Up And Running

It has been a while since my last confession.  I didn't want to blog on my running if I didn't have anything else to say apart from "my knee is still stiff when I try to run" or "I'm trying this and will see if it works".  Results people, I wanted to talk about results.  I also didn't blog about anything else, because nothing else came to mind to blog about.

Anyway, running and my knee and stuff.  My handy live-in physio gave me some exercises to strengthen the muscles around my knee and  I have been doing them (almost) diligently, (almost) every day for a couple of weeks or more.  I also went to Up & Running in Manchester and got myself gait tested.  You basicaly run on a tred mill and they film you with a high speed camera and analyse you foot falls on a laptop.  It would appear I am flat-footed and so that is a major part of the reason my knees are feeling it when I run.  My legs don't line up properly.  My feet angle one way, so my ankles angle the other to compensate, then my knees angle the other way to compensate for my ankles.  A pretty penny for some new shoes with more support on the inside of my feet that straightens the whole thing up was called for.  I spent the said money and took off for a run.  No change.  1.8 miles and I stopped.  But it was my first attempt and I had only being doing my physio for one day.  A few days later (physio every day) and I tried again.  I also decided to run l mile laps around the block.  That way if my knee gave up I wouldn't have to turn round and walk the 1 - 2 miles back home.  Lap 1, felt ok.  So I continued.  Lap 2, still fine.  Lap 3, a little stiff but ok.  I decided to call it a day here and not push myself too hard.  3 miles was a good start.  A couple of days later I ran 4 miles.  Then 4 miles again.  Then went for a run with Rick and did 4.7 miles.  Things were looking up.  Sharon was stretching my legs out properly on my return from a run.  We're talking full on tortue, I'll tell you anything, just make it stop, type stretching here.  Really did the trick each time though.  My knee was feeling a little stiff, but the stretching would cure it.  This has lead Sharon to believe it is muscular and not joint related.  This is good.  It just means stretching whilst running if I stiffen up.  A bit of heels-to-bum running on the onset of a little knee-stiffness and I feel good again.

Last night I set off running with the intention of covering 5 miles plus.  I took it very easy.  Slower than my normal pace, but the goal was not speed it was distance.  After 3 miles I felt that good that I decided not to make the turn towards home and a 5.1 mile finish.  I felt too good.  So I continued along the 10Kish route I had devised a few weeks (but what feels like a running life time) ago.  I still felt good.  So I did the detour I like through the estate at the end to add on a little extra.  All in all I clocked up 6.7 miles.  This is close to my furthest ever (that being 7.25 miles).  Ok, the time was R-U-B-B-I-S-H (1hr 3mins 3secs), but that's not the point.  The point is I covered a distance like I was able to before without my knee giving up.  I'd say we're back on track here.

Success and hapiness to be back out there again