So after a sleep, some rest, and some reflection three things have been decided:
- I’ve bought a sport knee brace and am breaking it in.
- I get to do strength training every day. Hooray for yoga and crunches!
- 2 rest days now mandatory after any 12+ mile run.
What I’m trying to do is avoid the gym. I honestly have nothing against gyms except for the fact that I… well… I dislike them heavily. One of the reasons I love running is the ability to explore a town so easily. Oxford has miles (or kilometers I suppose) of bike path, trails, and canal runs. That’s the kind of stuff you don’t get when you are cycling to nowhere or climbing invisible stairs.
So we’ll see how this all goes. I’ve been a bit sore but mobile all day – so that’s good news.
Orange Squeaky 
Good post. Hope the knee brace works for you. I understand the love of being outdoors and the general dislike for the gym.
Happy running,
Rundad