The IT Band issue in my left leg, which started after my last tri of the season Ironman Muskoka 70.3, has been ebbing and flowing throughout the last 7 weeks of training leading up to my first my marathon. Some days I could run 18 miles with not a lot of pain, but other days I am lucky to get 6 miles in. So, with a week to go until the D&L Marathon I finally decided to videotape myself running to see if I could identify what the issue was since the icing, stretching, and strengthening(and R.I.C.E) was not helping. Better late than never! Here is what I found.
First, a little background info. I had suffered from ITBS in my right leg years ago which had abruptly put an end to my running. Then a few years ago, I stumbled onto Chirunning which changed all that. Through learning the proper form of running I was able to run again without issue. It also allowed me to run more efficiently leading to running distances I never dreamed I could run. I read the book, watched the video, and then attended a Chirunning workshop at Kripalu in Massachusetts’s which really put all the pieces together for me. One of the things they stress in Chirunning is constantly being aware of your form to make sure things don’t regress back to old habits. Apparently this point has slipped for me as time has moved on.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but capturing stills from a iPhone video is worth millions. So the two images above are 2 sequential frames of a video I took of my left leg hitting the ground during a run in the Rodale Fitness Park. So what is wrong here? Where should I start? First and foremost is the big heel strike and the foot flexion hitting me in the face. The next question I ask myself is why and I heel striking instead of a midfoot strike? My left leg is not landing beneath me but instead is reaching out in front of my body line. The other observation is there is no forward lean whatsoever. I am almost leaning backwards and “putting on the brakes”. I am propelling myself forward using my legs, hamstrings mostly, instead of letting gravity do the work. This is causing inefficiency and would also explain the sharp pain I had in my hamstrings during a recent long run. Another problem is that my chin is low instead of keeping a straight spinal column. Hmmm…really wish I would have done this sooner!
So what is a runner to do with their first marathon a week away? First, pop my old Chirunning DVD into the DVD player and review. It quickly and obviously becomes clear as to what the problems are and I make several mental notes as to everything I need to be wary of. Chirunning is like golf, you are constantly working on something and checking back to make sure all the other postures did not slip. It is a never-ending process and once you stop paying attention things like this happen. The journey is the destination. One thing that really stuck with me in the video was how leveling my pelvis keeps the hips from swaying side-to-side like a pendulum which can lead to IT Band issues. I did not have the suggested “C” shape that is demonstrated in the video.
Another thing I found interesting was that my right leg doesn’t appear to be as bad as my left(See below). Which could indicate why IT Band pain may only be occurring on my left-side.
I hopped on the treadmill the other day at the gym and tried to put all my corrections to work. Granted a treadmill is a little different than real running, especially with regard to the forward lean in Chirunning, but I was still able to put the changes in place. One thing I noted was that it was very hard to implement the proper technique at slower speed. I needed to get closer to 8:00min/mi pace in order to feel really fluid. I ran for about 30 minutes and really had no indication of any ITBS discomfort at all. Usually I can feel a little “weirdness” on the side of my knee after a mile or two, but I felt nothing. This definitely provided me some confidence that I may be able to finish 26.2 miles without severe pain. It will give me something to focus on for that time. I had been hoping they were going to cancel the race due to Hurricane Sandy aftermath, but now I am eager to see what I can do with this. Stay tuned for what happens.
