Back on track.....again!

Since last monday, my shin has healed well. It was very sore still on Monday and Tuesday, but I walked to work and back on the Tuesday, having limped my way around on Monday. The four miles did it some good I think, got the blood flowing and the healing began. Most of the pain was in the bruising which obviously went down to the bone. I did a good hour and half of Yoga on Tuesday night, taking advantage of the time normally spent running. On Wednesday I hopped onto the Balance Ball in the evening and had some fun while one eye was on the Winter Olympics. I definitely need to do more balance and core work!

By Thursday I wanted to test the leg out and went for a short 3 mile run on the tracks round home. It was quite depressing. I couldn't get going and my leg hurt with each foot fall, so I think it ranks of one of my slowest ever short runs! Even slower than when I got going again after the post viral fatigue a few years ago.

Friday I hopped on the bike and rode to work. Now this was much better, however, as I'm riding my summer bike which is pretty stiff, coupled the damaged tarmac on the roads round here meant that every bump and rut went straight through the pedal to my leg!

I did ignore this and hoped that riding my full suss. at Whinlatter on Saturday would fare much better. I turned out to be a big woose and wouldn't ride anything remotely hard, but we had a good ride out doing a lap of the Blue route, then the south red loop, then the blue route again. It was pretty snowy in places but at least that meant I could concentrate on riding well in the deep snow, instead of stressing about how slow and unfit I felt! By the end of the ride I felt much happier on the bike in the snow, and just wished I wasn't nursing the bad leg.

On Sunday, P headed to the Fisherground for an afternoon's bouldering while I went up onto the local fells for a run, to test the leg out again. I did a steady 6 and a bit over Fell End, White moss, to the Stone Circles, back past Blea Tarn and the Fisherground. It was pretty wet and boggy and therefore soft underfoot, just what I needed! But the leg held up fine, it was a bit uncomfortable on the downhills but otherwise fine.

After a couple of short runs before and after work on Monday I was planning a longer run in the evening but spotted the weather forecast had changed and decided to have Tuesday off on the fells. I wanted to get up high but not knowing exactly what the snow conditions were like, I was more keen to get a long run in anywhere than risk going high and having the run cut short. So I plotted a route from Borrowdale to pick off 10 new Wainwrights that I have not done, and that kept me fairly low and therefore more likely conditions would be good for running.

I set off from Great Wood and headed up to Walla Crag, in beautiful blue skies. The views the whole day were stunning and it was a lovely day to be out. I did have a small regret not to be higher, the Hellvelyn ridge looked stunning in the snow, but I got a good run, and felt OK. Total mileage was 20.5 miles with 5000 feet of ascent. I ran out of water fairly early - good that I drank it all instead of just carrying it around with me but bad that I didn't have enough with me, and I didn't get enough energy in again! I must work on this asap.

Today has been a 'rest' day with a walk to work and back of 4 miles. I thought about going for a short run, but the ligament at the back of my left knee is tight, so a days rest before a long-ish run tomorrow, and I have Black Combe race on Saturday.