Yesterday Mrs S and I ran the Southampton parkrun. This was double exciting because (a) it was Sue's first one ever and (b) it was my first once since May, when the whole Achilles heel thing took over.
It was a very festive event, with lots of Santa-esque fancy dress, and a bunch of familiar faces from work. We took it at a steady pace, consistently catching others, especially on the hills. We finished in a touch over 27:30, and we were both delighted.
So I finally seem to be free of chronic discomfort in my left heel, and it feels - to be honest, it feels a bit weird. I get up in each morning fully ready for the familiar twinge when I take my first step, but it's no longer there. Moreover, this week I've run on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and today and all is well.
Caution, caution, caution... it's still relatively early days. After so many months in the wilderness this year, I'm absolutely not about to blow it. My plan is to gradually work up to 5 miles or so at a very gentle pace, and then... I've no idea to be honest... One thing at a time. But this running lark sure feels good. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Slowly improving
I think I might be on the mend.
This is the longest I've gone without running since, oh, 1993; maybe even earlier. Cycling has kept me sane, but it's a long haul.
I didn't help myself at all for the first 3 months or do by doing my Achilles-related exercises very diligently... but instead of gentle up-and-down motions I was bouncing on my heels. What an idiot. Remembering the advice of the physio that 'discomfort is OK but pain is not', I kept persevering. I did some gentle running too, culminating in doing the monthly handicap event at work (5.6k) and really going into decline afterwards.
Sue came to the rescue by spotting my self-injurious exercises, readjusting my wonky hip and finding a remedial exercise regime which gave very literal, precise and specific instructions.
This is what I've been doing since late August, and so far so good. The trouble is that I'm very nervous about running. I keep thinking 'another couple of weeks and it will have mended a bit more'. Anyway, on Thursday I went out for a very slow 2k run. No discomfort during or after; I was very aware of my left ankle and I could feel something slightly untoward there, but I also know that my nerve endings have been sensitised, so this is normal.
So I'm now cautiously, gradually going to re-start running. I can't wait, and yet I'm terrified about botching my recovery. It's way too soon to be planning my first race... for now I'll be very pleased if I can slowly build on this through the rest of the year.
This is the longest I've gone without running since, oh, 1993; maybe even earlier. Cycling has kept me sane, but it's a long haul.
I didn't help myself at all for the first 3 months or do by doing my Achilles-related exercises very diligently... but instead of gentle up-and-down motions I was bouncing on my heels. What an idiot. Remembering the advice of the physio that 'discomfort is OK but pain is not', I kept persevering. I did some gentle running too, culminating in doing the monthly handicap event at work (5.6k) and really going into decline afterwards.
Sue came to the rescue by spotting my self-injurious exercises, readjusting my wonky hip and finding a remedial exercise regime which gave very literal, precise and specific instructions.
This is what I've been doing since late August, and so far so good. The trouble is that I'm very nervous about running. I keep thinking 'another couple of weeks and it will have mended a bit more'. Anyway, on Thursday I went out for a very slow 2k run. No discomfort during or after; I was very aware of my left ankle and I could feel something slightly untoward there, but I also know that my nerve endings have been sensitised, so this is normal.
So I'm now cautiously, gradually going to re-start running. I can't wait, and yet I'm terrified about botching my recovery. It's way too soon to be planning my first race... for now I'll be very pleased if I can slowly build on this through the rest of the year.
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Off games again
Over recent months my left heel has been niggling away at me. It would generally ache after running, and I noticed it most when I got out of bed in the morning and the first few steps would be really hard work. By last Monday it was really getting quite sore all the time, and that evening I led my first Romsey Road Runners session - 4 x 1km intervals around Braishfield. Right from the off I knew it wasn't feeling clever, but I like an idiot I pushed with a grimace. By the warm down at the end I was hobbling, and so it continued through the next day at work.
