Time off for bad behaviour

After ten days of not running, I have been out in the fresh air for a nice easy 5km jog. And I loved it! For any running that is not yet aware of the torture of injury breaks, I can testify that it is an emotional rollercoaster of hope and self-doubt. One morning you might feel that the rest is doing you good and it's all part of the greater plan - later that night you might feel like packing it all in and getting a jump on the old codgers by swapping running for lawn bowls.

The run began with trepidation and finished with high hopes for the future. I concentrated on keeping my legs loose and running with an easy relaxed style, checking in with myself all the time as to the evenness of my gait and the balance of running off both legs. My right knee felt stiff but it did not affect my running style. Most importantly, I had no screams from my Achilles or my right calf/shin. In the end I finished happy. Garmin details of run >>

The key for my recovery now is to remember that I am in fact recovering! My two part plan is:

1. Start again slowly and limit myself to three short runs a week for a couple of weeks and then add more distance and a fourth short run until I feel strong again when I will add a fifth and eventually sixth run.

2. Stretch my calves and do my heel drops every day - ideally twice a day. Also, I will throw in some Qigong to help open up my hips. I hope to add a yoga session into my stretching & fitness routine this year too, the idea being to strengthen my body to allow me to increase my running training.

My next race is the SMH Half Marathon in mid-May and I think I'll be right back up to speed around then.