Monday 6 August 2012

29.07.12 Over being injured!

Yes, there has been a long delay since my last posts but there has been nothing to write about.  The stress fracture injury never got better, or felt like it was getting better and for a long time I thought it was never going to be fixed.  I could press my foot where I couldn't in the past without pain however there was still discomfort when I walked especially in my toes.  A funny thing happened though whilst on holiday.  I had got to the stage where I had been drinking for a couple of weeks and eating like a king and I just felt fat.  I woke up one Sunday and decided that I needed to go for a run.  I was at my mums house in Sydney and put on my Vibram's and ran down the street.  I knew a small course that was around 4km that I could do and if there was a problem I would be able to walk back or at least catch a cab (I was that worried about my foot I took cash!!).  I started to run and knew straight away that my foot was still not right.  I was very frustrated however decided to keep going.  I finished the run and my foot hurt and the top of my right thigh felt very tight, almost sore.  I kicked off the Vibram's in frustration and forgot about running again.

Exactly a week later after coming home for a couple of days after my holiday I was getting back on a plane heading to a conference in Auckland.  Whilst packing my bags, I looked at the space in my Suit bag that normally holds my running shoes and thought to myself, why not.  I picked up the Vibram's and put them in the bag...just in case I felt like trying one last time.  Had a nice dinner on the Sunday night in Auckland and did not have a late start so decided that I could get up and go for a run.  I was staying in the same hotel that 4 months ago I had done exactly the same thing in the lead up to my Adventure race.  I got up at 5:50am and put on my running gear.  I headed down to the lobby and walked outside.  I started to run.

Initially the foot felt fine, and then I started running down a steep hill when my foot felt a little tight but not painful.  The loop I was hoping to do was around 7km.  This was a huge jump from the fact that I had basically done nothing in the last 7 weeks except 1 run but I was over being injured.  I thought, I would rather be injured again and know that maybe there was another issue that I needed to fix or test my foot and work out if it really was okay.  The run that I was doing was relatively flat and again if something went wrong I could walk or limp back to the hotel.  I hit the flats and a running squad that looked like they were doing some kind of charity run was in front of me.  They were well in front but gradually without me really trying, I began to take them over.  I hit the waterfront and was feeling really good.  I ran around the waterfront and hit the long stretch of road to the bottom of the hill of the hotel.  My foot began to ache slightly but again was not painful.  The issue was now the tightening in my right upper leg that I had experienced at my mums place.  It was actually starting to hurt, like I had pulled something but I continued on.  I ran along the road and by now not only was my foot sore but my whole body was sore.  I hit the bottom of the hill before the hotel and began to run up the steps but my right leg was killing me and my foot was okay.  I would normally run up a set of stairs up the hill twice but with my right leg I only ran once.  I ran the flat back to the hotel and had a stretch.  By the time that I had stretched, had a shower and got dressed and down to the conference, I was limping not because of my foot but my right leg.  I could not believe that I was injured again.  Getting up during the breaks was a killer and I was over it.

The following day, I woke up and realized that my right leg was feeling okay, but decided not to run just in case.  The Wednesday though, I decided I was going to test the leg and foot once more.  I woke up and put on my gear once more.  I started to run the same route that I had run a couple of days before.  I had not idea how I was going to feel as only two days ago I had been in agony.  I started to run and this time everything felt okay.  I continued to run the same route and felt even more comfortable than the other day.  By the time that I hit the bottom of the hill before heading back to the hotel, I already knew in my head that I would be doing two runs up the stairs.  After the second set up the stairs I was heading back to the hotel and both my foot and leg felt fine.  I was smiling.  I think I had just realized that I was back!!

Auckland Waterfront Monday- First real run back from injury

Auckland Waterfront Wednesday- Feeling good!!



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