Soft Tissue

I stopped playing football around 8 years ago. That makes it sound like a big deal, it wasn't, I was a social player. I played 11-a-side for some low division team in Plymouth before I left then 5-a-side in Cheltenham at Bentham Country Club. I did work for BG-Group for a time and played in their 11-a-side team but that was as far as it went.

I was always more fitter than I was a player.

One of the reasons I stopped was due to my knees. A cartilage operation in each knee and an ACL reconstruction in my right meant that I lost my confidence in lateral movement. The time out from these injuries was also too long - going from months into years that were lost time.

When I used to play football and in particular 5-a-side I used to twist my ankles a lot. So much so that I used to wear ankle supports and shin pads with ankle protectors in every game.

The last time I twisted my ankle must be 8-10 years ago.

It's not meant to happen when you run!

Sunday after Christmas I was up on Leckhampton Hill running with Frankie. The weather was pretty grim, wet and windy. As we were coming down off the top into the woods there's a stretch that's really runnable. We have run it loads of times, it's predominantly groomed path with some gnarly bits where there are roots and rocks. It's a short stretch. As we were coming down this pathway I was picking up a little speed with Frankie behind me.


She came past me on my right, four legs definitely better than two, then in front of me. As she did so my gaze was taken from the trail in front of me to her and in that split second I lost my footing and my ankle turned.

It was an aggressive turn, I did manage to remain upright and stopped pretty much instantly where my stomach heaved such was the immediate pain. For a split second I thought I'd broken it. As I calmed down the pain eased and i was able to walk on it. I walked/jogged the last stretch down to the car and home.

Once home and after i had cooled down it really started to hurt and was pretty swollen. A compression strap helped as did ice. Over the last couple of days the bruise has come out, dark along the bottom outside edge of the foot and then softer all the way up to the sock line. 

Some quick internet research and it looks like i won't be running for around a week maybe even two. I'm actually pretty OK with that as maybe an end of year rest is a good thing. I have been doing some weight training and yoga stretches in my basement instead. It's a nice change and something i should do anyway.