Weekly Training Wrap - 9/24 - 9/30

Week 6 of my Tendinosis injury and I am hoping to start working toward more running.  I have been told this is a 6 - 12 week injury.  At the halfway point, I feel it is appropriate to start trying to put in some mileage slowly and see how things respond.

Monday 

PM - 1.5 hours

P90x - Shoulder and Arms, plus Ab Ripper X.  Then a short walk with the dog.

Tuesday

PM - .25 Hours

An easy 2 mile run and then some foam rolling and stretching.

Wednesday

AM - 1.25 Hours

P90x: Legs & Back with Ab Ripper X.

This is the first time I have done the leg workout and it was a real challenge, but I kept up! It was particularly surprising that I held up on the moves that required extra balance. The good news is that my knee didn't bother me much -- I feared I wouldn't be able to finish it.

The back exercises were a little weak.  I need to get a pull up bar figured out soon.

Ab-Ripper X: I pushed it a bit today and got closer to the 340 reps, but I paced it a little differently than they do.

During the cool down period, I did lots of foam rolling on my quads, IT Bands, and hamstrings.

Thursday

PM - 45 minutes

I ran for 45 minutes on the Treadmill (5 miles) and things felt really good. I am about ready to start running outdoors, but I do need to reign things in a bit. I am so close that I don't want a setback now.

Friday

PM - .5 Hours

Short walk with my wife and then some PT (foam rolling and stretching).

Saturday

PM - 2.00 Hours

I went for a long trail run/hike with my son and our friends. The weather was perfect and we had a great time. This was the longest my distance my son has covered.  He took his first trail fall, but he toughed it out after a rattle snake sighting took his mind off of it. The good news for me is that my knee continues to feel better and allowed me to run some of this, even the downhills which were particularly troubling during the LT100 race.

Later in the afternoon, I did some single-legged squats and some foam rolling.

Sunday

AM - 2.00 Hours

P90x: Check & Back with Ab Ripper X.

I finally hooked up my pull-up bar and it made this workout MUCH harder. My heart was pounding at the end. I couldn't do as many push-ups either because I wasn't "resting" as much between sets due to the harder back workouts.

Push-up variations (2 times through): Push-up, Military Push-Up, Wide Fly Push-up, Decline Push-Up, Diamond Push-Up, Dive Bomber Push-Up.  First time through I did 25 good reps on all the push-ups but Dive Bomber (15).  The second time through I did 20 good reps of all the push-ups but Dive Bomber (10).  A total of 250 push-ups.

Back exercies (2 times through): Pull-Up, Wide Grip Pull-Up, Reverse Grip-Close Hand Pull-Up, Heavy Pants, Lawn Mower, Back-Fly. 

Ab-Ripper X:  I hurried through it to get ready for a run with my neighbor.

After P90x, I went for an easy 3.5 mile run outside -- my first outdoor run in 6 weeks. Things are definitely not 100%, but I am happy with the progress that is being made.

I totalled 16.6 miles this week!  It is a step in the right direction.

Event Planning for 2013

It is early and lots could change, but I have put together a list of possible events for next year. The big fish is Western States. But, I won't know until December 8th whether I get in (roughly a 10% chance). Therefore, much of this planning, particularly from Early May on, will be influx. My general goals for the year are to do more short trail races, increase/re-gain my running speed, and do one or two ultras. I have indicated the events that are high on my priority list below with an *. Some of this will also be dependent on whether some of my friends commit to running an ultra with me. And, we may even consider putting together a strong relay team.

One thing I had not considered until the last few days is the possibility of trying to race another marathon in an attempt to BQ. If I decide to do that, the Colorado Marathon makes the most sense.

