Karen writes: A week of ups and downs

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I am glad we still have a whole 10 weeks to go before our next marathon.  The last few weeks have been a bit hit and miss in terms of training, with my dodgy shoulder, Kate's brush with surgery etc.  4 weeks into my new training diary there have been a few high points, but mostly I seem to be describing more treatments than training activities.    

Unfortunately I went a bit mad last week and got over-enthusiastic about running up and down big hills, too much over too little time and this resulted in an upset left knee.  Picture from Thursday recording my pace over a 10km run - it shows what happens when the ileotibial band gives up trying and pace degenerates into a miserable hobble.  Funny how much worse it is going down a hill!


I took a couple of days off running...got that decision right.  The decision I didn't get right however was the one I made on Friday night when I picked howling small daughter up off the concrete after an un-witnessed fall. I wiggled, poked and then bandaged the offending limb, gave her a cuddle and a pat and sent her off to play.  Play she did, very happily too, until Saturday evening when I had another look, oops, broken.  Another nurse laughed when I told her and warned the child that having a nurse for a mum could be a disadvantage. Sorry small person.

So me and littlest daughter spent hours last night in town at the after hours clinic, got home late, and this morning I dragged myself up out of bed while the rest of the whanau had a much deserved sleep-in.  I headed out for a run to test the knee and while it had been hard to get up it turned out to be the most gorgeous antidote to such a dubious week. Cold and beautiful Auckland just waking up, I ran for 4km along the coast feeling the woes work themselves out. Couldn't resist stopping to take this picture at Te Puru, the footprints weren't mine, I had seen a troupe of scout-like people scuttling about wrapped in blankets and dressing gowns making tracks and squealing in the frost...I was feeling a bit wimpier than usual and didn't want to get my feet cold.  Gorgeous though isnt it?  Anyway, I managed 8km in total before stopping because of warning signs from the knee.  It feels a bit better, but I'm not going to be daft and push it to a self-destruct point like I did last week.

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