I am injured. Dammit.

Sorry for your pain. Real bummer about thwe slip on the icy driveway. I'm sure the sudden spasms did nothing wonderful from your healing. Hope you recover well.

I went through a somewhat similar scenario in my late 30s and early 40s. I was satisfied with accomplishing a half marathon run. I switched over to long distance cycling and completed an equiv feat on a bike...100 mile ride/race.
My back is no worse for wear due to sticking to the program of stretching, yoga and taking on exercise increases on a gradual basis. Long hot soaks floating in a jacuzzi helped too.

Along with your knee issue...in addition...is it possible due to that injury or coincidentally, you might have done some harm to your sciatic nerve, per chance?

I refer to this symptom:

Luckily, it doesn't seem to connected to the nerves. It's more like the tension of each set of muscles is moved from location to location.

Okay, I've iced this thing for a while.
Joe(I'm going to make breakfast)Nation

I'm glad to hear that it's not a nerve or a disk degeneration issue.

At some point, I would add hot jacuzzi soaks to the healing regime once your sure all the swelling is done. I've heard that (once there's no swelling) alternating ice and then heat can promote healing to the knee.

Of course, I'd make sure it's not a torn meniscus with doc (MRI?).

a) I would get a professional opinion of the injury.
b) I would attempt to analyze why I am running like time does not progress, and as though I am still 25 years of age. In other words, there comes a time when age interferes with our physical abilities, sooner or later. Either way, one must accept that all "parties" come to an end, in my opinion.
c) I would find a half-way decent substitute for the enjoyment of running.
d) As far as the annual NYC marathon goes, perhaps, being a volunteer before and during the marathon would afford some measure of solace?
e) Count your blessings (i.e., you live in NYC).

Sympathy here, no advice except the "see the doc" thing if it keeps up, or just to be careful in case something is torn, look around for advice from those in the know like you are doing, see if Runner's World or whatever is the equivalent now has a website with participants asking the same kind of questions...


Anecdotes -
Me, with my odd eyes, I missed seeing a small step in broad daylight and didn't fall but jolted my back. That was in 1961. Ever since, every so often I get back ****, in the exact same place (oh, hi!) with it usually going away in a day or three. One bad time, it was five or six days and at first I walked around like a right angle. Hard to water the yard that way. Now it wrenches easily, usually if slightly torqued, like when putting down grocery bags or some such. But - never what you are describing, with the changes of where the muscle tension travelled.

On the knee, during our house remodel (we were doing it ourselves), I tripped on a long piece of plywood in the stripped kitchen and, I think, cracked my patella. Or something like that. It didn't feel actually broken. But - we were already in deep doo doo re money and I didn't go to the doctor. That one took six months to go away.
I learned the problem of pushing the button at an intersection for the light to say walk in time to get back to the handicap slant at the "curb" and begin to walk and make it across in the seconds left before the red No Walk hand showed up on the light.

Will read along on your progress, kid.

Brenda's blew out her knee last summer. After a fairly considerable period of ice and rest, she's moved onto physiotherapy, swimming and aquafit and more rest. Until about a month ago they thought they were prepping her for surgery.

See a doc, get a referral to a physio if you can.

Some good advice.
Some I shall ignore.
joe(the party never ends)Nation heh.

bummer.
i have no healing advice to offer... wish i did.

if given the chance, i would deliver a swift boot to the ass of the One who designed the human knee...

R(and the human back)P

Osso and Beth:
Thanks for the input.
I think I am going to learn to run tenderly.
That's my plan.
ten days to two weeks from now.

Joe(feels better this morning)Nation

get some professional advice on how to do that

Brenda discovered that she'd buggered up the area just above the knee by using her own method of protecting the knee. There are definitely better and worse ways to prevent further/other injuries.

Ooh, I feel for you. Sorry to read this.

Take it easy. Or as easily as you can stand. (For a second there, I forgot who I was talking to.)

I think I may have a solution, why don't you swim 16-20 miles every other week and cut back on the running, at least until you're close to the actual marathon.
Do you think that'll help?

That is very wise. I am a good listener to my body's signals, most of the time, but there are always effects from changes.

Joe(i'll ask other duffer runners)Nation

I missed ehbeth's post. Never mind...

There is a place I can swim NYC, it's just a little far from the Heights, but it certainly would be good therapy. The last time this happened I was still living in Tulsa. I went to the Y every morning before work and swam and.....got in the jacuzzi ....

Joe(That was real good)Nation

some of the Y's have warm pools.
the one i know of is on 63rd, between columbus + CPW...

Dammit! Now I just spent 30 minutes watching Gilda Radner clips..

Joe(What a mean god to take her from us.)Nation