Frozen Front Range Marathon - January 26, 2013 (last year's blog)
Old Pueblo 50 - March 2, 2013
Highline Canal 50K (or more) - March 23, 2013
Cheyenne Mountain 50K - April 27th, 2013
Collegiate Peaks 50 - May 4, 2013
Colorado Marathon - May 5 - 2013
Quad Rock (25 or 50) - Mid May, 2013
Grand Canyon Adventure (last year's blog) - May 18, 2013
WS100 - June 29, 2013* (Lottery fail)
North Fork 50 - June 29, 2013
Leadville Marathon - Early July 2013
Barr Trail Mountain Race - Mid July 2013
Leadville Silver Rush 50 - July 14th, 2013
Mt Werner 50K - Early August 2013
Pacing Wyatt Hornsby at LT100 - August 17th, 2013
Aspen Backcountry Marathon - Late August 2013
Imogene - September 7th, 2013
Colorado Relay - Early September 2013
Lead King Loop - Mid September 2013
Boulder 24 Hour Run - Mid October 2013

Weekly Training Wrap - 9/17 - 9/23

Week 5 of my Tendinosis injury and I spend the week resting mostly.  I have been traveling for work and did not have a ton of time. While I found myself walking a lot around the city (San Francisco), things were generally in full rest mode. I had an inflammation flare up when I did a bit of running, but that is now under control and I think I remain on a healing trajectory. I plan to start doing these short runs 2 or 3 times a week at the end of week 6 (beginning October 1st) and see if I can push up to 10 miles a week without any setbacks.

Monday 

Off day due to work travels. (I am in San Francisco and LA all week).

Tuesday

AM - 1 hour

Worked out in the hotel gym.  I started with some HITT and then moved on to some strength training and then finished with Ab Ripper X.  At the end, I tried to do a short run at the end to test my knee and it was hurting badly.  Frustrating!

HITT (4 rounds with 20 lb dumbbells)
- Front Squat x 20
- Straight Legged Dead Lift x 20
- Bent over Row x 20
- Overhead Press x 20
- 90 seconds rest

Strength Training
- Leg extension (Single and double leg)
- Leg Curls
- Lat Pull down

Wednesday

Off day due to work travels. (I am in San Francisco and LA all week).

Thursday

Off day due to work travels. (I am in San Francisco and LA all week).

Friday

PM - 1 Hour

Long walk with my wife and then some PT (foam rolling and stretching).

Saturday

AM - 1.25 Hours

P90x: Check & Back with Ab Ripper X.

Push-up variations (2 times through): Push-up, Military Push-Up, Wide Fly Push-up, Decline Push-Up, Diamond Push-Up, Dive Bomber Push-Up.  First time through I did 25 good reps on all the push-ups but Dive Bomber (15).  The second time through I did 25 good reps of all the push-ups but Dive Bomber (10).  A total of 265 push-ups.

Back exercies (2 times through): Pull-Up, Wide Grip Pull-Up, Reverse Grip-Close Hand Pull-Up, Heavy Pants, Lawn Mower, Back-Fly.  I did 15 - 20 reps of each.

Ab-Ripper X: Dare I say it is getting easier?

Sunday

AM - 35 minutes

I ran for 35 minutes on the Treadmill (4 miles) and things felt really good. It seems the pain from earlier in the week was just an inflammatory response to me trying to start working out again. With some Ibuprofen, I was pain free again in no time. I have begun icing and stretching right after these test runs -- in addition to my regimen of rolling and stretching I do during the day -- and I have not suffered any set backs yet.

Training Plans for 2013

It has been five weeks since my Leadville 100 finish. I have run maybe four miles in those five weeks. My left knee is still not happy and I don't have much end in sight. My break has allowed me time to consider my future prospects as an ultra runner and a runner in general. The good news is that I continue to have a passion to run and train. The bad news is that I have suffered two overuse injuries this year and three in the past two years, some changes clearly need to be had.

