Its been a few months since my last post so thought would post the on-goings since stopping competitve running! Had my MRI scan results back this week and although it does confirm cartilage damage it not quite as bad as first thought. I still have cartilage damage but instead of possible grade 2-3 has come back between grade 1-2. Grade 1 is where the cartilage has soft spot or blisters and grade 2 is where there are tears visible in the cartilage. I do have tears in the cartilage but they are apparently only minor but the good news is that it seemed to have co-inside with Patellofemoral Pain AKA as "runners knee" which gives off a dull, aching pain under or around the front of the kneecap (patella) where it connects with the lower end of the thighbone (femur) where the treatment is simply RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) and I have noticed a mark improvement the last few months with no running!! The doctors believe that I can keep running aslong as on grass and not "intense training" basically me running 50 plus miles a week so I will still not compete anymore but its good to know I can still keep fit running a few times a week!
Stopping running was a big blow at first and of course did miss it but after a few weeks was actually enjoying other activities a bit more and didnt miss the intensity of training so all in all I think it has done me some good as there is a lot more to life than running. One of the main things is that its nice not too feel tired all the time as I didnt realise how used to feeling tired I was! After a few weeks rest I was wide awake after 6 hours sleep and bouncing off the walls with so much energy! So overall its good news as running no matter what will be part of me until the day I die and nice to be able to still run but certainly going to enjoy some other activities in life. Some would say I havent really achieved what I was capable of during my running career but only my closest friends know that I was never a "proper" athlete and if there was a world championships of racing after drinking 10 pints and smoking drugs and roll ups the night before then I would certainly be up there! Looking back my best moment in running is a weird one...back in 2001 after an afternoon bunking off lectures and smoking a few joints going to run Yeovilton 5k and ended up running 15:45 spending 30 minutes after the race lead in a heap puking my guts up. Another one was winning the Burnham On Sea half marathon in 72:33 after getting home at 3am from a night on the town...im no role model! Now sorry if that offends you "proper" athletes but that is just the way I was and I lost count of the amount of times people saying "you could be a lot better if you lifestyle was better". Yeah thats true but running was always just a part of my life and NOT my entire life. My housemate came up with a good name for it...Rock and Roll athlete!
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