W10R4, B1-3 Left knee moaned!

[Flossie22]

Oh well, I guess it had to happen sometime! Now I can properly empathise with anyone with a running injury. I was so excited this lunchtime as I had planned my new route – a sort of circular one, so not a straight out and back or a mad sporadic one, but a properly planned route. I was really looking forward to it as it was my last of my B210K week 1 and the first time I had managed to run 4 times in a week, i.e. Sun, Tues, Thurs and Sat!

Feeling on top of the world, I set off listening to the AAM. I ran along a B road, then turned onto an A road (very noisy, lots of traffic) but did this purposefully as I was to be rewarded (as I knew I would be) with a quiet and more beautiful return journey. I turned off the A road along a lane and noticed a glove on the ground. It made me smile, thinking of the “gauntlet” I had picked up from my friend here who suggested perhaps going for 10k

So, on I ran, and within moments saw a beautiful ploughed field to my right with stalks of straw or something poking up every 20cm. There were so many of them, it reminded me of Remembrance Sunday and the War Graves in France. I decided to dedicate this run to all those who died in the wars to give us peace.

I saw a beautiful solitary winter white swan on the tributary to the Thames and some more vibrant red berries on a tree. The gorgeous horses were not in sight, but the white mansion on top of the hill still looked amazing in all its splendour. I was into run 3 when I noticed I wasn’t far off 5k, so I decided at 4.44km (30 minutes) to continue to get to 5k. I got there and my Garmin said 33:34 or something like that, so I was pleased. I then paused my phone to walk for one minute and then ran again. When I set off for my final 10 minute run, my knee began to complain. I wasn’t going to stop, (so it couldn’t have been that bad) but I finished the run and did my stretches at home.

Tomorrow is a rest day, but I am taking my Mum to Bath for a day out. I did want to run along the Royal Crescent, but guess I’ll have to walk it instead. Will sit with my leg up this afternoon and perhaps put a packet of frozen peas on my knee!

Happy, injury-free running everyone!

(PR on Strava was 33:37 for 5k, with 1 minute walks in there too!)

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

It is tricky, to know when it is a niggle and when that becomes an injury! In terms of prevention, I also do strength and flex exercises and I know my knees have been more able to keep moving well! I have kept adjusting my running, at one time, I re-introduced walk running to manage a sore calf and it took about a month to get back to normal but I was able to go out three times a week and enjoy it. My shins completely recovered. I have been increasing distance again lately, knee was a bit stiff and also a sort shin below the knee, so I completely rested for a week and now I am trying to run on soft ground. Managed a good slow 5k

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to JoolieB1]

Thanks for that JoolieB1 . I seem to be hobbling about a bit now. Looked at the NHS website on knee strengthening, fortunately read all the way down to the bottom

where it said "don't do these if you have any knee pain" Will have to wait then until I can start those!

[JoolieB1 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

I have stiffness in my knee from time to time but it happens straight after a run and by the next day, feels fine. Good idea to be cautious, see how it responds to rest and then maybe introduce it as a preventative measure on running rest days when you are back on it. I do knee lifts, backward leg bends (not sure what to call them) and two kinds of squats!

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to JoolieB1]

I think once the pain subsides I'll concentrate on strengthening my knees and core and hips, in fact might as well concentrate on the whole body! 😊

[Irish-John Graduate]

Sore knee or not - you beat my 5K record time

Enjoy Bath - setting for my favourite Detective books of all time, Peter Diamond

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Thanks IJ. I am hoping the weather will stay dry, although it doesn't really matter. I am not made of sugar. Just concerned for my elderly Mum. I used to read Agatha Christie novels when I was a nipper. Devoured them like sweeties, but instead of sweeties!

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

I had zero interest in the Detective genre until I picked up a " Peter Diamond" book out of sheer boredom. Was absorbed in it within ten minutes and devoted the rest of the series and now hunt high and low for new material. The ironic part - what I read first was the second in the series, and when I did read the first one I knew it would not have grabbed me anything like as much. This was about ten years ago and it opened up a whole new aspect of reading for me I've read some AC books, enjoyable to say the least and 10 little whatever the PC word for them now is - AMAZING writing

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Think I have runner's knee! Somehow I have a sneaky suspicion that my mother is going to spot my hobble tomorrow! For some reason it takes me back to that game Operation, with "water on the knee". That was a bucket or something you had to remove with tweezers. Loved that game, always had a very steady hand, should have been a surgeon. LOL 😂 They should put a little running man 🏃🏻 in it instead. I can honestly say you'd be faster than me running 5K right now! 🏃🏻🏃🏼‍♀️👏🏻👏🏻😀😀

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Used to love watching that Surgery documentary series over there back in the day, "Your Life In Their Hands."

Or as we knew it "Your Bits In Their Mitts"

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

I love my cosies, couldn't be without them but I've never heard of Peter Diamond. Will have to look them up. I don't do gruesome detail though,has to be a cosy for me and not a thriller.

