January Jollies

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Another visit to the lovely, but evil Rebecca (sigh) for a return bout of sports physio. After the requisite torture session, in which she upped the stakes even more than last time, she gave me even more daily forms of torture to do and implemented a strapping program. That's strapping as in taping of the knee, not the strapping with a whip I hasten to make clear, although a bit of gentle flagellation would be far less unpleasant than the contortions she put me through on the table today. I'm going to wake up screaming for a week at least.

However, she did speak more words of wisdom, and even asked me about my running aspirations. She was particularly positive about breaking my own 5k and 10k times this year, and thought the Point to Pinnacle in November (21.4km from sea level up Mt.Wellington to 1270m) quite achievable - I could have hugged her at that point, but she would have put me through another contortion if I had. Beyond the half marathon she wasn't prepared to speculate, and is concerned that my left hip needs more work before committing to major distances just yet.

So, lots of work still to do, but she is being enormously positive and has told me I can safely up my long run to 10 - 12km over the next 3 or 4 weeks or so and gradually include fartlek work and some gentle hills. I then hold my weekly distances to 25 - 30km for a few weeks and reassess after that.

I guess she's not really evil. She at least apologises as she rips my tendons apart. And she has a lovely smile worth having your knee dislocated (multiple times) for.

Sigh.