Sidelined…

As you may have read, when I started running I had issues mainly caused by the long term effects of the left knee breaks and ankle fractures. I would have acute tendinitis on the interior ligaments of my left knee that would be crippling when the weather changed. I would also suffer shin splints even when walking fast. Running was to fix this.

So, I changed pace, changed shoes and finally reached a happy place – 4 10K races and 2 half marathons within 7 months. Or so I thought…

After the Royal Parks half, about an hour or so from the end I stepped down off of the curb outside Hyde Park corner station and my right knee screamed with pain. We hobbled as far as The Strand, got some food, and then hobbled home.

I rested for a week and then tried to run on the treadmill. It started fine but after 5K the pain returned.

I rested for another week, leading up to the Amsterdam half and then ran it with a heavy strap, and was only 5 minutes slower than the Royal Parks. My right knee did ache but it was nothing serious.

Yesterday I finally got in to see the Physio and this is what they found (I did correct the spelling).

In Summary:

– Right ITB syndrome – mild inflammation of the lower ITB due to excessive tightness and poor hip/foot control

– Left knee slightly lax ACL (non symptomatic)

– Left knee intermittent inflammataion. Possiblu hamsting tendon inflammation (tendinitis) at PES attachment

– Overall pronation at foot and weak hip external rotators (glutes) causing over-active and tight quads, hip flexors and ITB

I am as tight as a violin string and only a little more flexible. So I was massaged, I was rubbed and it was painful as hell. I was in agony as the physiotherapist used her forearm up and down my ITBs. And then she dug into my hip flexors. Ow-ow-ow!

I need to replace my beloved Lunarglides and Pegasus because… I over pronate so much that my feet have nowhere to go. So they try to take off early, which is causing my second toe pain on both feel and hot spots on the toe mounds of the second toe.

Apparently I need motion control shoes. Apparently the best kind for my square hooves are the Brooks Adrenalin GTS 12 2E, as they are wide fit. Tomorrow I go to Runners Knees to buy them, even though they are fugly.

Ugly shoes

I am not allowed to run, but I am allowed to cycle and cross train, as long as it does not hurt.

I have stretched to do daily.

I have roller work to do daily. 😦 That is making me upset.

But what is making me more upset than anything is not being able to run for 2 full weeks, including 2 more physio sessions and a week in Portugal.

This is very common apparently. People who take up running or cycling seriously focus on it to a point they do not do anything else. You need a strong core, you need to exercise the muscles around the area and you need or, rather, I need to vary my running and run outside a lot more.

And because of that I joined Park Run…

For all of those who do not know Park Run is a volunteer run weekend race that takes place in dozens of parks across the UK. It is very popular. Andrew, star of the Dubsterdam weekend, runs in Highbury park all the time. I will likely run in Hackney.

It also means I will need to drop the Nike+ footpod stuff when I run indoors and focus on the actual GPS watch tracking and race tracking outside from now on.

It does mean the end of the monthly challenge with @lee_nixon and @sausagesnaffler, but it is for the best.

In addition… and exciting news!

I signed up for the Paris half marathon on 3rd March

I signed up for the Berlin full marathon on 29th September

I signed up for the Great South Run on the 26th October

I am also looking at the Dresden half in June.