Pain-free eighteen

Route: Eltham to Kangaroo Ground return
Distance: 18km

So I finally got back on the bike today and it felt sooooo good. I'd been thinking about what my bro's lecturer told him - that a good way to prevent pain from ITB is to use a knee strap like the PattStrap. I asked the physio whether or not it would work and he said it wouldn't because a strap like that targets a tight IT band, not a weak one which I am suffering from. However, having been frustrated out of my head lately at not being able to ride I decided to give it a go anyway. I got a bandage, folded it up and tied it just above my knee, and it works! 18km pain-free. The most encouraging part of it all was that I went fairly hard today, especially on the awesome downhill on the way back through Research.

I'm really relieved that I've found something that works, and I have ordered the proper strap which should arrive this week or next. Now I can stop worrying about my knee and just concentrate on building up the kays again - such a relief. I wonder how it will go over 30km?

40 days to go.