To begin shaping my future, I first read Brad Hudson's book for a second time, learning additional tid-bits that I had forgotten or overlooked the first time. Then I turned to other blogs by runners that I respect like this, and this, and that. Reading all of this I came to some a serious realization, I need to change the way I train to respect my limits and my life "factors". The good news is that there is no reason to think that I cannot train at a high level and continue to improve as a runner. After all, I am only in my 2nd season of hard, structured training. And, while it certainly isn't world class or anything, I have now run two sub-3:20 marathons (3:19 at Las Vegas and 3:13 in Ft Collins) weighing in at over 190 pounds. There is some talent there to work with!

Goal #1 - Get Healthy and build back a base

My first goal has got to be to build a base again. I have barely run in five weeks, and it looks like it will be quite a bit longer before I can run any length again. Unfortunately, it is ridiculous to expect anything other than a huge loss in fitness, meaning extreme patience is going to remain the key ingredient to my training for a while. Once I am healthy, then I need to resume running at GA/Easy/Maffetone paces until I can reach a reasonable goal of 35 - 40 miles per week. And then I should be ready to embark on another training season/schedule.

Goal #2 - Learn to live with my limits

This is maybe the most important goal of all. It is obvious that I have limits that I must work with to run happy and healthy. These limits come from a number of sources -- body type, work and family obligations, structural deficiencies -- and cannot be ignored any longer.  The sooner I learn to work with those limits -- and maybe even change them slowly over time -- the more happy I can run.

Goal #3 - Improve Quality, reduce Quantity (for the most part)

Falling into the "mileage trap" is the easiest mistake to make in endurance running. Everyone says it over and over, so why do runners fall into that trap? I think most runners become subject to this mistake because they know miles are critical for endurance running and because they know the elites run crazy miles (and have crazy success). The problem is that there is no exact rule on the adequate number of miles for you. How many miles are right for you depends on a ton of factors. The primary factors are your running history and how often you can/will run. I also think mileage is a tricky thing because it kind of depends on how you get it. My last full month of training for Leadville, I averaged 14 miles every time I ran.  That is too much mileage for the amount of training I was willing to commit to. Most of the runners that I know that run 80 - 100 miles per week do it by running nine or more times per week. Brad Hudson suggests that averaging any more than 10 miles per run is pushing the limits of the body. If I only plan to run five days a week, then that means my upper limit is around 50 miles per week.  I will probably exceed that on occasion, but not on a regular basis. In the Lore of Running, Timothy Noakes asserts that beyond 50 - 60 miles per week, talent has more to do with success than training. (Experience counts a lot too). In addition to limiting my weekly mileage, I plan to limit the length of my longest training runs to between 25 and 30 miles. No more 50 mile "training runs".

Goal #4 - Run with structure

During ultra season, I often put aside a plan and just log miles. While I will admit that I usually have a plan for how many miles to run, I rarely have an idea of how to structure those miles. I believe this has lead to a couple of poor habits. The first one is thinking that mileage was more important than structure (see Goal #3 above). And the second poor habit was thinking that lots of LSD running was the key to ultra running. And, I was no longer thinking in terms of periodization and cycles. In the end, my training became sort of haphazard. While I was happy with my Leadville performance, I am not happy about being on the shelf for an extended period of time. My plan this year is to overlay my marathon structure with my ultra marathon miles to blend them both. The ultra marathon mileage plan will actually serve to have me run fewer miles (yes, I was exceeding the plan last year). The marathon structure will serve to help me improve quality and periodization.

Goal #5 - Continue to cross-train at a high-level

I think I am the rare runner that enjoys cross training. Between P90x and high intensity interval training, I find plenty of ways to challenge my body and improve without running. I enjoy it and I believe it is good for me, so I hope to have 2 - 3 hard cross training sessions per week in the coming year(s).

Goal #6 - Work on form, strength, and efficiency on a more regular basis

I tend to only work on form and efficiency when I am hurt. Now that I have a plan to run with some structure, I plan to make regular form and efficiency a part of it. This will include regularly scheduled minimal or barefoot runs.

In the end, I am looking forward to this process of re-inventing myself because I am hopeful that I will love running even more when it is done in a balanced manner.

