my hips the problem - not my knee!

My physio appointment was yesterday morning. The good news is that it won't cause long term damage to my knee by completing the Parish walk, however, the bad news is that the injury will take 6 weeks to fix and this will increase to a few Months after the Parish. The physio also said I'm very likely to experience pain.

The reason for my sore right knee is because when I run and walk my right hip is out of line with my knee and foot. (My right hip naturally goes to far to the right) this is putting a strain on my knee and pulling my knee cap to the right as well - which is the cause for the pain.

During physio, my knee cap did actually come out of place and this is when I can't bend my leg and I experience pain. My knee cap had to be clicked back into place and it was then fine again.

The physio also said that my leg muscles are far to tight and I need to stretch 5 times a day as well as some other exercises to try and train my body to posture myself differently when I train. When I found out was was wrong, I wondered why it had taken so long to become a problem as I have been running and walking since I can remember. I was told that my body has been able to manage as I wasn't over doing it and now I am doing so much more that I'm used to and it has taken a toll on my body. Which is very frustrating, because I'm not struggling physically. The most ironic thing is, I'd probably be in a better position for the Parish if I hadn't trained at all.

Whilst walking to the physio and back and I could feel that my knee wasn't right even though it wasn't hurting me. However, today I have walked 8 miles just by walking to town and back twice and my knee has been fine. So I seem to have good days and bad days. I'd also say that applies to my feelings as well, some days I'm really down about my knee and give up all hope, which makes me upset and other days, like today, I feel of optimistic and still believe it's possible.

I went to Tesco's with my mum today to start buying some food for the event. I'll have to hide and label the food to ensure my brothers and sisters don't eat it instead. I bought bottles of water, full fat coke and lucazade. I'm going to drink 1 bottle of water, followed by 1 bottle of diluted coke, followed by 1 bottle of water, followed by 1 bottle of diluted lucazade. (Or that's the plan) I'm diluting the drinks so that I still get the necessary energy but I'll have more intake on water. Also, alot of people suffer from sickness when you drink only energy drinks as it sits funny in the stomach.

I have been told that taking sachets of Dioralyte (which you usually take when you have sickness or diarrhoea) is also a good idea. But you have to be careful as it is a medicine. I have been advised to take it after 30 miles - (Patrick or Peel would be a good time to take it) and then every 15 miles after that. All the medicine does is help with lost water and body salts. The powder has to be diluted in 200ml of water. I am going to use a plastic bottle and measure 200 ml and draw a line with black marker so I know how much water to pour in the bottle at the time.

Other bits that I bought in Tesco was figs, salted and unsalted nuts, raisins, chocolate, jaffa cakes, ready salted crisps, chocolate digestive biscuits.

I still need to buy lots of fruit, but obviously that needs to be done a couple of days before the event. I still need to by bread rolls and fillings for them. I'll probably want cheese and ham as a filling or a jam sandwich. I'm also going to make mash potato as it is easy to eat and full of carbs.

I'm probably going to have far to much food with me but I am not failing through lack of energy caused by hunger as that is avoidable.