this is davina – don’t swear

2k Too Far – Quicker Sorer or Slower Colder – Portugeasy Does It

I didn’t want this entry to be an expletive riddled rant that would shock Gordon-f***ing-Ramsay so waited a few days before typing to see if the situation had improved. And it has. A bit.

Saturday’s 12km run was a cold and uncomfortable affair after the dusting of snow that fell Friday night and then froze solid Saturday morning. I’d set off along the canal towpath thinking that it would be more sheltered only to discover that it wasn’t anymore sheltered and was probably a little more treacherous than the paths and roads that I could have chosen for my route.

The first 7kms seemed quite easy despite having to watch my footing and keep a look out for icy patches but something wasn’t right. I had been feeling confident after my 10kms a few days prior but had still strapped up the knee, taken some pre-emptive Ibuprofen and smothered my left leg in freeze gel. Despite all this, by 8kms, my left leg was sore. Very sore. I had a dilemma as I was 4kms from home and it was freezing. Running was barely keeping me warm so stopping to walk would have meant that I got very cold very quickly and it would have been a long, slow, bitterly cold walk home. The alternative was to keep running, stay warmer, get home quicker but with a left leg that seemed to be getting more painful by the minute. I chose the latter and spent the next 4kms doing a strange grimacey running limp back home.

Once back home, the leg hurt like hell and I spent much of that evening hobbling around and cursing. It feels a lot like the Illiotibial Band again but coupled with a strange, hamstring type ache at the back of the left knee. And the kneecap itself feels quite tender.

The last few days has seen an improvement but there are definitely still twinges around the knee and the back of the calf when faced with stairs and walking after a period of sitting. All of which is really annoying. After last weeks 10km, I was positive I could slowly build up my distance. Now it looks like I will have to stop completely for a while, try and stretch and ice etc. and then start again from a much reduced distance. It is very frustrating as I hate it when my body stops working properly and reminds me that it’s not actually indestructible. It is doubly frustrating as I think I may now have to duck out of the Wokingham Half and concentrate on getting fit for Lisbon.

Soundtrack to this post: Can – Vitamin C

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stairs aren’t much fun

Weekends And Bleakdays – A Night Out – Knees Are Stupid

…And neither is driving, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves here so let’s go back a bit.

What promised to be a good weekend was given a boost on Friday morning by getting stuck on the M1 whilst a cleanup operation took place on the motorway, making me so late for a meeting that I was supposed to attend that I was left with no choice but to turn round, return home and spend the rest of the day working remotely. Which was a bit of a result as I had tickets to go and see the magnificent Henry Rollins that evening and the thought of having to attend the meeting in Birmingham and then race back to London in time for the performance was daunting. So, having no interruptions at home, I got far more work done than if I had gone to the office AND I was sure I’d get to the South Bank in time for the evenings entertainment. Mr Rollins was on fine form, as always and Saturday was spent doing all the bits and pieces that I needed to catch up on.

Leaving Sunday free for my “long” run.

Work is settling down but the absence of daylight by the time I get home means that my long runs are best reserved for Sundays when I can run the bridleways and towpaths that do not have street lamps. Because of the snow, I haven’t run these routes for a while so was looking forward to a pleasant 13km run. I started out well and was enjoying the sunshine and being able to wear shorts without suffering frostbite but despite having my knee support, I noticed that things were not as they should be after about 4kms. It was a suspiciously familiar feeling around the outside of my left knee, like something was popping back and forth at the side of my knee as I took each stride. I stopped for a stretch and continued on but by 8kms it was fairly sore so had to change tactics. I would run/walk the remaining 5kms back home so the rest of the run became a long interval session that switched between regular run, walk and sprint sessions. This seemed to give the knee some respite but it was the regular run that caused the most pain. Maybe I’ll just have to resign myself to walking or sprinting everywhere!
What is most frustrating is that the last time I had this problem, I was training for (and very much looking forward to) the Prague Half Marathon. This time, I have begun training (and very much looking forward to) the Lisbon Half Marathon. I had hoped for a pb in Lisbon as it is supposed to be a very fast course. What is bothering me now is that a pb looks unlikely and unless I can sort this problem out double quick, I may end up run/walking the race which is not ideal!

The rest of Sunday saw me hobbling around and complaining like an old man each time I was faced with a set of stairs or having to use the clutch on the car.

Looks like I shall be on a steady diet of Ibuprofen and the foam roller for the next few weeks.

Arse!!

Soundtrack to this post: Augustus Pablo – King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown