I run again

I run again... as normal as I can... without knee guard... for 5k... and no knee discomfort!

After reading a few blogs on injury these are what I picked up:-

1.  If you experience pain, stop for 3 days.  Then, run half of the distance.  If no pain, stop for another day and run with slightly increase (10% I guess) the distance.  If you experience pain, stop for another 3 days.  Try again.  If pain remains, see doctor.

2.  If the pain is better against time, it should be ok.

3.  Also, the most importantly is the post from Running Injury Free called The Basics of Jogging.  The main and most important idea I captured from this post is "Listen to Your Body".

4.  From another post in Running Injury Free, I came to know that you could get injured weeks or months before you feel it.

When I think back, I am actually following The Basics of Jogging when I started to run.  It is after I wanted to push to time, distance, that I eventually ended up have to stop running for awhile, which I cannot enjoy the feel of running for awhile.

Probably from other posts in Old Man Running, or some other links from the web-site, I was encouraged by the author's experience that he started to run at the age of 38 and hit his personal best (less than 4 hours for Marathon) in his late 40's.  That's my goal now!

I guess I have to spend more time in the above web-site.

My 5k run

This is my 1st 5k after the Penang Run 2013 two weeks ago.  I tried to run last week but I was force to stop, again, due to my knee problem.  During that try run, I just managed to run continuously for close to 2km without knee problem.  I decided to give myself more rest.  I was kind of worry about my knee but I read it somewhere (on running material) that as long as the pain goes away as time passes, it should be ok.  That is the case for me.

So, finally, I managed to run 5k this time.  Around 2km after I started, I felt a bit of knee discomfort again.  It was very mild and I just continued to run.  Luckily, the discomfort didn't get worse.  However, I was running with a very slow pace, ie 7min/km.  This is the pace that I run about 8 months ago.  I will start up slow again.

Hope everything is getting better moving forward.

Penang Run 2013

Due to my knee injury, I wasn't sure that I would go for the run until the evening before the race.  Eventually, due to the urge to run, I had decided to go.

During the warm up run, my left knee wasn't as normal as before.  Anyway, my target was just to finish the run within the qualifying time of 2.5 hours.

I was at the very last of the queue at the starting point.  I started up the run very very slowly and carefully.  At the 1st uphill, I was feeling okay and started to pass other runners very comfortably.  I was very careful during the downhill.  I was almost "limping" during downhill as I know I still have a long way to go.  Unfortunately, the pain started again right after the downhill.  It was ~ 4km.  It was the distant that I ran before I experienced the severe pain.

I then decided to walk.  During that time, I noticed a lot of runners that I overtook earlier passed me by.  I was a bit upset and almost wanted to quit.  I told myself that I would try until the very last minute.  So, I continued walking for 1~2 minutes before I decided to run slowly and softly again.

When I started to run again, hey, I didn't feel any discomfort this time.  That's good.  I continued with a very slow pace for awhile.  Unconsciously, my pace became faster and faster.  I only noticed that I was running at normal pace at around 8km.  I was very surprise.  So, I continued with the same pace until I reached another uphill.

I decided to slow down although I didn't feel any discomfort of my knee.  I was running at that slow pace again until the next and final uphill.  When almost reaching the peak of the final uphill, I started to walk again so that I will not hurt my knee.

At that time, I knew that I would finished my race before the qualifying time and thus I did quite a lot of walking especially during the downhill.

Finally, I finished the race with 1 h 59 minute (525/973 overall; 141/212 on my category) which is pretty good despite of my knee problem.  More importantly, I just felt normal tiredness of the knees after this run.

I guess I can start running again but at lower millage to start up with.

Knee Injury

I have stopped running for 1 week due to pain at the back of my left knee even when I walked.  I couldn't even walk at my normal pace.  The back of my knee would be more hurting when I walked faster.  I have been searching the internet trying to figure out what the problem was.  From what I read, it could be runner's knee, torn muscle, torn tendor, etc.  In short, there's no solid conclusion.  I visited to general doctor suggested a possible torn muscle or damage nerve.

While talking a normal walk on Saturday morning, I suddenly heard a "click" sound coming from my knee.  After that, I felt that I can walk faster without major discomfort.  After a few more steps a few "clicking" sound came out again and I immediately felt the sense of relief from my knee and no discomfort at all even when I walk faster.  I was then suspected that I had a minor "twist" on my knee that somehow compressing the nerve.  I was very relief and decided to go for a slow run on the next day, Sunday.

I started up with slow walk on Sunday.  After ~15 minutes of walk by slowly increasing the pace, I didn't feel anything.  I started to run slowly.  Unfortunately, the discomfort at the back of my knee started again.  I was very upset.  I really wonder if I can ever run again.  My own analysis suggested that I somehow "compressed" my nerve due to nerve "dislocation".  I think to myself that since my nerve can be "dislocated", it can be "located" back by itself.  I then practicing a few "soft" kick that hopefully can help aligning the nerve back to the location.  Luckily, it doesn't get worse after a few kicks.  But, it doesn't seems to get better as well.  Meaning that after running for ~5 minutes, the pain at the back of the knee started again.

Well, I am now guessing that my nerve get damage and I need to rest for another week or so for recovering.

I don't really know how it happened.  I just remember that I had similar pain in the afternoon after my 1st half marathon race 2 months back.  That pain lasted me for 2~3 days.  Two weeks ago, when I had my normal long run training, I had the similar pain again.  After experience the pain, I continued to run for ~4km before I stopped.

Despite the pain, I had my slow run again the next day.  It was hurting at the beginning of the run but it became better after I ran for 1km.  There's a minor discomfort when walking after that but I didn't pay much attention.  The pain was severe when walking up or down the stairs.  Two days after that, there's not more pain and I even ran one of my best 5k with the average pace of 5:22/km.  Unfortunately, the run 4 days after that can only last for ~4km and that was my last run before I stop.

I am now speculating that either my running posture or sore of muscle (after extensive run) "compress" the nerve.  Thus, I really have to pay attention to how I increase my mileage when training.

My wish now is to be able to take part in running again and hopefully, I can run the Penang Run 2013 in 2 week time...