Time to try some new toys

O.k. I’m going to have a stab at multi-tasking. Let’s see if I can update my blog whilst watching Wales and Argentina play rugby.

The slight strain I picked up during the Greensands Marathon hung around much longer than I’d expected.  I was out of action for almost three weeks.  In the days following the marathon walking became painful.  Initially, I had a little swelling on the outside of my ankle and some pain to the top of my foot.  After a few days the pain was all in the front of my shin, and this is where it stayed for about two weeks.  I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.  I don’t get injured!  It would seem that I am human after all and just as prone to injury as anyone else.

The Saturday following the marathon my leg was almost feeling better, but I stupidly did an unnecessary long walk.  As I wasn’t planning a run, I walked into town with Ruth and we both visited the Fitzwilliam Museum to see the exhibition of Han Chinese burial goods, which includes small terracotta warriors and jade burial armour suits.  We then walked around the shops and back home.  By the time we were walking home I was limping and in a lot of pain again.  I felt really stupid for not resting.  Oh why didn’t I rest?  Stupid fool!

I’d been contemplating buying compression socks since running the Thames path ultra; my injury prompted me to actually get on and buy some.  I also bought myself a Silva trail running head torch, just in case I was still able to run the Ridgeway ultra this weekend.  I wore my compression socks as much as possible (almost all the time) and I was amazed at how much difference they made.  The pain in my shin diminished from the first time I put them on.

I was feeling better by the following weekend, but decided to rest as much as possible.  I did find myself jogging about a mile and a half around the Girton fitness trail with three of the Channel row crew in the pouring rain.  The others bottled out because of the rain.  The wimps!  After our drenching we met the others in a pub to discuss rowing plans for 2013.  We’ve settled on two events, but as we don’t have anything confirmed just yet I’m not going to count my chickens and discuss them here.

I finally felt able to try a little run on Wednesday evening last week.  This was helped by having the most excruciatingly painful massage of my life on Tuesday from Mike Power at Cambs Massage.  I was expecting pain and pain is what I got.  Fortunately, I left feeling like it had done me the world of good.  So on Wednesday I finally got to give my legs a little test whilst coaching the Sweaty Betty running club.  Ahh, it felt so good to be running again.  It was hard to believe it had only been two and a half weeks, it felt like I’d been out of action for much longer.

I managed another run last night.  This time I went for an 8 mile run along the river to Bates Bite, leaving after sunset to test out my new head torch.  I have to say I was impressed.  For most of the run I had the torch on its mid setting, which gave out plenty of light to see the tow path.  Once I reached Bates Bite Lock, I crossed the river and headed back via Fen Ditton.  For the short section through woodland I turned the head light up to full.  I expected the torch to give out plenty of light to see my way, but I thought I might need to slow my pace a little, but no, the full beam throws out a massive amount of light.  I’d say it lights the way ahead for about 20 to 25m, but it also throws out a lot of light to the side to give great peripheral vision as well, so you don’t feel as if you’re running in a tunnel.  I’m really impressed.  However, the most important result of last nights run is that I completed it pain free.  My legs fell like new.  I am gutted that I’m not running the Ridgeway ultra this weekend, though.

Now I can get back to the rugby.  So far it's 9-6 to Wales with about 6 minutes of the first half to go.