Ups and Downs and Progress

 You can tell it's new year by the number of runners out on the streets. I think a lot of it is the new year new me so many people resolve. I certainly think I'll avoid the gyms for the first few weeks of 2023.

London 2023 is THIS YEAR!  Good luck everyone.

The Down bit

When writing my last post before Christmas I was pretty down about my condition. I had to pull out of the Wilmslow festive 10K due to a back injury that was failing to recover and my day-to-day running was virtually on hold due to a horrendous cold followed by a lingering violent cough that took me out for a couple of weeks. I had a go at getting going again with an easy gym treadmill session which seemed to go quite well but left me the following day drained with very sore calves showing that I really haven't been ready for it.

With Christmas in the middle and family coming to stay I had expected to hardly get any runs in at all but in the event there were a couple of gaps in activities that enabled me to get out on the roads. I was on easy walk/runs which went well but my chest was still horrendous and breathing very poor.

The Up bit

In the event, recovery was surprisingly fast. I managed the Christmas Eve Santa parkrun, slow for me but I did get round without a significant walk break. After Christmas, I managed a couple on longer (40-50min) run-walks moving up from 4+2 to 8+2 and by Saturday I managed my first planned continuous run of 40 minute. Back on Plan!  It is amazing how once the illness passes, body and brain remember how to do it and everything accelerates.

Milestones

So since my previous post, here's a list of things that I've achieved:

• I am into my 16 week training plan (early)
• For the first time in months I am able to do a hamstring stretch with no back pain
• I've completed a run over 10k first time since October 2022
• I've done my fastest 5k for quite a while
• I've moved on from walk/run combinations to running
• Completed my first run over 1h 20m since I did my 65th birthday half marathon five years ago
• Retuned to parkrun - my 25th
• Done my local parkrun running 2.3k each way from home to the event and back again, which I've intended doing for years
• Started to experiment with the gels as runs extend for longer time
• Managed to get my Achilles to a point where it seems to be under control - a mix of support, stretches and not pushing it too hard.

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That Greek Dude has it in for Me

The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had one vulnerability–his “Achilles heel.”

In my previous post two weeks ago, I was having problems with my right Achilles and that got much worse so today has been my first run for over 2 weeks. Luckily the gap coincided with a week of planned rest put into my training plan because I was going away with the family for a long weekend, so I didn’t lose as much training as I would have otherwise. 

For the first few days I was using ibuprofen gel and a compression bandage around Achilles and my ankle and did my best to rest it. I then moved onto an ankle support which I bought from Boots the chemist which does seem to have been good. I am wearing the support for any at risk activity but otherwise carrying on a normal life. I have been using an exercise which is new to me frequently throughout the day. Whether lying or sitting I extend my feet down as far as I can and hold for 30s then return to neutral before drawing them upwards and holding for another 30s. I repeat these 3 more times and am finding I am immediately mobile in the morning if I do this in bed before rising and it completely removes the stiffness I was feeling when first walking.

Today’s run was a tester so was only 20 minutes and just short of three kilometres and as yet, four hours later, I’m not suffering any pain. At its worst a week and a half ago, there was a distinct lump in the Achilles which was very tender to touch but a mix of rest and gentle exercises seems to be doing the trick and the contours of the Achilles itself are now quite reasonable and can be touched without pain. 

Self-Inflicted Injury - a warning

This problem with my Achilles is a salutary tale to anyone older or who hasn’t regularly worked their Achilles. I got this injury when I started running aged 59 on one of my earliest runs. Though new to running after a 40-year gap, I did a lot of hill walking and was fit with leg strength and lung and heart capacity and found it strangely easy at first. This led to a piece of idiot enthusiasm when I decided that I could actually sprint a little. That 80 metres has haunted me for the last ten years and I think will continue to. Please, take it easy until your body has adjusted if you are new to running.

Next Steps

The plan now is gentle, regular runs to get back into it, but I have a 10K in two weeks’ time which I’m hoping to manage to complete without doing any damage.

Wilmslow Festive 10K next on 27th November.

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I'm in! - London Marathon 2023

London 2023

So Monday this week an email dropped into my Inbox, subject line, "Your 2023 TCS London Marathon Ballot result". 

I was fully expecting a rejection but after clicking through to the actual result, I was shocked to see "You're In"!

Being totally unexpected it's a mix of delight and trepidation. Not only am I attempting a Marathon but I have to sort the logistics of transport, accommodation and support on the day. It all suddenly seems a massive enterprise.

As people hear about it, the most common reaction is to ask, is this wise at your age?  I don't really know whether it is but I've dreamed of marking my 70th with a full Marathon for 5 years and now I get to do it with the London.

Stress and Pain

After the Knutsford 10k I took it easy for the week but it has been apparent that I was pushing it as I have experienced ankle, knee and calf pain from time to time, particularly after getting up in the morning. 

I injured my right Achilles 10 years ago when I first started running and it still hurts when I push on a bit. The combination of the stress of the race and my Wednesdays currently involving a steep climb in work boots to the job site has antagonised it and I can feel the swelling along the tendon which isn't great. I have completed 2 x 35 minute runs this week but have reverted to 4 min run and 2 min walk to reduce stress everywhere and give things chance to heal without injuring them further.

My current dry stone walling job at National Trust Lyme. The car park is on the lower ground beyond the outcrops in the foreground.

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