Week in review July 30-Aug. 5: A good start before some knee pain and days off

Not terrible, considering.

The week started off pretty well – I had taken Monday off work and gone for a quick outdoor bike ride for the first time in forever. Even though I was eventually rained out, it was good to be back in the saddle for even a short time.

The rain continued Tuesday and I did my run on the treadmill after work (I had gone to barre before work). My treadmill belt needs to be tightened, and the occasional jerk has aggravated my knee in the past, but I told myself I would be super careful and cut it short if I had any pain. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and considered the run a success.

On Wednesday I hit the bike trainer, even though I was exhausted. I pushed a bit harder than usual, hitting my longest fake mileage in my usual “45 minutes and then round up to the quarter mile” routine. My knee felt a little uncomfortable but nothing out of the ordinary, again, I thought.

Thursday was hot but I didn’t notice any pain in my knee when I did my walk/run. So it was weird when my knee started to bother me on Friday. My treadmill run Tuesday and the ride Wednesday might have aggravated it, but why wait until Friday? A friend was hosting an event that evening so it was a good excuse to take the day off, anyway.

Saturday morning my husband and I took the dogs out together (I usually take them out one at a time) and that kicked off Full Canine Freakout Mode. They get so excited when we all go for a walk together, because surely the four of us are going to the park, or the butcher shop, or squirrel hunting, or garbage diving, or on some other Great Adventure. They would not stop pulling and the motion was absolutely killing my knee. I was in no condition to do much of anything active after that and instead worked in the garden for a few hours and lounged by the pool later (without swimming any actual laps).

Sunday I tested my knee with easy, SEPARATE dog walks and my knee felt OK, so I dragged my husband out for an easy, early morning wog afterward. The first running interval felt a bit uncomfortable but it was fine after that! Hooray! I went about my day like usual, so I was surprised when my knee got super stiff while doing food prep later. I had been doing food prep (standing at the counter on my hardwood floor) when it seized up to the point of non-weight bearing pain in November. I am always a little cautious now, and had been wearing cushioned shoes, but I think I need to order that anti-fatigue mat. I was able to loosen it up with some stretches and gentle knee bends.

I’m not sure what to make of this. I definitely can’t walk my dogs when they are pulling and being crazy, but did the treadmill run contribute? And why didn’t my knee get inflamed immediately after a tougher-than-usual bike ride, if that was the cause? I’m confused. I really don’t want to go back to my orthopedist if I don’t have to, but maybe it is time to consider chicken cartilage and other next steps.

In spite of the knee drama, I did do:

Run/walk: Three times, twice on the road and once on the treadmill, for 11.55 miles in about 2:35. I’m pretty sure this is my highest mileage since I started back ever so slowly in May.

Bike: Twice, once on the road for 11 miles and once on the trainer for 8.75 fake miles, for about 1:42 total.

PT/rehab: Only twice for about 1:15. Honestly, once my knee started hurting I didn’t know if PT would help or harm.

Weights: One barre class for about an hour.

Total: 8 sessions in about 6.5 hours. Still not terrible, considering.

I'm glad I got anything done, and I'm happy I was able to get in three solid runs. The week was not without success. Hopefully I can have another solid week this coming week without any knee pain.