Weekly Training Wrap - 9/10 - 9/16

Week 4 of my Tendinosis injury and I spend the week focusing on PT, x-training, and some light cardio work. I feel like things are on the right track toward health, but finding the patience is difficult.

Monday 

PM - 45 mins

Supposed to be a 90 min Yoga workout. It was strenuous -- is Yoga really this hard?! -- and I had to bail because it was causing my knee to hurt.

Tuesday

AM - 1 hour

This workout was supposed to be the DVD Legs and Back plus Ab Ripper X. I was bored of working out in my basement and felt like getting up early, so I did the back and legs at the gym and will do the Ab Ripper X this afternoon.

After a 3 min warm up on the row machine, I did 2 x 12 of the following:
- Squats (slow and low)
- Wide Grip Lat Pull Down
- Straight-legged Dead Lift
- Close Grip Lat Pull Down
- Leg Extension (one set with both legs, one set single leg)
- Reverse Grip Lat Pull Down
- Seated Leg Curls
- Seated Row
- Leg Press (VERY slow on the down)
- One arm dumbbell row
- Standing Calf Raises
- Some kind of upper back machine (I just needed one more exercise)

Finished up with some stretching and foam rolling. It feels good to work out in the morning. It sets up my whole day -- more energy, less stress, all good things...

Wednesday

PM - 1.25 Hours

A long walk with my wife.  Then some foam rolling and Ab Ripper X!

Thursday

AM - 1 Hour

Worked up a good sweat on a TM hill workout at the gym (max HR 181). The good machines were all taken -- it drives me nuts when people use those expensive machines and then walk at 2 MPH on zero % inclince, use the crappy TMs for that people! -- so I had to stick with a regular TM and 14% incline. To make up for it, I alternated running at 4.5 MPH and walking/hiking at 3.5 MPH. I did about half a dozen 2.5 minute running segments in the hour. No pain during the workout, but my knee was barking for a bit afterward. Baby steps I guess. 2880 vertical feet equivalent.

Friday

PM - 1.25 Hours

P90x: Check & Back with Ab Ripper X.

Push-up variations (2 times through): Push-up, Military Push-Up, Wide Fly Push-up, Decline Push-Up, Diamond Push-Up, Dive Bomber Push-Up.  First time through I did 20 good reps on all the push-ups but Dive Bomber (10).  The second time through I did 25 good reps of all the push-ups but Dive Bomber (15).  A total of 250 push-ups.

Back exercies (2 times through): Pull-Up, Wide Grip Pull-Up, Reverse Grip-Close Hand Pull-Up, Heavy Pants, Lawn Mower, Back-Fly.  I did 15 - 20 reps of each.

Ab-Ripper X: Not my best performance as I just did it two days ago.  Still, I am improving, particularly on the movements with my legs "pulsing" straight up into the air.

Saturday

PM - 2 Hour

Hiking at Brainard Lake (near Nederland, CO).

Seeing these photos -- and more importantly, experiencing them -- I am reminded what a beautiful state we live in! I am determined to enjoy more of it.

Sunday

AM - 30 minutes

I went for a short (1.5 mile), pain-free run! It felt awesome. Things are not 100%, but I have a great degree of confidence that they are headed on the right path. After my run, we walked the dog and I did some foam rolling. The plan is P90x in the afternoon and maybe some track work with the kids.

PM - 1.5 hours

P90x - Shoulder and Arms, plus Ab Ripper X.  Then a short walk with the dog.

Almost 11 hours of activity this week. I feel good, particularly that I was able to do a short run pain free! I am going to keep after it and hope that in 2 - 3 weeks I can run 15 - 20 miles pain free.

I will leave you with this video that I find very inspirational:

Weekly Training Wrap - 9/3 - 9/9

Week 3 of my Tendinosis injury and I spend the week focusing on PT, x-training, and some light cardio work. I feel like things are on the right track toward health, but finding the patience is difficult.

