Wake up call!

The hardest thing you can be told as a runner is to rest, right? Well this week that is what has happened to me, 9 hours ago to be precise, and I already have itchy feet. Today I visited a physiotherapist (Cathy Rogers at Platform Physio, www.platformphysio.co.uk) to get to the bottom of this hip pain that has gradually got worse and worse over the last few weeks after a fall. I have never had to deal with injury before, so this is all new to me. The good news is that it isn't serious....phew! The fall caused a bruised bursa in my left hip, so as I type I have pretty tape strapping my hip to help make me all better. It's made a difference already, so I'm guessing with the 7-10 day rest period and then SLOWLY build up to running again with support from Cathy, I will fix myself. Cathy is going to see me again to strap my hip up ready for running, and to give me massages as I build up to the marathon.

This support is going to be invaluable over the next few months. Already Cathy has been able to tell me how important core strength is going to be when running long distances, explaining to me so now I understand why my body fails me when I hit those long 12-13 mile runs, why my lower back is agony as I cant keep upright and my shoulders back when I start to get tired. It made it clear just how poor my core strength is by a simple exercise that a runner should be able to hold 3 times for 30 seconds, I could only manage 10 seconds, I have a lot of work to do! I never realised how important it was, now it all makes sense. It's no wonder I keep having these falls, I surprised I can bloody well hold myself up straight.What a wake up call!

So, now I have a week or so free from running, I have more time to get into the gym and work on that core strength. I bought an exercise ball a few months ago to use as my office chair when at home, that lasted two days cos I fell off.....wonder why, so I have got that out again and have stretches and some exercises to do twice a day from Cathy. And of course I'm hoping to get back into spin class again, my absolute favourite, gym has been so busy since the New Year that I have struggled to enjoy it so I'm hoping this next week will change that. I'm also going to teach myself to swim again, it has been years since I was last in a pool and I'm not confident in water at all so it's a bit daunting, but I think it will be good to do a bit of swimming on my rest days.

Its a shame that this has happened after a positive couple of weeks. I had started to pick up the pace and get into the miles relatively easily, and more importantly, I was enjoying the running. Sunday morning was a fab run, 9.6 miles on a lovely -5 frosty morning, along canals, through fields and up a gruelling hill. I ran 6 of those miles with Regency Runners, and felt very smug when I got home to find I had finished in well under two hours. Across the fields was so beautiful I'm cross that I didn't think to take a photograph for you all to see! Never mind, next time!! :)