Wednesday 24 January 2018

Saturday and Sunday.

It's been a funny old day today. I've done something or other to the tendons or SOMETHING at the sides of both knees. I think it's the IT band attachments but it might be something else. Anyway, it's hard to bend or straighten my legs, which means it's hard to walk. I felt it yesterday but I was at work so I didn't care. Cycling to work was fine, although going down the stairs carrying my bike wasn't. I've got a bit of a wrist too. It was getting better but seemed to want to get in on the act so it flared up (I think it's also the tendons, from creeping along with my brake hand ready on the icy cycle-paths on the way home from work in the dark). Yes I know, I'm an old crock. It was kind of timely. I was almost toying with the idea of signing up for Devil of the Highlands and then all this and I remember just how very wrong things can go! So I had today off but had to accept pretty soon once I'd levered myself out of bed and shuffled through to the kitchen that I wouldn't be running. What a waste of a day off! I scoured the flat for ibuprofen but there was none anywhere. 

I found some old diclofenac at the back of a drawer which someone gave me to try when I hurt my back - then I read the list of warnings - about the sudden heart attacks and all - and I didn't take them - so I'd never had diclofenac...I was desperate. I at least wanted to be able to shuffle round the flat and ideally go to the shops as we were running out of everything, so I popped a 50mg tablet and braced myself for the heart attack. Happily it never came. 

I don't think it did anything for the pain either though. I think it made me feel spaced out. Anyway, don't try this at home kids. If you find any tablets at the back of your drawer, throw them away or tell an adult, or both. Don't just take them.

I puttered around the flat and cleaned out a drawer which has been a home for free-range black peppercorns for some time. Years, I would guess, as the packet they'd burst out of said they were best before 2007. I washed the dishes. My legs didn't really feel any better so I scaled back my plans and decided to take the car to Tescos.

I thought Tesco Leith might be alright during the day - less busy and perhaps not so teeming with drunks. Instead of drunks there were schoolies. It was a major piece of mis-timing and I will never go there at 1pm again. They had staggered the automatic doors so you had to go through one on the right and one on the left, which was presumably to slow down thieves. I don't really know. It just didn't make anything easier with my two funny legs and a funny wrist.

Actually I've been watching a lot of Homeland. It's possible that my legs have come out in sympathy with Peter Quinn. My Peter has become jealous and angry about how much attention I'm paying to Peter Quinn, but I can't help it. It's a disaster. He's psychotic and he's had a stroke and he's rattling about in a flat in New York going as mad as a brush and nobody's talking to him. "Will someone sit down and talk to that man!" I'm yelling at the telly, and Peter's telling me to calm it. "It's only a television play" he smirks.

Anyway, I got my Tesco shop, thanks for asking. The woman in the queue ahead of me was buying a wine box of Liebfraumilch. Yes honestly. It didn't give me much time to get all the things out my trolley and onto the conveyer belt with my dicky three out of four limbs. The girl at the till was going to do that thing where she hurries everything through before you have time to pack it so I put my scary face on and she didn't. Amongst all the other things I had got some ibuprofen - I didn't know if they'd help much but they did. I've had a big sleep and woke up able to bend my legs. Hurray!

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So Saturday - probably responsible for my funny legs, was glamorous but kind of unwelcome. There'd been a big snow-fall so we went to the Pentlands. Peter was over the moon, but I really wasn't. The snow was deep in places and I was floundering. We were doing a lot of walking rather than running and I was keen to get some running done as I hadn't been able to do much during the week. We had some disagreements about route choice. It took us 2 hours to run 8 miles.













On Saturday night I dreamt I had a marathon but I hadn't done the requisite preparation, and I woke up to note that it was true! The Manchester Marathon's on April 8th and I've done very little. My legs were tired from Saturday but I planned a 15 miler to try to start upping the distance of my longer runs. Peter doesn't have to worry as he runs at least a 30 miler every month. But I don't.

I was quite pleased with the run. It was a very dull, grey day and forecast to start sleeting at noon. We were a bit slow off the start line but did make it out while it was still morning. Going round Leith Links someone approached from behind and it was Aileen Ross who I haven't seen in person for ever so long. We shared about 400 meters of chat before she headed on to Porty and we turned to get the East Wind behind us and be blown along to Cramond. 

By 7 miles my legs were sore. I did what I could to change position. It was a relief going uphill from Cramond just for the change of posture. Running back along the cycle paths was a bit dicey as there were the odd patches of ice still. I wasn't loving running by Inverleith Park and 12 miles but I knew it was only 3 home and I passed the time thinking about what I was going to have for lunch.

Scrambled eggs on toast. It was heaven. And a cup of tea. And then a sleep on the sofa. Nice.




Striding out!

On Monday, my legs were kind of sore, so I didn't push the boat out, or so I thought. I went a wee run round Arthur's Seat and didn't push the pace. The rest is history. My legs went on strike. I hope they're better enough to go for a run tomorrow....

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