Yay, completed C25K again.....

That's right, my final run today saw me complete the 9 week programme....again.  It was quite a difficult run to round of this week as I could still feel the effects of my 18 hole round of golf the day before and it was quite muggy.  I now intend to move on to Bupa's 10km training programme.

However, despite being back running now for 9-10 weeks, my knee is still not 100% right, more like 70% although its bearable when running for now and if I avoid bending it at extreme angles but this is the main reason as to why I've decided to start a 10k programme next as opposed to a 10 mile or half marathon plan.  Hopefully by the time I've finished this 7-8 week plan, my knee will be closer still to a full recovery.  If not, then it might require a return trip to the Doc's.

This plan shouldn't take too long though and I feel like I can miss a few weeks out as somehow the Nike+ GPS running app that I started to try again this week seems to think that I've run 3km more than my other apps.....I've tried to calibrate it today, but if it doesn't work I'm going to ditch it again and return to either Endomondo or Runkeeper which is a shame as their support on Facebook has been brilliant this week.  I've generally always used Endomondo and even bought the pro app but now the company appear to be moving quite a lot of the features behind a more subscription style pay wall hence my reasons for starting to try other apps again.  I used Runkeeper today as well as Nike+ to check the latter apps accuracy or lack of and quite liked it so will trial it out a few more times to see what I prefer moving forward.

I've been wearing a knee strap since starting C25K but truthfully I'm not sure whether it does anything other than get sweaty!  It doesn't hurt with it on so I'll going to keep it on for a while longer.

On the road to recovery?

Well I feel that I’m well on the way to building my fitness back up predominantly through running but there’s still a long way to go. ..

This comes about having just successfully completed week 5 of the Couch 2 5k (C25K) running programme with help from Robert Ullrey’s excellent running Podcasts ending today with a 20 minute non stop run in blistering sunny and warm weather.  This is after my first round of golf in over 8 months yesterday in equally warm weather.

The knee issue still remains but definitely in the last few weeks I feel that it is getting slowly back to normal although my running gait/form seems to be a bit off at the moment.  To help with the fitness recovery, I started the C25K programme right back at Week 1 with the aim of slowing trying to rebuild my fitness and running strength whilst taking it easy on the knee.  

My knee still suffers from the odd twinge and bending it at extreme angles and kneeling is still uncomfortable but its getting there.  Some physio cream and ibuprofen do work wonders when it does start to flare up again but, I might need to get professional help in terms of assessing my running gait to see whether my footwear needs changing to better suit what my support my body/knee needs to avoid further injury. 

Hopefully by the time I’ve finished C25K I should be in a better position fitness and form wise to know which running programme I can pursue next in terms of whether I should continue taking it easy up to 10k or go straight onto a Half Marathon programme (both start at the end of C25K when running 30 minutes 3 times a week), but first things first, I’ll continue to focus and get C25K done and dusted.

No change

Frustratingly there has been no change regarding my injury so I haven't run or done any exercise for a few months now.  I've visited the Docs and a Physio at £40 a pop who stated the cause as Acute Infra Patella tendinitis but nothing really that they suggested has any real impact.  It looks like I'm just going to have to play the waiting game.

I did have a few glimpses last week that something might be happening with respect to healing so at the moment I am willing it to heal and hoping that it is starts to soon.

What ever happens, when I start back running, I will need to be very careful that I don't overdo anything.  To that end, I will be most likely starting back using the Couch to 5k programme to ease my body back into running.

Prior to that in May when my exams are complete and the weather is warmer I am aiming to get out a do a few walks as the Physio did say that walking on different terrains will help.

Not off to a good start...

Not off to a good start this year. Hopes of competing in the Yeovil Half Marathon towards the end of March were dashed early into the New Year due to a reoccurring knee problem that I first blogged about in Nov, what I then thought was Runners Knee.  I had hoped the break over December and the Christmas period would have given me a good stab at returning to full health and running strength but, it soon flared up again as I started my 2nd week of training in the New Year. A trip to the quack this week after suffering for a further 4 weeks saw it diagnosed as Patellar Tendinitis (inflamed and irritated knee tendon).

Jumper's Knee

Looking on the limited bright side, at least its being problematic in the winter months…..as that wind this week biting into my face on my light runs coupled with my lungs protesting as I hadn't done much running for a few weeks won’t be missed much!  I did manage a light 5km run this week but as I now know that continued pounding will delay the healing process, I intend to cut running to a minimum and focus on cycling, swimming and other low or no impact exercises to continue building my core strength and strengthening my knee and quadriceps to hopefully promote a speedy (no pun intended) recovery.

To limit the impact on my knee in the running that I will be doing (mainly to and from the gym, less than a mile each way), I've ditched my stability shoes as they may have contributed to the knee trouble in the first place as they offered little in the way of cushioning or support when pounding the pavements.  I've now switched back to a pair of cushioning shoes, the 2012 variant of my first proper pair of running shoes, the ASICS Gel Cumulus (v14) in the hope that they will provide better support and limit the impact on my knees when I start running proper again.

Preston Road Church Path

In over news, since I'm trying to take more photographs out and about when I'm running further than just to the gym, I now need to put my phone in my shorts pocket rather than using my armband.  This way its a lot easier and quicker to take my phone out of my pocket still connected to my earphones and on the move than it is out of the armband.  I was worried that I would notice the additional unsecured weight and the earphones cable would get in the way, but, I am actually preferring it to the armband at the moment as its less faff to set up and the earphones actually stay in my ear a lot better.  I will have to keep my armband though as when a cold snap strikes which invariably it does in the UK, I will have to ditch the shorts and there is only a small pocket on my current leggings so no room for the phone!

Nine Springs Saturation Point

I've haven't done much running since my last blog, but I have managed to take a couple pictures which are featured in this blog that I'm happy with.

New Year

Happy New Year to all my readers, here's to another 12 months of running blogs.  Well after a 3 week break recovering from my winter ills I completed my first run of 2013 today. Hopefully along with getting back to work this week I will be able to return to my normal routine of running around 3 times a week shortly.  

Last year was a bit of a mixed bags in terms of running achievements that was littered will ills and injuries.  My running highlight was probably the Yeovil Half Marathon back in March, an event that I hope to run (and walk) again this year although that will be my limit in terms of distance running as time available will be limited for a couple of years to come now that I am back in education hoping to achieve a Masters whilst still holding down the day job.

Other than that aim, I don't think much more weight is going to come off me but I intend to carry on running with more cross training this year through cycling, swimming and golf when time permits.  This will hopefully allow me to continue improving my fitness and hopefully tone away some of my more unflattering body parts such as my muffin top and to see whether I can reach my previous year's goal of fitting comfortably in 34" trousers.  I'm about 2" off at present especially after excess Christmas and New Year consumption with little exercise.  I'm holding off a Wii fit weigh in  until I'm at least back running 3 times a week.

I do intend on trying something different from this point on with my blog to try and evolve it by making it more interesting for both the reader and something else for me to think about and take my mind of the monotony and pain when I'm out running, mainly in Dorset and Somerset.  

To that end, I will be aiming to merge my photography interest with running.  I will be aiming to take photographs out and about and then include them in my blogs.  I'm hoping that it will make my blogs more interesting for the reader whilst providing me with a great opportunity to have an occasional rest and improve my photography skills.  To start, the following picture was taken at about 9.20am this morning.

Yes, the camera I will be using isn't all that great (Iphone 3GS, 3mb) but I don't need a good camera to work on shot composition and creativity.  I will add some effects like the one used in the photograph above in Flickr when uploading them to improve the overall look of the photographs if required to mask any compromises that I have had to make.