Running... on a bike

So I did Group Ride this morning instead of running. Giving the usual muscle groups a break and attacking some others today. There is only one instructor at my gym that I really like teaching the class, the other two give a so-so class and spend more time out of the saddle than in it... which feels like running on a bike.


My usual and favorite form of exercise is RUNNING. However, I had been having some knee pain after the Brixx 10k I did in 2010 and couldn't quite figure it out. To me (who does not have a medical degree) it felt like something was torn - because just the certain way I would turn it or strike my leg down while running would sent a sharp, shooting pain from the inner side of my knee upward. I talked to my doctor about it, thinking he would refer me for some testing to figure out the ailment, but no, he told me "You need to build muscle in your legs." SERIOUSLY? I mean, my legs are like the one thing that I hardly ever have to train because they get cut up so easily. I have a V shape in my calf muscle and my quads jut out to the side they are so muscular. So I chalked that conversation up to my doctor just not wanting to spend anymore time on the appointment. 

My aunt's friend is a physical therapist and one night over dinner I was explaining to him my knee pain. He told me to go put on some shorts (which I did... they were my 8 year old cousin's shorts) and then had me do some exercises while he watched how my legs moved. So we discovered that I probably need a little more support in my shoes than my current Brooks Ravenna 2's offer and he said THE SAME THING that my doctor did... I needed to build up more muscle around my knees. Another guy at dinner is a cycler and the PT had him show me his legs, which (I hate to admit it) had very clearly more muscle around the knee than mine. So, this is why I take my weekly cycling class and also try to do a few leg exercises... i.e.: squats, lunges, leg presses and extensions at least once a week.


I'm making a conscious effort to strengthen my legs even though I hate the thought of them getting any bigger and appearing to be like "softball girl" legs. I would like for them to stay intact so that I can keep running and keep fighting my metabolism as it slows down as I near closer to the age of 26.


Post Spin Class Smoothie


- 4 or 5 strawberries sliced
- 1 banana sliced
- Cup of ice
- 1/2 cup of vanilla greek yogurt (more protein in Greek yogurt - I love Stonyfield Oikos)
- 1/2 cup of milk - A scoop of Whey Protein or recovery powder of your choice
- BLEND & ENJOY!