The Knee - Update

The good news - the knee has improved. The4 bad news - slowly. I'm also not sure if it's eased because of my using ibuprofen gel on it to take the ache away. It's getting iced regularly (the ice pack is on my knee as I type), and massaged at night too to loosen it (although that does cause significant discomfort but it feels better afterwards.

Another thing I've decided to try is glucosamine. There are medical trials which show it can have effect on joint health, while other tests say they don't. I'll take it for a few months and then make up my own mind.

As it stands, I still can't see me running until September. As I find out in October whether I get a London Marathon place, I'm getting a little impatient. But I musn't get too impatient, start again too early, and do more damage. Patience will be worth it in the long run.

The Knee

Isn't it bloody typical. As soon as I decide to really get back into running, the knee goes haywire and I haven't been able to do a damn thing. I'm describing this as my pond-related injury, as I aggravated it while digging our new fish pond a few weeks back.The pain concentrates on the outside of my right knee, but is causing tightness in my calf. Only option seems to be RICE at this stage. Rest. Total rest. No trying sneaky runs when anyones looking, or quickly jumping on Wii Fit. That'll only aggravate it. Ice. Regular packs to the pont of the problem. Compression, so it's out with the knee support again. And Elevation. Getting my leg up as often as possible.Popping regular ibuprofen will help too. I'll also have to get a foam roller, or get out the taped up tennis balls I used before the London Marathon in 2008, and try to stretch my iliotibial band and work the crap out of it.

When my knee went just before London, I decided I would ignore it and try to carry on. When it went again half way through the marathon while crossing Tower Bridge, I took painkillers, carried on, completed the marathon, but knackered my knee so badly I couldn't run again for three months. That would knock me out until November. With the London Marathon ballot being announced in October, and my attempts to get back into training really truly messed up, I bet I get a place in next year's race. Murphy's Law.

Stag Run - 1 year ago

As it's the first anniversary of my last run, it seems appropriate to record the event. It'll not only remind me of what I did back then, but also how much fun it was.

When I was asked what I wanted to do for a Stag Do, I thought rather than be humiliated in some way after being plied with alcohol, I'd try and get some friends to join in with a 10K run. The Reepham Summer Run was 2 weeks before the wedding and the day after the Hen Night, so it seemed perfect. Only 4 other were brave enough to accept the challenge, and the favourite to finish first had to be Rob, the youngest who had recently trained with the Territorial Army. Simon, the eldest of the group, had been taking it all seriously and done loads of training. I'd done a little, while David (who was only doing it because it was what I wanted him to do) and Mikey, as far as I could tell, had done very little. Apart from that, we had our t-shirts, so we were ready.

At the start, serious Simon (who wouldn't/couldn't wear the official stag shirt to run in) zoomed off. Mikey and Rob weren't far behind. I decided to stay with David, and together we plodded along at a slow but steady pace. At one point it was so slow I couldn't run and had to walk alongside David as he jogged unhappily, asking why people did this for fun. It wasn't long, about 1.5k, before we caught up with Rob and Mikey, already walking but in good competitive spirits. We kept this slow pace, running together until about 4.5k, attracting much attention and congratulations from the other runners. Some thought it was a brilliant idea. Others thought we were stupid.
As we turned a corner and prepared to leave the road section for the old railway line, something happened. I'm not sure if I sped up, or whether they slowed down, but a gap quickly opened between me and the other 3. I looked back at about 7k, and they'd gone. The only way I knew they were still running was when another runner sprinted past me, shouting “Congratulations! I passed the rest of the group back there” before speeding off. They were still trying. I plodded on happily, but alone, until I got to the finish, where apparently I got the biggest cheer of the day. I was 5 and a half minutes slower than the previous year, but I'd enjoyed every minute. As I crossed the line someone asked where the other were. I just shrugged.
Simon had finished nearly 15 minutes before me, and at last was wearing his shirt. David came in next, 4 minutes behind me having been encouraged by a female he'd met along the way. He vowed never to ever run again. Ron and Mikey came in 3 minutes later, and turned their finish into a personal race as they sprinted for the line. Mikey won by a second. Only 4 other runners were behind this pair including 2 pensioners, giving me a good line for my wedding speech at least. We didn't care. Us 5 plus Billy and Poppy were the only medal winners on the day, the official souvenir being a mug! We had all really enjoyed it, even the group of supporters we took with us (thanks to Becks, Billy (who gave out medals), Becky, Poppy, Hannah, Amanda, and Maddie the dog for all the noise they made).

