I don’t think I can make lemonade out of lemons quite they way Runner Susan can. She turned a 3 hour traffic jam, a full bladder and a missed race start into running an ultra marathon and getting a marathon medal but I digress. My particular brand of lemons come in the form of non-running, rather than running so there’s less to be done with them.
My lemons are known as ITB syndrome 
and it all started with a bicycle seat in the wrong position. I’ve been battling the demon for a couple of months and I finally got out the big guns and went to a physical therapist who treated it. We talked about training through the pain (a fairly common methodology for triathletes) and that just didn’t work. I tried to run off the bike and the pain was intense and I was defeated so he said he thought 6 weeks of rest along with some glute strengthening exercises he gave me would do it.
Excuse me – did you say 6 weeks?
SIX WEEKS???!!!
Holy mother of God – I can’t NOT train for 6 weeks and oh, by the way, I have a race in 4 weeks.
But the gig was up – if I can’t run off the bike then I can’t very well do a triathlon so bu-bye Oceanside. You were a great idea a few months ago.
So where is the lemonade? I have a bunch of glute strengthening exercises to do and although they aren’t difficult and they aren’t too terribly painful to do my buns get really sore from them. I can also do core work as well as a little upper body work. So – in however many weeks I can hold out (I’m committed to 4 at this point) I will do my glute and ab hardening work and come out of this with a great butt and a six pack! Or a 4 pack! Or no pack at all but a nice flat, hard tummy. Just look at the physique in this picture of a person suffering ITBS. I think that says it all.
So there’s your lemonade. Or maybe it’s not lemonade – maybe’s just an Arnold Palmer because it will be a cold day in hell before my butt ever looks that good but it will look better and I loves me an Arnold Palmer (the drink, not the man) so, in the parlance of the 21st Century, it’s all good.
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Posted by 21st Century Mom.
Filed under Health, Pain and Suffering, Racing, training
Posted on Sat, 06 March 2010 at 6:06 am
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sorry to hear about all this…
but if you get a butt like that one in the illustration it will be worth it.
Get better and have fun at your new job tomorrow!!!!
07 Mar 10 at 10:10 pm #That stinks!!! I had IT issues going into my IM 3 years ago. I was given (probably similar) exercises, and I still do them TO THIS DAY! I really think doing them helps to keep the RIGHT things strong, and that helps keep everything “in place.”
Good luck!!!
09 Mar 10 at 1:24 am #Nooooooooo! Six weeks?! Argh.
I seldom make it through these sorts of things. They say “six weeks!” and I get to exactly the point at which the pain doesn’t make me cry anymore, and then I’m back at whatever it was I shouldn’t have been doing. What an idiot.
That butt WOULD be a nice side-effect, though.
10 Mar 10 at 8:02 pm #Sorry sorry sorry, I know very well what a long stop means but we have many chances: the gym or swimming without stressing the illness part of our body. Best wishes!
19 Mar 10 at 5:47 am #How are you feeling now? I need some glute exercises! do some for me today, and tomorrow and the next day, please.
24 Mar 10 at 1:45 pm #Haven’t been in the blogosphere in awhile – - like the look of your blog these days! As for your training…you are an inspiration, lady – truly.
01 Apr 10 at 4:34 pm #So if you can get your butt to look like the one in the diagram, what’s to complain about?
04 Apr 10 at 1:28 am #Where is 21st Century Mom?
18 Apr 10 at 1:53 pm #IT band syndrome sucks! I really feel for you, especially that you can’t run for 6 weeks. Do you have a foam roller? If so, try using every day to roll out your IT band – it will help. Also, doing some exercises to strengthen your glutes will be a big help as well.
Yuri
11 May 10 at 11:52 am #Interval Training Man