CALF MONSTER STRIKES AGAIN

Here we go again, painful calf strikes again, 2 weeks after it went last time it has gone again, maybe i should stop running on Thursday's!

I have decided maybe the best strategy is 2 full weeks rest from running but still continuing with my stretches. Ive heard a lot of people mentioning foam rollers, these seem to be a solid foam tube with which you massage your body parts, no not those body parts you rude person, but aching and injured muscles, well my frugal mind got to thinking...foam roller.....old decorating tools..... bingo, use a small roller with a foam sleeve on it and massage my calf. I've tried it and i think it does an OK job. i do look a but daft doing it but nobody can see me in Treasure towers so I'm safe. the picture above is an artists impression of me resting my leg in Treasure towers on my chaise longue.

So i haven't run since last Thursday, 5 days, pain isn't there now but it wasn't when i ran either till it went, it appears to be a weak spot so ill have to look for some strengthening exercises too in one of the few books i have on fitness.

Ive not felt as though i am pushing myself, I've been going quite slow on my runs and distances not that long as I've done those distances before, maybe shorter and slower for the first few weeks back would be a good idea. I wouldn't know when its safe to go faster or longer though, how do you know? the leg feels fine so add a bit of distance or what? I'm really not an expert at this am I? I have races to do in March so better get it sorted by then, don't know what I'm going to do if it keeps going.

anyway, apart from not running the only other thing I've been doing is driving my big truck, been down to Gatwick, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Manchester, Oldham and Luton. Ive now been promoted to a newer truck so Ill be posting a pic of that next time, its nice to have a big one.

IF YOU SEE ME DRIVING THIS TOWARDS YOU...............................MOVE!!!!!!!

I FEEL GOOD

Well I think the antibiotics are starting to work, feeling better today, had a good nights sleep and was up and out running before 9am, I managed 3.3 miles, all running, no walking today, only stopped to take a photo of the lovely start to the day, shame I got in the way of the view.

considering I've had a stop start relationship with running since October, I am quite pleased to get to that distance with a pace of 9.3 minutes a mile, its not fast but I still class myself as overweight and unfit so maybe when i get a bit fitter through my running that pace may come down a bit. 

I've done 9.9 miles this week in 3 runs and I have reached my first weekly target for Jantastic which is good considering I was so low after doing my calf again last week. I'm on my first full week of my new job this week so I'm expecting to have less time to run, but who knows I may get an early finish like Friday and be able to do a good run then. I've also got to think and take one step at a time, going too far too soon wont be a good thing to do in the long run, ha long run, get it? 

The view over the flashes towards Northwich, a light frost on the bench it really was a lovely morning, I doubt we will get any snow so that's about as wintry as it gets here.

Told you i got in the way and spoilt the picture, another demonic face pulled by Mr T.

UNDER THE WEATHER

I have felt better in my life, I have an infected cyst on my shoulder, it was just irritating to start with, obviously i cant see it properly where it is although i did attempt some iphone pictures to see what it was like, seeing it on there convinced me to get down to the doctors and get something done. It had swelled up and was making my neck ache, the doctor lanced it and he had the delight of squeezing out all the smelly puss, it is still weeping out but not as much now. I'm on antibiotics but they seem to be making slow progress as i feel drained and not 100%.

My little Truck

I finished early from work on Friday, oh by the way I have a new job, driving articulated trucks up and down the country, I've only been there 3 days but have already been to Gatwick, long way when your shoulder and neck is painful but I really enjoyed it, it feels sop much more relaxed driving now there isn't an examiner or instructor in the cab with me, music on, singing along and seeing the countryside from high up is another plus. so on Friday afternoon I got home and felt crap but suddenly had a second wind and managed to do the pile of washing up that had built up due to my long days behind the wheel. I then sat down and had a slump, with getting back late on Thursday I missed my planned run and wondered if id have the energy to go out and do one, after an hour or so i just got my kit on and went, managed 3.3 miles of running including the walk to the park and back, I felt good, my calf was good, my new supporting insoles felt good and I felt positive about the run and was then looking forward to my next one which will be Sunday.

I'm getting there slowly

I'm going to sound like a grumpy old sod for once but I want to be running 10 miles in 50 Min's NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




I should be happy, today I have been out again and did a gentle walk around Carey park, I say gentle, I walked to the park and then started to run slowly, i was very nervy because of my calf, if you read this blog regularly and there must be one of you out there in Internet land, you'll be fed up of hearing about my calf, well hopefully you wont be hearing too much about it in the future. out of the 3.3miles i did this evening 2.7 of it was running, i did try my hardest to run slowly but maybe there is something wrong with my garmin as I had speeds close to what i normally do. The most important thing was my calf, OK i wont mention it again, i didn't get any sharp pains, didn't feel any cramping and I think that is a good result, I've been stretching daily, twice or 3 times in fact seeing as I'm not working at the minute, so I am hopeful keeping the stretching going by the time i run again on Thursday, I can relax a bit more and hopefully run non stop for a couple of miles.