Kate at Romsey Physiotherapy Centre saw me on Wednesday. It's acute tendinitis, which means no running for a while. Goodbye RR10, and goodbye to the 2014 Thunder Run... I feel terrible about letting the OS team down.
It's a real disappointment, and no mistake. Two off-games notes in six months - it sucks. On the other hand........ I'm quite philosophical about this. The last time I had a running induced injury was in 2011, when my left hip seized up - it was essentially the results of two decades of running without ever bothering to stretch. I can still cycle, and I'm learning about stability-giving muscles I've never heard of (specifically the gluteus medius) and how to exercise them. I'm doing a bunch of new exercises every day which will, I trust, make me more resilient to this sort of thing. This has got to be a great opportunity to learn something new and come out the other end a bit stronger.
Kate at Romsey Physiotherapy Centre saw me on Wednesday. It's acute tendinitis, which means no running for a while. Goodbye RR10, and goodbye to the 2014 Thunder Run... I feel terrible about letting the OS team down.
It's a real disappointment, and no mistake. Two off-games notes in six months - it sucks. On the other hand........ I'm quite philosophical about this. The last time I had a running induced injury was in 2011, when my left hip seized up - it was essentially the results of two decades of running without ever bothering to stretch. I can still cycle, and I'm learning about stability-giving muscles I've never heard of (specifically the gluteus medius) and how to exercise them. I'm doing a bunch of new exercises every day which will, I trust, make me more resilient to this sort of thing. This has got to be a great opportunity to learn something new and come out the other end a bit stronger.
Saturday, 10 May 2014
RR10 2014: Stoney Cross
I had not run for a few days prior to this with a sore Achilles' tendon on my left side. I managed to arrive in reasonable time with no flapping whatsoever. Everyone was muttering about how muddy the course was meant to be, but I quite like mud, up to a point. My main concern was to keep something in the tank for the final long climb to the finished, which did for me last year.
Off we went, down off the plain and into the valley. When we left the gravel track it was properly muddy - really gloopy sucky stuff. All good fun; I enjoyed watching runners ahead flailing around. It was all quite technical in the middle section with roots, mud, water and slides slopes everywhere. I managed to gradually work up the field. And then back on the track and up, up the hill, which this year was less fearsome than I had remembered. I put on a sprint to the finish, felt good about overtaking Jack Webb from Stubbington but with 5 metres to go got pipped by Pete Boustred from Lordshill. Nicely done Pete, but I'll be looking out for you next time. 24th position overall.
The season is shaping up interestingly. So far I'm just above the 90% ranking target and I'm 4th vet... let's if I can hang on to that.
Off we went, down off the plain and into the valley. When we left the gravel track it was properly muddy - really gloopy sucky stuff. All good fun; I enjoyed watching runners ahead flailing around. It was all quite technical in the middle section with roots, mud, water and slides slopes everywhere. I managed to gradually work up the field. And then back on the track and up, up the hill, which this year was less fearsome than I had remembered. I put on a sprint to the finish, felt good about overtaking Jack Webb from Stubbington but with 5 metres to go got pipped by Pete Boustred from Lordshill. Nicely done Pete, but I'll be looking out for you next time. 24th position overall.
The season is shaping up interestingly. So far I'm just above the 90% ranking target and I'm 4th vet... let's if I can hang on to that.
Friday, 25 April 2014
RR10, 2014: Royal Victoria Country Park
Summer is here and the RR10 season is underway! A record 442 runners took part in the first race on a damp, damp day. I arrived in a right fluster having left work later than planned and getting stuck in traffic. My warm-up was a sprint from the car park, cursing the fact that I had brought road shoes. I got to the start just in time.
This was my first race alongside my Romsey team mates. It was great to be out with the friends I've made over training through the winter evenings. I took care to start modestly back in the pack so I'd have people to chase, but rather regretted it when we got into technical narrow sections where it was a question of go slow or risk your neck overtaking through scrub and brambles. I got some souvenir thorns!
