I was the first one to confess that after running the Twin Cities Marathon I new I needed some work. My back had been bothering me (btw, totally blaming the fact I am in the car 2 hours per day). I needed to do some hard core crosstraining and build some strength in this here body.
Well, I forgot how hard strength training is. Yikes.
I gave that up after a few times, and headed back to my trusty running. Except, after running for a bit, I started to notice my left knee. At first it was just, "Hi Sara, I am here, on the left."
Then it was all, "See? I am the one here, kinda making that clickity noise?"
I finally gave in and asked my friend who is a physical therapist to take a look at it, as well as why my back may be bothering me.
She asks me to lift my pant leg up. Well, guess what dork is wearing skinny jeans? (Hey, they look great with the frye's) After I spent about 20 minutes trying to yank the stupid things up over my knee, we gave up and decided to try again the next day.
I wore the Lululemon Wunder Unders. Not much easier to yank up, but I managed. (Always a self esteem builder there, you know? Yanking that pant leg up and having it smush all your...extra... skin down. It looks so pretty.)
She's having me contort all these funny ways, feeling my knee and all. She presses on my knee a few more times and announces, "You have a very pronounced fat pad."
Having no idea what a fat pad was; I decided to embrace it.
"Thanks. I work on my fat pad every day, you know, developing it and stuff."
She looks at me.
Explains it. As far as I remember, it has to do with my hips being weak, misaligned, and out of whack, so I stand incorrectly, pushing on my knee, overdeveloping my fat pad.
After we go through the whole bit, she comes to her conclusion.
"I am not sure how to say this without sounding bad, because I don't mean it that way, but...basically you are weak all over."
"By weak, do you mean really strong?" I ask.
She looks at me.
.okay.
I try again. "Sorry, I had to cut back on my strength training because I was getting too strong. Every time I went to lift something, I nearly sent it through the roof. I was really getting tired of lifting cars for people too."
She looks at me.
I now have a list of strengthening exercises to do.
( I am SO not even going to get into the expression on her face when she had me do some lunges, squats, and planks for her. I have some pride.)
32 comments:
i could use a little strength training myself...or any exercise for that matter. and i had no idea there is a fat pad on the knee....bot myself a little anatomy/physiology lesson this morning. ;)
I hate strength training, I know it's needed but it's so boring. =)
Good luck Sara!
You make me laugh! Good luck on that strength training. I need to focus on that too!!!
I think everyone who runs need strength training. When you do too much of it, you are too sore to run, and thus begins the vicous cycle of not doing strenth training.
I think it is hysterical that you couldn't pull your pant legs up. That is something that would totally happen to me too.
Hmmm an overdeveloped fat pad? I think I've heard it all.
Strength training used to be so easy...until I stopped doing it.
I'm pretty sure I have big fat pads all over the place, like on my arms, under my chin, my thighs, oh! my love handles too!
LOL!
My strength training consists of lugging a 16lb baby everywhere. Does that count?
LOL Oh thanks so much for the giggle...I do hope you really said those things to her. :)
Okay so I am not going to answer the question of are you delusional:) but i will say I know how hard strength training is. Lately though my strength training comes in a package of a 2 yr old 34 lb toddler! LOL!
Ugh. I am totally in the same boat. My hip for some reason gets annoyed when I run too much and don't do the strength training I should. I ran last night for the first time in about two weeks and I was in such a better mood. Why can't strength training make me happy, I ask.
By weak, do you mean really strong? Sooooo funny!!!! Good luck with that strength training. :)
Really? You're weak all over? Lord help me. The extent of my exercise is rolling out cookie dough.
I'm sure you're basically like Gumby.
I hate strength training. It's all I can do to get myself to do it once a week. Of course, I also don't run like a mad-woman like you do:)
Why does it always have to be a fat thing? Why not a skinny pad? I love the word skinny. It's an adjective that's never used to describe me or my love handles, muffin top, or cottage cheese assets. But whatev. Get to liftin' girl! And have fun. Make sure you don't fart at the gym because lifting does that sometimes.
Before I forget, hop on over to my blog. You won my giveaway!!!
Really? A fat kneecap? Is nothing sacred or safe from fat on our bodies anymore? *sigh*
Lunges, squats, planks....ewwww! I'm sure I have a fat pad and several of them - all over my body.
Bless your heart. I am with you on the strength training. I hate it but I guess when I am sore in the morning I know I am doing something. Keep up the good work.
awesome that she's a physical therapist and can tell you what's going on!Good thing you discovered it before you injure yourself, gotta listen to your body...it tells you everything..
Fat pads?? I think I have those in my Tummy...
lol sorry about your fat pad:) From the looks of it, it kind of looks beneficial to the knee, like its protecting it. I totally think strength training over the winter time in a cold climate is alot! Can you do some yoga instead? I was doing hard core yoga all summer and now totally just doing restorative and meditation:)
I feel like I'm always late to your party. How did I miss this post? And fat pads? I think I'm going to ask my friend the PT about it. Is that my problem? How many fat pads do I have? Good luck with the strength training. I know I need to but I don't want to. I avoid it like the plague.
I love how you tell your stories. They always make me laugh.
I have a "fat pad" too, it's called my belly ;)
Good luck with your strength training.
I wouldn't even know how to go about doing strength training. Good luck.
You can send those strength moves my way, too. I'm delusional enough to think I might actually start some strength training while I'm between races.
I think I have those too.. well. I have fat knees... Until recently I didn't wear shorts...
I, too, could use some strength training.
Yeah. Haven't started that yet.
Really? But you're fit. I don't trust physiotherapists. Mainly because I hate strength training too.
I just need to do exercise regularly!
Good luck on the strength training. It gets easier.
good luck on the strength training.
i, too, need it.
hope you have a great weekend!
betty xo
I have never heard of a fat pad either.
I do a boot-camp type all around training three days a week and I know I love the parts when we run the most. In fact whenever we are doing lunges I always ask- can't we just run more?
Good luck!
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