So, I trained for and ran 10K. It was a resounding success. But, where to go from here? Onwards and upwards of course. I have signed up for a half marathon in Liverpool on March 28th 2010. That gives me about six months to get my distance up from 6.2 miles to 13.1 miles. No mean feet! I decided that if I dropped my running down from three times a week, to twice a week and aimed to increase my distance by a mile a month, I would be up to the distance at about the right time. The gradual increase in distance would mean I would be better able to cope with it. So I set out with a new plan and within a few days had pushed a bit beyond it and got up to 7 miles. I ran this a few more times and even managed 7.25 miles.
Then disaster! I set off with the aim of maybe doing 7.75 miles (I took my 7.25 mile route and just added a bit extra on to it). I set off and I don't know whether I went too fast, or if the weeks of running had taken it's toll, but something wasn't right. My legs felt heavier and after a couple of miles it was becoming a pain to run. Nothing was agony, but my legs felt very stiff and every step was an effort. After 3 miles I had abandoned all hope of 7.75 miles and was thinking more of 7 miles. Then I decided to drop it down to my 6.7 mile route. In the end I did my 6.2 mile route. And it HURT. It hurt a lot. The last 3 miles were trudging pain. And it was bad pain. Not the pain of the wall, but the pain of something being wrong. I STUPIDLY ignored it and pushed on hoping all would be well. It wasn't. My legs were stiff and the next day my right knee was still stiff. This is the first time my right knee had had anything wrong with it when running. My left knee had been a little clicky, but my right knee had been silent up until now. It's worth mentioning that my right knee had been an issue a few years ago and had been the driving force in my stopping doing TaeKwonDo, but I had had no issues in ages. Besides, this felt different. I decided to rest it for a few days and see what happened.
9 days later my knee had started to feel ok. Sharon had done some physioing and had said that there was nothing obviously wrong and, if I felt up to it, to try running, but to stop at the first sign of problems. Also, to stretch better before and after my run. I put on my running shoes and off I went. It was glorious. Out running again after 9 days of missing it. The first mile was great. I say the first mile, that should be the only mile, because out of nowhere it stiffened up again. I ran on for a few hundred yards, but decided not to make matters worse. I stopped and looked down at my watch. I had been running just shy of 11 minutes. RUBBISH!!! I turned round and began the trudge home. It was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E-! I felt so defeated. This was the first run that had actually beat me. I'd felt pain and like I couldn't (shouldn't, on one occasion) go on. But I had never stopped before. I cut a tragic figure walking along Brangy Road. Being taunted (in my mind) by the runners gliding past. I had a bright windproof jacket and shorts on. I was obviously a runner. But I wasn't running. I was walking. There is a no more pathetic figure in the running community. I was almost hoping for a limp to manifest itself. At least that would show why I wasn't running.
Beaten.
That was yesterday. Today is a new day. Unfortunately, my knee is not a new knee. It's stiff. Once again I am asking myself that question. Where to go from here? I have loved these past few months. The feeling of really acheiving something. Covering the sort of distance that cause people to spit their drink out when they ask how far you ran is great. Feeling like I'm getting properly fit. Also, vainly, seeing the scales drop by half a stone in a few weeks and then level off there because you are building muscle. Which you can see is making a difference to your overall build when you look in the mirror is a very nice byproduct, I can't deny. To see it possibly all be for nothing sucks. I don't want to let that go, so I did some surfing (of the web variety. My knee certainly isn't up to standing on a plank of wood, in the ocean, at the mercy of Mother Nature). I have found this. It seems to make sense and is worth a try. It means a trip to Up And Running for some gait testing and probably the purchase of new running shoes, maybe with insoles (a costly exercise). It also means some hard work with Sharon on the exercise/physio side of things (handy having your own personal physio). If it means I can get back to something that has given me such pleasure over the past few weeks it will be worth it. If not, then I tried. And the fat bastard sat on couch can look back and remember his 8 weeks of glory.
