followed by more massaging and more heat. And repeat. Then back to the physio next week for another session. By next weekend I should be back on track with my training. I still have three months until the marathon (well almost), so it's not all doom and gloom after all. I can stop feeling fed up and start getting excited again at the thought of taking part in this world famous event!!
No comments:
Post a Comment