Reader, I ran today.
Yes, I managed to peek out from my cozy injury-couch blanket, and ran for 20 min, not more not less, and to make sure I’d kept to a short distance I even decided on a route which would force me to turn back after 10min. I’d chosen my summer route which is overtaken by mud monsters throughout winter at exactly the point I would have to turn back to make it a 20 min run.
So I was really exited to get my gear out, laid it out, donned two long sleeved tops, hoodie, cap, my warmer leggings, injinji socks and gloves. I also added a metatarsal pad that keeps toes slightly separated and balls padded. For shoes, I was running in my hubbies New Balance Fresh Foam Hieronymus V6, but after only one run he allowed me to inherit them to benefit from the larger toebox. (I had the same but one size smaller).
I really had to faff around with my new/old phone. My beloved old iPhone of 7 years had stopped working a few days after I had to stop running a few weeks ago. Almost as if it was sulking. A trip to the phone doctor meant I knew it was beyond resurrection, and I took the opportunity to get a really cheap interim Android, to allow myself to find the perfect 2nd hand iPhone. (The cheap Android has also another motivation, as with it, I can connect my rower now to Zwift virtual running app as in the pic, connecting through the RowedBiker App, and that will make my rowing so much more exciting… yes… it’ll mean I’ll row my runner…. it’s techy story for another post)
So it was the Android that needed to be going out for a run today. I had downloaded Run-keeper and Spotify and thought I’d be safe. But the Android gods were not with me (and never are) and I had to stop after 8 min as I had forgotten to switch on mobile, and then I just had to faff about at 15 min with the photo app, as I really wanted some first off-the-IC pics.
But the moment I started running, after my 5min warm-up walk was done, a smile appeared on my face and I just couldn’t help grinning.
Running to music is just the best!!!
For music I had chosen the awesome HU autumn Marathon list put together by @Roseabi, and it felt like I was running with our HU running community alongside me, and hey, I could keep up… at least in my imagination.
After the run, the stretches definitely showed me where I was as stretchy as ever (glutes, quadriceps, back, hip and inner thigh… thank you YWA) and where I had lost stretchiness in my efforts to keep my feet rested for healing (calf, hamstring, torso twists). And yes, I had to download my stretch app and reprogram it for my post run stretch which originally came from the NHS running websites.but I just needed that app that kept my stretches long enough and told me which stretch was next!
And after run, stretch, and shower, I took the lovely snooze of a runner. So I must have been exhausted but it felt great.
And how do the balls of my feet feel? Well actually they felt better after the run than before, and I can almost feel the warmth of my raised metabolism reaching down to my toes and healing from within. I still feel that pressure sensitivity around the balls of my feet, but it’s not gotten worse throughout the run. So that is great.
In terms of flexibility, though, I think there’s more work needing to be done on my feet, toes and ankles. And of course that was the post earlier today. And I might just put some low-drop running shoes on my Christmas list.
So, reader, I ran today! And I am super happy.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
ALL LINKS TO MY RECOVERY POSTS:
So just to keep my links to my recovery couch available, here the links to the posts during the weeks on the injury couch. I’ve added a few terms to each link, as a means of reference:
Tales from the IC: Getting to know my Metatarsals (# 1) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (Metatarsalgia, fracture vs Morton’s Neuroma, shoes, barefoot and zero-drop shoes, exercises to strengthening toes)
Tales from the IC: zero-drop shoe quandaries (# 2) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (more about barefoot running, yoga for toes)
Tales from the IC: Reader, I ran today. (#3) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (trying out a short hill run, IPhone issues)
Tales from the IC : Stop Go Stop Go … (#4) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (back on the IC, waiting for last medals)
Tales from the IC : Baby (running) steps … (#5) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (trying out another mini run, ordering zero drop shoes)
Tales from the IC : Row Row Row your Run (#6) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (starting to row a runner on Zwift)
Tales from the IC : Festive Rowing-Run (#7) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (XMas, finished Zwift Running 101)
Tales from the IC : More Virtual Running Fun (#8) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (update on my rowing in all virtual races, also start of RowAlong 30x30)
Tales from the IC : Rowed runner intervals and hot lava! (#9) healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (third week of daily rowing and missing running)
Tales from the IC (#10): Running vs Rowing. My experience of two different worlds healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (differences between rowing and running, differences between different running vs rowing online communities, differences in stats)
Tales from the IC (#11): I dreamt I was running healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (update on all virtual rowing challenges)
Tales from the IC (#12): Strong knees and cute toes healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (finished Jan rowing challenges, starting to think how to get back to running)
Tales from the IC (#13): Running vs Rowing, muscley toes, and recovery plans healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... (recovery plans rowing and running, year goals)