Afterwards, it was back home for a well-earned barbeque.

Stag Run - The Movie

Wii Fit

Okay, so yesterday with the fitness test and workout on Your Shape I overdid it. Now I have extremely sore thigh and calf muscles. I remember this feeling well from the first time I started running. FOr weeks my legs just hurt, and I remember how a few months later I could happily cruise around for 10K and suffer no after effects at all. Even a half marathon would only take a couple of days of recovery afterwards. Serves me right for letting it slip.

So My Shape was abandoned for today in the hope that my legs will feel better tomorrow, and I returned to the more sedate Wii Fit. Most of the exercises in Wii Fit will not get you that fit, but the yoga and muscle exercise can have their uses. Today it was mostly cardio exercises, just to try to get my stiff legs moving a little. I threw in a few balance games which are apparently good for core strength.

Oh, and it weighed meand I'm currently 11 stone 7, BMI 25.83. Not good. Not massively overweight, but not where I'd like to be. I'd like 11lb of that to vanish. Taking off weight will decrease the stress on my knees, and give me less to carry around when I run.

Why I Stopped Running

Exactly a year ago was my the last run I took seriously. I didn't even take it that seriously. That was the Reepham Runners Summer Run 10K, or my Stag Run. After that wedding preparations took over. The a fortnight's honeymoon (all inclusive in Dominican Republic) Then life just sort of took over and somehow making time for a quick run became a chore. Running was put on the back burner.

In March came this year's Sport Reluef. I took part, I ewnjoyed it, but it doidn't bump start my training. I dedided to tak a year off marathons, so didn't enter one for April. In May I did a fun run over a cross country course used by horses in international horse trials. That wasn't fun. Since then nothing. I've done the occasional mile, but have been too damn lazy to get back into it properly. I bought a note book to use as a running diary. It sits by my bed with one entry in it. My Garmin watch sits by this very computer, it's display telling me it needs a new battery. Motivation and enthusiasm for running are very low.

This week I made a decison. From Monday, I will get back into exercise. Take it slowly at first. My knee is still aching from a pond-related injury. (Too much digging aggravated an old knee injury). Probably best to try the Wii fitness games first, and then if the knee handles that, Try a proper run next weekend.

So that's part one of the plan for the next week. With WiiFit, My Fitness Coach, EA Sports Active, Fitness First Pilates, and the new addition today of Your Shape, there should be something there to make a start.

This blog will replace the empty notebook. I will record everything I can about my attempts to become a better runner than I was before. Events, hopes, inspirations, will all be recorded here. Then I can look back, and see I can do it.

So today it was time to try out our new addition. Firstly, you set up the profile with name, height, wieght. Then the camera scans your body and produces a profile of how you look. Then it's off to exercise. It begins with a fitness test with lots of squats, star jumps, and presses designed to test upper body strength, lower cody strength, and cardio fitness. All the time you work out the camera films you, putting your image on the screen next to the virtual trainer.It's very off putting seeing your fat little figure struggle along at times next to your new animate friend.  Sometimes it was hard to keep up, but if you stop the trainer soon tells you to "Get Moving!". Just the 10 minutes test was knackering. Then I decided to add a quick 15 minute work out to that. God I wish I hadn't. By the end of it was totally and utterly knackered. I can see this could get someone fit. I just hope that with the variety of exercises I don't end up hurting myself trying to do too much.