Mar 4, 2008

the captain

so the physical therapist tells me i can go ahead and try running with an ITB strap. she says if it doesn't help, i needed to call her for an extra appointment this week. i couldn't get to the running store fast enough to buy my new strap. its not until i get into the car that i actually look at it and notice it has a name:

the captain.

i am convinced the captain is going to be the magic mojo that gets me going again, he's going to be my new best friend. so. me and my high hopes gear up for a very short three mile run this morning. i strap on the captain -ok. wait a minute. i realize i just said, "i strap on the captain". that doesn't sound right. it gives the um, wrong impression and lends itself to awkward connotations. hmmm. how better to put it? i put the captain on? no. i wrapped the captain around my leg? even weirder. nah. i'll leave it as is: i strap on the captain and we are off. we are off and running. mile 1 feels good. mile 1 always feels good. i think i like the captain. me and my high hopes are happy. and then, my knee starts talking. what? you think the captain needs to be tighter? not sure its in the right place? fine. lets readjust. two minutes later, i am readjusting the captain again. my knee starts to yell at me. my knee doesn't care for the captain. well, it's the running that my knee doesn't care for - the captain makes no difference. and that's just it. the captain makes no difference and so at this point, i don't care for the captain either. he is so not my friend anymore. because here i am. walking. again. i've lost the love. the short-lived, full of high hopes strap on love.

12 comments:

Vickie said...

Oww. I didn't realize you were still having knee problems. What is up with that?? I hope you get this resolved SOON! Its just one of those frustrating things that makes running challenging.

Nancy said...

Oh that damn captain. He doesn't know what he's doing. Hang in there. My knees are talking too. I swear the bike is aggravating it.

Nibbles said...

I've heard the best brand for ITB troubles is the Cho-Pat strap. Also, do you have a Stick? I have the most flexible one (the Marathon model) and use it daily.

I am so sorry you're going through this. I'm not sure what to do beyond offer you suggestions of products that have worked for me.

Keep us posted.

Gotta Run..... said...

I could have saved you the money and sent you the strap I bought last year. STUPID STRAP!!!

Sorry it did not work!

Laurie said...

The strap never helped me be able to run either. BUT wearing it every day during normal activities, did eventually help the running. Just my two cents.

Laurie said...

I should say that it never helped when I wore it WHILE running.

RunToTheFinish said...

you are going to have some great new search terms here soon.

Have you tried ART... it may not be exactly what you need, but it really did help me get past the hip trouble that was also aggrevating my ITB

house on hill road said...

move over mile long boobs, here comes strap-on love.

Ryan said...

Is it ITB syndrome? Have faith. You can get through this. You probably need to do some work on your glutes, which was the case with me. Invest in that foam roller. Your persistence and patience will get you through.

Anonymous said...

Well, now I have perhaps the worst song of 1986, Captain of Her Heart, stuck in my head. Thanks a BUNCH! ;)

Seriously, though, sorry to hear the strap didn't work! That's so frustrating. I hope you get this sorted out soon!

Frayed Laces said...

I think it's so very important to give nicknames to things. I find it is a good outlet for your frustrations. I strongly suggest giving your ITB a name. When I was healing it was easier for me to view my injury as a separate person from me. As in "I'm not injured; it's just that ol Ramus isn't behaving himself". Hmm, what would be a good name for your ITB? Igor? Ignatius? Illio?

Andria said...

I'm with you, that whole "strap the captain on" sounds wierd. Stinking Captain.