So here’s the scoop. During training for college xc this past summer (2017), my knee had been feeling stiff and just generally inflamed, but didn’t think too much of it. Had one of the best summers of my life, got my 5k PR down to 16:43, then went on to have a pretty good cross season, albeit with the pain in my knee getting worse and worse. During my two weeks off, my AT advised that I not cross train and just rest in general to give the knee a rest (as I was hitting 70-80 mpw for months on end). Ended up running a 18:12 turkey trot 5k a week after starting to run again so wasn’t super discouraged with my fitness. Anyways, I kept doing PT and rehab at my school for what my AT’s thought was arthritis, which ended up not being the case later on in outdoor track (2018). Had an on and off winter, kept dropping out of races and workouts because of my knee, kept losing fitness, and just felt overall discouraged. Finally got an MRI on my knee at an ortho and was told my PCL was a pube hair away from being a grade 3 tear and that I had an immense buildup of plica and fluid in my knee. Got that scoped and reconstructed the PCL about two weeks after that and had to take 6 weeks completely off, no cross training or anything for the better part of two months after my initial MRI. I eased back into my normal mileage this summer (70-80 mpw) but wasn’t allowed to do workouts all summer and definitely felt that my fitness was nowhere near close where it was the past summer. Ran a few 5ks and got down to 18:57 off just mileage. This cross season has definitely been one of the most embarrassing of my life, as I’ve cut down to only around 31:30 for the 8k this year, albeit being healthy and having no problems with my knee.
I guess my big question to anyone is if they’ve had any huge setback like this and lost so much fitness, but eventually gained it back to where it was before their injury and what they did to get it back? My plan after this season is over is to cross train my cheeks off on my break, cause this season just has me thinking of it as base for the 10k later on in the spring. I am a junior in college now and just seeking any advice in general or if anyone has had an experience like this before. Sorry for the book.