Running- Plan B

Actually that should say "NOT Running- Plan B" to be accurate.

So as some of you know my GP recently advised a weeks total rest (what a joke!) and 6 weeks of no running in order to allow my knees time to heal before being referred to physio and to prevent me causing long term damage (eek).

That was 2 weeks ago now, and it's just over 3 weeks since the run during which the pain started. So i have begun exercising again, as i was assured exercise itself is unlikely to cause a problem as it seems to be specifically the action of beginning to run on concrete pavements that has set it all off.

Forrunately there are lots of other ways to exercise. Unfortunately not many of those can be done indoors with two small bored children under foot.  Thus, so far i have been limited to following an aerobics workout dvd and taking the chance that one of them won't mow me down on the sit-and-ride-train, mid-crunch.  Our local pool (which is on the brink of being closed down, more about that later) has casual swim sessions every weekday evening so i'm intending to make good use of those while i can.  Although this obviously only works when Chris is actually home of an evening, meaning i can leave the house without fear of prosecution for child neglect.

I am no longer taking the prescribed co-codamol as i just can't function well enough to trust myself on it. Taking 60mg leaves me feeling stoned, lying on my sofa incapable of doing much more for my children than putting on Cbeebies and changing nappies as required. 30mg allows me a higher level of functioning but makes sleepy and liable to doze off mid-sentence. I certainly wouldn't want to take any immediately prior to driving and/or working. So i'm taking 400mg of ibuprofen 4 hourly throughout the day alongside paracetamol as and when i feel i need it. I'm still wearing knee supports for walking/work/exercise/general activity and using deep freeze spray before and after activity too.

I refuse to entertain the notion of NOT completing either of the runs i have entered for.

I'm doing The Great Manchester Run in May, by which i am hoping to raise much needed funds for two very deserving children, Findlay and Iona and then in June i'll be doing Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research to show my support for my work friend Nic who has recently been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and whose journey you can follow here.

I'm not a total fool (at least, not all of the time) so i am aware that if the knee problem persists i may need to consider the possibility of walking the courses but walk or run, either way i'll be there, i'm determined!

And i'd really really appreciate your support in any way you feel able.  Messages of encouragement, donations through my Just Giving page, tips on running with patellofemoral disorder, free physio sessions ;) whatever you can spare, that you think might help would be brilliant.

In the meantime i'll still be finding new ways to improve my fitness so i'm ready to begin training again at the end of my 6 week break.