Oops I did it again

-
For the second time this year I am injured. After five healthy and successful months of pushing my body to its limits I am back on the sidelines. Earlier in the year I managed to inflame my patella during a particularly brutal cross country event but this time it isn't my knee that's hurt and it wasn't running that caused it.


Somehow I managed to run for 107 miles in three days without so much as a twinge but six points into a game of squash a part of my anatomy decided that enough was enough. As I lunged for the ball I felt something give and a sharp pain at the top of my right thigh. I straightened up but quickly realised that I couldn't lift my right leg without the stabbing pain returning.

A particularly nasty squash injury
At the moment I can walk but only by dragging my leg behind me and I have to take stairs one at a time. I'm not sure exactly what the injury is but some form of groin or upper thigh strain seems likely.

I did a quick Google search and the symptoms so appear to point towards that although I don't like to diagnose anything from the internet. Anyway before I speak to my GP or Physio its time for some RICE.


RICE is an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. Most injuries require this along with good anti-inflammatory tablets and a dose of feeling sorry for yourself. Hopefully I won't be out of action for too long but I was planning on easing off over the next month anyway and have no races lined up until September.

That said I was hoping to build in some speed work over the summer and have been consistently completing my new exercise regime of crunches, press ups and plank. I think that might have to wait a while...


More pressing concerns are how I will get to work, do the Big Shop and climb the pulpit steps at church on Sunday when I am due to preach the sermon!

Popular posts from this blog

Bushy, crewing and an Epping ultra

-
Image
What a weekend. It involved some running, some supporting runners and a bit more running. Saturday dawned wet and windy. 300 runners were assembling in Wendover ready for a 43 mile run into London. The fields were boggy, the paths were waterlogged and it was cold. Well, what do you expect on January 8th. These hardcore runners set off while I was driving from east to west London. My first stop was Bushy Park. This, as many will know, was the birthplace of parkrun. On 2nd October 2004 13 runners completed the first 5k with support from Paul  and Joanne Sinton-Hewitt. 17 years later it is a global phenomenon. This was my running pilgrimage. I have wanted to run Bushy since I ran my first parkrun in September 2012. This would be my 291st. A gentle rain was falling as I parked up by the Diana Fountain just across from Hampton Court. To stretch my legs - and kill some time, I was an hour early - I ran around the park exploring the tree lined avenues, gated gardens and open marshland.  Tiny
Read more

A bridge too far?

-
Image
A post on Facebook caught my attention. This is how many of my running adventures begin. Bex Band, founder of the women's adventure community Love Her Wild had walked across all the bridges in Greater London. Obviously this meant the Thames River. Less obviously there are 33 bridges in total starting at Hampton Court and ending at Tower Bridge. Of these, 26 have pedestrian access and she had crossed them all. 'Hmm, that would make a good run' was my first thought. Seed planted. A couple of months later on a mild, bright January day I travelled to Richmond. My first run was Richmond parkrun with my friend Vicki and her pal Nicola. 3.1 miles, no dear and a warming coffee later, I ran the nine miles to Hampton Court. Twelve miles done and I was ready to start my run! My goal was to cross each bridge when I came to it. That meant crossing Hampton Bridge and a sign denoting entrance to Surrey before turning and re-crossing it to begin. Yes, I am a pedant. Hampton Court Bridge I
Read more

The Druid's Challenge

-
Image
This weekend I signed up to be a member of the support team on the Druid's Challenge ultra running event in the Chiltern Hills. My friend Matt was running the three day, 85 mile event. I was allocated to help with set up and checkpoint duties on the Saturday and Sweeper on Sunday. The Druid has been going for 12 years. It is organised by XNRG, a family business that 'help people challenge themselves and break through their mental and physical barriers, whilst providing peace of mind with expertly run events, going the extra mile for every competitor.' They also put on the Pilgrim Challenge and a number of charity events raising money for Humanity Direct. To get there for the 7 o'clock start I left London at 3:30am. The benefit of this was clear roads and the ability to drive through the centre of London with no Congestion Charge to pay. I arrived at the agreed meeting point outside the village of Watlington.  The first wave of competitors were walkers. They were brought
Read more