Confused?... I sure am!!

Its time to write a bit more to my blogg and there must be a trend as I only seem to write when I've got something to moan about? I’ve been running since 2007 and currently feel like I’ve just started up again and am firmly on square one! Its been a while of keeping too my scheduled runs, watching what I eat, getting to the gym for a work out, be completely stubborn and resist the Christmas junk food temptation as much as I possibly could. The new Year arrived so time to enter enter the Watford Half Marathon, ramp up my mileage as training for the London marathon gets nearer and then pick up an injury which throws an almighty spanner into the works!

How can I describe this pain on the lower part on the inside of my right shin bone? A dull ache on every impact.  The lightest of touches i also feel pins and needles down my leg. Now I've had my fair share of injuries and dealt with them accordingly but this is now 6 weeks of no running with the pain not getting any less? I've rested, cross trained applied so much ice I've burnt the skin on my leg. Taken anti-inflammatory's, strapped with kinesio tape and still the pain is there. So much so I'm thinking of deferring my entry in the London Marathon and enter the Kent marathon in June in an attempt to run a GFA time for the London Marathon 2014 because this is what this year is all about for me. Ive missed pout the last two years so I mean it this time, really must obtain this time for myself.

While at work the annoying pain got too much so I decided to visit casualty. After sitting around for what seemed an eternity, I saw a doctor who poked and prodded my shin and with no visible swelling reassured me I can't have shin splints as the slightest of touches would have seen me leaping off the couch? Well is that good news? However he mentioned my Achilles…. (not again) goes right up into the back of my calf muscle could be inflamed and that.. is what is causing the pain. If so stretching and more ice... Surely ??

Now the injury is one thing but the inquest has started how the hell has this happened? In September/October last year I felt fit. Strong and full of confidence. Race time predictions looked good and then some. I entered the Watford Half marathon knowing this would be a PB for me. Even on this hard and hilly course just maintaining my current fitness and pace a PB easily and that I did dipping in under 1hr 25 so why the flipping injury? Having run past many photographers I was a little concerned here with the positioning of my feet before I try and land mid/forefoot. My feet seem to be in at awkward angle while a split second later as my feet make contact with the floor the wear and tear on the soles of my trainers indicate I’m landing right where I should be but has this contributed to my current injury?

© Sussex Sport Photography.

Maybe I went too long over the Christmas period without a sports massage? Did I not use my foam roller enough? How old are my trainers? I bought my Newton’s at the end of October which makes them a little over four months old so I reckon a little over 300 miles which should still be supportive enough compared to other trainers ive run in surely.

Something isn’t quite right which leaves me in March currently trying to recover from an injury, ramp up and squeeze in my high mileage running schedule with my twitter family now talking about #Tapering… Im really lagging behind. Stating the obvious you may say but now I must buy highly rated trainers from a reputable shop which has gait analysis so I can see for myself that they suit my running style just for my own piece of mind because that way you can eliminate those niggling doubts straight away. Perhaps in October when I ran in my work trousers rolled up briefly on a treadmill, at a slower pace that I normally run with the shop assistant stood behind me claiming everything looks alright…. I shouldn’t have taken his word for it? To add to my doubts when was  the last time I saw Newton shoes on sale on the shelves of various running shops? Entering a race how many pairs of Newton shoes do you see on fellow runners? A minority for sure. They may appear more in triathlon events than our half and full marathons?

So what’s the plan now? I actually do not know. Right now deferring from the London Marathon is being considered. So much so I have entered a Kent Marathon in June as a back up to run at the best of my ability. This option would allow me more recovery time, which seems daft as I;ve been looking forward too and training for the London Marathon for a year now!

Secondly I have a pair of trainers looking at me asking me to take them out onto the streets when I feel strong too but are they the cause of this injury and would they blow my last chance of salvation out of the water by using them again? Decision, decisions....