Saw the doctor on Friday and the news is good. I don’t have any serious damage, but I do have a little arthritis and tendinitis in my right knee, along with a small amount of fluid. She gave me some exercises to strengthen my quads and abductors, and if that doesn’t work, I could get some injections of a drug called orthovisc, which lubricates the knee joint. The injections take about a month to kick in and last six months to a year, but they’re really a shortcut for someone like me, not a cure, so I’d like to try the rehab first. There are people for whom it’s the only solution, though. I hope to never be one of those, but if I keep running, it may be inevitable.
I think the rehab will work because the aggressive core and leg work I’ve already been doing, plus lots of rolling and icing, has helped a lot. I ran about 3.5 miles on Thursday and don’t have any pain. Today will be a real test: eight miles! And to make it worse, it’s been really hot, so I’ll have to drink a lot of water on the trail. Results will be posted later.