Bucko's World

...Ooo!  But balloons...



Running Diary - 4

As a runner there are many, many conceivable ways to injury yourself while running - and quite a few more when you are not...

Let's see - I've slipped on wet leaves twisting ankles and knees, tripped over uneven paving stones jarring my back, stacked it down a kerb (knees, ankles and back combined), been smacked in the face by a tree branch (while being preoccupied trying to get the lid of my water bottle...), torn a groin muscle kicking a football back to some little oiks in the park, and, on one memorable occasion, whilst trying to beat my time for a particular course, I ran smack into the garage door (in my defence I was looking at my watch so I could stop it as soon as I'd finished; which I suppose was when I hit the bloody door...) Oh, and of course there's been many a dog/dog lead incident over the years, but you know that already don't you? :-)

I'm pretty certain other runners have myriad different stories (a friend of mine once ran into a tree when he got his Buff stuck over his face...) but the way I succeeded in injuring myself this week has to be pretty unique.  Believe it or not, for someone who currently runs 30K a week, does hundreds of sit up and swims 2-3K, I only managed to go and injure myself by going for a walk...

It is, of course, less straight forward than that.

You see, I had an interview course on Tuesday, and it came with those two words you just hate to hear together because, seriously what the fuck do they mean?  Smart Casual.  Like Military Intelligence and Almost Exactly it's an oxymora designed to confuse.  So I end up simply wearing a suit and shirt with no tie.  Neither smart (You'd need the tie) or casual (which would be swimsuit, flip flops and shades).  Of course I also wear a pair of work shoes, something I haven't been doing of late, due to the fact that when on the employment scrapheap, training shoes are de riguer.

Anyway, I walk to the station, from Cannon Street to the venue in Minories, bit of a walk round at lunch time and then home again.  As I'm walking up Elmstead Lane I've got a bit of a trot on as I can just make the begining of the footer if I'm quick, and half way up I notice the most devilish type of pain running down the front of my shins.  After many years without them, the curse of my early running years has returned.  I've only gone and got shin splints again.  Bollocks.  Not only are they extremely painful, the only solution is to not running until they have gone.  In fact not walk at all if you can avoid it.  I can only assume that with my feet being used to the complete support that proper running shoes give you, the work shoes, with their heel and little arch support, just put a strain on my "weak spot".  At this rate me and Caitlin will be involved in a three legged race!



So, the bad news is I can't run for a bit, the good news is I have enough miles under the belt to give a good showing of myself one the big day arrives - which is less than three weeks now! (Gulp!)  All, the vests, numbers, balloons and badges have arrived, along with a detailed map of the course and all that is left now is to remain injury free (oops) and arranged where all the supporters are going to gather on the big day, we hope to see some of you there!

More soon, and if you haven't given yet, you know what to do!