Slow and steady

I haven’t blogged much about my running on this website since taking over as Online Editor, but that’s because I have to admit, I haven’t been running much. That’s not to say I haven’t been trying. Let’s start at the beginning.

Just over two years ago I fell off my mountain bike. I catapulted over the handle bars. It was not one of my finer moments. I was covered in dirt, my hip was in agony and I cried like a baby. Nevertheless, I picked myself up and carried on with the ride. To cut a VERY long story short, six months later, after countless visits to every type of doctor imaginable, it was decided I needed surgery. A torn ligament in the hip joint and a damaged labram, which required a hip arthroscopy. So under the knife I went. I followed the therapy to the t, took it slowly getting my fitness back, didn’t run at all for about six months. I then started slowly, run/walk and so on, and all seemed fine. I even managed the 6km Xterra Trail Run last year. I have never been a big runner – I have ony done one half marathon years ago during which the last 6km were plain hell seeing as I was suffering with ITB.

This is turning into a long story after all. Anyway, so all was going well, and then my hip decided to give out on me. And a few months ago, I could barely run across the road without wincing in pain, so all running stopped. I have recently started again, and am taking it really slowly. I have no major goals. I just want to be able to run again, so that I know I can. Oh, and the dog needs to be kept fit too!

So three times a week, I take Peggy (our 10 month old Jack Russel) for a walk. I started with 5 minutes walk and one minute run, and have gradually built up so that I am now on two-and-a-half minutes run and two-and-a-half minutes walk for 25 – 30 minutes. The pain is minimal if I stick to it and make sure I stretch and cross train to strengthen the hip. I am so tempted to just run 5km and see how I fair, but I know I won’t be able to walk for a week afterwards, so I am sticking to my programme for now. Slow and steady. Even Peggy looks at me everyone and then as if to say, “Come on – what are you going so slowly for?”

If I had known then that it would have taken this long to get the full “pain-free” use of my hip back, I might have reconsidered the surgery, but then I would have had pain of a different kind I guess!

Nevertheless, I am determined. I know that I am never going to be a great runner. But that’s not my great ambition in life. So I will stick to my plan, and take it slowly and one day, I will run 10km or even further, God-willing and I will enjoy every minute of it!

‘Till then, Peggy and I will continue on our running and walking journey. I’ll keep you updated in my blogs and I ask that you please encourage me along the way! I’ll need it!