Improvement!

Having felt like my running world has been imploding for the last week, things look like they have turned a corner.

Fingers crossed.

Last night saw more pain and a dimally slow run but it seems the run has at least eased the leg a bit because today, things were much lighter on my feet. So much so that I went for the outing as soon as I got in, which tied in nicely with Jogblog returning from Brighton and not wanting to eat immediately.

I set off with an open mind to carry on as long as I felt comfortable without pushing the breathing into causing coughing, nor hurting the leg with a maximum 4 miles plotted to avoid potential damage should I get over enthusiastic.

The first mile felt excellent. Slighly longer stride to offset the slowed footfall but maintain a half creditable pace saw very little discomfort encouraging me that my harsh but necessary massage regime was going well. A slightly easier second mile (shorter strides) produced a bit more pain, a quick sprint to cross the bypass in a small gap in the traffic produced the first proper stab of pain and a cough from a slowly recovering chest, but slowing down soon stopped both hiccups.

The last mile eased by with a light-hearted attitude that things could be so much worse but hopefuully won’t be.

The only fly in the ointment is my being sat here coughing to pieces now I’ve come in from painting the shed weatherboard in the garage. Ah, well. A small price to pay for a half decent run.

Hopefully recovery will continue. I’ve decided to pull out of Grim on Saturday. The 8 miles might be possible but I’m not sure I fancy risking making things worse with the cold water and mud and that combined with potential abysmal weather…especially when my entry can be deferred to the Beast in the East event in May which, with luck, I can be fit and ready to go for. Mud, motocross track and hills should provide a decent laugh to make up for Janathon let downs, I hope.

So, happy with 4 miles, happy with cold recovery, happy the shed timber’s coming along. Things could all be so much worse, I think I’ll allow myself a little smile and some optimism that tomorrow will see continued improvement.

And with only 1956.65 to go, it’s all good.