I was pleased with my overall pace and enjoyed moving up the field. Sadly, the beach section was closed this year after damage to the slipway during the winter storms. To make up for it, there were some very sloppy sections where I floundered and cursed my poor choice of shoes.
The last km was hard work and I was done for at the finish line. I was 26th, compared to 24th last year. I was 4th in the Romsey team behind Matt, Jimmy and Toby. Gratifyingly, Romsey is currently in 4th place, ahead of Lordshill, Totton and Eastleigh; all of them much larger clubs. Last year Romsey was 7th... can we hold on?
This was my first race alongside my Romsey team mates. It was great to be out with the friends I've made over training through the winter evenings. I took care to start modestly back in the pack so I'd have people to chase, but rather regretted it when we got into technical narrow sections where it was a question of go slow or risk your neck overtaking through scrub and brambles. I got some souvenir thorns!
I was pleased with my overall pace and enjoyed moving up the field. Sadly, the beach section was closed this year after damage to the slipway during the winter storms. To make up for it, there were some very sloppy sections where I floundered and cursed my poor choice of shoes.
The last km was hard work and I was done for at the finish line. I was 26th, compared to 24th last year. I was 4th in the Romsey team behind Matt, Jimmy and Toby. Gratifyingly, Romsey is currently in 4th place, ahead of Lordshill, Totton and Eastleigh; all of them much larger clubs. Last year Romsey was 7th... can we hold on?
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Spring forward
This is my first post for nearly two months. I'm now back on my bike and running properly again, with left wrist and right knee well recovered. My speed took a knock during March with a cold which went to my chest... it's hard work getting any kind of tempo with a litre of slime in each lung.
I've done a couple of Eastleigh parkruns recently. On 22 March I managed 18:48, and yesterday 18:44. The latter was a PB at the current Eastleigh venue and I'm really pleased with this. In both cases the winner was Andy Morgan-Lee, who is the same age as me but is in a completely different league. It's a real privilege to run with stars like Andy, who recently won the UK cross-country masters championships. On 22 March he just strolled around the first two laps chatting to his mate, and then whizzed past me in the final lap.
Yesterday was Eastleigh's 200th parkrun, and attendance was higher than normal. Some of the Lordshill runners came over for the occasion. I was well behind Andy Griggs and Ashley Forbes, but ahead of Ben Pitman. The stage is nicely set for the RR10 season, which begins at Netley on Wednesday.
I've done a couple of Eastleigh parkruns recently. On 22 March I managed 18:48, and yesterday 18:44. The latter was a PB at the current Eastleigh venue and I'm really pleased with this. In both cases the winner was Andy Morgan-Lee, who is the same age as me but is in a completely different league. It's a real privilege to run with stars like Andy, who recently won the UK cross-country masters championships. On 22 March he just strolled around the first two laps chatting to his mate, and then whizzed past me in the final lap.
Yesterday was Eastleigh's 200th parkrun, and attendance was higher than normal. Some of the Lordshill runners came over for the occasion. I was well behind Andy Griggs and Ashley Forbes, but ahead of Ben Pitman. The stage is nicely set for the RR10 season, which begins at Netley on Wednesday.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Trying to be good
I've spent the last 5 weeks trying very very hard to be good. No running, cycling or driving. Plenty of patience and stoicism. After a few days I tried doing some squats, thinking that this couldn't possibly hurt my wrist, only to have my right kneecap look and feel like a balloon the next day (I stupidly didn't think of taking a photo - it was a sight).
The lack of aerobic exercise really got to me. My appetite plummeted, and I could feel condition falling away by the day. The irony was that the real issue was my knee, not the highly visible bright blue left arm. And then at the beginning of Feb I joined Mrs S on a very gentle 1-mile run. All seemed OK. And then a progression of gentle 2, 3 and 4 mile runs, all light on intensity. Over the last week I have upped a gear, and on Wednesday I ran about 8 miles at a brisk pace. All good, and I'm thrilled.