JANTASTIC

January is also Jantastic, this is a motivational thing I happen to be involved with, I'm in a facebook group who also happen to be the biggest group to be taking part, we are called Run for Fun, coz running is fun, you should try it!!!! anyway, for the first 4 weeks we have to set a total number of runs we will be doing individually, I've plumped for 3 runs a week, today counts as my 1st, i have to do at least a mile, so Thursday I'll do another run and then hopefully on Sunday I can go a little bit further and that will be my 3 runs for the week, its good motivation and I'm enjoying the challenge as I have never considered myself a runner, now I'm a funner runner .

SLOW PROGRESS

Today i have been on a 3.3 mile walk to see how my calf is getting on, before going on the walk I warmed up using my cycle turbo trainer, 20 minutes to get the blood flowing and the muscles warmed up. I watched the DVD which came with the trainer, I was excited to see id be cycling through Italy, i have a soft spot for Italy as my great grandad came from there and one of my dreams is to drive in a comper van from the top to toe of Italy.                                                                    

Anyway, back to the walk, I set off at a quick walk and headed to my usual route towards Carey Park, the weather was not too cool, dry and breeze free. there were lots of people about so i picked my moments to do a few gentle jogs to see how the calf fared. the first jog was about 100 yards, I felt the calf beginning to tighten, I had stretched before I had started my cycling so I stopped the jog and stretched again, I carried on slightly disappointed as I thought that was it, but after a good walk again I tried again, 50 yards and the calf was OK, i walked again for a good while and then about 200 yards from the edge of the park I ran again, this time I tried to relax my leg, I have the feeling I'm subconsciously protecting it and stiffening it making it harder for the muscle, so I ran relaxed, slowly and the leg felt good all the way to the edge of the park, I didn't go any further and walked from the park to my flat. I stretched again once back in the flat and put a cool pack on my calf, no freezer so cant put ice on it.

so my hope now is that a little bit more rest and more stretching will mean I can begin 10k training as soon as possible, my first one of the year is in 56 days. 

SETBACK AGAIN

First run of the new year and my problem persists, I thought I had stretched well, have done daily since the last run when I felt it go, today I stretched before i went out, I walked to the park then jogged very slowly for 200 yards, felt OK, took a picture of some swans(i was taking it easy!!) walked a bit then started to jog slowly and felt it straight away, so fed up, I carried on walking the short route back, I stopped did some deep stretches and it felt a bit better so I am going to try those daily as well and hope for the best.

In the meantime its going to be a case of reading about Chi running, resting, stretching, job hunting and working on my core strength which i have been doing since before Christmas. I can feel I have been doing crunches, tilting my pelvis which has come from the Chi running book, has made my crunches do more i believe, certainly feels harder. If i could lose more weight and rid my body of my love handles I think id be more happy with how I look, Ive never been vain, never wanted the bodybuilders look so guess my mid life crisis is making me want to look a bit more athletic, which can only good for my health which is the point of this blog...to change my life.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

 

 



Well, here we are again, another year ticked off, out with the old and in with the new, looking back on 2012 i should be really pleased with myself, i set out to lose weight...eventually and managed to shed over 2 stone, i like many others have let slip over the festive season and I'm sure a few lbs have not only crept on but jumped on and pulverised my body. 2012 saw the back of my calf injury only for it to rear its horrible little head again just before new year, leaving the running for 2 weeks is not a good idea and I have now set myself the challenge of stretching that calf every day otherwise I will be forever plagued by an excuse to not be able to run.

 

2013 is officially designated as my running year, by me, so there you have it but I will also cycle as if the running goes well enough i will be attempting the Autumn duathlon around Oulton Park racetrack. before then and up to now I have committed myself not to an asylum, although some think i deserve to be in one, but to the following races, i say races but the only thing i will be racing is myself.

 

MARCH   High Legh 10K, Liverpool half marathon(probably when i get paid) and Run the Bridge over the Runcorn/Widnes bridge which is a 5 mile run.

 

APRIL      Lymm 10k which I am also doing for the CATS FOUNDATION Cure and Action for Tay-Sachs disease. Tay Sachs is a progressive neurological genetic disorder and if you click the link above there is loads of info on there and if you scroll down to the calendar at the bottom and flick to April you will see my name on the 14th :-).

 

MAY         Chester half marathon and on the 26th May I will be running the Great Manchester 10k in Manchester, I have friends running that day too so maybe they will wave to me as they pass me by or give me a kick up the backside.

I haven't booked anything in for June onwards yet, hoping to get sorted work wise first and get a decent routine in so i can do some regular training done to get my fitness levels up, seems a long way off yet but the first of those run is only 60 days away!!!

 

where am I now? well I'm currently plagued by the calf of death, it flared up again last week and despite only running slowly and for 300m at the weekend it was enough to turn me into a miserable grumpy sod for a few hours, but fortunately I have some VERY supportive people who politely kick my ass and tell me not to be defeatist, to get the injury sorted and to take things slowly, I do love these know all athlete people and know they are right, I WANT TO RUN, I WILL RUN!!!!!!