Gear Review: KT Tape

Well, my dear blog readers, tomorrow is the big day - the O.C. Marathon, the full marathon for which I've been training for the last 3-4 months.  I'm sure I'll have a race recap up next week, but until then, here's a gear review to keep things running-related in the meantime.

Although I have a tendency to be clumsy and fall down, over the years, I've been pretty blessed not to experience the overuse injuries that often plague runners.  I tend to have shoulder/neck issues, but I combat those by stretching every night, sleeping on decent pillows, and being aware of my upper body placement at most times.  Every now and then, a weird pain will creep up on me, but if I'm careful with cross training and the like, I don't tend to have major injuries that put me out of running for more than a week or so.

I say all of this with dramatic foreshadowing, as back in early March, I started feeling some weird pains in my right knee.  Coach had me doing a body weight strength training routine from a source online, and while it was good, I think I wasn't ready for the level of some of the movements, and I ended up turning my right knee in a funny way during one session.  It wouldn't bother me while I was walking or just sitting around, when I would run, pain would develop pretty quickly and stop me in my tracks.  I rested and hopped on the exercise bike at the gym instead, and after the running break I took when I visited Toni in DC in mid-March, things seemed to be back to normal.

In doing my runs after that point, my left knee started bothering me (apparently, it was jealous of the right knee), much in the same area, and it seems I might have developed Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), more commonly known as "runner's knee"on the left side.  Generally, this condition is caused by having tighter than ideal quads, hammies, and calf muscles, so cross training and stretching are the best ways to get over it, along with rest.  When the pain finally came to a head, it was two weeks ago - only two weeks out from the marathon itself - so stopping running completely and/or introducing completely new exercises/routines was not an option.  I could certainly try to rest/ice/compress it more and ramp up the stretching/foam rolling, but I wanted to see what else I could do to make it through the race, figuring once that was done, I could then take a true break from running for 2-3 weeks and set myself up better for success in the future with a more comprehensively revamped strength plan (time to get back in the swing with regular yoga sessions, for sure).

Enter KT Tape!

I've used wraps for random things in the past, including ankle and arch support on and off for a few years, but I'd not yet ventured into the world of KT Tape or its generic equivalents.  Essentially KT Tape (or kinesio tape, more generally) holds whatever joints/ligaments/tendons are bothering you in place with compression and provides stability to the area.  As shown on the packaging above, Kerri Walsh Jennings is the main face of the brand, although several elite runners use it as well, most notably Meb Keflezighi, one of my favorite famous marathoners (Meb's pretty darn cool).

Meb winning Boston in 2014,

the first American male to do so in 30 years,

and one year after the Boston bombings.

Also, he was 38 years old at the time.

He's amazing.

Anywhoo, I figured the tape couldn't hurt; even if it was all just the placebo effect, that really is what you need sometimes to get your mind right and finish strong, so why the heck not, right?  Two weeks before the race, I hiked myself down to a local Walgreens and picked up a roll of the Pro version, figuring that even if it was a bit more expensive than the regular KT Tape ($20 versus $15) or the generic Walgreens stuff ($20 versus $10), if it worked, it would be well worth it.  Also, since the Pro version is made of synthetic materials (as opposed to more standard cloth for the regular), it would last longer and keep me going through a few more runs/swims/showers/etc before having to change it out.

Being the Thorough Theresa that I am, I watched a few videos online on how to apply the tape, and did additional research on how to make it stick.  As I sit here typing this, I have my fourth application on my left knee.  Here's some scintillating photographic evidence of the first time I tried this out:

Okay, the roll on the bathroom counter.

Each roll came with 20 pieces of tape,

already cut into 10" strips.

Each piece has an adhesive backing,

pre-stuck to paper, which rips off easily

(think like a Band-Aid).

The package of tape with the handy dandy

instructional sheet.

You'll see some of my notes on the sheet,

added after I watched the video online as well.

Funnily enough, the KT Tape dispenser

(in this color blue, as it matches my tape color - 

you can get this stuff in all sorts of hues.  Fancy)

is almost the same color and size as my container of hair pomade.

No hysterical shenanigans have yet resulted,

although it's still early days yet.

Most of the instructions say to totally clean the area where you'll be applying the tape and ensure there's smooth skin for the tape to stick to.  Although I'm generally pretty hair-free on my legs (at this time of the year, anyway), I shaved ahead of time, just to make sure.  I also cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, which I let dry before applying the tape.

The video says to bend your leg to 90 degrees

while applying the tape,

so it was really fun trying to get this picture.

Rubbing alcohol: applied!

Fun fact - Chris calls this IPA,

which in chemistry terms is Isopropyl Alcohol.

The first few times he said it around me,

I figured he was talking about the other IPA in his life - 

India Pale Ale (his favorite beer style) -
and I was so, so confused.

Nerd life forever.

I decided to apply tape on both sides of the knee and below it, just to be extra fancy, so following the steps in the video, I grabbed some shots along the way:

I use three 10" pieces of tape for each wrap session,

and each wrap lasts around 3-5 days,

depending on my activity level.

The info says to apply the tape no less than

one hour before activity,
and the least I've done so far is 2 hours prior.

That's worked for me so far.

For the under-the-kneecap application,

the video says to cut one strip in half,

rounding the corners as you do,

as rounded corners don't catch on things quite as easily.

One piece of tape becomes two!

It's like the opposite of marriage

(so, I guess that means I divorced this KT Tape.
Wow, that escalated quickly).

Applying the first strip below the kneecap.

Since the strips are really flexible,
you just bend them to rip the white backing,

and then peel as you go.

Again, kind of like a Band-Aid.

Each piece you apply requires

a different level of stretching of the material,

but they always say to not have any tension

on the final 2 inches of tape on each side.

This helps adhere the tape better on each side,

without all that pressure pulling on the tabs.

While I could have saved the other half strip

for a later date, the video

suggested adding it on top of the first,

and I've done this each time.

It seems to work well,

and it offers extra support.

Here's the major piece of tape
down the inside of the left knee.

I applied the tab at the top without pressure,

then starting stretching about 25-50%
of the tape's ability around the inside of the knee,

and then finishing beneath it.

Aerial view.

Here's the knee with the outside taped as well.

One thing that was noted in all the videos

was to have the tabs end on skin

instead of on another piece of tape.

This allows them to stick better,

and I've absolutely noticed this to be the case.

The tape application from the top.

Once everything is applied,

you use your hands to rub the tape vigorously,

starting from the middle of each piece
and working to the ends.

The heat and friction help it to set. 

One other idea I found online and used
was to warm the tape with a hair dryer
set on a low heat setting.

I figured why not, right?

Don't mind me, just hair drying my tape.

Overall, the KT Tape idea seems to be working pretty well for me.  In the past two weeks, I've done a workout with two fast three-miler intervals, one seven mile tempo run, an eight miler at long run pace, two five milers with intervals, and a handful of easy, 30 minute runs.  Not only has the tape stayed in place each time, while I can still feel my knee getting tired (and I always ice it afterward), the pain isn't nearly as present as it had been in the past without using the tape.  Certainly, tomorrow will be the true test, but my fingers are crossed so far!

Later!

Amy