So, the training is going well. The miles are ramping up, slowly but steadily. Still with plenty of strength work, stretching and some speed sessions. I'm doing something everyday. The knee is holding up (although there's an annoying ache which seems to come and go unexpectedly, and not related to what the session before had in stock). I've got some new friends to help guide me though: I look a right muppet carrying these poles around but they're light, sturdy and help take the load from my knees on hills and provide some forwards propulsion on the flat. When running 1030 miles I've got to be efficient with the load on my legs by spreading the forces around the rest of my body as much as I can. The clip is for some gloves to hook into, by the way. I can't decide if they remind me of Beaker or a rooster? . See if you can spot the odd one out from the selfies below. One's taken on an early run on Christmas Day, before the t...
I've been giving route navigation a bit of a think. Maps are so last century. I reckon it would be at least 52 OS Explorer maps to cover the entire LEJOG route. Using phone navigation is fine with the right app, but getting it out at every junction or keeping it out so I can check I'm on the right path will be too laborious. I need my hands free for poles or eating or drinking or praying to the gods.
The received wisdom from all my ultra friends is to use a GPS watch with maps. For the event itself, the daily GPX file is given by the team. Easy. Just follow the watch.
So I've bought a new Garmin watch as an early Christmas present to myself. And now I know why everyone says you need to practice using it.
I planned a walk to M&S (about 1 mile) taking a circuitous route to test it out. The display scale is too small, then shifts to being too big. And every time I try and change the display I create another lap, making it buzz annoyingly, or I lock the watch. Then there's an ominous red arrow pointing somewhere which doesn't make sense, and then there’s another arrow representing my position and the direction I'm pointing. During an activity the touch screen is disabled. And then it isn't. I've got it on 'track up' which means when I look at the watch the map is pointing in the direction I'm facing. Like a satnav in a car. But the movement of lifting my wrist and adjusting its position so I can see the map means the map's still adjusting to the direction I'm holding it in, swinging around like it's been drinking several tequilas and had a shot of whisky just for good measure. Just thinking about it has my head spinning.
Needless to say, I did find M&S. And, with a nice little bottle of wine bought, my way home too. I'm pleased to report that after various adjustments to the settings (before drinking the wine) I think I now know what I'm doing with the watch. I need to test it out more.
The last three weeks have been a series of similar twists and turns. I increased the treadmill which was going great. But then pulled my calf. My post-op orthopaedic appointment (which had been delayed) revealed that my initial optimism from waking up in the anaesthetic recovery room and hearing 'everything looked fine' was a little deluded in the sedated fog. Turns out there's plenty of wear and tear in the knee. 'You can choose to run if you want to - and you can have a knee replacement in the future', is what I'm told. I came out of that consultation thinking I've just been told to stop running - some might have. But it's my mind over-thinking it.
It made me quite cross how the language used to describe my osteoarthritis negatively impacted on my thinking, despite him having not said 'don't run' – that's what I heard. It reminds me to be weary with how I communicate with patients myself.
My sports physio puts me right. 'Let’s focus on function and pain (which is really good and improving) and doing what's actually good for the knee' (running has evidence that it is protective), rather than focusing on what might be. Everyone has some wear and tear if you look for it. There's nothing in the post-op report that should stop my plans (fingers tightly crossed behind my back).
I recover from the calf pull and test out a run on soft grass. I need to stop as the calf isn't ready - but my knee hurts - more than usual - and isn't settling quickly like it had been. It persists for days. I rest. Maybe I do need to stop running permanently. Perhaps what I heard from the orthopaedic consultant was right. How can I run the length of Britain when I can't even do 15 minutes on a playing field. I'm having serious doubts.
Back to the physio. Nothing terminal. Nothing new. Just need to work on some of the stability and rotational aspects before going back onto the grass. It'll get there.
Navigating the ups and downs of this journey is hard enough, even without the twists and turns of my knee, misguided pain signals, and my brain telling me quiting is the right thing to do. But at least I now know I've got my trusted navigation watch to guide me. Despite it being a little tipsy, it's pointing its arrow back to the treadmill.
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