26miler.com

I actually started taking up running about 2 months ago. Back then, I know very little about running and running injuries. It was just running as long as I felt like and pushing to go the extra kilometer. I ignored the pain, thinking it will go away after a while.

It was 2 weeks after I started running when I felt a growing pain after each time I ran. It did not go away. So, I went to my family doctor who advised me to see a physio therapist. Oh, he also told me to stay off running and he seem very determined that I stop doing what I was doing. After all, he said, I am reaching my mid-40s very soon. He he he … I kept quiet and did not tell him of my desire to do the marathon.

I had never been to a physiotherapist before and was a bit skeptical what they could do. But after 4 weeks of therapies and lots of prescribed exercises at home, amazingly the pain went away. I used to hear cracks and felt a sharp pain on my knee cap each time I straighten my legs from a bent position. I also can feel grind under the knee cap too. That had almost all gone away. My last therapy was Thursday last week where I could do easily a 4 sets 3-min run plus 1-min walk on the treadmill.

The Physiotherapist put me on a 5-week run/walk program which I felt was too easy. She also told me NOT to think about doing something like a marathon and was even saying that the 10K Sun Run is a bit too much for a person like me.

Well, guess what … I am stubborn. I am going to prove my family doctor AND my physiotherapist wrong. I am still going to try to do it but I had learned one very important thing about running … and that is … the most important thing for me is to NOT get myself injured. In other words, it is more important for me to get to the STARTING line first than to think about the FINISHING line.

I felt great. As a matter of fact, today I did 7 sets of slow 3-min run 1-min walk. I felt my fitness level is a lot better these days compared to when I first started.

Tell me … am I foolish to aim for the marathon with a problem knee like that?

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