Run #13

Today I was really looking forward to my run. My run the last time was almost bruise free. I had a few niggles but I thought today would be one of my best runs.

It started off well and I was almost half way when my knee went. Its the same problem I've had when running in shoes. Bam! It feels like my kneecap has dissolved and all that's left is flesh. So zero support when I land on it. Nasty.

So I stopped immediately. I turned around and started walking back. I tried to run again but after a short while the twinges came back. I walked some more. then ran some more going really slowly. It came back again after a while.

My conclusion is while I've been nursing in the barefoot running, coupled with the bruised foot, I've not really had a slightly faster run. Today was a little bit quicker but fractionally so. I did feel a little twinge on my last run. So its a form of no supporting muscles or structure once the area gets exhausted.

As I went out after a 2 day rest, I guess this is not enough rest for the knee to recover. Up to now I've not run so close together.

Now 8 years ago I gave up on the running. But this time I've had nearly 6 weeks of running without this problem. So there must be some kind of resistance I can build into the area before collapse.

I shall initially try running once a week. that will probably help my bruise heal as well. I'll put in some barefoot walking to supplement the run and work the lower muscles.

I'm not overly disappointed because I needed to get past the knee test. That was only going to come once I ran for longer and a bit quicker.

I'm hoping by giving the knee longer rests between runs that I'll be able to complete a run without incident.

This for now puts any ambitions out of my reach completely. Just doing the 3.4 miles once a week without problem is my first goal.

So its going to have to be very ordinary running for me for quite a while so it seems.

Perhaps the earlier bruise injury was a blessing because I could still run each week and I didn't get a knee problem. I was doing a lot less. Without this duration of running I might have felt its over for me and running. This might still be the case but I doubt it. I can alway run a mile daily.

Somewhere amidst this data is a solution for me to continue to run.

I have a lot of power in my thighs from Tai Chi and swimming. I've also built up my endurance from swimming as well. So I think my power and fitness are beyond what my knee can handle right now. Perhaps that's been the problem all those years ago. The collapse occurred after run 2 though in the past wearing shoes. I'm also thinking that I might have been favouring the right foot(from bruise) and shifted the load back up to the knee.