Slingshots to the soul

I can take them, I am a bigger person that that. I am going to keep running, because it is what I love to do.

When life shoots stones in my direction I have:

Running

Photography

Wildflowers

Nature

Writing

Guitar

to fire right back at it. They are my weapons in the battles I face.

8km this morning, very slow. The hamstring wasn’t too bad until the last kilometre. There was a couple of minor twinges early on.

It became sore and I had to slow down the last 400 metres. Then it got loose again for the last 100 metres.

I think my return to land running needs to be more gradual.

Uncertain

I try for a running comeback tomorrow morning.

I’ve been thinking that it is not a matter of if I get injured, it is a matter of when. Then the trick is to manage the injury. I just hope that the injury doesn’t turn into a biggie that stops me running long term.

So far this year I have had:

achilles tendonitis

shin splints

ball of foot pain

calf pain

hamstring strain

The top 4 injuries have not stopped me running. I’m hoping the hamstring is the same.

I am at a cross roads. I can’t run with the knee tape it seems, and I hope can continue to run without it.

This is my next big step into the unknown in terms of my knee.

Long exercise bike ride

Riding an exercise bike is longer than an equivalent run. In fact it is the pits. Even my 20km runs seem to go quicker than sitting on a bike for an hour.

Just did 19.2km in one hour. My quad on the injured side is much stronger than last time I was forced to cross train.

Orchid

Spotted this sweet little Caladenia orchid in the bush on Friday.

Take a step back to move forward

I think I can afford a week or so rest to get over this niggling hamstring. This morning I walked 50 minutes very easily. Remembering a year ago that is the battle I wanted to win.

“To walk without pain, is that too much to ask?” I would say on walks like this morning.

Well I am at that point of walking without pain, after three years of fighting. Trouble is I tried to run and my hammy was tight and sore. I can walk, but I can’t run.

Maybe it it time to have a break from the battle to do other things? Like get back into landscape photography, bushwalking, more writing?

A holiday from running for a week or so. I deserve it.

I’ve also thought of ditching the Garmin on some training runs so that each run doesn’t turn into a time trial.

Shut it brother just keep walking

I can walk as much as I like. Just did 50 minutes around the Jetty. I tried to jog a little, but I stopped after about 50 metres.

My hammy twinges when I lean  forward or squat. Other than that I don’t feel it at all.

Don’t need the tape to walk or run anymore. My knee isn’t the problem, my hammy is. Other than the twinging hammy I feel strong and ready to run.

Days of light and wonder

Long days of darkness and pain endured; make the miracle days of light even more golden.

Unhappy Hammy

The hamstring injury has been slow to settle. I’ve been worried about whether it would be right for an 8km triathlon I had entered as part of a team on Sunday.

I’d been testing the hamstring with short little jogs. Anyway at lunch I tried to go a bit faster and the hamstring twinged painfully. I’d reinjured it.

For an hour or so I stressed about whether I should run the triathlon 8km or not. Eventually I decided I shouldn’t. I don’t want to run too soon and turn this injury into something more chronic.

I felt better when I knew I could relax and not worry about Sunday, and take longer to get the injury better.

The joy of hamstring strains

This strain came out of the blue.

I had rested for three days prior to my race, and only run twice that week, and I felt exceptionally fresh and strong in the lead up.

I have my own theory on what caused it. My leg telling me I don’t need to tape my knee anymore when I run.

I still believe that this was an abberation caused by the knee tape. I think my leg is now completely rehabbed and by putting the knee tape on it causes problems in my calf and hamstring on the outside. The knee tape now twists the lateral muscles and tendons around too far.

I feel so strong and loose in my glutes and hips as I walk. I haven’t felt this strong for twenty years. A little over a year ago I was in pain just walking. I’ve come a long way.

I was disappointed to pull out of the race, but I have to put all this in perspective. My goal when I started rehab three years ago was to walk without pain.

I’m running half marathons. This is surreal!

HM Photo