Week Eight Summary - and a busted knee!

[sercreative]

Wow it's been a while since I updated! I'm back from my hols now and I had a brilliant time while I was away. It was so great to get away and do something totally different - I really didn't want to come back! It's so funny how you can get totally stuck in a rut if you stay one place for too long. It's like I totally forgot that there's a whole big world out there...

Anyway. I did manage to keep up with the running while I was away, which I was very proud of myself for. I was staying in student halls for a week while I did a course in a place where I've never been before, so I was a bit worried about where I would go. My last post was about run one of week eight. I did run two on the morning I was due to go away, round the harbour. As I recall, the weather was pretty bad and I was feeling stressed due to all the packing and organising. Unfortunately, my shoelace came untied about five minutes in so I had to stop and tie it. While I was doing this, I accidentally knocked my mp3 player so I skipped tracks and had to start the podcast again. I managed to get it to the right place and continued running but then I accidentally hit it AGAIN and felt like I might scream. I gave up on Laura and put Madonna on instead and ran for WAY longer than I should have done because I wanted to do the full 28 minutes with no breaks. I was pretty proud of myself when I'd finished (not to mention exhausted!).

On the third run of week eight, I was on holiday, so I set my alarm for about 6.30 and went out before any of my coursemates had got up. At first I went round and round the campus halls (which was awkward because I didn't really know where I was going and there were a lot of dead ends which meant I was running back and forth and freaking out all the other people staying on campus who were staring at me through their windows). Eventually I left the campus and went up and down the local streets until the time was up. I was very proud of myself, but totally fell asleep about halfway through mid-afternoon!!

When it came time to begin week nine, I was frustrated because the internet hadn't been working in my room since my arrival so I couldn't download the podcast. I decided to just use Madonna again, but unfortunately I overslept so ended up charging out at 7.30am to complete the run. I did my warm up walk to Music and then decided to go to the Botanical Park and go round and round the trees. Sounds nice, but it was absolutely CHUCKING it down with rain. I'm talking torrential. Everyone else out was zipped up to the neck in waterproofs with umbrellas and they were all staring at me like I was mad. It felt good though Unfortunately, I had the timing all wrong on the songs so I only did 28 minutes again. It feels like I've done four runs for week eight, so I'm keen to start week nine properly as soon as possible.

Sadly when I got back from hols I realised I've done something stupid to my knee It's nothing too serious, it just twinges from time to time, particularly when I'm walking downstairs. I figured I better keep off it for a bit. I've taken some painkillers and I've been putting ice on it now and again and using a knee support when I go out. It doesn't seem to be getting any better though I'm really keen to get going again and it's hard not being able to. My last run was Thursday so I'll leave it a few more days before I try again.

Phew long post!!

[happierswimming Graduate]

Yes, rest that knee! It's a complicated joint and often takes time to heal. Keep it elevated and rested. Don't run until it's better. Good luck

[RhonaL]

You have down brillantly to keep the impetus going in a strange place. Rest that knee and you'll be ok in a day or so. I like Madonna to run to - the early stuff!