Saturday 9 April 2011

Kn'update

Back to the physio with the knee. ITB much better but knee still sore. With the ITB now more free, much easier to pinpoint other stuff that's going on. For one thing I have an inflamed "fatty pad." Sweet, Jesus did a diagnosis ever have a more insulting name? Basically it's all about a blob of fat (the Hoffa pad) that acts like a mini shock absorber in the knee, mine has got all out of sorts and unhappy and isn't doing it's job properly. Added to that my knee cap isn't tracking correctly, it's pulling to the outside of my leg, this is partly due to my overly tight ITB yanking it that way and the fact that the muscle on the inside of my leg (the VMO) is too puny for words so isn't stopping the knee cap from heading left. All this is made worse by the fact I have a weak core which lets my pelvis swing and my legs slop about in any old way they fancy.

I have some freaky pelvis exercises to do, a recommendation to continue with the yoga or start some pilates. Work on my core. Stretch a LOT. Do squats. Continue losing weight. The elephant in the room is the word "rest" we've been stepping round for it for the moment. I'm not totally sure where all this leaves me right now regarding running the Fling.

Fucking knees. Argument against intelligent design or creation if there ever once, such a poor set up can only have evolved, no way would anybody start from scratch and come up with such a bag of spanners.

4 comments:

kate said...

on the positive side it sounds like you've got a brilliant physio, lots of good advice and exercises.... a couple of weeks rest isn't going to stop you doing the fling BUT... there's no shame in waiting til next year. it's rubbish not being able to run and i'm generally rubbish at giving/accepting advice, but having spent nearly 6months not running due to knee problems that i no doubt caused by not listening to a brilliant physio.... there are other ultras, what about the devil in august?

Julbags said...

I have VMO problems too, which is weird considering all the cycling I do, pro cyclists VMO's are normally huge. I've had to do the one legged squats with bands and could probably do with doing them again really. I get away with it at the moment as I'm not running much but if my legs are tired I can feel my left leg flopping a bit when runnign due to the VMO not doing its job.

I've found swimming is helping my core a bit but again could do more in that respect so your not alone. Cycling lets you away with so much.

Julbags said...

As for the Fling...I have a rule: "don't mess with your knees".

Anonymous said...

Knees do seem to be a rubbish design too easily pulled this way or that, in the 'middle' and at the mercy of what's any arguments going on either side.

I think the key word along with those exercises (whispers) may be rest . I know it's a hateful word but if things are inflamnmed and cross...