Today is a run rest day having been out yesterday and I’d planned a nice gentle swim. Having arrived at the pool sans swimming costume (oops) I thought it was best to do my recovery activity in the coffee shop instead. So here’s yesterday’s run report…
The plan at the moment is to build back to 10k using the magic plan in time for an event in June. That’s looking a bit tight but the goal is a good one regardless. The next run was 3.5km and the sun was shining. A good start. Running is currently not the stress busting workout that it usually is because of the injury. I’m finding it hard not to worry about pain but I know I just need to keep starting and eventually that fear will go away. I ran 6km on Saturday with pain only on the cool down walk so I was hopeful this would be ok. Estimating how long it would take me, I opted for “A New Run” on the NRC app which is a 25 minute easy paced run accompanied by this week’s chilled D and B mix on BBC sounds. Looking out of the window and seeing the grey sky, I opted for leggings and a long sleeved top. Wanting to give myself the best chance of having a good run, I really focused on warming up my hips, glutes and hamstrings which have been the target of all my physio. It was time to go.
As I walked up the path to the start, I wondered if I should have gone for short sleeves because it was so muggy. I couldn’t be bothered to go back and change which was an error. Starting the run, I immediately had to flatten myself against a hedge for a stream of cars to pass. I realised I’d forgotten to start my watch so I was quite pleased about that! As I settled into the run along the flat part of the lane, Coach B talked about how every run is a new run, even if we’ve done it loads of times before. That really struck a chord-I must have run or walked this stretch hundreds of times but it still feels new and uncertain every time I run at the moment since I’m not sure what my knee will do. I decided to look around me to see what was different in the surrounding rather than obsess over how my knee was feeling (good today!). The dandelions have all turned to spiky clocks. The meadow grass has shot up. Wild garlic is blooming under the trees. This was a nice distraction!
Before I knew it, I’d hit the park and 1km done. The plan was to minimise running downhill so I passed through the housing estate and alongside a fairly busy road. Being honked and cheered at by a driver wasn’t particularly pleasant but in a moment he was gone. Looping past a closed pub, it was up a steep hill. I felt good so decided to push a little. Still good. Not a hint of any pain. By now, 2.5km had popped up and I was wondering if I might have chosen too long a podcast. Coach B moved on to talking about goals and at this point I remembered I’d actually done this run before! He has some great things to say about having small goals and big, scary goals, and short term goals and long term goals and goals you have to bin because they’re not right any more. I really like this part of the run-the injury has made me reassess all my short term goals but none of the long term ones.
Back through the houses and on to the lane. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I landed awkwardly in a pot hole and felt a jolt through my knee. Luckily, as I carried on it immediately subsided. Those sorts of things used to happen on runs before and I didn’t pay any attention to them. I can’t wait for that to be the case again.
Coach B talks about the roles we play in life and how they don’t have to define us. I’m utterly fed up of being “MissU, the injured runner” so I decide to confine that to the dustbin and reframe it as “MissU, recovering and coming back stronger than before”. The run finished with 4km covered and me sweating buckets after wearing far too many clothes. The run was more than I’d expected and amazingly, faster than I did it before I got injured. The best thing? No pain! After a pain free walk home and a pain free cool down stretch using Yoga with Adriene on YouTube, it was time for some celebration.
I’d definitely recommend this run for a chilled out, thought provoking run. Dress more appropriately than me though!
