Sunday 19 September 2010

It's nearly showtime dude, why no update?

What's going on?  The half-marathon is next weekend and you've heard nothing from me for two weeks.

Let me explain...

I did a run last monday but only managed 5 miles before my foot became too swollen to run on.
Fortunately my x-rays came through so I popped over to the doctors on Friday morning - the results were somewhat unexpected.

It's not a break or fracture that healed badly, it's not muscle or ligament damage...  It's arthritis.

Specifically - minor osteo-arthritis of my right big toe.

This means the half-marathon is off.  It means running is off for at least the next four months.
It means that if I start running again I have to get shoes specially designed at one of those run shops.
It means cycling or swimming when I need exercise - anything that lessens the impact damage on my foot.

It means this problem will stay with me the rest of my life.

I'm pretty fucking bummed about this.

I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this blog - it was a nice idea but I can't see me running often enough now to make it worthwhile.
Maybe I'll change it - increase or expand the XP rewards for swimming and cycling, introduce shop items for other forms of fitness training - keep the exercise going in other ways.

It all depends how much this news affects me, whether I bother now at all.
I've got other things coming up - I've signed up for the mongol rally next year so physical fitness might be key.

I'll let you know.

Gary.

Monday 6 September 2010

Ow, bugger, damn.

Only 8 miles today - I know, I know.  Around the 6 mile mark I felt a twinge in my left knee, it wasn't much so I decided to keep going but by 7 miles it was a constant rubbing like I'd caught a tendon.  I could still run (kind of) but it was slow going and I was worried I was doing more permanent damage so I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and called it a day.  Leg feels ok now but I'm going to keep an eye on it.

Oh and the old right foot is swollen again, doc's appointment at 8am tomorrow.

Location = Clissold Park
Ran 8 miles = +11 XP
Time = 83min05sec= 10min23 per mile = +0 XP  - did ok until that last lap.
Total = 11 XP

Grand Total = 94 XP

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8 miles = 40 GP

Cute female joggers (x5) = +10 GP

Interesting things:

Mumsercize - 20 women stretching and jogging with prams +2 GP
Geodesic Half Dome - going up in the park, v pretty.  +2 GP

Subtotal = 54 GP

121 gold total.  Quite a haul.  I've pretty much covered everything I would realistically buy for myself as a runner so lets go for the 'serious' runner style.  First up; running vest (30), sweatband (10) and pedometer (40), leaving me to bank 41 GP but looking faaaabulous.  Plus, of course, my level 4 haircut...






LVL: 4
XP: 94
Gold: 41

Thursday 2 September 2010

Getting there

 Forgot to mention my tuesday run!

Tuesday afternoon, as I planned I did my 9.5 mile run.  No mid-week run but it's a start.  Foot is really hurting now so I'm going to have to pop to the docs sometime soon.

Location = Clissold Park
Ran 9.5 miles = +14 XP
Time = 102min09sec= 10min45 per mile = +0 XP  - getting slower!
Total = 14 XP

Grand Total = 83 XP - Hooray!  Level 4!  Time to buy a hat!

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It must've been the late afternoon thing but the park was FULL of eye candy.

9.5 miles = 45 GP

Cute female joggers (x9) = +18 GP

Interesting things:

Nothing, I was kinda distracted...

Subtotal = 63 GP

67 gold total.  Let's bank the lot.



LVL: 4
XP: 83
Gold: 63