Back up and running

My last post finished with my diagnosis of a partially torn ligament and a "no-running" order from the physio for between 4-6 weeks. Thankfully, although I spent a couple of weeks resting, and with my foot strapped up, I am now running again and feeling no ill effects so can only assume that the diagnosis was wrong.

I only missed one race (although it was a good one by all accounts - the Stour Valley Marathon) and am now getting back to normal in preparation for the other races I have booked over the next couple of months.

Yesterday, finding myself with a day off work without any plans, I headed out into the overgrown Essex countryside for a relaxed no-pressure run. I'd thought I might go for about 30 miles but took ages to get myself ready to go, and then had to walk a lot more than expected to get myself through some of the head-high farmers' crops, so took longer than planned and ran out of time. I ended up covering 25 miles.

I'm still really pleased with the distance I got done and as a result I'm feeling much more confident about my next race, the Ranscombe 8 hour challenge which is in a couple of weeks. I've never run a timed race before, and am a little nervous about how I'll cope mentally. I think it's got to be easier to run from A - B than to keep running laps until you run out of time. Knowing that I could stop at any point during the race and still be a recorded finisher is going to make it tough to keep going! Nevertheless, I'm going to aim for 40 miles and see how I get on - I'm really looking forward to giving it a go.

 Here are a couple of other photos from yesterday's run:

Loved the irony of this "no footpath" sign
There were six footpath signs on it!

I saw this memorial plaque for a very loved Jim Norris on a bench in
Norsey Wood. I thought it was lovely.