To race or not to race?

Went to see Graham the Physio yesterday. It was a slightly unnerving experience to stand there and be told (in the nicest possible way) that I had flat feet and knobbly knees and couldn't stand up straight!

After some standing on one leg, jumping up and down and Graham doodling on my leg with Biro, the verdict was that my feet were the main problem - falling inwards, they in turn make my knees turn in which irritates the iliotibial band as it passes the knee. Apparently this is not something that can be solved with a bit of a massage: the band is attached to the bone all the way down the thigh so there's not much you can do to loosen it. The solution instead is to correct my posture and knee alignment. Which sounds a lot more like hard work. I've to go back and see their foot specialist, who will probably recommend orthotics. In the meantime, lots of stretching exercises to strengthen bizarre muscles in odd places like the back of my hip, and I've to practise standing on one leg in front of the mirror.

Graham was great, and I thoroughly recommend Caledonian Physiotherapy to anyone near Edinburgh who needs a physio. Even if he did say that he didn't think my tactic of hoping that Al would just get bored half way through the marathon would pay off.

So there's nothing to stop me doing the Alloa half marathon tomorrow except the fact that neither Al nor Colin (whose idea it was and who persuaded me to sign up) have bothered to get a place! A bit disappointing since it won't be much fun to go on my own. Plus my sister is staying and I can't see her enjoying getting up at 6.30 to stand in the cold on her own for 2 hours and watch me. So I may give it a miss. Annoying though, when I have my race number stuck to the fridge all ready to go. And it cost £14! Maybe I will go on my own, just to get my money's worth. Bloody boys - that's the last time I trust them to organise anything.