Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Laid Low By A Sofa
by Russell Turner - 11:22 on 12 May 2024
It’s only three weeks since my virtual marathon – and two since Balmoral – but it feels like months have passed. Four City Limits gigs, a trip to Glasgow to see a slightly disappointing Jethro Tull (where were the tracks from The Broadsword and the Beast?), and two nights in Tayside for a bike club reunion will do that.
There’s also been the first two weeks of Race to the Stones training, which last week featured a 15k long run that turned out to be 18k. It’s difficult to judge distance when running up hills in the woods. I even managed my first PB for a year, albeit for the kilometre (by three seconds). Another 15k was on the plan for this week, but that was before injury – and it was nothing to do with running.
The culprit was a very low sofa at the Killin Hotel, where the Kawasaki GT Club’s Scottish section had gathered for a long-overdue reunion. Rising from it, then slipping backwards, I twisted my back – the accompanying loud click was rather disconcerting – and have been sore ever since. I’d not even had much to drink. The consequence was no long run this week, and loss of last night’s gig which I’d expected to cover the cost of two nights in Killin. Music is a precarious business.
Together again – the bike club at Killin; much older but maybe not wiser.
This was doubly a shame because, after a 5k Tayside run on Thursday that turned into 10k, I’d been looking forward to a long run along quiet roads and seeing more new scenery.
Gerald the Biker Bear who enjoyed his first club outing in around 20 years. He’s looking good for a 35-year-old.
“Ibuprofen and keep moving” was the advice I received to help recover. By yesterday morning I felt I was over the worst so, back home, took a very gently paced three-mile walk to further help loosen sore muscles. This was unwise; soreness has increased so today I’ll do nothing, which means I’m dodging the unexpected heatwave.
With luck I’ll be fit to run again in a day or two and ready to take on the next long run: 15k, reduced from the 20k in the plan to ensure I don’t compromise recovery again. RTTS is a mere nine weeks away; I can’t miss too much more training.
Before then, I should receive the boost of my Virtual London medal, which an apologetic email from race HQ tells me should arrive soon. It’s likely to be a virtual run again next year, after 850,000 people entered the ballot for next year’s race. Deduct championship, charity and good for age runners, and that leaves maybe 25,000 ballot places, so the odds are poor. The Manchester Marathon is run the same day as London next year – maybe I should target that instead.
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