My over used ligaments - an anticlimax story

"No fracture, but probably due to overuse" - This is the cause given by the doctor here about my knee pain issues. Its funny because I am just 28 and haven't really abused or overused my legs that much.

For the last couple of months I was training hard to participate in the Oxfam Trailwalker Japan 2011 - a 48 hour 100 km walk over some beautiful hiking trails in the Mount Fuji area. I was not fat, but was not fit either. I walked a lot,ate less and pushed myself to build my stamina. I graduated from 5 KM walks home to 16 Km walks around the imperial palace. I could not run or jog like all those hundreds going around the imperial palace, but I sure hoped that one day I could. On our practice walks for the event, we did a 28 KM and a more recent 54 KM walk - I did them both with just one issue that I could not continuously climb mountains. But I was making progress.

Yesterday, this whole affair has an anti-climax when I had to drop out of the event after just 18 KM due to a stinging pain in my knees. The day started well with us four going to the track and field at Odawara - the day was bright and sunny and hydration was the only thing on our mind. I was sure I would slow down somewhere on the walk but was looking to complete the thing in about 30 hours. By the time we got to the start of the uphill trail I had a strange feeling in my knee. I pushed on and in fact walked to the top of that 600m hill without stopping much on the way. I probably stopped once for a 30 sec break. Walked downhill from the top and started the next 800m climb and did it with a surprising amount of stamina and did not stop at all on most of the uphill bits. But then, 70% into it, the knee started to hurt with each step. And then from the ankle up to the knee along the side. What the fuck! By the time I got to the checkpoint at 18 KM, I was trailing my teammates by 300 meters and unable to catch up and a stinging pain on each step.

I probably became the only guy in the history of Oxfam to give up at that early stage!

I had to withdraw, but I decided to help the support crew. And when I saw my teammates today morning at the 80Km check point making good time and looking to beat the 30 hour mark, I did feel jealous and depressed at the same time.

I got into the train home and to my horror that by the time I had to get down after the 1 hour train ride, my knees were locked and paining. Dropped off my stuff at home and went to the hospital - thankfully no fracture but a damaged ligament or to put it in the words of the doctor, overused ligaments. I am told to rest and cool my knees for a few weeks.

Wasn't the kind of ending I was looking for to this event - but life gives you a bouncer every now and then.