The week that was not

Comfortable. The week that wasn't comfortable. I'm not sure this week justifies an update. However, in the hope it provides some consistency I thought I'd talk about the post marathon week. To avoid sounding like a bad Craig David parody I'll summarise rather than take it day by day. Go on, you know the song.

I had realised that I would be 'a bit sore' in the days immediately after the race. This, was an understatement. I spent the next day unable to stand without first making sure it was absolutely needed.

Need to eat? Na, not yet.
Need to pee? I can hold it, I am a nurse after all.
Need to... Yep. Better get up, I'll get some food after.

This does however teach you to be economical with tasks. As for walking, I initially thought I'd cracked it by getting some momentum together and simply trying not to fall over at corners. However memories of the last few miles of Loch Ness were soon brought back as I was past by an old man with a cap and a stick. To the elderly man with a cap and a stick. I salute you. I should have worn my medal, that would have shown him.

Unsure of the best way to resolve these pains I had booked in for a sports massage. Now to qualify this I must first tell you that I don't believe in any complimentary or alternative medicines and I have a severe dislike for pseudo science. I am a rationalist. I was however, desperate.

 Atheists and lifeboats spring to mind.

I also become awkward when ordering a coffee, for fear of being misrepresented. So I was very nervous going into the massage. Half worried I'd be expected to do some chanting, be touched inappropriately or be swooped upon by Dundee SWAT in an unfortunate yet embarrassing misunderstanding. This meant that when my masseuse (even writing it seems dirty) failed to show on Monday I wasn't too upset. Still very sore. Eventually it was rearranged for Tuesday before work, and I was forced to face my fear. It turns out it was all very professional and above board. A strange process of enforced pain, and interesting chit chat, but I was a little surprised when I jumped/ 'fell with grace' off the table expecting to be healed completely. I was still sore. I said I was a Rational, not devoid of hope.

The next two days were spend with lots of discomfort and even more smirks and laughs from friends and colleagues. One person even told me "it gets better". When I asked him what gets better, he explained when he had his hips done "it only hurt for a week or so". 

I also ended up with a cold, something I can't really complain about considering how under prepared I was and how hard I pushed. Apparently this is fairly common for most first time runners, and I'd guess more common in those that didn't prepared as well as they should have.

You've probably gathered that I still haven't mentioned that first post marathon run. That's because I still haven't been. This is upsetting me greatly, but when I was sore it would have been stupid, when I had a cold it would have been naive. Now all I need to do is wait until I feel fit again. Then, get going. The benefit of this wait is that I still want to go running. I know a lot of people who completed a marathon and then didn't run for another year. I at least want to go out. This is made more encouraging by reading Susie Allisons book 'Scottish Trail Running'. A great read and hopefully I'll get out to try a few of these routes in the near future.

The mention of Lochaber in my last post still hasn't fully disappeared but I think I'll decide in November after a few weeks of relaxing running and after trying some of the local running clubs.

 That's all I've got for this post. Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and gentle mocking. Hopefully my next post will have actual, real life running at it's heart. 

(must think of a cool and ironic sign off)