The last two weeks have been almost devoid of running. A week after the RTTK there was Parkrun. The foot had been sore all week but getting less each day so this was a gentle test. The run went as well as I had expected, I felt unfit and the cardio was a struggle but the foot pain was at a constant level the whole way round. If I needed to I was sure I could keep running through the pain and put it to the back of my mind for a decent distance, wouldn’t really be enjoying the run though, and isn’t that the point of this hobby? I skipped the planned run that was in Training Peaks for Sunday to see how the foot felt for Monday. In my head was trying to make sure I was in as good a position as possible for the marathon training block that was just round the corner.

Half four on Monday morning and the alarm woke me, I swung my legs out of bed and tentatively stood up expecting the pain in the bottom of the foot. Nothing. I got ready for work and packed my running kit so I could cover the 8k home after work. As the day progressed the pains in the foot began to grow and develop again with use making the run home just as uncomfortable as the Parkrun had been. I had been given hope by the lack of pain first thing in the morning though so decided that I’d rest it up for as long as I could. This was the perfect week to do it, Tuesday was going to be busy and on my feet all day but the end of the week was three days of first aid training followed by a quiet weekend. If I didn’t run again until the Wednesday then I’d be able to rest the foot for a whole week. I communicated that to Jenny and then did nothing but a couple of gym sessions all week.

So when Wednesday came round the pain had almost totally disappeared, to a point where the old OA in the knee was noticeable again. It’d been nine days since I had run and that was now causing all sorts of doubts in my head. Had I forgotten how to run, how to pace? Was I now too unfit, how much of a struggle was this going to be? This was playing on my mind all day, just sat at the back nibbling away at any confidence I had. So when 5pm rolled around and it was time to head home I was not looking forward to it, this wasn’t going to be easy and everything was going to hurt but you have to start somewhere, right? All of that fell away though as soon as I got into Hyde Park where the route for me starts. All the doubts were gone, the pains and aches were not there and the motivation was slowly creeping back. “Run the kilometre you’re in” I told myself and I broke it down in my head. Each time promising myself I could stop at each marker if it was in the ‘Too Hard’ box but then getting to that point and whispering “next one”. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t that enjoyable, type 2 fun as they say. Getting it done, even after being off the horse for a little more than a week, boosted the confidence. Ready for the next run.

The following day the foot was ok, no real pain, certainly not where I had experienced it before, but it felt tight and there was a discomfort across the top of the foot. The natural cycle of socks over the last two years means that I only have supportive running socks in my draw now and I’m starting to wonder if this may be contributing to the seemingly constant discomfort. I was very happy to be able to get out of them after getting home from coaching hills for some of the Eagles that night.

As this week draws to a close I can look forward to the training ramping up again in preparation for November. Today’s Parkrun in Gunnersbury was blissfully pain free. The congestion at the start meant it was a slow one but the pace picked up a little as the field started to open up a bit and I may have gotten a little carried away and not kept it easy. It felt good though, I felt strong at the end. Just as well, tomorrow I run in the ASICS 10k, a race I enjoyed a lit last year, but also the one that was my last run before seven weeks off with injury. I’m hoping that this year won’t be the same.