I was supposed to run yesterday and was visited by both Madame Migraine and a foot problem, which meant I was limping, even when wearing slippers – so an enforced day of rest really messed up my running plans. With both my head and foot pounding with pain, I stayed in bed for most of the day, drugged up and dopey.
When I decided upon this challenge, I had read how middle/long distance runners get many, many ailments and I thought to myself. ‘that’s not for me’, the more I read about them the more likely it is I will suffer from them. I studiously avoided reading up on them – there are many weird afflictions with peculiar names and I wanted none of them. I’m happy to Dr Google (well in truth Dr NHS) only if the need arises.
During one bout of consciousness yesterday, I thought I ought to check out my foot pain, just in case I could fix it with a plaster or something. That’s when ‘runnerchondria’ struck – there are many ‘little’ problems you can get – blisters etc and then there’s the big stuff. Naturally enough, I think I have a ‘big’ problem, I am getting stabbing pains under my big toe, it’s like having rhythmic cramp and it hurts, a lot. Suggested diagnoses include a stress fracture, bunions (no it’s not one of those), hallux rigidus (basically a knackered toe, due to age and general deterioration), and the remaining long Latin-named problems are equally as frightening.
Most of the problems, have solutions all of which start with the recommendations ‘rest and don’t run’. So I didn’t yesterday, but I did today, and what can I say? I had to run slow, not least because it was quite warm this morning. But the upside is that the pain did subside a bit, it’s not quite as bad as yesterday, but I do still yelp when I catch myself unawares. Now I am in the horns of a dilemma – do I continue to run with the toe hurting, which can be managed by judicious use of ibuprofen, or do I rest up, and try and get into see the doctors when I go home in June, to get a physio/X-Ray referral? That could take months and I can’t sit around on my bum for that long.
There are two reasons I can’t sit around for that long – the first being that the challenge can only work if I maintain 160km a month, I have only 2 weeks in the bag, taking more than 2 weeks off, then puts me behind schedule. The second is that since I’ve been running the longer distances, I can eat more – yay – and not put on weight. If I’m sitting around, I have a horrid feeling I’ll still do the eating and thus develop a Kardashian Kulo. Which is fine if you are Kardashian shaped but I’m not.
I’m going to just run even more glacially slowly than I have been, and watch my foot for any deterioration and see if it’s possible to get a physio appointment in Italy instead. they have a mixture of public/private medicine here and there’s a lot of ‘sports’ clinics around – that is my default if the pain becomes unmanageable.
Anyway, despite the ‘toetally’ crap Saturday, I did manage to get out today, it was sunny, and my dear friend G saw me in the cafe for my pitstop and very generously bought me my breakfast. And I tried out my new Boy Band playlist (very recently completed) to keep me going, when things got tough.
This time last year, we were in Japan chasing the sakura (cherry blossom). Sometimes you forget that you don’t necessarily need to travel far to see wonderful things, and my pic shows the rather lovely and abundant cherries we have in our garden. Cherries for breakfast – tree to mouth – zero food miles, in fact we are talking food centimetres only.
Playlist
Sugar Baby Love – The Rubettes
Bye Bye Baby – Bay City Rollers
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
Forever and Ever – Slik
A Little Bit More – 911
ABC – The Jackson 5
You Raise Me Up – Westlife
Stand And Deliver – Adam & The Ants
When Will I Be Famous – Bros
When You Say Nothing At All – Boyzone
I’ll Make Love To You – Boyz ll Men
A Million Love Songs – Take That
Mandy – Westlife
Seasons In The Sun – Westlife
Shang A Lang – Bay City Rollers
Boxerbeat – Jo Boxers
Everybody – Backstreet Boys
Quit Playing Games With My Heart – Backstreet Boys
Bye Bye Bye – NSYNC
Story Of My Life – One Direction
Step By Step – New Kids On The Block
It Only Takes A Minute – Take That
The Chauffeur – Duran Duran
Rockin’ Robin – Michael Jackson
The Call – Backstreet Boys
Mama Do The Hump – Rizzle Kicks
Love and Pride – King
Stats
Distance 11.85km
Time 1:35:09
Average Pace 8:01
Elevation Gain 223 metres
Alzheimer’s Challenge
Kms Run 867.29
Kms to do 1150.71
