And I've only got myself to blame!
Last week I started doing more yoga as I needed to loosen up the tightness in my hips and hamstrings. Its always been a problem for me (too much time sitting at the piano) and I was worried running was making it worse.
Went out on a club run last Friday morning and my right knee felt a bit niggly. It was a hilly route - which in Hastings is every route except the seafront π - but it wasn't fast so I put the niggle down to something I must have done in yoga.
At parkrun on Saturday my son and I were tailwalkers. Long story but we ended up a long way behind the back of the pack and had to sprint to catch up - again the knee felt a bit weird.
I run 10k with a fast group on a Wednesday morning - nearly all of them sub25 parkrunners, some sub20, but I felt perfectly OK when I set out. We were doing 4 fartlek sections during the run so after a 1500m warm up we had to run fast.
Now I love running fast - I find it really exhilarating but don't have the stamina to keep it. I love efforts and track training for this reason - you don't have to do it for more than 600-700m which with a bit of effort I can manage.
So off I went - fast! I passed everyone and ended up running next to the quickest 5k runner in the group. He said at the end of the run how he could hear someone coming up behind him but he wasn't expecting it to be me. I was absolutely knackered at the end of the section and had to stop and walk when everyone else carried on jogging but I sort of knew that would be the case so wasn't too bothered.
I couldn't manage the next fast section much faster than my normal pace but then at halfway my knee started to hurt - not excruciating but more than just a niggle. Scouts paced my way back to the start with various other lovely runners waiting for me and running back for me. By lunchtime I was having trouble getting upstairs.
I was going to do my first 10k race on Sunday but that won't be happening now βΉοΈ
It has been said many times on here but I obviously I did not pay attention properly! Listen to your body - if you think somethings a bit amiss - take it easy. Don't end up on the IC by way of overenthusiasm and overexcitability.
Happy running everyone x