Welcome Distractions

Running is still off the menu. What on earth did I used to do with my weekends?! There's only so much bike riding on the spot I can take. To avoid spiralling further into a running-less depression and to distract from the absence of the long run today, I've immersed myself all afternoon in re-organising my music collection. This began with the creation of a gym playlist to keep me sane whilst exercising indoors. It then got a bit out of control and I'm now another 9 albums richer (or poorer depending on your perspective). Anyway, I came across this gorgeous video during my virtual travels...

New Adventures of a Gym Bunny

After feeling even more useless at running after a physio visit on Friday I'm conceding defeat. I've joined a gym. Though the physio seems to think I can run, I plainly can't. Not without wincing or gritting my teeth and limping. So, no running allowed for a bit, at least until I get a second opinion on the problem. 

A trip to the local leisure centre was my fix today; the start of a gym membership. Get me!  I'm a gym bunny. I went for my first 'spinning' class. A strange combination of pedalling very fast then standing up a bit, whilst peddling to thumpin' tunes; it was like Ibiza on a bike.

The spin was swiftly followed by a spot of splashing about in the pool, complete with views of a giant blue tube, (water slide sadly closed for maintenance). Though the heart rate didn't get very high, the legs felt like they worked a bit without any pain in the wrong places. It's good to feel tired after days of inactivity. Keighley leisure centre rocks.

Wall Climbing

Nope, I haven't taken up a new sport (though I am getting desperate). I'm now becoming a mentalist after not running for 5 whole days. The leg remains gammy; after a cruel glimmer of hope and recovery it went bad again. 

So, even more cash spent on more treatment and I'm still not running. Bummer.

Pure Yorkshire

My first race in a while today, for obvious reasons. It was time to get stuck in again after too long out of action. It was gonna be hard but you need lots of practice at this racing lark; I'm in dire need of a bit of race hardening, so onwards and upwards.

The leg held up (just about) and I'm proud to say us Bingley women ran our little Yorkshire hearts out at Carnegie for today's Yorkshire Road Relays. It was a bit of a damp day and most of us were racing after a bit of a break from training, so the silver medal was a very welcome reward for all our team's efforts. A warm welcome too to our newest senior team member, Carly Robertson  (pretty in pink), she had a stormer...

Pain Relief

So. I might have been getting a bit ahead of myself  there in supposing old leggy was on the mend. A longish run or two later and it's been very sore again since Saturday. I was even reduced to limping along the train platform again on Monday morning. So, Not Good. I've felt pretty miserable and sorry for myself these last three days; even the  bottom lip has developed scuff marks from all the dragging along the floor.

First thing Monday morning I booked myself a trip to the physio. M's prods at the sore bit of my calf on Sunday told me that it wasn't going to be pleasant. Thankfully this time I'd remembered to take a  pair of balled socks to bite my way through the agony. I presented myself complete with my left leggy promptly at 2pm for a proper shake down.  I was quite a brave soldier, accompanied unexpectedly by Coach Scobie who artfully mopped my brow. The treatment lasted over an hour and involved a whole range of prods and yanks, twists and contortions and searing, eye watering pain. However, after enduring the longest hour of my life  (could childbirth be this bad?!) it was pretty good news. 

The sore bits that I'd feared were giant balls of scrambled calf muscle  were actually just points of nerve inflammation. I have a 'neural problem' and it seems to have been put right. The relief from the treatment was immense; they work magic those physios. I was reminded yet again of the stupidity in waiting so long to see someone; I'd have saved two weeks of fretting and worrying if I'd just gone there in the first place. You now have permission to tell me I'm as daft as a brush. It's now lots of balancing exercise, neuro stretches and regular drills with training back to normal within the week.

Back to Business

I'm positively buzzing that we're already midway through the week and so far the leg is still working. Another bit of a leg test last night indicates that all is on the mend. Following no ill effects from Saturday's exploits I'd pencilled in another slightly tough run for last night; a few interval efforts on the grass. 

I sensibly avoided the track surface (get me!) keeping to soft, terrain I tested the leggy with a few intervals to replicate an 800s session. A bit of stiffness in the warm up soon eased off and once the intervals were underway there wasn't a peep from shinny. 

Despite the lack of pain I was gasping like an asthmatic warthog. It was a bit embarrassing as M strode on ahead of me, relaxed and barely breathing i.e. looking far too fit and easy.  Meanwhile I was feeling sweaty, blobby, lumpy and all wrong in Lycra. THANK GOD I can run again. Strange things happen to me when training stops. Where did my fitness go in two weeks?! But grumbles aside; it's so good to be getting back to the business.