After not blogging for quite a while my reason for this blog now is to give anybody who is interested in my progress an update.
Basically, injury has again prevented me training and competing this season. Admittedly I did manage a two of months of what you could call running and a few sessions with a few races for Sale Harriers at the end of that but I knew my body wasn't right. So after those few races, my Achilles were not playing and although there seemed to be nothing physically wrong with them they were sore to run, to walk but kept on running knowing I shouldn't.
This was the first time I have ever ran on pain, usually I stop at the first signs. However this time, I hadn't been running for three years due to an undiagnosed injury so when I could run for a few weeks, I kept going. I didn't want to have three years of no racing. I can honestly say that I don't regret it either. I love racing. It is an environment that I relish, enjoy and miss. So although it was a very short 'training' and racing period, if I had not gone through it, I would have been even more depressed if I had not raced another season.
In the end I did 3 x 3km races in the UK women's Premier League, finishing second to Carly Jones who won the 10,000m Olympic Trials this year. I also managed a few local road races which is something I would never consider doing if I was fit and in full training. I really enjoyed them and was sad when I had to stop due to my Achilles being so sore.
Physio wise I was having treatment but was told to keep running, I just had tight calfs. I hoped they were right, but I knew deep down it was worse than that. However I didn't listen to my body. I should have just took 6weeks off from running and I would have been back training by the end of august. Instead, I would try and run for a week, thinking it was ok too, then I wouldn't be able to run for two weeks. This kept happening and the longer this continued, I eventually realised the season was over and I will take the 6weeks off running. I wish I had done this straight away but sometimes you don't know whether to follow your instincts or follow the professional's advice.
So now I have started back jogging over the past 6 weeks. I started by running for 10mins, waiting until all the muscle tightness in my calfs had gone, then run again. This initially took 6days after my first run. Now I can run two days on, one day off with no calf stiffness. This progression is working well for me and I can feel my calfs and body getting stronger. I haven't felt like this for 3 years so I know I am on the right, if not slow, path. Unfortunately I am still randomly feeling my 'undiagnosed' foot injury. This is a burning, sometimes sharp pain under my third metatarsal head. This hadn't happened at all since I started jogging 6 weeks ago and with everything going well I did some calf raises on a non running day. I did these because I have been told by physios that I need to strengthen my calfs. However, next day 15mins into my run the old burning sensations returned. It is agony, you can hardly put your foot on the ground let alone push off correctly. I have been here before, for the past 3 years in fact, and despite being told to strengthen my calfs, calf raises seems to aggravate this foot problem. So I am not going to do calf raises, despite what is seen to be the 'correct' thing to do. I am going to listen to my body as ultimately very few, if anyone is going to tell me not to do calf raises. I will be running to strengthen my calfs, gradually increasing the load through time, terrain, frequency and intensity and most importantly listening to my body. I am putting no schedule on my return to fitness and no time limit. This is one area where outside parties cannot know best. A Physio or coach may see a certain pathway for return to fitness, usually gained from a genetic textbook. However they also know everyone of us is different but how do they know what that means? That is why I am going to follow my body and I have nothing to lose. I have been lucky to have had treatment by the very best UKA doctors, physios aNd coaches in the past so feel well equipped to make an informed decision regarding my body. It may turn out that I am completely wrong but from my previous 10 years of virtual constant injury, it can't be much worse.
It feel good to write things down in a blog as instead if everything churning around in your head, getting it down simplifies, refocus and motivates me.
I may write another soon?
Maybe
Louise x
