The Knee Bone's Connected to the Hip Bone

Well I have bought the running shorts, the camel back water back pack and now a pair of trail running shoes, but what do I do about my knee?  I have signed up for a leg in the Grande Cache Death Race this August long weekend and am pretty  frustrated that my training has not been where I was hoping.  I have been battling some knee issues for the last few months, which doesn’t seem to be getting any better.  Ice has been my friend.  I was nervous at signing up originally but that soon turned into excitement, and now its frustration.  I have been in to see the doctor and put on the waiting list for an MRI…. the process begins. 

I have realized the hard way how important good supportive shoes are.  They not only need to be comfortable for your feet to feel good but they need to offer support that compliments the rest of your body’s alignment.  For years I heard about how crappy shoes would affect my feet and eventually my knees and hips and etc; how true this is.  The last 3 weeks I have been feeling sciatic pain in my lower back and hip.  I have been visiting my chiropractor this last week and hoping that she can make a difference.  I’m not sure how long my hips have been out of alignment (according to her records it’s been 2 years since my last visit, ouch!), I haven’t been walking with a bad limp yet, but it makes sense that this would contribute to my knee issues. It’s amazing how everything in the body is connected and works together. 

Where I feel issues the most right now seems to be in my forms.  Because we are moving in a deliberate way from stance to stance, at times I feel very off balance or just plain uncomfortable with pain.  It’s funny how some things don’t seem to bother me and others can have me grimacing in pain. Lau Gar is turning into a hard form for me these days, especially the opening bow with the twisting of my upper body.  So at this point I’m taking things day by day and doing what I can without aggravating things more.  I’m staying engaged with my numbers and kms and adding in portions of forms that I need to work on more.  It’s frustrating, but I’m grateful it isn’t to a point where I only feel comfortable lying in bed.  I just need to change my focus a little right now and trudge on.  It’s all good!

Alana Regier