... Is long

So, I’m injured and can’t run. It’s not as if I’m suffering from some debilitating or life threatening disease or even in pain. But I can’t run and it’s a big thing to me.

It’s been 6m now – longer out than even after I had my disc operation, and still no path to recovery in sight in real terms. The instability I felt in the knee is still there, almost the same as it was way back in December, but its hard to pin down.

The consultant said he was happy with the way the bone marrow oedema had gone down since my 2^nd MRI. He said give it another 6-8wks and give 1K a go, but nothing mad so I left feeling quite optimistic.

Well, it’s 7weeks post 3^rd MRI now and 1K is just over ½ a mile. ½ mile! – hardly worth getting my kit on for but I did last night. It was a milestone for sure but I had to work hard to make myself think I couldn’t still feel it. It didn’t hurt but it felt, well … weird and this morning there’s a niggly little ache that tells me it’s still not ok. I worry about trying to build it up with that ache. I worry that the swelling will just come back. It’s likely that the niggle and instability come from the site of the fracture itself and that there is some remaining defect in the bone on the weightbearing end of the femur causing the wobble and ache. If that’s the case I’m worried that it’s not now going to alter much and this is what I’ll be left with.

Looking at it from the glass half full point of view as far as I can I guess (even after 6 months) my recovery is still in its infancy. I can see myself not trying to run even another 1K for at least another week. Even if the bone might still improve over time it’s not going to do so over period of a few weeks and I’ll count myself lucky if I get back to any real sort of running this year.