Vitamin injuries

In an effort to try and be a little more healthy, and being aware that, despite my best efforts I just don’t eat enough ‘green’ stuff, I’ve started taking multi-vitamins. One a day, it says, for 100% RDA of… well lots of things which are all good for you. That’s what it says on the tub, Asda own brand, do you know how expensive these things are? I’m not made of money you know, need to keep some cash aside for the gardener.

So I’m watching what I eat, taking multi-vitamins, drinking plenty of water and trying to cut down on the caffeine intake. In saying that, my caffeine intake isn’t really that high, not when you compare it with some of the numpties out there. Ohh “numpties” is a great word, isn’t it, and is currently being used in an advert for car insurance.

Where was I?

Ahh yes, with a 5K this Sunday and two more 10Ks to come in before the end of October, I’m trying to lose a little more weight and be a little more healthy. My body is a temple and all that, although currently it feels like I’m carrying a big barrel of water in front of me whilst I run, a bit too flibbedy-flobbedy for my liking. Not so much a temple but an imitation of buddha perhaps. I’ve been plodding on as best I can but have had to stop.

I’m injured. I’m trying not to add 2 and 2 to make 7 but it DOES coincide with when I started taking the multi-vitamins…

Now being injured is not a new experience for me, be it a broken foot, torn ankle ligaments, dodgy back, etc etc. There has rarely been a year gone past without me ending up crocked or, at worst, in plaster. Well there HAD rarely been a year gone past until last year. I started this jogging thing in July 2006 and 366 days later (ok, maybe not exactly).. well you can guess what happened. A twinge on the outside of my left knee got worse and worse and forced me to stop (Lateral Collateral Ligament I think).

That was last Wednesday and I rested up until last night figuring that would be long enough.

I was wrong.

All of 15 mins into a very gentle jog and I had to phone Louise to come and pick me up. Ohh the humiliation.

So don’t mind me, I’m a little down and hacked off as, previously, any time I’ve tried to “get into exercise” this is the point where I lose interest and give up.

But I’m determined that won’t happen again, not this time. No way. Not now. Not after all that bloody work, not after all the runs in the teeming rain, the cold winter evenings running through snow and ice, the balmy summer evenings that leave me drained and exhausted.

But most of all I’m not giving up because I want to relive the few highs I achieved, those moments when I forget I was running and the world woke up before me, those moments when I felt so alive, so basic and raw. No, I’m not giving that up.

No way.

Written By

Long time blogger, Father of Jack, geek of many things, random photographer and writer of nonsense.

Doing my best to find a balance.

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7 comments

Question: how old are your trainers?

A couple of days rest should be okay but if it’s your ligament, you might be looking at a couple of weeks rather than a couple of days. If there’s swelling, try anti-inflammatory cream (like nurofen gel) and get yourself a tubi-grip or knee support to wear during the day. This will do two things: take some of the effort off the knee freeing the ligament/injury to repair itself while not under load and also keep the knee warm, promoting blood flow and, subsequently, healing. But when you start back running, go easy because your muscles around your knee will have weakend a little and you will need to strengthen them before going back. And when you do go back, run on grass and not road.

Oh, and don’t even think of doing a 5k this Sunday. Get your head around that now – sacrificing this one will mean you’ll be more likely to do the next two.

The disclaimer on all this is that I’m not a qualified professional, just someone with 20 years of and you should get thee to a nunnery doctor. That being said, they are normally no help at all when it comes to sports injuries. If it persists beyond a couple of weeks, get a referral to a physiotherapist or a specialist – you will want to rule out worse problems than ligaments asap.

Oh, I feel for you! Several years ago I was running, and when my knees starting hurting I pushed through it until it got so bad I couldn’t run at all. Now, I still have to take my fitness walking very carefully – every other day only, increase distances very conservatively. I really think that if I’d heeded the twinges sooner that I’d still be running. That being said, reading your blog makes me want to throw a few jogging spurts into my walking. πŸ™‚

hans says:

I dont jog, have never been to the doctor with strange ligament injuries and wont suffer from arthritis or the other injuries associated with ‘Jogging for Health’.

I do walk quite a bit, and use my bike a lot (No cars here you see) but jogging…from evrything you have posted seems to be anti-health and will probably have you in a wheelchair taking all types of medication before you should be.

Mind you in saying that a wee 80+ year old man I see every morning jogs (hes not that thin, and apart from what look like rickets hes quite happy)

I hear there is some endorphin kick from jogging, but as much as I like my endorphins, its one hell of a way to earn them…

Dragon, thanks for that. In the back of my mind the 5K was already in jeopardy. Will source a support grip thingy… thankfully no swelling just occasional twinges.

If you’re serious about your running, you should really get to a doctor and have that knee checked out.

Otherwise you could find yourself five years down the road wanting to kick yourself because you’ve permanently damaged your knee. You won’t be able to kick yourself, because your knee will be crippled, but you’ll want to.

wee sis says:

Aww Bro – you and your injuries! If I remember footie and basketball were the culprits last times?… nevermind get some rest, forget this weekend and then you’ll be raring to go the next ones! Hope you got loads of deep heat, support, painkillers and some TLC from Louise you’ll be right as rain!! x

It’s also entirely possible that I’ve tweaked it driving my mates Mini Cooper over the past week or so, the injury ‘arrived’ at the same time. Balls indeed.

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