It is getting close to decision time about my challenge, and I need to know if my knee is recovered enough, to go for it this weekend.  I decided to test it out today.

I chose to try and do a 20 minute run on the treadmill.  My thinking was that twenty minutes would be long enough to evaluate how the knee was holding up, but not so long, as to potentially re-aggravate it.  I also chose the treadmill, to try and minimize impact on the knee while running.

I started off running and the knee was hurting quite a bit.  On a 1-10 pain scale, I would rate it as at least a five.  A minute in, and it would have been easy to just quit.  Oftentimes however, the pain reduces after a few more minutes, and that is what happened this evening.  I gritted my teeth for a while and kept running. I then found that for most of the run, I was aware of only minor pain in my knee and it was very tolerable.  I was able to complete the twenty minute run.

After the run, I iced the knee and as I write, it is feeling quite good.  The key will be, to see if there is any adverse reaction overnight.  If it still feels OK in the morning, I will make a decision about going for it this weekend.  If it is bad, I may have to stop and move beyond the challenge. 

What I did this evening was a little risky.  I wouldn’t recommend being hasty, about coming back from a minor injury.  It is usually best to fully recover, so as to avoid a relapse.  I am willing to take the risk right now however.  If it all goes wrong, I will not get to do my challenge, but I am entering the time of year, where I have plenty of time to fully recover and re-build fitness.

My fingers are crossed for the morning…