Race predictor

Much better predictions in my view than the runners world simulator: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

London marathon from the sofa

Some very real emotions sat here watching the marathon from the sofa I should be running with my family even on the streets to support!

Out of London, but 2 new keys to recovery

So I gave myself one week of marathon training and of course just couldn't hack any of the quicker stuff. So by last Sunday the chouce was obvious- pull out! I am grateful for the support of family and friends who gave their wisdom and encouraged this.

I hadn't realused this but London have specifically considered the disappointment of injury and I will have a guaranteed place for 2015. This has softened the blow. This event has actually been a good prod to me - why do yoy run? The question is back! Because I could just rock up and trot round in 5 hours. But there would be no challenge here and perhaps a bit disrespectful also to race organisers and my other sub 3:05 good for age runners arpund me at the start.

My two keys to recovery:
1. Swede-O Ankle Lok. Amazed at the support that tgis product is giving me and the difference it is making.
2. A pace/distance chart, where I mark either 1 or 0 depending on whether there is discomfort in the two hours following the run. More on this in a future post when I have done a bit more work on this.

2 January 2014

The injection is happening on 2 January. I do not feel too much emotion about this, it just seems like the only next step and the right decision after 8 months of i-think-i-am-getting-better-i-am-not.

So the appointment is booked and the product (diprostene) booked in my local pharmacy to take with me.

The NHS have a site that gives me some helpful insight into my chances of recovery and recovery process: see here. What I retain from this is that I need to ask for local anesthetic (!), that discomfort from the injection itself could last about 48 hours. Improvement is not likely to be quite as quick as I had been hoping "over the next few weeks or months". I \also am going to be asking for a second MRI scan of the "articulation sous-talienne", that is, the foot bit under the main ankle joint.

I have to keep hope however! I will draw up my usual marathon training plan, based on the usual one, but with a few changes I suspect. I am still fascinated in particular about the long run and will be ensuring that I get the balance as bet suited to my needs as possible. Lessons learned from last year's preparation were that the long-run-encompassing-intensity-sections could be very heavy on energy levels and I think I need to proceed carefully to reach these without them destroying my training potential. To be developed once we know training is even possible.

Some more prayer recently for healing has not shown any signs of immediate effect, but the prayers are also that I would honour God through all of this and he knows I am ready to resume to run for him and take to the hills and races for him.

Right, off to have a look at the programme and post a link to a good knee-injury prevention tip I just read in Runner's Weekly! Please see my updated Recovering from injuries and prevention page.

be warned runners of driving as well as of drivers!

It seems that the osteopathy is maybe helpful to the ankle PROVIDED I DON'T DRIVE. I have known for some time that both running and driving were triggering the ankle discomfort, but I now believe that the driving is worse than the running, which I think is a good thing.

That said my decision has been to proceed with the cortisone injection if the doctor agrees. Time is tight now, with marathon training scheduled to start January 1 in just a couple of weeks, and, yes, I would love to run the dawn to dusk race on dec 27.

You never know!

And so the roller coaster rides on

I am just so deeply moved to the core of my being about this. Yesterday during the conclusion of the Grand Raid de la Réunion a friend is running in, it started to dawn on me that God isn't going to provide miracles to heal my STOMACH, and as hard as this was to deal with, all I could cry out is I want to run for you, Jesus. And it is true, I am so desperate to run again but it's different now. This is no longer some theological or cerebral exercise, this is touching me deep deep down. I welcome this work of the Spirit within me as sore as it is. I know he is building deep and strong foundations. I wonder how long this will go on for...

Emotions stirring deep within my spirit

I’m sat on a plane leafing through my London Marathon race magazine. I get to this little cut out (before shaded in the numbers) and for the second time in almost 24 hours I actually start to blub! It’s a bit embarrassing really – but what is going on?

If we wind the clock back 1 week, I’m sat – finally – opposite the sports doctor, who is sat with an interested / professional look across the desk from me.

2 thoughts occur to me – thoughts that swing into prayers. The first is about this doctor’s medical analysis: “Please Lord, guide this man’s thought process, help him to know what to do”. Secondly: I realise I am not eagerly desiring to run again as I should be. How is it that someone as passionate about running as me has taken such a long time to get round to making this appointment? For the last month or two I have actually taken a lot of pleasure in recalling some of previous running adventures, and these experiences have just been coming back over and again, often for the first time. In many ways it’s been a relief to not feel lots of frustration and bitterness about what for me had become more than simply being active or practicing a sport I enjoyed. There was a sense of gratitude that I had been able to run as much as I had and also achieved what I could in that time. But I suddenly realise that this internal state of affairs is not right. There is something of calling to run, a sense that God actually desires to stir up in me something here. I need to be in eager anticipation here! And so I also pray: “Lord, stir me and raise in me the desire to really run again and for you”.

Sat on this plane it is clear to me that the seeds of these two prayers were expertly planted! The diagnosis of the doctor was in actual fact very different to anything I had heard before. Physiotherapy is probably useless in my case – I need osteopathy (small amount to “release” the ankle) and possibly a cortisone injection if that is unsuccessful. In fact the injury would seem to be under the ankle and not the ankle itself (which is where physiotherapy would have been useful). Wow! And as for the second prayer, I feel like the spirit is doing something in me very deep. I don’t know what, but he is at work. Even as I write this I feel even more emotions coming. Gosh. I have to get this sorted! No more hanging around! I am contacting the osteopath’s secretary every few days to check for cancellations as the appointment isn’t for quite some time.

Finally, check this out for some scripturally specific precedent! Acts 3:7.