In getting the negatives out of the way, I am still being dogged by an annoying injury which probably ranks amongst the most avoidable injuries a runner could get. I have a dose of shin-splints. This is tenderness and some pain on the front of my shin bone (where various tendons join the bone). I put this down to over-use. The second injury (same leg) is one of the calf muscles is sore and has been for a few weeks. Lately I have been having some short runs of only a few miles in order to remain supple but not to aggravate anything.
The solution to all of this is taking some Ibuprofen on the day and continued gently stretching, which does seem to be helping. Having said that, I am prepared to pull out on the day if it's too painful and right now I'm thinking this could be a possibility, although this is something I have never done before. Even if the race goes well, I dare say I will hobble around afterwards and it does seem to be affecting my hip after a run. All this is another reminder of how fantastic our bodies are in terms of the complex design and how everything works together but we aren't made to carry on forever.
My checklist:
- Race number
- Safety pins x4
- Shorts (I have treated myself to some new Ron Hill shorts!)
- Shirt (haven't decided which to wear, depends on the weather forecast!)
- Socks (again I have treated myself to some new ones: X-Socks)
- iPhone, charged up
- Small ruck sack, with bag tag
- Running shoes
- Timing chip
- Sort out where to park
- Plasters on the ball of each foot (a blister spot after 20 miles)
- Trim toe nails
- Hydration starts today
- Don't eat too much this evening
- Something to wear before / after
- Some cash
- Read through the race guide
Remind myself
Yep I need to remind myself why I do this. This is a bit of "self talk" now and something I encourage other people to do themselves.
Running is a fantastic sport and something I can do alright. I will never be a medal winner but my performance isn't too bad.
It helps me stay in good shape physically and keeps my weight nicely under control. I weigh the same as I did two years ago, albeit a tad higher than I have been in recent years. My BMI is 22. I have also had the results back from some blood tests; I like to have a check-up once a year to cover the usual things such as cholesterol, glucose, liver and kidney function, PSA and so on. Besides I am apparently of an age where this is more cost effective for the NHS to make sure I am in good shape as it's a prime time for diabetes, strokes and other heart issues to emerge as problems which could be dealt with. Nine tests altogether. Happily these are said to be "absolutely normal, the Doctor doesn't need to see you about anything".
I need to prove to myself I can still do this. If it wasn't for being injured, I think I could match my previous time of a whisker under 4 hours as otherwise I feel pretty fit.
Also I need to do this for the satisfaction of doing it. There are many challenges along the way in terms of training and the actual day itself. I need to prove to myself I can do it, not to give up and make a good time if at all possible.
Can't wait.
Good shoes are HUGE. I used to have pain in my knees all day every day because my shoes did support my high arches. Getting good shoes (and might I add, good insoles) has made a huge difference for me.
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