Though it wasn’t perfectly executed, 2022 was a big running year for me.
I did three races: a half marathon, a 4-miler, and my second-ever full marathon. According to Strava, I also hit my highest-ever annual mileage: 641 miles.
I overcame a hip injury that crept up on me in 2019 with the help of a friend who specializes in running performance. She fixed my gait in a big way.
I also learned a lot about my body. For example, it turns out my arches are really high, and I should have high arch insoles in literally every shoe I wear. (The comfort difference with and without the inserts is mind-blowing, and I can’t believe I’ve been running so long without proper arch support.)
And I encountered some new issues: a bone spur (tied to the high arch realization) and poorly-timed surprise knee pain, which was later diagnosed as chondromalacia patellae (aka runner’s knee) by an orthopedic surgeon.
Heading into 2023, I am not currently running. Instead, I’m visiting a physical therapist two days a week, swimming occasionally and doing physio exercises daily.
It’s unclear what races I may decide to do in the New Year — or even when I’ll be able to run at all — but I’m feeling positive about my comeback nonetheless.
While I’m taking time off running, I want to blog about the rehab experience because runner’s knee is common in this sport. But the cause, the fix and the comeback are different for everyone. So maybe documenting this will help some other runner out there? We’ll see!
Cheers to a new year of running ✨
