My last race was on 26th January 2010 and was the Gloucester Marathon. I PB'd in 03:15:00. The euphoria that I experienced on completing that race in a better than anticipated time has been replaced by something much darker. The injury sustained has not been resolved and although showing signs of improving it is not doing so nearly as quickly as I want and need it to. I have missed the Mayhill Massacre and now the Cleevewold cross country at the end of March is in doubt.
I feel as though my condition is slipping away and the alternatives (cycling and swimming) are not as accessible or satisfying as going for a run.
The beauty of running is the simplicity, you get changed and head out the door. With cycling there are more variables, more clothing and planning. Swimming normally involves a drive to the local pool, parking and then you finally get in the water.
The injury I have is manifested in my left ankle and calf as a stiffness and soreness. On examination my left leg is very inflexible and mechanically does not work as it should. Movement bypasses the glute with everything driven from the hamstring. Biomechanically it is rubbish! the physio I am having is to redress this and get the leg working correctly engaging the correct muscles. This will reduce the load on my ankle and calf and get me running again. In short it will fix my biomechanics.
The frustration here (and there are many!!) is that this stems, in all probability, from an injury that I sustained playing football a good few years ago in the summer of 2004. Playing 5-a-side with colleagues I was late for the match and just ran onto the pitch to play. No warm up and I strained my hamstring on my left leg. That was a bad one and I had physio at the time to help the recovery. Subsequent to that I have had problems with my right knee (arthroscopy) and right hip (treated by a chiropractor and some expensive orthotics). Then latterly it has been my left achilles and now this. All stem from that hamstring injury and the body compensating movement by bypassing the damaged or weak areas.
What I am working on putting right is essentially 6years of incorrect use of my left leg!!
When I look back over the last few months it does show what the body is capable of and what it can work with. I have run hundreds of miles without issue (other than a sore achilles) with my left leg as a passenger. I can feel this when I cycle - the power goes through the right leg and the left just coasts. Trying to correct this consciously is impossible even though I can feel it not doing anything!
I have my exercises as prescribed by the physio, I have a balance board a leg roller and now a Wii Fit too - I am using them all to try and get my legs working properly.
I cannot wait to run again, it's not just something that I do it is something that I need to do.
