knee pain

I'm afraid this post isn't going to be as positive today.



One aspect I didn't mention in my last post - re the IOM walking festival, is the fact that my knee did hurt at times . I used 2 walking poles and painkillers to get through it. I forgot to mention it because I honestly thought that my knee only hurt due to the uneven grounding. (Something I wouldn't experience in the Parish)



I was very surprised when I first experienced the pain on the first day. We had only a few miles to go and mum had a pain killer to give me. I honestly thought it was due to the uneven ground because before then, my knee never hurt whilst walking. It only hurt when running and after running for a couple of days.



This is why I haven't been running recently. I want my knee to get better or at least not get worse, but it's horrible, I hate not being able to put my running trainers on when ever I want. It's what I love doing, especially after a stressful day at work or if your angry or upset about something.



Anyway, everyday last week whilst walking in the IOM walking festival, I experienced pain in my knee at least once, but I was able to walk through it. I used 2 walking poles to ease the pressure off my knee and took a pain killer, which did the trick.



Since then I walked to Kirk Michael via Peel (after firstly walking to dancing followed by 2 hours of dancing) and on Bank holiday Monday, I walked home from Kirk Michael via Injebreck which is the shortest route. Both times my knee started hurting after the 10 mile mark and on Monday, it hurt more. This is when I really started worrying because my knee hadn't bothered me whilst walking on road, like I said, it was only when running.

However, something I have been avoiding is walking to fast because I can feel my knee when walking to fast as well. I just stick to a very comfortable 4 miles an hour, I think a lot of this was actually subconscious. Also, since my knee injury I think I have been walking a bit funny, something I haven't noticed until now. It was actually my mum and work colleagues noticing it. I think I was walking on it funny because I'm aware of my knee and I'm scared of hurting it, but, I'm probably not doing any favours by walking funny on it. Right now, I'm conscious of every step I do as my knee even hurts walking around the house.



I think it is probably best if I don't train anymore, I'm prepared as much as I can be, I have been out walking regularly since December 08. This is why I'm even more annoyed at the situation. I have trained, I have been eating healthy and I been keeping myself fit, I've been hardening my feet to help prevent blisters, but this knee injury is out of my control. I am able to walk through horrendous blisters, muscle pain and chaffing - I've done it before, I don't know how, but I manage it by putting the pain to the back of my mind and keeping positive. But this knee injury is a different type of pain, when it gets really bad I physically can not walk on it or my whole leg will give way and I will fall to the floor.

The sort of pain I am experiencing now or after 10 miles over the weekend is manageable as long as it doesn't get worse, it will probably slow me down, make the whole experience not as pleasant and probably make the knee even worse but I could cope with it. However, the likely hood is that the pain will get worse and worse for every mile I walk.

If this knee does stop me from completing the Parish I'll be so upset because it's not only the Parish walk that I have to do all over again, it's the training as well. I've worked out that I have walked roughly 500 miles so far. Miles that I have purposely walked in order to complete the Parish walk. On top of that, I would feel silly if I, for example only make it to Peel because of this injury and I would feel bad on those people who have given me sponsor money on the intention that I was on a mission to complete it. So I feel that I would be letting others down as well as myself, even though it is not my fault.

I really don't know what I should be doing? I think it's best not to train anymore but what about my dancing class twice a week, which I again love and don't want to miss. I don't know if dancing it doing my knee harm or not? What about walking to town and walking to meet my friends, walking to catch the bus, walking to dancing etc, it's not training because that's what I always do but I'm confused about doing to much and harming my knee and not doing anything and harming my knee.

I had an x-ray on my knee a few weeks back and nothing came of it so my next step is seeing a physio therapist which costs £48 per session. So not cheap, but it has to be done. My appointment is a week tomorrow. Lets just hope that the session helps.