Hello again to all you Runnerslife fans out there. My most sincere apologies for not blogging over the past few months. Its been one of the most difficult times in my running career to date. As any athlete will know, suffering any injury can be one of the most frustrating and distressing times in a runners life, pardon the pun!

Unfortunately, I tore the medial meniscus (cartilage) in my right knee. Unaware of the severity of the problem it took over 3 weeks to be brought to my attention and get properly diagnosed by a Dr and physio. Within that 3 weeks of having the injury I ran a half marathon and represented GB in the Great North City Games. That just sums me up, never know when to stop!

The problem was confirmed as a complex meniscal tear. Initially i assumed it was a simple ligament strain which not only shows naivety to injury but highlights the typical stubbornness in runners to not know when to hold back. The only solution for this type of injury was to go ahead with an Arthroscopy, which is commonly known as key hole surgery. Finally aware of exactly what was causing the pain and inflammation to my knee, it was then a race against time to get this problem fixed. First was to have an MRI scan in order to be referred to a specialist who who could complete the surgery. Naturally wanting a good surgeon asap was the ideal scenario. Luckily, I was referred to one of the best knee surgeons in the country, with a great reputation, based at the QMC in Nottingham. After a consultation, to my surprise I had the operation within a week.

Unable to run for approximately 2 months i had to revert to doing as much non weight bearing exercise as i could manage without aggravating the problem. The best form of cardiovascular training for a knee injury was cycling so i was spending up to 2 hours almost every day in the gym cycling, cross training and also working on my core stability. Although slightly frustrating it was also a fun change from just running with an ipod to keep you company, i was able to socialise at the same time and meet a few interesting characters. 

Now 3 weeks after the surgery i am jogging up to 40 minutes and continuing with the rehabilitation phase of the injury. My aims at the moment are to gain full range of movement and the strengthen the muscle groups around the knee. I should be back into full training after a total of 6 weeks build up to sessions. For the next few weeks my daily routine consists of wobble board squats with a ball, static drills and other loading exercises to help speed up the recovery process.

Realistically my first race will be the National cross country at the end of February. I cant wait to get back out their and feel the mud under my feet!