C'mon Body.

The instant I stopped our final group run on Sunday, the outside of my right knee locked up.  I limped back toward the parking lot, switching between a hobble and a Frankenstein-like monster walk.  A friendly teammate struck up a dialogue about the pain--an injury she's all too familiar with.  It's the iliotibial band, the tendon running along the outside of the quad and around the knee cap (what?  a syndrome?!).

After some ice, stretching, and time on a foam roller, I seized the chance to check out Elite Spinal and Sports Care.  They work with many of the elite marathon runners and triathletes in the area, and over full body treatment for injuries many of us have come to perceive as localized issues.  Dr. Lau essentially used his forearms and elbows to break up fascia in my muscles and tendons.  It was a rather painful experience--I did a lot of uncontrollable shouting and practiced (what I imagine are) LaMas-style breathing strategies.  The end result seems worth the pain.  I'm sore, but I have confidence that my body can rebound in time for the race.

However, there's much more work to be done on my end in the lead-up to Sunday's marathon.  More foam rolling, constant awareness while running this week, and anti-inflammatories.  The plan to run remains, although the prognosis and personal goal is subject to change.