Thursday Thoughts

Running has been going well, and my knee discomfort (one leg) and my calf discomfort (the other leg) have significantly diminished through the several new, very purposeful stretches I have been incorporating the last two weeks.  

It is odd and frustrating how these discomforts arise.... sort of "out-of-the-blue" in most ways.  But, inevitably, I find that when I find some type of discomfort arise, it is DUE to some part of my running body (typically my feet or legs, but occasionally my hips) that has had muscles tighten and/or shorten in some fashion that results in the discomfort.   With running being such a repetitive pattern of motion, it is very logical that the feet/legs/hips would respond to that repetitive pattern.... I have read several articles about the phenomena over the years, so MENTALLY it is logical.... it just catches me off guard when it happens to my body, making me have to figure out some sort of stretch I need and should do to help counteract this natural shortening of muscles due to the repetitive patterns.  

The graphic image I show atop of this post says it is for "Achilles Tendonitis" which I DO NOT have. But, while those exercises are true and good for that condition, the graphic is also a good graphic for NORMAL, EVERYDAY stretching a person who runs should engage in to maintain limberness.  I have done variations of the above all through my running time... especially the stretches in the middle column. 

What I have found with my current challenges with my knee discomfort and calf discomfort is that I have modified (and added to) the above stretches by doing the above, PLUS repeating the middle column stretches with my foot inverted roughly 45 degrees as well (inverted clockwise for my left foot) and inverted counter-clockwise for my right foot).  In this way, I force an even stronger and deeper stretch to the lateral sides of each of my legs which has resulted in the decline (and now almost abolishment) of discomfort I had been experiencing.  

Ultimately, what I believe led to the discomfort arising, was that I believe I stopped paying attention to my feet position while running for a while.  When I was "hefty" (as is common for "hefty" folks) there was a tendency to splay the feet outward while ambulating.  I worked very diligently to learn and adopt a pure feet-forward gait and I have done so for many, many years now.  But, I do believe that sometimes, when I am not particularly conscious of it, I can fall back into a bit of splaying of my feet.  And, I suspect this may be what I have been doing the last several weeks with running (without being conscious of it) leading to the lateral side muscles of my legs tightening more than the medial muscles.... and leading to the discomfort.   

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I am going to finish up some additional work here, and then I get to (hopefully) have a grand old time at the Retiree's Cigar Group!  I hope it will be fun and relaxing and that nothing spoils that time.  

I have narrowed my pipe choice for my pictorial display of my fathers (biological and academic) down to one of three.  I may polish each one up completely before making the final decision.  

PipeTobacco