Fell Over

Tripped over a kerb. Blood, gore, knee fell off...

OK it's probably a bit over dramatic, but I tripped over a kerb and went flying and I now have a large dressing on my hurty knee and feel very sorry for myself.

 It wasn't a great run - even apart from the terribly injury. I wanted to get up to 5 miles and didn't. I was also very tired for no reason. I guess you can't progress every single time you hit the pavement.

Shouldn't have called it 'hit the pavement' - too soon.



Stats: 4.35 miles, 10min 3s per long, tedious mile

3 runs

16 May - Whitstable - 50m19s  5.1 miles 9min 47/mile
17 May - whitstable - 49m 24s  5.2 miles 9m 32/mile
23 May - bristol - 1h 2m 16s - 6.4 miles - 9m 47/mile

Those are the longest runs I have done for years. I am knackered.
The Whitstable ones were the best - either way along the seafront, the smell of the sea, the fresh air, the flat routes, the new sights and sounds - just inspiring - which is why I went both days, why I went a long way on Sunday cos I saw a nature reserve I hadn't seen before and had to have a look.
Today's run was long cos I was dropped off at the downs and I did a circuit before heading home. It was far rather than I thought and it was incredibly hard work. I'm glad I did it but I'm not sure if I will repeat it in any hurry. But then how else do you get better?
The one caveat to all this running is my feet - the arthritic toe joint makes the surrounding toes ache a lot and there was a twinge from the place on my left foot where I had that stress fracture before.
Perhaps I need to restrict how much I do and not push it too much...

dull stats...

..but frankly a ray of hope as well...

That run felt like I was progressing a little. Thing is, it wiped me out for the rest of the day which I spent on the sofa falling asleep very 1/2 hour or so.

Might have been something else causing that. I had a splitting headache as well.

hey ho, and all that...

3.77 miles
9m 35s per mile

so all in all not too bad...

thoughtful...

3.77 miles (usual route)
9m 40s per mile

Slowly getting better. Faster, anyway
And 2 runs in 2 days - get me. As I was running round I was actually thinking that I could do it twice a week - 3, even.
But if I do go ahead with this joint replacement, I won't be able to run for weeks. So perhaps subconsciously I'm getting ahead in fitness so it's not quite so disheartening when I come to rehabilitation.
Or something.
Anyway - it's gratifying to read the stats that say I'm getting fitter. Unfortunately I'm not losing weight - still over 9st - but I guess being fit and strong is far more important than being skinny.

tech fail (again)

Definitely operator error this morning...

I was in 2 minds about running. I have a yin yoga video which I have done once and have promised to keep doing it.  Obviously I haven't.  But that was an option which would have got me out of running. Then I thought to myself that running isn't a punishment - it's a privilege and a joy.

So I went for a run. And I felt better than I have for a long time. I am sure I was running faster and sure enough, the 2nd time the mapmyrun lady popped into my headphones, I was running under 9'30" a mile which is about as good as it gets for me.

So I get home all glowing and pleased with myself - AND FORGET TO STOP THE WORKOUT APP.

Apparently I was doing 12 minute-plus miles by the time I stopped the thing.

Oh well. It was good while it lasted...

Bionic

I've had a stiff right big toe joint for a while now, and occasionally it's been quite painful, but it's never let me down in terms of running. In fact, walking hurts far more than running.

I went to the GP for something else a while ago and mentioned my poor toe. I couldn't bend it upwards from the ground. He sent me for an x-ray. 

A mere 5 weeks later (the practice did chase the hospital for a report time and time again) I got a phonecall from a random GP at the practice who blithely told me that my joint has such bad osteoarthritis that I need a joint replacement. 

I was quite shocked. I had been goolging and had convinced myself that what I needed was a cheilectomy where they just scrape off the extra bone that's been growing on top the joint, a couple of weeks off work and gently back into the running.

But no. It's far more involved than that. And I was left with too little information. Normally I would defend the NHS to the hilt, but this time, not so much. I want to talk to someone who does these operations who can tell me exactly what's going to happen, long term outcomes, recovery, alternatives - will I be able to run again in the future?

I know that doing nothing will mean that it will get worse and also that my recovery will take longer as I will be so old... 

So I guess I will go for it - but not until I get to talk to someone.

I got the message from the GP that they don't refer people for consultations any more, you just go there for the operation and that's all you get. It's been suggested that the consultation part of the process has gone in order to keep the whole procedure (from referral to operation) under 18 weeks. Well, frankly, it doesn't matter if it takes more than 18 weeks so why not just take this off the grid so to speak.

Anyway - that's what's happening. exciting in a way to think that possibly later this year I will have a fully-functioning toe once more. 

In the meantime I will continue to limp around town, but run like the wind on Saturdays... kind of.