Graeme, it just occurred to me that the back trouble could be a result of your continued running with a gammy leg, i.e. running/ racing with an imbalance, compensation for which has ended up with your back developing its own imbalance and ultimately pulling things around until there is pressure on nerves and sciatica.
Maybe ?
What you might want to do about it is another conversation
Not sure - its all likely to be contributory.
The current numbness is in the wider area on the non-functioning gastroc. I've done lots of S&C to compensate the weakness there and stabilise the knee and generally been limping not so much. It all collapsed when I ramped up the training for the JK - longest run for years then fastest meadows for years two days later. Last bout of sciatica was in 2015, after another very long weekend, but that was just pain, not numbness.
I have an appointment with Gavin Routledge on Friday - I think you recommended him (not quite sure).
Sometimes it is better to grimace and get around rather than sitting in a grump at the finish, wondering what the forest is like, wondering what route you would have taken on that particular leg etc, wondering if you wind have duffed that control that everyone else had problems with, wondering how many controls failed to register on your emitag blah, blah, blah.
Hoping you heal quickly. What will come first, results from last weekend, or painfree running?
Yes, it was good to get out, definitely less grumpy for it, and the emitag-on-a-stick did seem to be quite crowd-pleasing at the last control. However, I'd promised myself that once I actually came last, I'd stop entering elite as a courtesy to the organisers. But I now think this year shouldn't count. And then I think its f**ing Pickering next year.
Don’t worry, you’ll definitely come last next year!