Bummed about a Bum Knee

Who knew that a piece of connective tissue could be so problematic??? My knee is still giving me problems. Now it is almost assuredly tendonitis. I have taken myself off my training plan this week and am resting it, icing it, taking NSAIDs, and praying for a speedy recovery. My last 4 miler was wrecked due to knee pain, and I am slowly realizing that a PR in Vegas could be wishful thinking. At this point I might just be lucky to finish. Ugh.

The good news is, I have some strength training exercises and stretches to do doing this time off that will hopefully whip this pesky band of tissue back into shape. I will also try to keep up the cardio on the elliptical trainer and stationary bike so I don't fall too far behind. It makes me crazy to rest this much with the half marathon just a few short weeks away, but I'd rather be able to finish than pull out due to a bum knee. I am going ahead with my 10k on Sunday, but I am planning to pull up short if there is pain.

The most frustrating part of this is that when I'm not running, the knee feels perfectly fine!! No swelling, no pain, nothing. In fact, when I am running and it starts to hurt, the moment I slow to a walk, the pain is relieved. I guess that's a good thing, because it would be rotten to not be able to even WALK at all, but it sure is irritating that the ONLY activity I love is the ONLY thing that causes problems. My Physical Therapist seems to be convinced it's an overtraining issue...I mean, let's face it, I've been training for something pretty much non-stop for going on two years now, so it's definitely conceivable. He thinks if I take some time off after Vegas, I'll be back to good as new. But my version of time off is a few days not running. He says maybe a few weeks?!?! What?!? How will I stay sane??? Stay tuned...we shall see...