No running by the pool

We all know not to run by the pool. But that’s exactly what I did on holiday in Spain back in October. I slipped, smashed the underside of my right kneecap against the edge of a step, twisted my left foot underneath me, and bruised (broke?) the second toe on my left foot. Idiot.

The pain was vibey for a good while. I couldn’t bend my right leg without groaning, which made the three-day drive home fun. But it started to ease off. Eventually, walking up the stairs didn’t make me wince. The doctor said it’d get better with rest, which is tough when Hyko needs two hours of walking each day.

Naturally, I stopped running throughout all of this. But as the pain subsided in December, I picked it up again. My knee didn’t hurt while I was running but it would ache like heck afterwards, particularly when I was doing nothing except sitting on the sofa. And after two months of not running — the longest break I’ve had since I started almost ten years ago — it was getting pretty annoying.

I saw the doctor again in late December. They recommended an ultrasound scan. So now I’m waiting for a letter from the hospital (it takes a month) with a suggested appointment. Who knows when that’ll be.

I’ve seen so many people running around the neighbourhood recently. Maybe it’s a new year thing. Or the start of spring marathon training. Either way, it’s made me jealous. My knee’s not really hurting so much now, just some occasional aches, so I did a gentle morning 5k with Hyko yesterday and today. My knee doesn’t feel too bad. It also doesn’t feel right.

I really wish I hadn’t run by the pool.

P.S. Here’s a cool sign from Valencia. It has loads of paths that are designated specifically for runners, not cyclists.

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