I finally got an MRI of my right knee, being concerned about the "lump" I've been feeling for the past year. My orthopedist was completely unconcerned about it, dismissing it as a cyst. It only occasionally causes me any discomfort and doesn't impact my running so I guess I am not too worried about it, either. He then pointed out the slightly frayed meniscus and very minor evidence of osteoarthritis. His next words: "you should stop running". Hmph.... I think that the frayed meniscus might just as easily be an artifact of hyperextending my knee a couple of years ago while out on a trail run rather than a result of running wear-and-tear. I am stronger, better balanced and more agile, now.
The only reason I'm not running at present is the cataract surgery I had on Monday, the second of April. I have enough trouble with my eyes (thanks for giving my brother and I BB guns, Dad... I have been enjoying that particular gift for 50 years) that I am not willing to risk jarring anything or causing other problems by going out for a run till I get an OK from my opthamologist. I went out for a short walk with a weight vest the day after the surgery, and have been walking consistently since then. Hopefully after my next doctor visit on Wednesday I will be able to put in some easy miles. That will give me a couple of weeks of running till the surgery on my right eye - walk a couple of weeks then back to running in mid-May.
That shouldn't impact my plans to run Poulsbo in October too badly - I might have to look at just finishing feeling strong, rather than setting any kind of PR, but that is OK. My goals are more long-term, anyway.