On the other hand, I am now cast-free. I counted down the hours once I had a week left to go. One by-product of getting more running in is that I was sweating inside the cast and this was creating an unusual and rather interesting aroma. This wasn't what the rest of the family said. On Monday Sue and I went to RSH hospital and I went through an immensely exciting cast removal process from a kind but scary-looking tattooed bloke. Having a circular saw buzzing millimetres from your wrist is quite an experience. Here's a video clip of the episode. Luckily, the terror I felt isn't too obvious.
Afterwards, I felt horribly vulnerable. The skin on my hand and arm was really tender, and there was no up-down motion at all. I felt like a crab that's just shed its shell. We had to go back to the chairs and wait to see the orthopaedic consultant, and I had awful worries that I would be received with shaking heads and new casts.
As it turned out, the doc (wearing her usual remarkably short skirt) told me that I had healed remarkably well and that I was much more mobile and less vulnerable than expected. I was given a removal wrist splint to wear out and about and we were sent on our way. I'm now just about back to normal... just avoiding heavy weights. No cycling or press-ups just yet.
Yesterday I ran Southampton parkrun. My knee was fine, but I have a chesty cold, and my lungs felt ragged. I finished in 18:49, way off my best but a modestly successful return to competition after a barren and frustrating few weeks.
I'm still trying to be good. Running-wise, no heavy-duty off-road stuff for a while and no Grizzly in March. But I feel like I'm back.
The lack of aerobic exercise really got to me. My appetite plummeted, and I could feel condition falling away by the day. The irony was that the real issue was my knee, not the highly visible bright blue left arm. And then at the beginning of Feb I joined Mrs S on a very gentle 1-mile run. All seemed OK. And then a progression of gentle 2, 3 and 4 mile runs, all light on intensity. Over the last week I have upped a gear, and on Wednesday I ran about 8 miles at a brisk pace. All good, and I'm thrilled.
On the other hand, I am now cast-free. I counted down the hours once I had a week left to go. One by-product of getting more running in is that I was sweating inside the cast and this was creating an unusual and rather interesting aroma. This wasn't what the rest of the family said. On Monday Sue and I went to RSH hospital and I went through an immensely exciting cast removal process from a kind but scary-looking tattooed bloke. Having a circular saw buzzing millimetres from your wrist is quite an experience. Here's a video clip of the episode. Luckily, the terror I felt isn't too obvious.
Afterwards, I felt horribly vulnerable. The skin on my hand and arm was really tender, and there was no up-down motion at all. I felt like a crab that's just shed its shell. We had to go back to the chairs and wait to see the orthopaedic consultant, and I had awful worries that I would be received with shaking heads and new casts.
As it turned out, the doc (wearing her usual remarkably short skirt) told me that I had healed remarkably well and that I was much more mobile and less vulnerable than expected. I was given a removal wrist splint to wear out and about and we were sent on our way. I'm now just about back to normal... just avoiding heavy weights. No cycling or press-ups just yet.
Yesterday I ran Southampton parkrun. My knee was fine, but I have a chesty cold, and my lungs felt ragged. I finished in 18:49, way off my best but a modestly successful return to competition after a barren and frustrating few weeks.
I'm still trying to be good. Running-wise, no heavy-duty off-road stuff for a while and no Grizzly in March. But I feel like I'm back.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
FOOSH!
Tuesday was a bright, clear and frosty morning. I set off to work on my bike, really enjoying seeing the sun rise. All good so far. It was just above zero degrees at home and no evidence of any ice.
Trundling along Lee Lane from Romsey, it happened. Very suddenly - doof - I was over on the road, landing on my left wrist and right knee (and I still don't know how that's possible). 17 mph (give or take) to zero, just like that. I groaned a bit, got up, saw no blood and had a look at the bike. The chain had come off and the left brake lever was all bent but otherwise no major damage; a bit of bruising to follow, for sure. A cyclist 50m ahead stopped and called over his shoulder 'I know what it's like, mate - the same thing happened to me at home 10 minutes ago.. you all right?' 'Yes' I replied, and off he went. I like to think I'd show a touch more concern if a fellow cyclist came a cropper.
