Day 102 - Gym'll fix it

Type - Steady run

Distance - 2.5 miles

Time - 24 minutes 34 seconds

Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey. Absolutely no racing to double digit running. No shin-splint endurance half-marathons. A slow, gentle build up of basic, core running strength and capacity before I start to increase the distance anywhere near five miles. More strength work, more focus on technique, more building stamina and losing more weight. This time I refuse to let haste ruin another two months of fitness training.

So, to the gym. I warmed up with twenty minutes on the cross trainer at a relatively decent intensity. Then moved on to the treadmill for a gentle warm up into a gentle run. After five minutes I increased the speed to a steady 10.5 km/h, with a 1% gradient to mimic the outside conditions (I don't want to forget that it is my ultimate aim to return to the wild).

It was painfree as far as the shin-splints and groin issues. After 25 minutes my legs began to weaken in strength, but that could be as much down to the pre-run cross training and the pre-gym cycle. And, of course, the fact I have been away from running for a while.

All in all a promising run. Now just to keep it up.

Days 100 - 101 - ill

Ill. Again. There is a summer bug that is coursing through the air conditioning system and I seem to pick it up wherever I work. I contracted a serious one at the DWP last month, and this month was knocked out by the Wragge equivalent. No swine flu. As yet.

Day 99 - finally physio

I went to see a physiotherapist today. News not great for the immediate resumption of running. Instead I am going to have to undergo a regimen of core strength building, stretches and non-impact training. Any cardio work has to be restricted to cross-training and, if possible, treadmill running. Absolutly no running on asphalt for the moment.

The physio was nice enough - a little on the efficient side but when you are limited to forty minutes there ain't much time for the pleasantries. We went through a few movement exercises, she inspected my standing position, got me to stand on each leg independently, hop on each leg, walk around. She managed to detect a curve in my right leg which means I place too much of a strain on my groin muscles instead of letting the hamstrings do the work.

My exercises include some stair-based raising the leg from the toes, more calf stretches and a series of groin stretches that involve pressing as hard as possible on a towel folded between the legs. There is nothing so strange that I will not give a go at this stage!

Days 95 - 98 - lazy

Lazy old laziness. I really need to kick things into gear. Even if I can't run much there are plenty of other ways I can get fit. God damn it.

Day 94 - football

Footie tonight. Slightly apprehensive as I haven't played in a long time. No worries about my legs - they held up marvellously without even a twinge of soreness after running around for forty minutes. But my playing was heart-breakingly awful. Truly, run away from it all, hang your head in shame and quit awful. But I won't. Not yet.

Days 92 - 93 Not much

I have to say it ain't as much fun writing about not running. Just keeping up the cross training with cycling into work.

Day 91 - and the next day?

After yesterday's first run in ages, I was half-expecting today to be a painful reminder that my injuries are far from resolved. But I have not had any problems. No pain, no stiffness and certainly no first thing cripplingly painful stair climb just to go to the toilet. Instead I was able to leap two stairs at a time the whole day.

Promising. I will be trying this out tomorrow with another 3 mile run around the park.