Stretch Quiz

I am really proud of my running this past week. Well I was, that is, until I read the mileage Chelle put in over the same period. Just kidding. Pride and mileage, like everything else, is relative. I managed about 18 miles over 4 runs (three of which felt great), and that’s way the hell more than I have accomplished in months.

I have a quiz (with a practical element) for anyone who may be interested or able to advise me.

Look at (and then do - if you like) the stretch illustrated in this image. Lie with your back on the floor, bend your knees and place your feet about 2 feet from your buttocks. Keeping your left foot flat on the floor, place the heel of your right foot on top of your left knee. Now relax and let your right knee drop back naturally (for these purposes you don’t hold have to push with your hand like this woman is doing.) Then switch legs and do it over.

When I do this stretch, my left knee falls much further back than my right. I would say there’s about a 10 to 15 degree difference.

So my questions are as follows:
1) What is this stretch stretching – the hips, correct?
2) What is the asymmetry of my two sides telling me? Are certain muscles/ligaments/whatever unequal in their ‘looseness?’ My right side definitely feels much tighter, and it always has been
3) Do you experience the same thing, or are you perfectly symmetrical?
4) Do you think it is common/normal to be uneven like this?
5) Could it lead to problems for runners?

I have become convinced lately that the unevenness of my two sides is somehow causing my recurring left knee injuries. This conclusion is based on no sound logic or research whatsoever. It’s just a hunch.

Industrious Evening

Today after work, I:

ran the 4.5 miles home
stretched
ate dinner/fed Kyla dinner
bathed Kyla
read her approx 9 books
washed 3 loads of laundry
hung it all up to dry
played hide in the 'tent' with Kyla
cleaned the bathroom
collapsed on the couch
published a lame blog post

Where I'm At

I can gratefully disclose that the 'twanging band' incident came to nothing. I have been able to run a few good times since then. The knee continues to ache constantly (yawn - I'm so bored to still be talking about this,) but I've decided I may now be imagining it worse than it really is. Which is a strange opposite of the usual 'injury denial' that goes on.

I'm dreading the warmer weather (to run in.) I realize that I love the winter temperatures (to run in.) About 35-40F is perfect, I've decided. It was over 60F and humid in NYC the other week, and stupidly, I ran with long pants and a long sleeved T, and almost passed out. It's just so much more pleasant to run when you and your skin can breathe.

This morning was one of those perfect winter running days I'm talking about. About 38F, sunny and bright blue skies. I finally managed what I've been failing to do for months, and joined some Hellgaters in Central Park to cheer on the 15k racers. After some catching up, I ran (with heavy legs, but a light heart) home via my old favourite Queensborough Bridge route.

Since a few people asked (honestly, they did!) here are a couple of recent Kyla photos. She just turned 18 months. In the second pic she's wearing an adorable Indian outfit her nanny bought. She is going through an unbelievably 'delightful' stage right now. Happy, charming, malleable, eating well, sleeping well...How long can this last?!