Half Marathon Saturday and knee/lower quad pain :(

kpw818

I've been noticing some slight knee stiffness after my long runs for the past month or so, but on Sunday (after a kind cruddy 10 miles) the pain stayed with me. My knee was sore walking yesterday, so I took to the foam roller. It seems to be the lower quad/lower quad tendon that attaches right above the knee. After icing/foam rolling a couple times today, it feels just like muscle soreness in the area. Problem is, I need to get in a couple runs before the HM on Sat. I don't know how to go about it and not further hurt myself.

Option 1:
- Strength train today with arms and core only
- Run easy tomorrow 3-4 miles
- Run easy Thursday 2-3 miles.
- Rest Friday
- Half Saturday

Option 2:
- Run easy 2-3 miles today
- Strength train tomorrow
- Run easy 3-4 miles Thursday
- Rest Friday
- Half Saturday

I could also rest again today and try an easy run tomorrow and Thursday with rest Friday and skip strength training altogether. I'm concerned about the back to back efforts. But I'm also concerned about having one day running the week before a half marathon and not being ready.

_Waffle_

Any runs you do between now and Saturday will make little to no difference in how the race goes. Rest if you feel like you need it. You're either ready or you're not.

ftrobbie

_Waffle_ wrote: »

Any runs you do between now and Saturday will make little to no difference in how the race goes. Rest if you feel like you need it. You're either ready or you're not.

+1. The only thing you are going to achieve fitness wise is to injure yourself. Taper running at this stage is for your piece of mind.

_Waffle_

I have a marathon this weekend. I took the entire week off last week to let this right shin get better. I'm barely doing anything this week. The race is Saturday. I probably doesn't matter one bit. I had a lot of great miles this winter. I still expect a 15 minute PR.

The biggest factor now is the temperature race morning and that's out of my control.

kpw818

ftrobbie wrote: »

_Waffle_ wrote: »

Any runs you do between now and Saturday will make little to no difference in how the race goes. Rest if you feel like you need it. You're either ready or you're not.

+1. The only thing you are going to achieve fitness wise is to injure yourself. Taper running at this stage is for your piece of mind.

Thanks both of you! I'm just a little nervous. I've really been prepared since early march, and probably should have backed off on long runs (I've been doing 12+ miles consistently). I'm injury prone, so I probably should have scaled back a week ago

I'm going to do my strength routine tonight and see how the knee feels tomorrow. Nervous about the 10 mile race I have planned at the end of the month now too if my quad doesn't feel better.

kristinegift

_Waffle_ wrote: »

Any runs you do between now and Saturday will make little to no difference in how the race goes. Rest if you feel like you need it. You're either ready or you're not.

AGREE. The two weeks leading up to my first marathon last fall, I ran 2-3 times because of some IT band pain. Marathon went fine.

At this point, none of your runs are training, they're just confidence boosters. Take the days you need to rest your knee so you can run well Saturday. Trust your training!

snowflakesav

Additional running won't add to your training. The hay was in the barn a week ago. Rest it.

teacton11

I'd agree to rest it most of the week because you aren't going to really gain any fitness this week anyway

but

I'd also do a 2-3 mile easy shakeout and end with a few race pace strides on Thursday to make sure your body is good to go for the race and what you expect from it. This may give you confidence OR make you re-evaluate your plan OR worst case DNS. Unless this is the race of your life then there is no reason to possibly affect the rest of your running career when you can just reschedule to a different half a month or so down the road.

kpw818

teacton11 wrote: »

I'd agree to rest it most of the week because you aren't going to really gain any fitness this week anyway

but

I'd also do a 2-3 mile easy shakeout and end with a few race pace strides on Thursday to make sure your body is good to go for the race and what you expect from it. This may give you confidence OR make you re-evaluate your plan OR worst case DNS. Unless this is the race of your life then there is no reason to possibly affect the rest of your running career when you can just reschedule to a different half a month or so down the road.

This is kind of my plan for tomorrow. Leg feels worse doing nothing, so I will probably do a short walk today too. I figure at most, I'll be really sore but be able to finish the HM. Definitely need to re-evaluate my overall training.

Side question: For those who run 6-7 days a week, do you also strength train? I'm wondering if my injury came from overworking my glutes, causing my quads to be tight. I noticed some tightness/soreness after increasing my single leg deadlift weight to 60lbs and adding single leg glute bridges. I probably shouldn't have upped these exercises during a race training period. I was thinking of dropping to 3 days running a week (speed, easy/med effort, long) and three days strength training (with 1-2 mile warmups) after the half.

MountainMaggie

_Waffle_ wrote: »

Any runs you do between now and Saturday will make little to no difference in how the race goes. Rest if you feel like you need it. You're either ready or you're not.

Agreed. You might avoid strength training too, at least in the legs, till after your race and recovery. You already have all the strength you're going to have by then.

MountainMaggie

Just realized the race is tomorrow and nothing I say helps. Lol. Good luck and have fun!

kpw818

Hi all,

I skipped the race. Knee pain wasn't horrible, but I felt that running through it was more detrimental than missing the race. My quad isn't as sore now, but I still feel some irritation/tenderness just on the side of the knee (inside).

Thinking another week of no running is in order, so it looks like I'm out of my 10 Miler at the end of the month too:/

kristinegift

Oh no! That's too bad that you missed the half, but probably a better decision in the long run. I hope you can still make your 10 miler! The end of the month is a long way away (though it certainly doesn't feel like it!).

SKME2013

Bummer, but sounds like the right decision! Great on you tgat you listened to your body.