Sunday 26 July 2009

Day 90 - back to the beginning

Type - Steady run

Distance - 3 miles

Time - 28 minutes 20 seconds


I can't even begin to put into words how frustrating the past few weeks has been. The frustration boils and distills into vicious anger at my own stupidity, blaming my over-keenness for an injury that has really put me (pun definitely intended) off my stride. But there is not much to be gained from bitter introspection. It is time to push on and push up.

So. Back to the beginning. Back to before I could push out an easy five miles, aim for the half marathon. Back to those uncomfortable first few miles, puffing around a track that others race over with little visible effort. Only this time the difficulties of starting out are accompanied by a nagging fear of injury returning, and the real nagging of injuries not quite yet eradicated.

This last week I have been putting together a collection of tools which will help me get back into running. The most important has been sorting private health care authorisation for physio. Whilst this is a bureaucratic pain in the ass, it is better than me having to fork out hundreds of pounds for a weekly session. My first session will be a week tomorrow, but I have been able to speak to someone first and ask whether I could do any training and what, if anything, I could buy to help.

So the next tools have been a selection of anti-shin splint devices. Compression socks, compression sleeves and anti-strike insoles for shoes. The combination is formidable, and expensive. But if it does the trick it will be worth it. I'm particularly impressed by the compression socks, which instantly make things seem less jarring.

So to the run. I was at work with my purchases, and so planned a gentle and short run up to Kings Cross and then back down Grays Inn Road to Fleet Street and back up Shoe Lane to Holborn Bars.

The first mile felt fine, with no pains, twinges or difficulties. Then there was a bit of nagging ache which was difficult to pin down - it could have been the shins, could have been just stiffness from not having run for a while. But the three miles was not a challenge, and there was no immediate pain. I stretched off, showered and popped my calves into the compression sleeves for a bit of post-exercise recovery. We'll see tomorrow whether this has paid off.

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