I told my physio this today when I saw her. After an examination she said she was convinced it was better than it was three weeks ago and told me to do ten miles on a bike with my knee strapped up. She thinks, and I am highly sceptical about this, that there's a possibility that it's partly psychological - a bit like an amputee who can still feel "phantom pain" in a part of the body that's been removed.
I got the Boardman out yesterday with a view to doing this and did a fairly flat, very local route but it started to rain after about 5 miles so I came straight back. But I strapped the knee up again today, got the Boardman out and obeyed physio's orders with a 10.8 mile fairly random, very level and again very local route.
Not quite sure what to think - I didn't experience any difficulties doing the ten miles. The legs do hurt a bit now - but I can still take the stairs two at a time, which I couldn't do a few weeks ago. I reckon I have a combination of injuries, one causing more superficial pain. Anyway my physio says that it should "settle down" in 24 hrs. I don't think it's a setback. So - fingers crossed, I'm making progress.
I'd love to do a Twycross tomorrow - just a short one, 21 miles in the warm sunshine. But I think it would be unwise.
I wonder if I'll ever be able to do that 200 miles I promised myself. I often think of the last few miles of the ride to Norfolk and back that I did a year ago. As I leaned against a lamppost in Peggs Green, taking a breather four miles from home, cold, weary and tired, my legs having propelled me 175 miles since 05:37 that morning - I asked myself if I could do another 25 miles, to make it a round 200. It was just about the last thing I wanted and the prospect of doing another 4 was bad enough.
But I could have done it. A half hour break, a couple of gels and some food. I could have got 'er indoors to bring some warmer clothing out. I still had enough presence of mind to plan a reasonably painless 25 miles from where I was. I didn't.
