Sometimes it feels like your running uphill!
I knew the operation on my torn cartilage in my right knee on 9th December 2913 would stop me running through December 2013. So what had been a fantastic running year for me in 2013, with a 3:08 in Blackpool, completing my 100th marathon and completing my second Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days averaging 3:41 per day, has all ended with a long rest. It has probably done me good to recharge my batteries after running high mileage weeks for over 3 years and I had mentally got my head round having a rest with the plan to get back to running in Jan with the aim to do Anglesey Coastal marathon on 18th January 2014.
The first 2 weeks of 2014 seemed to be going to plan as I got back into running but then 5 days before Anglesey Coastal I came down with Laryngitis, lost my voice and felt nowhere near well enough to drive to the race start, never mind run it! After being so patient waiting to run again after my operation I was gutted to miss my return to marathon running.
As I started to get my voice back and I thought I was getting over the Laryngitis, I started with a stinking cold and a relentless cough. Another week passed without running. This was starting to get really frustrating for me. For a moment I thought it couldn’t get worse but I was wrong and during the afternoon of 29th January while coughing and sneezing, not sure which did it, I hurt my right ribs! What have I done now?
Over 2 weeks on, my cough and cold are much better but still lingering. The big “BUT” is my ribs still extremely sore if I twist or jolt them, making it too uncomfortable to run. Whether I have bruised my ribs or pulled some muscles, I’ve no idea but I can see it taking a long while before I’m comfortably running.
It’s now 10th February and less than 2 weeks till Malta marathon. I have 2 questions; will I be well enough to run and if I am, how will I cope with running a marathon after not training properly for over 3 months?
In a last ditch attempt to keep some kind of fitness, I went to my local gym for the first time in my life. My idea was to use machines that don’t affect my sore chest but allow me to exercise my legs. I had almost no idea of what kinds of machines would be available but had the bike machines in mind. When I got there and tried them, I found them not ideal as they used the wrong leg muscles for me but I did find a machine called a “Cross Trainer” not bad, just used the legs part so as not to aggravate my chest. Then I came across the step machine, if that is what you call it. It’s like climbing an everlasting staircase or going up a hill in a fell race. What a great machine, really worked my legs. I’m going to be good at hills when I’m back to running!
Will I heal enough in time for Malta marathon?
And if, so can I pull off a marathon with almost no training?
I’m not giving up!
Watch this space, 13 days to go.
