Good morning – if I’ve finally resolved my scheduling related issues – and happy(?) Monday. I hope that whoever reads my latest training update had an amazing weekend. Although not volunteering at my local parkrun felt strange, I still had a reasonably enjoyable weekend.

After receiving some what can only be described as negative feedback, I briefly debated publishing this post. Apparently my blogs are predictable, boring and no one reads them. If you’re reading this, I’m sorry you dislike my blog so much.

Week 11 of my Couch to Half Marathon training plan looked like this.

While the training sessions all looked achievable, I was a little concerned that my niggly knee would prevent me from running. The failed attempts the previous week had knocked my confidence and I was starting to feel like an ex runner.

So, how did I find the eleventh week of my Couch to Half Marathon training? Did my niggly right (and occasionally left) knee prevent me from training? Did I use my exercise bike? Did I avoid the office lurgy?

Monday – Rest

This is getting a little predictable, but my working week got off to a relaxed start as, thanks to a CBT appointment, I was able to work from home. After working for an organisation which encourages its employees to maintain a good work-life balance, I’m going to struggle if I find myself without a job when my contract comes to an end next year. I’m going to have to keep a closer eye on the internal jobs board next year. There’s not a lot more I can say about Monday.

Except for the walk to and from my CBT session, my rest day was most definitely what I’d describe as restful and constructive. I even found time to prepare my meals for the rest of the week.

Tuesday – 30 mins cross training

Once I’d recovered from a slightly stressful commute – have I mentioned how much I hate trains? – I managed to have an incredibly productive day in the office. I responded to several tricky technical hydrology queries and got my work emails back under control. I don’t think I’ve ever sent 83 work emails in a day, it must have been some sort of record.

My ‘let’s get shit done Emma’ mode continued when I got home. As my right knee was still what I can only describe as niggly, I decided to switch my interval and cross training sessions. I got changed into some gym gear got on my exercise bike and started peddling. Can someone explain to me why 30 minutes on an exercise bike feels like 30 hours? I find peddling away on an exercise incredibly boring and, quite literally, bum numbing.

I just hope that my right knee stops playing the random niggle game ASAP! If it doesn’t, I may have to buy myself a proper bike and risk getting squished by the dodgy drivers in Four Oaks.

Wednesday – 30 mins cross training

I had a training course in Birmingham which meant one thing; I could potentially treat myself a sneaky midweek lie-in. I’m a dedicated runner, so I set my alarm for 6:00am so I could complete my interval session before heading into Birmingham. Well, that was the theory, the fact my right knee hurt as soon as I got out of bed meant that the reality was a lie-in.

The training course was far, far more positive than my recent Hydraulic Theory and Maths and Stats courses. I was most definitely back in my larger than recommended comfort zone and enjoyed the day. While I found the training course enjoyable, I did not enjoy the short detour a group of us made through the German Market on the way back to the train station.

The market stalls we walked past looked uninspiring and appeared to be selling the same knickknacks at vastly inflated prices as in previous years. Like virtually every Brummie I know, I won’t be making a special effort to attend the German Market. I got home and enjoyed(?) another thrilling 30-minute session on my exercise bike. The rest of the evening was a mixture of blogging, online shopping for Christmas presents, cooking and eating. I like to be positive and believe that running injury related miracles can and do happen, so I laid out my running gear before I headed to bed.

Thursday – Rest

 Thursday started with yet another failure on the early morning running front. When the sound of rain hammering against my bedroom window woke me at 4:30am, I knew I wouldn’t be running in the morning. Much as I love running in the rain, I’m not a fan of running when it’s dark, wet and windy and I have a full day in the office. Moan, moan, moan. Rather predictably given the weather conditions, the journey into the office wasn’t straightforward. My second train was so delayed, in an attempt to distract myself from the cold, I spent time trying to capture the gloom of Birmingham.

Once I made it into the office I had a very productive day. This meant that I actually felt like I’d achieved something and was able to head home in a positive mood. The journey back home was relatively straightforward and following a wet walk from the station, I stepped through my front door just before 5:00pm. Unfortunately, my right knee felt so painful during the 15-minute walk, I knew that even attempting to run would be stupid.

Friday – Rest

Thanks to some train cancellations, I decided to work from home. I spent the morning writing up my mid-year review and the afternoon finishing off some technical assessments. Work for the week completed, I closed down my work laptop, switched off my work mobile and spent an enjoyable hour researching – i.e. finding working discount codes – and buying presents for my niece and nephew. I’m starting to feel a bit more organised. While most people probably spent their Friday evening out and about, I spent mine catching up on Holby City and chilling out.

I think the highlight of my Friday was finding out I’d been nominated in the 2020 Running Awards personal blog category. If you like my blog, please consider voting for me here 😉

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

I woke up with an impressive tension headache; clearly, my body doesn’t like it when I have a lie-in on a Saturday. I must admit that not volunteering at parkrun did feel a little strange. I hadn’t put my name down to volunteer as I was meant to be taking part in the Birmingham MoRun. Unfortunately, thanks to my job, I had to work for a few hours so wasn’t able to take part in MoRun. Seeing all the photos gave me some serious #FOMO

Once I’d finished number crunching, I decided to have a ‘getting shit done’ type of afternoon. I listed and sold some more of my unwanted running gear online, spent a couple of hours in the garden and responded to some blog related emails. I then did my best Challenge Anneka impression and ran-walked to the local Post Office with my parcels. Parcels dropped off, I collected part of my nephew’s Christmas present from Sainsbury’s and then a bottle of over-priced gin for my step-father from Waitrose.

My attempt at a peaceful and quick pint in my local failed as a couple of old school friends spotted me trying to hide away in a corner.

Sunday – Rest

This weekly update is rapidly turning into an essay so I’ll keep my update of Sunday short and hopefully to the point. My day featured housework, shopping in Sutton Coldfield, more housework, an afternoon nap, and more work. I decided not to run in order to give my knee a bit more time to recover. Week 11 can only really be described as a bit of a disaster.

Week 12 of my Couch to Half Marathon training plan looks a little beyond my current fitness levels, just looking at the plan makes my right knee twinge in anticipation. If I struggle during the first interval session, I may have another go at Week 11.

Training totals

• Runs: 15
• Time: 9 hrs 36 mins
• Distance: 49.54 miles

Niggleometer

• Right knee: 6/10
• Left knee: 5/10
• Right foot: 2/10

Did you have a good weekend? Hopefully most people didn’t get called into work over the weekend.

Does anyone have any tips, exercises, magic potions they can recommend for getting rid of irritating and persistent knee niggles? Can you tell my right knee is beginning to frustrate me? I’ve been doing all the strengthening exercises my physio gave me but if anything, my knee is feeling more niggly.

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