Last week was “Back in the Game?”
There was a question mark.
This week, I think we can remove it.
Not because I suddenly became fast. And certainly not because my knee and I have signed a long-term peace treaty.
We have simply moved from rehab negotiations to regular employment.
The knee has reported for work.
For now.
Boring Is Beautiful
Tuesday was simple: warm up, one hour Zone 2, go home.
After the 0.82 km warm-up, I covered 10.3 km in the planned hour.
Wednesday was even slower: a proper Zone 1 recovery run, average HR just 101.
Thursday: repeat prescription — warm-up, another hour of Zone 2, cool-down.
Nothing dramatic happened.
Which was exactly the point.
After weeks of wondering whether your knee will swell again, you discover something profound:
Boring is beautiful.
Saturday: Back to Work
Last week’s HM-specific session had 8 km at 4:49/km.
This week:
4.94 km @ 5:18/km
Then:
4 km @ 4:494 km @ 4:454 km @ 4:42
There was an unscheduled five-minute break in between because I met a few runner friends.
Running has a physiological principle not mentioned in any training manual:
When runners meet runners, running stops and talking starts.
Ignoring that social interval, the HM-specific work was 12 km in 57:03 — 4:45/km average.
More importantly:
4:49 → 4:45 → 4:42.
Last week: 8 km @ 4:49.
This week: 12 km averaging 4:45, with the fastest block last.
That’s progress.
Not Instagram progress.
Not “six weeks ago I couldn’t walk and today I qualified for the Olympics” progress.
Just boring runner progress.
A little more distance.
A little more speed.
A little more control.
From Rehab to Training
The biggest change isn’t pace.
A few weeks ago, before every workout, the question was:
“Will the knee allow me to do this?”
Now it is becoming:
“What training should I do?”
Those are very different questions.
The knee hasn’t disappeared. It now has permanent membership of the Board of Directors and retains veto rights over particularly stupid ideas.
But it is no longer the CEO.
The November HM is getting closer. The Feb FM remains further down the road.
Last week:
Back in the Game?
This week:
Back to Work.
And as every 50+ employee knows, once you’re back at work, the first priority is simple:
Don’t do anything stupid enough to get sent back on medical leave. 😄
