First Run

At last nearly all the pain of the DOMs after the Fling have subsided and left me with a pain in my right ankle that snakes up the outward side of my shin from time to time. Done a bit of googling and I think the problem is my anterior tibialis tendon which helps pull my foot up. Its more affected by uphills and downhills and uneven surfaces which makes sense as it got really sore in the last few miles of the fling on the steep uphills and downhills.

All week at work I've been sore and though I'd planned to jog to club on Wednesday night just to force people to congratulate me and soak up a bit of glory, when it came to it I had a fierce pain up my leg and I thought better of it. The reaction amongst the smokers and eaters at work is that I'm crazy for running that far anyway and if I'm injured, well OBVIOUSLY I'm going to get injured. I'm used to it but it isn't exactly morale boosting. The fat fuckers. There I said it. (Not that I'm not a little chubby - but that's different.)

This morning - 1st day not at work - I'd planned to get out and try a bit of a run in a controlled environment. If it was going to go badly I didn't want it to happen under the unsympathetic gaze of the smokers outside the pub downstairs, and the toothless roaming gangs of track-suited neds so I'd planned to take the car to Cramond and run along the front there. In the end I couldn't be arsed with this level of faffing though so I just stepped out my front door after all and Leith wasn't all that bad yet, it being the morning.

My ankle and shin are still sore - but much better on the flat than on inclines up or down. I ran up to the meadows and lifted my speed just for one turn around them. It was sore but didn't seem to be getting any sorer and the relief of running after nearly a week off was phenomenal. I felt as strong as a horse and I felt like running for hours. There was nothing that I would have rather done. Then, remembering that the plan was just to do 5 or 6 miles if possible and then see how I was afterwards and how badly it affected my injury I talked myself down and ran home. Downhills are still a significant problem and I had to walk down the steep bits. Fingers crossed though -its not too bad.

My hope is that if I go easy on running and ice afterwards and intersperse it with cycling to supplement my fitness I'll get clear of this soon. Next target is the Stornoway Half at the end of this month. Its pretty hilly.
I'm grateful that this morning went as well as it did. 6.49 miles. Lowest mileage week in quite some while!