I got back on the bike, taking things very carefully. My left hand felt a bit immobile and puffy but wasn't in a bad way. As I approached the turn off Lee Lane I slowed right down... carefully does it... beware of the ice... and then a second whump on to the tarmac; same wrist but this time the left knee. I cursed my stupidity and at this point reckoned it might be wiser to walk the rest of the way.
In the changing room my knees got admiring looks. In the office, a couple of people suggested I get my wrist looked at as it got more swollen. I was feeling a touch wobbly at this stage. Sue drove over and took me to Royal South Hants hospital's minor injuries unit.
A wait to see the triage nurse, then the duty nurse, then an x-ray, then the nurse again who confirmed that I had a broken wrist, and specifically a distal radius fracture, which is, I've learned, the classic result of a FOOSH, or fall on out-stretched hand. The break in the x-ray was subtle to say the least; almost disappointing, I thought. It must be a hairline crack.
I got a whopping big clunky cast which went right up to my finger tips, and a sling, which made me look like a right pillock.
The next day Sue (bless her) took me to the fracture clinic at Southampton General. Lots more waiting. Then an orthopaedic registrar and consultant studied the x-ray and told me that:
Sobering words. This means I have to be an exceptionally good patient, and I'm not allowed to do anything particularly interesting or exciting for a while. Specifically, no Romsey 5 next week, no final cross-country league race and therefore no placing this year (very irritating) and no Grizzly (ditto). I should be out of plaster by the end of Feb, but the wisdom of running one of the most challenging and thrillingly gutsy courses around a week later just doesn't stack up.
It's not all bad. My right arm is working fine, I'm not in pain (my knees are very sore at the moment, but they're only flesh wounds) and I'm feeling well. Chris from work has promised to dig his turbo trainer out of his garage so I may be getting some aerobic exercise before too long.
I'm very lucky to have such a supportive and lovely wife who is helping keeping me in check and uncomplainingly taking on all the extra driving, washing up etc etc. The lesson from this is not to cycle when there's any hint of frost - I really love cycling to work but I really don't want to be doing this again.
Next stop - the RR10 league which begins in April. I'll be back.
Trundling along Lee Lane from Romsey, it happened. Very suddenly - doof - I was over on the road, landing on my left wrist and right knee (and I still don't know how that's possible). 17 mph (give or take) to zero, just like that. I groaned a bit, got up, saw no blood and had a look at the bike. The chain had come off and the left brake lever was all bent but otherwise no major damage; a bit of bruising to follow, for sure. A cyclist 50m ahead stopped and called over his shoulder 'I know what it's like, mate - the same thing happened to me at home 10 minutes ago.. you all right?' 'Yes' I replied, and off he went. I like to think I'd show a touch more concern if a fellow cyclist came a cropper.
I got back on the bike, taking things very carefully. My left hand felt a bit immobile and puffy but wasn't in a bad way. As I approached the turn off Lee Lane I slowed right down... carefully does it... beware of the ice... and then a second whump on to the tarmac; same wrist but this time the left knee. I cursed my stupidity and at this point reckoned it might be wiser to walk the rest of the way.
In the changing room my knees got admiring looks. In the office, a couple of people suggested I get my wrist looked at as it got more swollen. I was feeling a touch wobbly at this stage. Sue drove over and took me to Royal South Hants hospital's minor injuries unit.
A wait to see the triage nurse, then the duty nurse, then an x-ray, then the nurse again who confirmed that I had a broken wrist, and specifically a distal radius fracture, which is, I've learned, the classic result of a FOOSH, or fall on out-stretched hand. The break in the x-ray was subtle to say the least; almost disappointing, I thought. It must be a hairline crack.
I got a whopping big clunky cast which went right up to my finger tips, and a sling, which made me look like a right pillock.
