Injured again !
As the saying goes, the clue is in the title.
My last post was a report on my Glen Isla fastpack at the end of September and in that report, I did describe some significant pain in my right knee the day after that run. It had bothered me during that outing, but I had run through it, probably to my cost. That said, the damage had been done by that stage anyway.
The reality on the day after that trip was that I could barely walk, my right knee was swollen, and it was clear that all was not well. To shorten the story, everything has pointed to a Grade 1 tear/sprain of my right MCL (medial collateral ligament) which connects the thigh and shin bones on the inside of the knee, stabilising the knee joint. My sports therapist agrees that it is a Grade One, shading towards a Grade Two. That puts it in the four-five week recovery window.
From the outset, I resolved to maintain a positive outlook. That was somewhat challenging given my injury woes earlier this year, but I think that extended spell did make me more accepting of what I can and cannot influence in these scenarios.
So, I was diligent from the outset with a R.I.C.E recovery approach. It was clear after a fortnight or so that I was not going to recover quickly and that a 4-5 week return to running was a more likely outcome. I cancelled my Tentsmuir Forest 8-hour challenge entry. It was just a training event in any case so no big deal.
Three weeks after injury, I am fairly capable. I can walk at any pace without debilitating pain and I am nimble up and down steps. I have started using the stairmaster at the gym as this has no negative impact on my knee. The same goes for some lower body weight training. So, that is all positive as I can work away at some meaningful training as I recover. This coming week, I will venture onto the treadmill for some walk/run intervals at slow pace.
It is still my intention to participate in the Costa Blanca Trails 102K race in just under four weeks’ time. The best-case scenario is that I can run by then, albeit I will not have done anything near the amount of quality training I would have in different circumstances. If I can build up a few weeks of hard stair-climbing and strength training for my legs, that will benefit me greatly as the race is on a lot of technical ground and with over 6,000 metres of ascent/descent. There will therefore be a lot of walking and climbing and fewer periods of extended running.
I really don’t want to cancel this race unless I feel I have no choice. It was already a replacement for my cancelled Morocco race for which there has still been no refund. On top of the other cancellations earlier in the year, this has all been at some financial cost. However, I do also have the Winter Downs 200 in early December, and I absolutely intend to be on the start line for that.
I will make sensible but deliberate steps towards full recovery in the meantime. However, I will need to make a decision in early November if I feel that Spain is a viable proposition.