Monday 

AM - 1 hour
Worked out at the gym.  Started with weights, mixed in some stretching, then finished with some light cardio.

- Squats - 3 x 10 with a focus on eccentric portion
- Straight-legged-Deadlift - 3 x 8
- Overhead Press - 3 x 8 with a focus on the eccentric portion
- Leg extension - 3 x 8 with a focus on the eccentric portion
- Leg curls - 3 x 8 with a focus on the eccentric portion
- Dumbbell Curls - 3 x 8
- Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 x 8 with a focus on the eccentric portion
- 17 mins on the Treadmill @ 18% Grade (1 mile and 900 feet vertical)

PM - 15 mins
- Foam Roller (IT Band, Quads, Lowerback, Hamstrings)
- 2 x 10 of single-legged squats

Tuesday

PM - 45 mins

Worked out in my basement doing some core training with stretching and foam roller.

- 2 x 10 of single-legged squats
- 100 "ups" (running form drill)
- Foam Roller - 60 secs each of (IT Band, Quads, Hamstrings)
- Quad, Hamstring, and calf stretching
- Four rounds of

• 30 secs of Plank
• 30 secs of Push-ups
• 30 secs of Clams
• 30 secs of Crunches
• 60 secs of Rest

Wednesday

AM - 1 hour

Treadmill power-hiking workout at the gym. Started at a 12% grade and progressed up to a 21% grade. I did about 10 minutes of stretching and working with the foam roller afterward. My knee hurt after the workout for a bit, but no pain on the Treadmill.

2.65 miles and 2250 vertical feet.

Thursday

AM - 15 mins

I am starting to get the hang of an eccentric single-legged squat.  I can almost do an entire one without support.

- 2 x 10 of single-legged squats
- Foam Roller - 60 secs each of (IT Band, Quads, Hamstrings)

Friday

PM - 1.25 Hours

Today was my first day of P90x.  It was Check & Back with Ab Ripper X.  For the purposes of documentation, I am going to list out all the exercises and a rough estimate of the number of reps I did with each.  I don't have my back stuff figured out just yet.  I bought a bar, but wasn't quite happy with the set up.  I used bands with limited success.

I did over 215 push ups.  I used 25 pounds for the Lawn Mower and Heavy Pants and 15 pounds for the Back Fly.

Ab Ripper X
I was supposed to do 25 reps on each exercise other than Mason Twist.  I struggled a bit in the middle, partly because I was gassed and partly because I was learning the movements.

I finished up with some light stretching and foam roller work.

Saturday

PM - 1.25 Hour

P90x Day 2 is designed to be a plyometric workout -- not the best thing for a guy with a sore knee. I opted for some eccentric air squats (100), single-legged squats (2 x 10 on each leg), foam rolling, and a dog walk.

Sunday

AM - 1.25 Hours

P90x Day 3 - Shoulders, Arms, Ab Ripper X.  The Ab ripper was hard because my core (hips mostly) are still tired and a bit sore from Friday's workout.

Total of 7 hours of mostly cross training work.

Dealing with Injury

It has been four weeks since my injury really hit home -- to the point I cannot run. (It has only been three weeks since my race, so I only consider myself three weeks into healing/recovery.) Somehow, I managed to get through my 100 mile race despite the injury. Words cannot explain how thankful I am for that. Now I sit here a "broken" runner unable to run and desperately wishing I could. The weather outside is beautiful and fall has always been my favorite season. Instead of running, I am stuck indoors doing physical therapy and cross training while I recover. Pessimistic estimates suggest an injury like mine could take up to six months to fully heal. SIX MONTHS! The first week of this reality was a huge shock and I went into a bit of a funk. I've dealt with injury before, but nothing that couldn't be treated with some anti-inflammtory treatments. I have never been forced to miss more than a few days of running. I had always planned to take some time off at the end of this year to heal and recover, but I was kind of hoping it would be on my terms. Why couldn't it be December through February that I am forced to sit? I wouldn't mind sitting out a few runs when it is 10 degrees and snowing.

