TIME TO GIVE IT A REST
Just for a week or so it seemed like building up to the County Cross Country Champs in early January was definitely on. But this situation with the knees just isn't going away. Reigning in that long distance stuff may have aided a moderate recovery and some days made me genuinely believe I can carefully run through it all. But this perseverance, heedless hope and ignorance has got to stop. It's time to take action with an indefinite period of no running action whatsoever.
The old leg benders need a break. Even to the most remote cavities of my brain where the act of denial is most fervently processed, this has now become the blatantly obvious truth.
The last week or two have been so up and down with my running it's been impossible to follow any routine or structure. One day I can bash out an interval session on the grass and mud or do a strong paced road run without any problems, yet another day I can barely stumble three or four miles out at plod speed. The latter seems to have been the story of the past few days. Couple tired knees with a general knackeredness, triple it with recurring backache... stepping off the hamster wheel of training has got to be for the best - if only to stop me moaning on about it as well. I'm actually really starting to bore and irritate myself by going on about my knees all the time. Give it a rest, John. Shut the frig up and do summat about it.
Ultimately the big question is whether I want to compete on the fells next year? Well of course I do. My running head remains young and hungry, despite the decaying bodywork. Let's see if some rest can patch up the rust and rot.