Had a nice 17-day vacation in Bangkok (as well as Koh Samui and Hua Hin) visiting my daughter and her husband. Ate far too much, but only gained about 2kg, less than I expected.
I didn't get the muscle tear in Bangkok, rather, I diagnosed it there. This was the calf issue that I suddenly got on June 29th. I finally realized that it was more than just a cramp/strain and had to be a tear. Minor I think, but a tear nonetheless, and therefore it's wise not to run until it heals — another two weeks?
As for the knee, I went to a hospital in Bangkok with a good sports clinic. They did an MRI and the doctor showed me that I have a tear in the meniscus. Not plica syndrome as I had thought (hoped). Also some cartilage wear, which may be causing pain as well. Arthroscopic surgery can fix the tear (which is not large), but not the wear. If I do nothing, the tear does not heal on its own.
The surgery in Bangkok would be surprisingly expensive, so I opted not to have it done. Once I start running again, I'll decide what to do. Not having run for 3 weeks, I have no pain in the knee and almost no inflammation. That is, it looks almost, but not quite, the same as the other one.
Met Marty (One Man Running Club) twice in Bangkok; the first time we went to a New Zealand fish restaurant, the second time he took me, my wife and daughter to a really good Arabian restaurant. He was confident about the Pattaya Marathon, and he came through with a perfect run, as most of you have probably read about.
So I had a setback on the "Kenyan-thin" program, but made progress on the "Kenyan-tan" side. The Kenyan speed is not there yet, either. By the end of August, I plan to be pretty good in all three areas.
Good running,
Bob
7 hours ago