Things are finally starting to settle in my mind. I think the turning point was a conversation with a mom on my son's soccer team. She is a physical therapist and has dealt with her share of ultra runners and extreme athletes. I have had half a dozen conversations with qualified people, why did her advice resonate with me? I suppose that it was because her advice was so down-to-earth and no-nonse. It helped that the timing was right and I was ready to "hear the message". The first thing she told me was that tendinosis is a somewhat trendy injury diagnosis. She agreed that is most likely what is happening with my knee. But, there are varying degrees and my recovery time is difficult to predict. She felt like six weeks was a reasonable estimate. Six weeks?! Sweet. Now, I won't hold her to that. But it gives me hope that I won't be shut down all fall and winter. The other thing she told me is to "be nice" to my knee. What? No advice on icing every 6 hours like clock work? No advice on using advanced stretching techniques? No diagnosis of all the ways in which I am poorly designed to run? Just "be nice to it"? I can do that! Her advice was to try lots of things in therapy, but that time would ultimately be the thing I needed most. She also cautioned that every technique out there has many schools of thought. For example, some experts don't believe in anti-inflammatory treatments like NSAID or ice baths because inflammation is the body's way of dealing with injury and overuse. In other words, you are assuming you know better how to treat what is wrong with you than your body. Not likely. In summary, try it all, do what works best for you. But be patient and be nice. I am incredibly thankful for this conversation and the mental shift it allowed me to make.

However, our conversation got me thinking about why dealing with injury is so hard. And I think the thing that stands out the most is that the majority of providers out there are sending the wrong message. They are telling us all how we are broken. They are suggesting ways to fix things that often cannot be fixed, at least not easily. In essence, we are being told to focus on the negative. Here is the message we get: "I am broken. I have tight hip flexors. I strike the ground with my heel. My form is bad. My glutes are too weak. In addition to having to take time off to heal, I now have a six month job of rebuilding myself. In addition to running, I have to find time to do 27 hours of physical therapy and cross training every week." I am not saying that there isn't any truth in that message. But I am saying that the message is delivered all wrong. And, it is often given in a haphazard fashion that is totally unrelated to the process of healing.

When I went to see a doctor about my knee -- before the race took place -- he said "you have big built up quads and they are too tight".  His assertion that was causing knee tracking issues. But I don't have big built up quads. THESE ARE MY QUADS. Jerk. I am not a body builder, they have always been this big. I have run at a pretty damn high level for more than two years on these quads. Maybe my quads are bigger than a typical runner.  And yeah, maybe I need to stretch them more. But, this is who I am. His advice made me really mad because it is useless. It was a stab in the dark at identifying how I am broken in an attempt to explain something that was really simple: I over did it. My body needed time. Overuse, by definition, happens over a course of time. I don't need to fix my tight quads tomorrow. I can work on loosening my quads -- and all the other things that are wrong with me -- slowly and still enjoy running. First, I need to let my body heal. The worst part of this encounter was that he wasn't helping me accomplish my primary goal at that moment, figure out how to get through the race.

I think the answer to the majority of what ails the runner is just time. We all have deficiencies we need to work on. But we can work on them a little each day. The key is to get healthy, by allowing your body to do what it does best. Assist it how you can, but your body knows what it needs. The human body is one of the most incredible things God every created. It is self healing! When you are healthy, be disciplined. Add some occasional stretching to your routine. Use a foam roller a few times a week. Cross train to strengthen those glutes. But you aren't broken. You are just changing. And change happens slowly, over time, with discipline.

