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