Hi everyone,
The post-grad train rumbles slowly on, fewer runs than I've aimed for but not too bad really considering I'm still amazed I ever took up running and continued it.
This week so far I've done two runs, one on Monday, and then just now, both around the residential streets nearby. I'm so grateful for these roads, they are quiet, well lit, and many of them are one-way which makes crossing them much easier. They also have a "ladder" formation which means I can adjust for distance, doing differently sized "laps". So I've done much of my running there lately especially at night.
On Monday it was 3 laps of the whole ladder, running nice and steady for 27 minutes - but it felt dreadful form-wise, just felt like I was flailing my arms around and trying to keep hands warm! Today was faster, unintentionally - but did feel better. It is colder but I think I just acclimated faster. I ran a bit longer to hit 29 minutes and 55 seconds ish - I stopped my stopwatch a tiny bit late and by beautiful coincidence it was dead on 30 minutes (but I know I was strolling slowly across a road for the last 5 seconds). The soundtrack was Tony Blackburn and his 60s show - usually for a Friday night I'd go for funk and soul but just felt like chirpy 60s pop tonight.
The niggle I'm concerned about is one knee - it's always been a bit weird in that when I sit I always want to fold that knee up. Even a proper footrest doesn't alleviate wanting to do that. When I run, there's a bit of a twinge round that knee - absolutely not "pain", doesn't hurt any other time, and it only comes on about 5 min into a run and disappears about 10 min later. My first port of call should probably be to investigate gait analysis*, and so I'm writing that down here for accountability. I do the knee exercises from the NHS site regularly too. If it becomes more than a niggle, I'll absolutely stop running until it's sorted. I wasn't sure it was a consistent thing - I only have to imagine "hey what if I got injured" to suddenly be hyper-aware of all aches and imagine them growing into ripped tendons and all sorts - like when someone tells you they've been bitten by an insect you suddenly feel itchy - but this is consistent.
Aiming for next gentle run on Sunday ... maybe visit the running shop then too!
*I do have running shoes, but they are from a sports shed - they are comfortable but ... yeah.
Consolidation Run 8 -- slow mooch around local parkrun venue
Consolidation run 2 ☔️🏃♂️
Consolidation week 1 completed
First consolidation run - winter is coming! 