The one thing that may be broken is my ego. I got very out of touch with the signals my body was sending me. I tested my limits and pushed beyond them for too long. I need to be a bit more balanced in my approach. That is what needs to be fixed. I can still train and race a high level. Perhaps more recovery and cross training will allow me to be a better runner? It is possible. Make no mistake, I did not get injured because I ran 100 miles. I was injured before I got to the starting line. I got injured because I pushed too hard in training trying to be something that I am not. Going forward, I already have plans to make me a better runner. That plan will include fewer miles, more cross training, more time for recovery, and better use of cycles in training. Trust me, it isn't as dramatic as it sounds. These are just a few small changes that implemented over a course of time will make a big difference.

For now, I will do whatever I can to stay active because I need to exercise. My body craves motion. I will try some different physical therapy exercises and see what helps. I will learn to use a foam roller. And when my body tells me it is time, I will start running again. I hope that is soon, but I have accepted the realization that I asked a lot of my body and it is time to give a little back in the form of rest. And I won't feel bad for myself, because I sure like showing off my new belt buckle. (Yes I wear it!)

Weekly Training Wrap - 8/27 - 9/2

Before the Leadville 100, my knee started acting up. I was fortunate enough to get through the race with the help of my friends and several doctors. In hindsight, I don't believe any of the help did much for me other than moral and mental support. It has now been two weeks since the race and I have zero improvement. While I have been contemplating taking some serious rest after Leadville for a long time, I didn't want to have to do it this way.

On Sunday, I spent some time playing Internet doctor and talking with Tony and have diagnosed my knee with Patellar Tendinosis. This injury is frequently confused with and misdiagnosed as tendonitis. While many of the symptoms are the same, the injury treatment is very different. Tendinosis is called a degenerative condition, which makes it sound really bad. But that just means that there is a real injury there and it is more than a simple case of inflammation. The patellar tendon area needs time to regenerate and recover. The theoretical worst case scenario is something like 100 days, though that depends on a ton of individual factors. This is a very common injury for runners of all ages.

There are a variety of things that people have tried, but here are the factors most likely to assist in healing are (in order of importance):

Rest
Not surprisingly, the number one factor for recovery is rest. This seems obvious, but we sometimes get caught up in having to actively do something to heal (particularly me). This reminds me of a great quote I recently came across: "God heals and the doctor sends the bills". I hope it doesn't take 100 days, but I will be need to be patient.

Eccentric exercises
It is somewhat ironic that I was told by a doctor that my "big built up quads" are a potential source of problem and the treatment is to work them even more! Eccentric exercises like squats have been shown to encourage the regeneration of tissue in the knee. The key is go very slow on the eccentric portion (down) of the exercise. And, obviously, don't push through anything beyond mild discomfort.

Stretching
In particular, stretching of the quads, hips, and calves has been shown to have mild success in helping patients. However, working these stretches is really only helpful after workout when the muscles are loose.

Fixing Imbalances
No concrete evidence has been found on what causes this injury, though it is considered an "overuse" injury. However, there is a suspicion that any imbalances that exist in a runner -- particularly hip stiffness, leg length discrepancy, and weak gluteus -- could put a runner more at risk. I plan to spend time working on things like my IT Band, core, and lower back to improve any existing imbalances.

Things that don't help
Runners commonly do the following things to treat injuries, but none have been shown to help with tendinosis:
- anti-inflammatory medication (since this is not an inflammatory injury)
- Ultrasounds or other "electrical modalities"
- Ice: ice may provide relief from symptoms, but it is not useful in healing

The long and the short of all this is that I have a long road back to health, possibly months. The good news is that I can now get to all the cross training I have been neglecting for sometime. And, it appears I can still power hike without aggravating the area. Thus, I have something besides the bike that I can do to keep a reasonable level of fitness while I perform my PT and wait.

Day	Miles	Notes
Monday	1	Treadmill Powerhike at 15%
Monday	0	Cross Training - Weights
Tuesday	0	Cross Training - Yoga & Push ups
Wednesday	1	Failed attempt to run
Thursday	0	Push-ups, Sit-ups, Crunches
Friday	Rest
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	.5	Failed attempt to run, followed
Sunday	0	Followed run with Cross Training
Total	2.5