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to boptillyoudrop49]

Peter Lovesey is the author, Peter Diamond is one of the characters. Enjoy your cosies. 😊

[NIGHTINGALE1 Graduate]

Hope the knee is not too painful. Well done on your 4 runs/week. I wimped out this morning on my 4th of the week but will run tomorrow so hopefully will make 4 next week. Have a lovely day out in Bath.

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to NIGHTINGALE1]

I will survive, was that Gloria Gaynor? It's just a pain 😉 Having gone through 10 weeks without a niggle, I'm really very lucky! I think I should have rested today and gone out on Monday, but I had a really busy time at work this morning and just wanted to get out there. Still, I am glad I did, the swan and red berries were enough to make it worth it. Enjoy your run tomorrow.

[Irishprincess Graduate]

When I read that you had run 4 times in a week I wasn't surprised to read your knee hurt. I came a cropper doing exactly this just after I graduated and was on the IC for several weeks ☹️

Make sure you don't increase your total weekly distance more than 10%. For example, if you've been running 3X5K's, that's 15K weekly total. If you add one more 5K run then that's 20K which is a 33% increase!!! Just saying.......

Have a lovely time in Bath tomorrow with your mum. It's where I shop and it's just so beautiful. And the weather was gorgeous today so fingers crossed for tomorrow!

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Irishprincess]

Oh yes, I am a numpty then, aren't I! I was trying to calculate the 10% increase and thought it was fine. I didn't take into account that it was over 4 runs in a week. Need to pay attention to that. Thank you for the advice. I shall get the calculator out next time or just stick to three runs a week rather than four! I think three a week is what I shall do for a while yet! Simpler to calculate! How wonderful that you shop there. My mum is so excited, she's like a teenager again! 😊

[Irishprincess Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

I still run three times a week after three years and it suits me perfectly, but we're all different. Just consolidate for a while and build up slowly, just like we did for C25K! Enjoy Bath.

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Just make it a small increase, run 5 min longer or something like that. Hope it isn't full-blown runner's knee or you'll be out of action for a while. All you can do is rest I suppose but it will come right. There are exercises you can do for the legs which don't put any pressure on the knee and which do help (voice of exp). Do a search on youtube maybe but stop if you have any pain. Absolutely no squats, lunges and the like. I did exercises for runner's knee 1x, 2x sometimes 3x day and once the leg seemed better, practised sitting down as if on a chair in stages, holding at different levels, same thing going back up to a full stand. When that was ok, I eased back into running. Good luck.

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to boptillyoudrop49]

Excellent, I'll search for exercises I can do on you tube! Mega thanks for the advice, much appreciated! 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

A beautiful post and a beautiful run.. despite the niggly knee. Listen to it and pay it heed... it will tell you how serious it is.. ignore them at our peril. My post.. 'The Curious Incident of the knee that niggled in the night time' tells all!

Take it easy and see how it evolves.' Have a lovely day in Bath..but, amble slowly around the Crescent... no jogging, however slowly...

[Lee337 Graduate]

Sounds like another lovely run there Flossie22

Well done on getting to the end despite a niggling knee problem, and a PB too. Nice one! I really hope that with a little rest it will go away and let you carry on running. That 4.44km you ran in 30 minutes is brilliant! I achieved a PB today on my final C25K run, as you know, and I only managed 3.81km in my 30 minutes. Not that I'm complaining...I'm very happy to simply be able to get out there and run non-stop for 30 minutes!

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Lee337]

Yes it is a fantastic achievement to be able to run for 30 minutes and you are the clever one because you don't have a sore knee!

[Lee337 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Little do you know Flossie!!

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Lee337]

LOL x

[orchards Graduate]

Hope the knee is feeling much better today!

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to orchards]

Thank you orchards ! Very kind of you to ask. Actually I am still hobbling, so off to get some advice later this morning. I have invested in a hot/cold compress thingy from Boots and will apply cold for 20 mins this morning. Have a great week xx

[orchards Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Oh no, what a nuisance for you - hope it settles quickly.

[Raven2016 Graduate]

Actually, and I know this is really horrible of me, I'm a bit relieved that someone in my "cohort" is also on the IC. I've been here for nearly three weeks and I've been getting lonely..😩

And my other half has nearly caught me up, too, which is blinkin unfair, as I was here first.

Yes i am fed up. My stupid ankle is getting better but at same pace as arthritic sloth. Booooooored! Wannnna go out and plaaaaaay! Etc in manner of irritating child....

More seriously, I hope you feel better soon...xxx

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Raven2016]

Well now Raven2016 I wasn't going to leave you all alone on the IC now was I? We can be tail end Charlies at our next or first parkrun. Now, here's a tissue, dry your eyes, and let's play Monopoly or Scrabble, something to take your mind off feeling bored. 😉 x

[Raven2016 Graduate]

Ohhhhhkaaaayy..... Can we play monopoly and can I have the doggie..🐩 And I'd like ice cream with my mince pies... 😉

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Raven2016]

Yes Raven, you can have the Little Hound, as you're being so good, and as an extra treat, you can have ice cream and cream with your warmed mince pies. 😉😉😂

[Raven2016 Graduate]

Mmmmmm...mince pies n ice cream 🙂