The next day Sue (bless her) took me to the fracture clinic at Southampton General. Lots more waiting. Then an orthopaedic registrar and consultant studied the x-ray and told me that:
- there are at least two and possibly three breaks at the top of the radius
- it's worse than it looks
- it could turn 'catastrophic', with fragments of bone compromising the whole joint
- operating is an option, but the probability of success is not particularly high
- it needs close observation
 |
| Three lines on my wrist |
Sobering words. This means I have to be an exceptionally good patient, and I'm not allowed to do anything particularly interesting or exciting for a while. Specifically, no Romsey 5 next week, no final cross-country league race and therefore no placing this year (very irritating) and no Grizzly (ditto). I should be out of plaster by the end of Feb, but the wisdom of running one of the most challenging and thrillingly gutsy courses around a week later just doesn't stack up.
It's not all bad. My right arm is working fine, I'm not in pain (my knees are very sore at the moment, but they're only flesh wounds) and I'm feeling well. Chris from work has promised to dig his turbo trainer out of his garage so I may be getting some aerobic exercise before too long.
I'm very lucky to have such a supportive and lovely wife who is helping keeping me in check and uncomplainingly taking on all the extra driving, washing up etc etc. The lesson from this is not to cycle when there's any hint of frost - I really love cycling to work but I really don't want to be doing this again.
Next stop - the RR10 league which begins in April. I'll be back.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
XC league 2013: Bournemouth
This was the fourth race in the 2013/14 league and my third, having missed Goodwood. It was a spectacular, spectrally clear and calm January afternoon, all long shadows and people shading their eyes with their hands. After a month of near-solid rain, this was as good as it could possibly be.
10 minutes before the start, Keith confidently told me it was a 3-lap course. I took his word for it because (a) I work with him and he generally knows his stuff and (b) he had been at King's Park since 10:30 in the morning. But just 2 minutes before the start I met Peat, who told me it was 3 laps. I mentally rely on knowing where I am in the course and I would have been badly stymied if I had done 3 laps to be told to do one more.
Off we went, and very quickly we seemed to be all crammed together on a narrow path. I was well back in the field and I had to swallow any frustration and go with the flow. It's so easy to worry about a few metres here or there in the first 2 or 3 minutes but of course that's not the point... plenty of time and open space later on to move forward. And that's exactly what happened - I picked up one runner at a time, over and over, and felt good.
The course was surprisingly firm given the recent rainfall, but there were a couple of tight turn where it was desperately easy to slip, even with spikes on. The last 200m was a right mess but I managed to stay upright and finished in 59th position, which was excellent. My time was 35:38. It's always hard to make comparisons between XC races in different years... but in Jan 2012 I was 73rd with a time of 35:34... a better position and a fractionally slower time today, but in all a terrific afternoon in the sunshine.
10 minutes before the start, Keith confidently told me it was a 3-lap course. I took his word for it because (a) I work with him and he generally knows his stuff and (b) he had been at King's Park since 10:30 in the morning. But just 2 minutes before the start I met Peat, who told me it was 3 laps. I mentally rely on knowing where I am in the course and I would have been badly stymied if I had done 3 laps to be told to do one more.
Off we went, and very quickly we seemed to be all crammed together on a narrow path. I was well back in the field and I had to swallow any frustration and go with the flow. It's so easy to worry about a few metres here or there in the first 2 or 3 minutes but of course that's not the point... plenty of time and open space later on to move forward. And that's exactly what happened - I picked up one runner at a time, over and over, and felt good.
The course was surprisingly firm given the recent rainfall, but there were a couple of tight turn where it was desperately easy to slip, even with spikes on. The last 200m was a right mess but I managed to stay upright and finished in 59th position, which was excellent. My time was 35:38. It's always hard to make comparisons between XC races in different years... but in Jan 2012 I was 73rd with a time of 35:34... a better position and a fractionally slower time today, but in all a terrific afternoon in the sunshine.
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