I can call myself a runner again

I have not been a good patient.  Being injured and unable to run for a couple of weeks has been awful - I didn't realise how much it would affect me, upset me, and make me question the persona that I have now created for myself as "a runner".  I know that everyone gets injured, and just because I've not been running it doesn't change who I am, but in an illogical way, I felt like it was just me alone sitting on a sofa RICEing my leg, while my training plan slipped though my fingers - I stopped blogging, ignored twitter, couldn't bear to read my Runners World and no doubt have put on half a stone (although I wouldn't actually know as I'm still a bit scared to jump on the scales again) with all the junk food I was eating.

But now my leg is better! :D

It's taken a few days of being without pain to feel like I'm mended but this morning I went for my first run since injuring my Achilles, and it was fantastic.

The runner's high I think they call it...although I'm sure I wasn't going fast enough to really achieve that as I took it very easily...but whatever it was, I felt like me again.  I'm back on track, and can't wait to pull my trainers again and get back out there for the next training run.

My rookie mistake needs proper recovery time

Due to my injured leg, I spent pretty much the whole weekend sat on the sofa.  I was getting very bored & frustrated by Sunday afternoon, so decided that as the important thing about the long run of the week is getting used to being on your feet for a few hours, I'd try and achieve something, and although I couldn't run, I'd go for a 3hr walk.  It turns out I'm a bit of an idiot.
I got about 1.5miles into this walk, when the pain in my leg became nearly as bad as when I was running....so I turned round and hobbled home :(

After doing a bit more online research, I've self-diagnosed my injury as Achilles Tendonitis.  It's my own fault - after doing so little after my half marathon on 5th December, I launched myself into lots of running come January, and have made the rookie mistake of increasing my mileage too quickly.  I thought that as I've been running a fair bit all year, it'd be fine...but clearly it wasn't, and then I ignored a niggling Achilles problem and carried on running, and now I'm limping when I walk and in pretty much constant pain.  I should count myself lucky that it's not more serious - an Achilles rupture could have seen me out of action for months!

I'm really concerned though about not being able to run and getting behind on my training plan. It can take a good couple of weeks to properly recover from this, and at the moment, it's just getting worse - although I appreciate that my walking stunt on Sunday didn't help.  I've got my next half marathon in 6 weeks and had been really hoping to go for a PB...never mind trying to get my PB in the marathon in April which is my most important goal at the moment.

However, I'm just going to have to accept that if I don't rest properly now, and push my training back a couple of weeks, it might stop me distance running completely....for ever.... If I let myself recover, maybe I'll not be able to run the next few races, but I will be able to run in six months time, which has to be much more important!

I've been hit by the big "I"

I knew it was going to happen sooner or later.  I was hoping for later.  Preferably much later, like after I've finished both marathons by the middle of May and I can happily contemplate not running for a month.

I did not want it to happen with two half marathons left to run and 92 days left until the big 26.2 in London.

Unfortunately though, over the last week, I've been aware of a niggling pain that was only present when I ran, and this morning it's gone and shown itself as an injury.  I've not been injured for about 8 months I think, since I had some problems with my hip, which a few sessions of physio and strength training fixed.  I ran through that one and got better, so I'm hoping this one is minor and I can get over it in a couple of days...always the optimist ;)

At 1.5miles into my run this morning (after pushing through a dull aching pain from the start that I figured would go away if I kept at it) I found myself pulling up after an acute pain ran through my lower calf muscle, radiating out across my lower leg...a bit like I imagine it would feel to be stabbed.  After the initial pain wore off, I gave it a rub, did a bit of stretching, prayed to all the gods I don't believe in, and tried to run a bit more.  Unfortunately, I was limping, I couldn't get faster than a jog, and every few paces, the stabbing came back, which buckled my leg.  I gave up and hobbled home :(

Once home, I grabbed the frozen peas and iced for twenty minutes, and am now wearing a compression bandage.  The pain seems to have gone now and I can walk absolutely fine, but I'm worried in case it comes back when I next run - I have no idea of the cause or what it is that's damaged, but I'll rest tomorrow.  I do really wanted to get my long run in on Sunday but will just see how it goes - at the moment, I'm very unsure as to what the next week's training is going to be like!

I'll run later...

I woke up two hours late this morning...yep, that's right...two whole hours!  Not quite sure how I managed to ignore my klaxon of an alarm clock, but seems I did.  So, no time for a run for me this morning.

I spent all day saying to myself that I'd have to go for a run in the evening when I got home from work, but 90% of the time I've said that in the past I've never done it.  Put me on a sofa and you've lost me!  Even once I got home at 8pm, I kept saying that I was going for a run later...but in the back of my mind I wasn't sure I believed myself.  But yes, I'll go later...after I've checked Twitter...after I've watched the recorded Glee from last night...after dinner....

Then, when later rolled around (about 9.40pm) I found myself getting ready, and come 10pm I was actually out on the road, running!  Although I only did 4.5 miles, it was an interval session, it was hard, and now I'm feeling very, very pleased with myself :D

A very good start to the year

I'm feeling (a little bit) like a new person.

The last week has gone so well, and I'm now feeling really motivated, enthusiastic, and a bit slimmer too (over half a stone according to the scales!).

The training has been going really well, and despite having a cold this week, I've been up at 5.30am each morning I've intended to be, and finished a decent paced 10 mile run yesterday. The 10 miler was challenging too because there were many opportunities to shorten my route and head home, and I had to struggle with myself to keep going and follow the long way round, but go the long way round I went, I achieved my 10 miles and am feeling very pleased with myself ;)

I've also managed to overhaul my diet as and that was always going to be the hardest thing for me to achieve.  This time though, I've really approached the "healthy eating" resolution differently to the many times I've tried before - this time it isn't about losing weight, it's about fuelling myself.  Giving my body all the nutrients it needs to function properly, and to help me run to my potential.  I've made a lot of changes, but my new way of eating includes lots of fruit and salad, two servings of dairy every day, some seafood instead of chicken all the time, upping my water intake to hydrate myself, the odd smoothie, and reducing the very frequent indulgence in chocolate and cake! 

I think the key to this that will keep me on the right track though is that I haven't actually cut anything out.  We had fish and chips from the chippy on Friday night because that's what we do every week and I always really enjoy it.  I had some chocolate when friends came over on Saturday and when I was feeling peckish last night after a healthy dinner of a lovely bean and lentil soup, I quite happily had a slice of the cake that's left over from Christmas.  But they were the only occasions I treated myself, and to be honest, that was enough.  I'm also keeping in mind the Runner's World tips for weight loss - adding the cinnamon to a yogurt to boost your metabolism is my favourite - and hopefully that will help too!

The scales confirmed just how poor my Christmas diet had been but have rewarded me with a massive weight loss this week, although sure that will slow down over the month.  

BUT....I know that I mustn't get too carried away with the whole dieting thing.  

As a runner, my energy needs are far in excess of someone with a more sedentary lifestyle, and the carbs I consume are still really important.  A bowl of cereal every morning and healthy carbs with most meals is something I just couldn't function without and no amount of weight loss would be worth reducing my energy and ability to run.  As I said, everything I'm doing at the moment is concentrating on me becoming a better runner...not about showing off my ribcage ;)