Training Log Archive: AlistairH

Easy jog with Jane. Very sore glutes. Stuggling to stretch right hamstring very far, it's not moving normally.

National XC Relays, Cumbernauld. +29.8% (+13.5% Vets, to Ray). Enjoyable run. Happy enough with that all told.

Easy run with Jane

Physio - NHS Livingston. Felt a bit guilty going to NHS physio for an injury as boring and self-inflicted as runner's knee but keen to get a proper checkup on my knee. Knee X ray taken and will see what it says next time. Poss. some signs of osteoarthritis apparent from fluid around knee, but not necessarily significant or progressive. Dynex machine says quad and hamstring strength is fine - left quads actually stronger than right now. That will be the year of quad exercises. Advice was: poor hamstring flexibility (that might be recent, I was getting 'OK' from physios a few months ago), very poor quad flexibility - major priority to fix and was given specific stretching exercise several times a day, also clams against resistance, careful of posture, and side plank - I was managing 45" and he reckoned 90" is minimum acceptable.

5 hill reps around Comely Bank. Felt ok.

Easy evening run, felt fairly good.

Physio, FASIC++. Amazingly, FASIC have still more exercises for runners' knee. Getting onto subtler things now. Two exercises based on standing on one foot with the knee bent and letting the glutes take the weight, not the quads. This seems good - defo using glutes now later in stride but on left foot it was hard to get the pressure away from the quads. Also 'fast feet', shuffling in various directions trying to balance the use of each leg. Then looking at how I was running on treadmill. Generally fine, only obvious issue not raising heels at end of stride - years of road plodding perhaps, not lifting arms equally, years of map carrying perhaps? Keep going with single leg squats, as much strength as possible there.