I have had to withdraw from the Cheltenham Ultimate Challenge this coming Sunday.
Three weeks ago I developed some quad pain that while it has eased has not eased enough for me to have trained and is now preventing me running. I tried yesterday and made it about 100m up the road before having to stop. It was not as painful as it has been but I knew that it wasn't right and so rather than risk more damage I stopped.
I am now planning a complete running break for the next fortnight. During this I will be cycling and have started with some swimming too. I will also be stretching and foam rolling as though my life depended on it. I have blogged before about how durable I have been feeling and want to get back to that. I know I will get there I just need to make sure I have good habits that maintain that durability.
Every runner knows that maintenance and strength work are essential to keeping strong and healthy yet so few of us do it. Combined with advancing years that is why I am where I am. I will be someone that stretches and takes more holistic care of myself from this point. It's too late for the Cheltenham Ultimate Challenge but there are other challenges and events to enter.
I have been raising money for Diabetes UK via a Just Giving page (available here) and with that does come so added pressure. I am disappointed that the event that I have pinned this too I am now unable to complete. I have looked online and identified a couple of options for September time that I will target. I am not putting the details out there yet as do not know how this will pan out. What I can say is that I will run the 50 miles I committed to for this fund raising effort. Either as a race or maybe just self supported, I may pick somewhere on a map 25 miles away, run there and run back.
Thanks to everyone that has sponsored and supported me. I am gutted not to be able to do this but will be back soon!
