Injury free at last

Well it’s been a long time coming, but I am eventually at a stage where I think I’m injury free again.

My last post was in April, just as I was getting into the final two weeks of taper for the 2014 Thames Path 100. Exactly two weeks before the race I headed out for my last long effort(15 miles). A pain in the outside of my knee came on at around five miles in but (stupidly) I continued to run through it, with it getting worse and worse over the next ten miles !

My thought process was ‘gotta get this last long effort done’ – eventually stopping and hobbling the last half mile home I was pleased to have finished it – what I didn’t realise was that it would also cause me to miss (DNS) the Thames Path and put me out of action for the whole summer.

Lots of pain and hobbling ensued, and my 1 mile tester effort the night before the Thames Path was bloody farcical. Doctors visits, then Physio referrals and diagnosis of an acute muscle tear at the head of my calf and loads of soft tissue damage.

Slowly, slowly catchy monkey – so after a *very* slow summer, lots of shorter efforts and around ten lbs of weight gained, I finally hit a 40 mile week and a longer than ten mile run.

I’m desperately trying not to do too much too soon, and keep reminding myself of the enforced summer rest.

Anyway, it’s been tough, but I’m feeling positive about the coming months. Another week of decent mileage and then into a 5 month training block for the 2015 Thames Path – this race is my labour of love – 76 miles DNF in 2013, a DNS in 2014, hopefully 2015 will be third time lucky.

More caution this time around, and hopefully less running injuries…