Injury update

I decided that I should perhaps see a doctor about the knees (and I needed to see one anyway, to get a flu shot).

So I went and saw Mike Bowen - an NZ Academy of Sport accredited doctor who was previously the doctor for the NZ Rowing team, the Chiefs and has also worked with the All Blacks (and who has worked with cyclists).

He thinks my knee injury is not a tendon problem at all, but patellofemoral syndrome, caused by a slight biomechanical problem, with pain referring to the tendon/tibia intersection. He also said that the exercises I have been doing for the problem (lots of squats) will actually have been exacerbating it...

Oddly enough, this is the same problem I had at the start of last year and had to sort out before I could start training properly, albeit that the symptoms were different. In both cases I had a reasonable break from exercise - so, I'm starting to think that while I need an offseason, it cetainly shouldn't be too long.

So, touch wood he's right, because at least that explains why the pain ain't been going away. I also know what I need to do in terms of treatment.

Might be 6 to 8 weeks before it's sorted - in the meantime, lots of flat cycling, and maybe even run/walking. That means I'll aim for June to start training properly - plenty of time for Rotorua, and certainly plenty of time before nationals the following year.

Mike - I'll have the geekiness for you soon...