It’s been 5 years since i had knee surgery for a torn meniscus and cartilage damage in my right knee.
A simple operation. Longstanding consequences.
Before my knee problems I would look at the sign in the picture below (in Highgate Woods) and say; “Hmm, do i feel like going left to crystal palace, or right to crystal palace?”! The distance was completely irrelevant.
Then the knee started playing up, and I would look at the same sign and say; “I wish I could just run home from this sign….” which was only a mile from my house!
Then after the knee operation I would look at the sign and said; “F** me, did I used to run that much??”
and then………. I rediscovered two old friends that i hadn’t seen in a long time…… Food and Alcohol! These old friends helped me get heavier and less and less fit…….. and then i would look at the sign and say; “What sort of idiot runs crazy distances like that?”
I heard myself even agreeing with patients who stated that running wasn’t good for the human body! This was the sorry state i had got myself into because, of course, running is a really healthy pastime!
I realised that I had started to get depressed.
I also remembered that the reason i had started to run in the first place was to battle my natural tendency towards depression, and to lose weight.
So I decided to get fit again, and run all 47 of the ParkRuns in London
Partly, but not quite in Alphabetical order!
I promised myself that I would also adhere to three simple rules which i knew would give me an additional boost both psychologically with being committed and organised, and would also help me lose weight and get fitter quicker, and avoid injury!
Rule #1 – No eating between meals. Not too difficult.
Rule #2 – No alcohol for 5 days a week. A little harder. I needed a carrot that was more than just the old boring “its good for your health”. I decided that for every day that i didnt drink i would put £5 into a jar…… here it is!
Rule #3 – Take it easy. Only 3 runs a week. Two easy for 30 minutes, and one parkrun a bit faster, but still within my relatively comfortable limits. I don’t want to f*** up the knee again!
So the first ParkRun i decided to run was Ally Pally on Saturday 21st April……….
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