I got back out there

It was so hard to motivate myself to start running again. But I did it today. Although I didn't manage to go before work, I brought my kit with me and went out this afternoon.

I was quite nervous. I didn't know how my knee would hold up, and I think my confidence has been knocked.

I started off quite badly. My right ankle felt stiff and sore and my motivation was low. Things improved once I got to the Heath. I ran on track and grass which is kinder than pavements, and the Heath always manages to raise my spirits. A breather from "London".

By 20 minutes into the run I had found my rhythm. I ran for about five miles and had no problems with my knee at all. So I am all set for a long run tomorrow. I am not sure yet if I will do 16 miles or not. I will do what I can, and I will not beat myself up about it! If I can do the distance, great, but if not, it is better that I recover than wreck my knee and my chances of taking part on the 23rd.

Sports Massage

Saw a lovely physiotherapist today who diagnosed my problem (Runner's Knee in layperson's terms) and gave me a great massage and a couple of exercises to do every day that should help.

I am feeling a little more motivated again. Since Sunday I haven't been running, and have been feeling like I don't ever want to run again. Having a bit of TLC and friendly, professional advice has helped.

Will definitely go on a run tomorrow morning before work. She suggested running on tarmac rather than pavement as much as possible, but there are some safety issues around running in parks, so it is tricky.

I need to get back out there before I slow down to a complete stop.

Injury Update

Since my knee is still not right, I made a trip to my GP surgery today. He thinks the pain is probably the result of the kneecap moving slightly out of position. Something to do with the muscle. Actually, I've forgotten what he said, but he basically advised
* Exercises to strengthen the quads
* A visit to a physiotherapist
Unfortunately, the physiotherapist at the surgery has no appointments until after the marathon, so I will need to look to my wallet!
In the meantime, I'm going to go carefully. I will try a short run tomorrow and see how it goes, but I may do some alternative exercise this week instead.

Possible Injury

I did run 16 miles yesterday. I made it, but it was a massive struggle. It felt about twice as hard as last week's 16 miler.

I went to Richmond Park again. I was planning on doing 2 laps like last time. However, the first lap was so hard (I felt stiff, my right leg hurt, an old man overtook me, I felt like I was taking a real pounding) that I couldn't face doing it again. The motivation just wasn't there. I decided to start running back to Brixton (where I was staying for the weekend) instead. This somehow felt less soul-destroying, as at least I was on my way home.

I think this was a good idea. However, by this time I was in quite a lot of pain, and I felt like I weighed about twice my normal body weight. A weird feeling. My pace felt incredibly slow. I had to work really hard with the positive self-talk to keep myself going. At times I wasn't even sure if I should keep going, as I could tell there was something not right with my right leg.

It feels like maybe my right knee is twisted. I'm not exactly sure. Running downhill or going downstairs is the worst. When I was running yesterday it didn't hurt all the time, but sometimes a sharp pain would seem to travel from my knee down to my ankle and up to my thigh when my foot hit the ground.

When I finished the 16 miles I had a decent stretch and rewarded myself with hot chocolate and a sandwich before taking the bus the rest of the way back to Brixton. When I got off the bus I could hardly walk, it was so painful. It didn't help that it was freezing cold and my sweat seemed to have turned to ice. My teeth were chattering. I made it back to Rebekah's but I felt like crying.

A warm bath helped, and a sleep on the sofa. But I was still incredibly stiff and found it hard to walk. And this is just 16 miles!

Today I am still stiff, but can walk without pain. My right leg seems just about OK but I think I had better seek out a sports injury specialist. It would be awful to get floored by an injury at this stage. Although the thought of the marathon is very daunting following yesterday's difficulties, the though of all this training for nothing is worse.