Physio killed the ITB, ta!

Getting my knee sorted so I can run London in 2010 is now well underway.

Had second physio session last week, and whilst still not comfortable, I'm moving a lot better.

I've spent weeks limping around, but after last a couple of sessions, and religiously stretching during the week, I've noticed a real improvement.

This session involved a few checks before heading to the hospital gym - which was old-school.

Not in the good, happening, and 'with it' way.

It was literally like an old school.

Wooden bars on walls, a box of balls that looked older than me, and the strange square-dimpled ceiling you seem to only find in public sector buildings.

First task, the wobble board.

You may remember playing on a pogo ball as a kid. It's like that but wooden, and only has the ball bit on the bottom. The idea was to balance on it, then try to do squats so you're really working your calves. I was useless at it.

Second task, back against the wall in a sort of seated position, with a ball between your knees. Hold for 10, then rise, before going back down for 10 again. Repeat 10 times. This wasnt too bad, but was surprisingly tiring by the end.

Third, standing on one leg on a step, and bending knee straight down in a sort of one-legged squat - the idea being to build up strength in the knees.

The fourth one was one of those seemingly easy things that it turns out is really hard and makes you feel like an idiot for not being able to do it.

You put your foot a few inches from a wall and then touch the wall with your knee, keeping the heel flat on the floor. Repeat 10 times, then move the foot back a bit and repeat. You keep moving back until you've reached the limit, then you switch to the other one.

Sounds simple, but my right foot was rubbish - the whole leg was shaking when I tried to do it. When I tried with my left it still wasn't brilliant, but it must have been a good two inches further away than the right.

The last one was stretching the hamstrings. I had to lie down, stretch a leg up straight then she stood supporting it and I had to push it back down as hard as I could for 10 seconds. Then you raise it a bit more, and push again. Then a bit more, and push again.

That hurt, but it was fun trying to knock her over after I was aching - not sure that's the best relationship to have with a physios, but it's working so far!

After all these there was a conversation which I'll go into more later, but for the now I've got to do these exercises every day and so far I've been doing pretty well!

Which is surprising for me as I find the whole thing really boring. Just gotta keep the goal of arriving injury-free at Greenwch Park next April in mind.