Following on from my initial post in December, it’s been a long 6 months, with varying degrees of success in getting back on track.
At the start of the year, I continued with 2 physio session a month, having a few different techniques done (sports massage, dry needling, stretching and mobility exercises), and worked on a plan for taking a step back from running, and focusing on recovery.
I also purchased a few additional things to help with the recovery at home, such as an angle squat board, massage gun, and resistance bands.
Hitting a gym a few times a week, focusing on leg strength exercises, the pain in my knee started to subside. After a week or so, I decided to attempt an initial test run, and see how things were progressing.
The pain was immediate, and making it around the loop wasn’t fun. So another few days of rest, and any further runs were going to be done at a much slower pace.
Towards the end of January, the recovery was going OK, pain was subsiding, so I attempted to increase the distance and frequency. This worked OK initially, but I soon had to cut back as the over injury use was starting to show again.
The first proper run back at the running club didn’t happen until the latter part of February, when we went out of a 13km run in the lower paced group. I’d purchased a pair of Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit as they were aimed at improving form and reducing injury.
Pain levels were OK, and the new trainers were making a difference.
March and April were good months, as recovery continued, managing to achieve a few 45+km weeks.
May was going well, until I completed a 16KM Tempo Run, and the following morning, I was on the floor in pain
KIDNEY STONES!
This really knocked me back in terms of fitness and progression, however, it also gave some more forced time off from the knee and really helped make a difference.
June was spent focusing on more overall fitness, doing HIIT classes, a few bike rides out, and more lower impact stuff.
The fitness is starting to come back again, and training is on a more consistent level, with improvements being seen weekly. A 5K Virtual Race saw an 18:55 attempt, which is over a minute down from where I was pre-injury.
It’s been a long road, but things are looking up, and it’s also made me realise that other forms of exercise and conditioning are just as important when running.
