There is little worse than being in the presence of the injured runner.
In early 2015, I was at my physiotherapist, lying on my front while he worked on my torn calf muscle. I had a decision to make.I hadn’t run for a fortnight and had had messy runs in the preceding weeks due to illness and my back giving me grief. I’ve got to say there was not much joy in my running steps, more a ponderous plodding. So, to run a Spring marathon or not?
I had registered for the Rotterdam marathon the day it opened. I’m used to UK races where places for big races fill up ridiculously fast. The year before the ballot for the London marathon closed in under 11 hours after 120,000 people had registered.
I think I was one of the first to register for Rotterdam. It looks like a great race – nice and flat and it’s a weekend devoted to running. I was excited. Maybe I could make up for my first marathon being such a disaster in terms of time. Pre-January running had gone well, apart from that landing on my face incident in early December, but that’s another story.
The choice was a hard one but alas, there is to be no Spring marathon for me.
‘You know you’re a runner when…you get mad that an injury keeps you from running, not that it damaged your body.’
So I’m changing my goals for the year. After 3 years of injury prone running, it’s time to bite the bullet and do core exercises – ouch. I’ve been doing bits and pieces for the last couple of weeks and using my trusty foam roller. I’m still rubbish at doing planks and stand in awe at anyone who can hold one for more than 30 seconds. Yes, I know, I’m a wimp. I can run 10 miles but not yet a hold a plank for more than 20 seconds. My aim is to get stronger, faster and be a little less injury prone. I’ll let you know how I get on. And I have the joy of looking forward to cheering on running buddies from my club when I marshal at the London marathon.
I’m in training for a few halves and I’ll take my time. A spring is back in my step and I’m looking forward to my 12 miler tomorrow. Slow and steady and hopefully a moment or two of bliss – where everything comes together, running with a crazy grin and life is good!
(March 2015)