That's it for Running.
Really? Really.
I was terribly wrong
Do you remember how I said last week that as a runner, you learn over the years to distinguish between a serious injury and a minor ache and pain? Well, it appears that this ability is not as well-developed in me as I had thought.
I got my MRI results, and they are as clear as they are severe: a complete tear of the inner meniscus (hey dad, you were right!)
Sounds brutal, doesn't it?
But I was also right
Interestingly, I have no pain in everyday life. In addition, my knee is fully functional. My leg can be completely bent and extended without any problems. I can only provoke pain in extreme sideways movements, such as bending forward in a cross-legged position. I can walk, cycle, probably swim (not yet tested) and otherwise continue to participate in life without crutches, splints, or a wheelchair.
A blessing in disguise, so to speak. I mention this because it is rather unusual for the type and severity of my meniscus tear. My orthopedist was also somewhat skeptical at first, but after a series of mobilization exercises he realized that my knee is not as bad as he had suspected.
Let's be conservative
This realization is very helpful because it makes the decision about the therapy method much easier. I will treat the meniscus tear conservatively. If the situation does not improve or even worsens, I can still book an appointment for surgery.
Harsh truths
Despite this moderately positive aspect of my injury, two things are absolutely certain:
I have a serious, albeit not particularly exciting injury
I definitely can't run for many weeks, if not months
How quickly things can change.
The moment of misfortune…
…doesn’t exist.
It's almost a little sad to say, but I didn't fall or trip or get hit in the knee with a pickaxe. There just wasn't that one moment.
About halfway into my last run through the beautiful Bavarian Alps, my knee started to hurt. I'm sure I stumbled over one or two roots during the run and I definitely had to use jerky leg movements to keep my balance, it was a rather technical trail. But none of these shocks felt any more painful than the solid 3/10 (remember my pain scale... #burningalive) I had for the entire second half of the run. I also didn't experience the famous “pop” that you supposedly hear when your meniscus tears.
And yet, it was my last run. The next week, I abandoned two pathetic attempts to do a couple of strides after just a few seconds.
The bad omens
Watch out, it gets even more dramatic. Although this is typical for knee injuries, I have not – I repeat: not – run for weeks or months with knee pain. Unlike the rest of my wrecked body, my knees have never caused me any problems. So I can't say that I provoked this total loss through ignorance or negligent misconduct.
I wish it were so, though. Then the question of guilt would be clearly resolved and the “I've learned something from this” effect would be many times greater.
The way my injury presented itself to me screams: tough luck.
Age is more than just a number
But the truth also is that at 45 I'm no longer a particularly young runner. The MRI revealed that my meniscus is already showing the first signs of age-related degeneration, which will make a tear very likely sooner or later. But the knee is a highly complex flux capacitor (google it) with dozens of different components that ensure mobility, strength and stability. This means that the knee is perfectly capable of adapting to a damage or new situation. However, how quickly this happens and how resilient it is in the long run is another matter.
Eyes front!
As you can see, a lot of dangerous half-knowledge, a little hope, a pinch of concern, a lot of uncertainty and no way of planning the next few weeks and months. But I’ll get through it. Like so many before me and so many after me. I see you.
I’ll get through it. Like so many before me and so many after me.
One thing is for sure: I will run again someday. And in the meantime, I'm sure I'll think of something else to do with the time I've freed up. My buddy Geert swears by chess. We'll see.
Everything Not Running
There is nothing more “not running” than cycling.
Cycling. Not a bad idea in itself, but in the end it's always the last resort when running is not an option.
I could go on for hours about why I think running is better than cycling, but that would be biting the hand that currently feeds me.
Right now, I'm just happy that I have this opportunity, and I'm excited for many small and large bike trips.
I would be truly grateful for tips in the greater Munich area and the Kingdom of Bavaria.
Got the same diagnosis 8 weeks prior ZUT last year, run/hiked it without pain though. Biggest learning: minimal running shoes don‘t allow shitty landings, helped me a lot to get back into running (clunky shoes lack proprioception and make it worse after a run). Plus strengthening the glutes (her lunges with weight) helped at lot for building a muscle armour. Right now I only feel a little pinch when doing cross-legged sitting for along time - it is hard getting old, the shock absorbers are wearing out.
All the best Chris, 100% sure you be running again soon! 🤟🏻
Sorry to hear this.
When I was 46, at the peak of training for my first ultra and feeling fitter than ever before, I snapped my ACL while playing soccer with my son. The ligament was completely severed, and the doctors said surgery was required. I opted out of that and rehabbed it instead, and I was a stronger runner after than before. Your injury is different, so this might not apply, but I continued to run through my recovery (I was already a few years into a streak of running at least one 10-miler every week, and I kept that streak). (I wrote about it here: https://www.rushofitall.com/posts/rehab-without-acl-surgery).
Anyway, there is nothing wrong with biking, and it sounds like you have a good plan. But also, just because they say you shouldn't run doesn't necessarily mean that you can't run (and over and over, I find that running fixes things). Good luck.