So running in Knole Park …
Let’s start with the bad…
Have you ever felt your body out of whack when you’re running?
You know what I mean – legs are heavy and there’s no rhythm to your stride even after a few miles. Your diet is fine, you’ve slept well, stress levels are OK, but you feel like you’re wearing concrete boots.
That’s how it was running around Peckham and Nunhead two weeks ago. It was a lovely warm day – the sort you embrace when it’s coming to the end of a long summer. But my running sucked, and sucked hard. I felt rudderless – my gait just not right.
By Sunday afternoon, I knew I was in trouble. There was a dull ache in my lower back. It hurt to move, to stand, to walk, to sit, to sleep. That night I managed about two hours sleep – broken every time I moved. If you’ve ever had back issues, you’ll know the terror that that sort of pain causes – will it mean weeks of agony, strong painkillers turning you into a dribbling drugged out mess, and physio appointments? Will it mean no running for months and exhaustion.
Monday morning, I phoned the physio and made an appointment for that day. And he told me the problem was not with my back but with my hip – WHAT????? I’ve not had hip issues before. Another one to add to a stupidly long list of injuries.
So the issue – sacroiliac dysfunction. I spent half an hour with the physio – being massaged, bent and stretched – at times very painfully so. He taped me up and off I went. It took a couple of days and by Thursday I went for a very short and slow run. It felt OK, not quite right but the pain didn’t come back.
And then the good – Running, Picnic and Cake
Following that little incident, running is now on the up!
By Saturday I felt strong enough to run a couple of miles and then help out at my club’s beginners course.
And Sunday? Sunday was running through Knole Park, a medieval deer park in Kent. This is an annual end of summer run with my club. The grounds are enormous with fields and gullies and deer. Off we went, running through the woods. After a mile, I split from the rest of the group. They were doing 7 miles and it’s a tough run. I decided I’d be better off meandering, running a little, taking photos and just taking my time so that’s what I did.
There’s some deeply restorative running through the woods.
We ended our runs with a picnic. I made my good old Anzac biscuits. We ate biscuits, sandwiches and lots of cake! Lots of laughs and then back we trekked to London. A big thanks to my running chums for a lovely day out.
And over the last week. No issues with my hip. I’ve managed to run 3 or 4 times a week and getting up to a comfortable 4 miles in a run – it’s a start.
And I love running in London with views like this –
– my run home from work.
So all in all – over the two weeks I ran 13.7 miles the first and then 15.7. It’s still slow going and it still feels like I’m plodding along but that’s good for now! Onwards and upwards….
And Next……
My ambition over the next few months is to pick up the pace and the distance. By Christmas, I’d like to be able to run 10 miles reasonably comfortably. That way I can do some of my favourite runs along the Thames – London Bridge to Greenwich, through the foot tunnel and then on to the Isle of Dogs where I invariably get lost! Love it!
So how’s your week of running been?
(September 2016)