It has been a long, strong and busy month since I last posted. I was about to mention my knees at that point, which I think I must have mentioned every Sunday with the Boathouse Runners through June. What started as a dull pain during one run turned into acute pain and an inability to move my left leg effectively.
Advise was sought, especially on Sunday mornings. One mention of knees sent Dennis into memories of the pain that had sounded familiar, and the running shoe advice I looked into. The next week's knee fixation was met with Viv recommending Up and Running in Birmingham, one of the 'film you while running' specialist shops aimed at City workers in inadvisable running attire (not that the rolled up tracksuit leg looked any better than I imagine a suit trouser would). New, supportive and bouncy running shoes in hand, I looked forward to getting rid of the horrid bone ache.
Well, we can all dream.
What I found is that good shoes do not fix everything. Patience and good shoes, well they stand you a chance. I have spent the last 3 weeks resting until the Sunday run, knowing that the last one I could barely manage with the knee pain. This Sunday gave a magic feeling, no pain! Really no pain? I had to keep checking I wasn't just thinking positively and ignoring the pain. No...I can't actually kick my leg back without wincing. The 8.30 run was a great chat with John and Lucy; had I just forgotten the pain being distracted in chat? No, I can stretch after the run.
Such a great feeling. All I have to do now is retain the patience...don't get carried away. I just want to run now, but I know it might bring the pain back if I overdo it. So this week will be one midweek run and then the Sunday. See how I get on after that.
The good feeling was tempered though when Tonia arrived for the 10am group. Not her usual free-flowing express train cycling down the hill to join us. What's up? Knee pain, you guessed it. Being able to empathise does not help when you think you've transferred your woes.
Hope you get through the pain quickly Tonia. We all look forward to your guidance and support on Sunday mornings.
Thank you all of the Boathouse Runners for keeping me motivated during the hard times, and for your practical help and support. Even more, thank you for your positivity and enthusiasm every week. It is truly inspiring to see how happy and confident people are by getting together, not just in running, it is somehow more than that in many cases. June has been difficult in stages, not just for the reasons I mentioned, but it is also the month in which my brother Peter died, and this year signalled two years following his passing. It is the feeling I get when people get together in such positivity that helps me to think of him, of his positivity with and endearment with people, to get so many people together. I feel I am doing something he would have enjoyed, he would enjoy the feeling. When I am doing something to help others, especially our group in the community, I feel like he is doing it. He has caused me to wish to do this for other people. I love it that this is happening and that I feel this way about it.
Thank you, and see you on Sunday.
Advise was sought, especially on Sunday mornings. One mention of knees sent Dennis into memories of the pain that had sounded familiar, and the running shoe advice I looked into. The next week's knee fixation was met with Viv recommending Up and Running in Birmingham, one of the 'film you while running' specialist shops aimed at City workers in inadvisable running attire (not that the rolled up tracksuit leg looked any better than I imagine a suit trouser would). New, supportive and bouncy running shoes in hand, I looked forward to getting rid of the horrid bone ache.
Well, we can all dream.
What I found is that good shoes do not fix everything. Patience and good shoes, well they stand you a chance. I have spent the last 3 weeks resting until the Sunday run, knowing that the last one I could barely manage with the knee pain. This Sunday gave a magic feeling, no pain! Really no pain? I had to keep checking I wasn't just thinking positively and ignoring the pain. No...I can't actually kick my leg back without wincing. The 8.30 run was a great chat with John and Lucy; had I just forgotten the pain being distracted in chat? No, I can stretch after the run.
Such a great feeling. All I have to do now is retain the patience...don't get carried away. I just want to run now, but I know it might bring the pain back if I overdo it. So this week will be one midweek run and then the Sunday. See how I get on after that.
The good feeling was tempered though when Tonia arrived for the 10am group. Not her usual free-flowing express train cycling down the hill to join us. What's up? Knee pain, you guessed it. Being able to empathise does not help when you think you've transferred your woes.
Hope you get through the pain quickly Tonia. We all look forward to your guidance and support on Sunday mornings.
Thank you all of the Boathouse Runners for keeping me motivated during the hard times, and for your practical help and support. Even more, thank you for your positivity and enthusiasm every week. It is truly inspiring to see how happy and confident people are by getting together, not just in running, it is somehow more than that in many cases. June has been difficult in stages, not just for the reasons I mentioned, but it is also the month in which my brother Peter died, and this year signalled two years following his passing. It is the feeling I get when people get together in such positivity that helps me to think of him, of his positivity with and endearment with people, to get so many people together. I feel I am doing something he would have enjoyed, he would enjoy the feeling. When I am doing something to help others, especially our group in the community, I feel like he is doing it. He has caused me to wish to do this for other people. I love it that this is happening and that I feel this way about it.
Thank you, and see you on Sunday.