Knees up

So, remember how I was all excited about starting running? How fulfilled I felt about having a goal? How excited I was about entering that race in March?

Well, about a third of the way into my Couchto10K programme, and after buying lovely New Balance trainers, my doctor has just told me I may want to forget about the whole running thing.

You see, since I was born, I've had slightly spastic knees (and hips and elbows), in the sense that they bend slightly The Wrong Way (scientifically knows as hyperflexion, or genu recurvatum).

This is a normal range of knee
motion, apparently. Whereas mine goes
an extra 10 to 15 degrees past 0.

It's caused by ligament laxity and, long story short, can cause all kinds of problems, like bone grating on bone because my joints extend past where there's cartilage. It's also hard to fix, because ligaments, unlike tendons (which are attached to muscles), can't be strengthened or tightened or whatever, so there's no real way to correct the laxity.

Not ideal.

Not that that there's any bone-grating action happening at the moment. But in the past two weeks or so, running became somewhat painful on impact, and my interval runs became more like long limps back to the car, which is why I thought I'd consult a professional. That professional has now referred me to another professional, who seems to be Mr Uber Knee Guy at Sports Science.

Sounds like a long and expensive road, but if I ever hope to wear in my new trainers, and one day get to my 10k, I'm going to have to limp my way down it.

Meh.