THROUGH THE FOG I SEE HOPE
A conversation with fellow Blackburn Harrier Brian Fogarty might prove to be the most poignant of my running year. Brian placed an incredible seventh at the Ironman UK contest last month, but it's not so much his awesome results and athletic stature of recent times that has had such a positive influence. He's had a bit of Achilles trouble himself at the turn of the year and recommended more weight bearing to my exercises. I've persevered with standing stretches and manipulation for a year and it has brought some relief, but it's not really addressed the problem long term and I've been plodding again this month without any foreseeable goal.
But the Fogarty's suggestion of cracking on with more aggressive exercises seems to be doing the trick for me. In his experience at least, the problem seemed to fade away quite quickly. I've always respected Brian's opinion, even when I was faster than him!
Well I have nothing to lose and will really try anything now. Despite some worrying discomfort at first, I can feel more flexibility and less aggravation after running as I now increase the exercises. This was a eureka moment, I feel foolish not to have clicked on to this long ago and that time has been wasted. Completely my own stupid fault. Simply bothering to read up on the subject for myself in more detail would have led me to this solution, but I'm lazy with stuff like that, even if it's self helping. I don't know what's wrong with me sometimes.
It was conversation time with myself again and although the Achilles job was looking up, I had lost the love a bit and decided to take a short break from running. I didn't know for how long, just until I really felt like I wanted to go out running again. During this time I spent five days away with Sara in the fine city of Budapest. A city that could teach any British government of modern times exactly how public transport ought to be. Their system is an impressive, slick, well oiled, efficient machine that puts the chaos in this country to shame.
I did take a pair of running shoes, but there was simply too much to do and see to be bothered chucking in some junk miles for the hell of it.
In all I had nine days off from running and have just got back on it with a fresh frame of mind. The Achilles problem is easing and I've completed a few off road speed sessions without a subsequent flare-up. Now there is real hope. Hope that I can get back down to the club's track sessions after an eighteen month absence, hope that on the back of those track sessions comes that turn of speed, that the speed combines with endurance and... of course I ought not to get ahead of myself. But there's nowt wrong with a bit of hope.