Back to Running. I Hope

After 4 weeks of no running, I decided I couldn't put off running any longer.  The doctor said take 6 weeks off, but I could not wait another day.  It was only 2 miles.  Felt a lot longer.  There is still discomfort in my knee.  However, I didn't feel like it got any worse after the run, so I'm hopeful.  At least, doing stairs doesn't bother my knee as much as running.  So I think I'll be fine for the Empire State Building Run-Up.

I will own these stairs for the next month,

until the Empire State Building Run-Up.

Not What I Wanted to Hear!

So, I saw the doctor last Saturday, and he thinks I have a partially torn medial collateral ligament.  He recommended no running for 6 weeks, or another 3 weeks since I had already been sedentary for 3 weeks.  And when I start back again, to only run 2 days per week.  This was my initial reaction:

The doctor continued to talk, but all I heard was blah, blah, no running, blah, blah.  Meanwhile, I was thinking about going out and testing my knee the next day.  How was I going to be ready for the Empire State Building Run-Up in February and the Boston Marathon in April?!  So I went out and did a few stairs.  

Well, maybe a bit more than a few stairs.  Seven sets to be exact.  And then I did them again the next day.  

But the snow made me nervous.  I had visions of tearing another ligament.  I stopped after 3 sets, went back home, and had some hot chocolate instead.  

The knee held up OK.  It was a little sore, but doing stairs is easier on it than running.  

A Different Kind of Streak

Twenty-two days and counting.  That's the number of days I haven't done any kind of running.  The 60K on November 17th did something to my knee.  I thought it had gotten better a week after the race, but it only got worse when I tried running.  So I decided to take a complete break from running.  I had been avoiding the doctor because he always tells me the same thing, just take a break from running.

This past Saturday, I gave in and went to the doctor.  Surprise, surprise...he said I probably had a partially torn medial collateral ligament.  He told me to take another 3 weeks off and when I finally did start running, only run two days a week to start.  This was not good news for someone who plans to run the Empire State Building Run-Up in February and the Boston Marathon in April.

I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to stick to the doctor's recommendations.