Yume No Chikara

"isn't it funny how bees like honey …." Well I have a similar thought …. "isn't it funny how 1 small bit of exercise changes things!" Yes it's 4 weeks tomorrow since my foot went OUCH. Since then I have done Nowt. Sunday I went swimbling with Gnome and that seems to have done the trick!! Yesterday I had to do some shopping at lunch but by parking 10 mins walk away from the shop I got a nice walk in! Today (drum roll please!) I went swimbling before work! Did 1.2km and in my 3rd fastest time of the year! (Beams 'cos she has not swum lengths properly since well before TW!) Then at lunch I put on my runners and went for a 25-30mins walk in the rain! Beaming from ear to ear cos it was good! A couple of short jogettes found the foot niggle was there but not hurting as such. Also seems OK since I have returned from my walk which is nice too!! So plan … tomorrow another lunchtime walk (no more pre-work swimming this week as I am on the school run), shorter ...

Just looking back ... Now according to that ... (Dec 2005) I would be lighter, faster and healthier! Well lets see: Lighter - Not yet but working on it! Faster - Not even running! Healthier - well yes less colds but err bit of an injury problem this year!! Today I went swimming with Gnome. The little darling did really well but has also developed a bit of a belly! Now normally this means he will shoot upwards but this belly has been around for a while! So .... me finks it's time for more exercise! If he still has this belly in month or so (i.e. he hasn't sprouted) then we I mean I will be taking him swimming 2 maybe 3 times a week, which means after work (feels tired already!). Which to an extent isn't bad because it will help me too and he likes swimming plus I did say I was considering the 5k swimathon didn't I! I will leave it for a month because A I have no energy and B I still think he is due a growth spurt! He has proper running shoes now (well he has wide feet so...

Well I am! Totally zonked. Woke up at 2am with belly ache, was still awake at 2:30 so checked my bank account (no cheques being cashed), changed the bed (save me doing it tonight), read and still I was awake! Then the alarm went off at 6.10 and I so didn't want to get up but knew if I stayed "for 5mins" I would fall back to sleep! So I got up again! So ...Cheque watch continues … don't think anyone has had theirs cashed yet, and people are expecting tomorrow to be D-Day from what I can gather! Not that I am in the least bit bothered if I get in or not … I'm after the reject count (new start as I didn't enter last year - Doh!) and the "sports jacket". I have no doubt that I will be there anyway at mile 17 if not at Blackheath! Glowing green at not being running I expect but there! Unless I can't get a Gnome sitter (he's not coming as he would be a bored nightmare!) in which case I will spend all morning glued to the BBC! But as we all know tha...

Well I had a great post all written out ... on e-mail ... at work ... and forgot to mail it so I could do an update!! D'oh! Anyway it went something like this .... Back in Training!! Well not really! Well sort of! See the foot is a lot better, still there if I do too much but I can now walk properly and use the stairs again. So stair training is back on the books! Did them 4 times today! Tomorrow I will be trying a walk at lunchtime. Just a short one mind, round the "estate!" to look at the wildlife on the lake!! (LOL sounds like a country manor!) Cold is progressing nicely, now sneezing and sneezing and sneezing some more! Oh and I have a nice red sore nose too! But not the slightest inclination to take time off work! I must like my new job! Cheque watch continues, not that I am bothered at all! I mean I don't really want to do FLM! Honest!! After that I have forgotten what else I said! I wrote a lot more at lunchtime! Honest! Still I will try again tomorrow - after...

Why not? Well firstly I didn't even consider calling in sick (or is that just I actually enjoy and like my job now?). Then I am also cheque watching (sad I know!) and finally I've been hunting training plans down for Brass Monkey! Oh and I think I have located the muscle that was hurting on my "calf" - brevis longus. I bought a magazine and there was a picture of a leg and there was my aching muscle! Glad I'm not going nuts and there is a muscle where it was hurting!! Cold is progressing well! Reduced appetite meant I haven't eaten tea tonight as I am not hungry. I had LOTS of soup for lunch with a pitta and later a packet of crisps so I won't starve! Sensible head says I should eat as I want to lose weight sensibly but then if I'm not hungry why not just listen to my body for once!! So anyway, I'm tired, bunged up so can't breathe and have achy eyes which all equals bed time! So Nite all!

Well I have some good news! Lost 2lb despite a weekend of being fed and a day in a workshop facing a bowl of jelly beans! So very pleased! Foot still lingers but still no drugs! Still resting well! It's TOTM! OK so you're confused! Why is resting and TOTM good news? Easy! I also now have a stinking cold so can't ran anyway! Arrgghh! Head feels like it wants to explode! Nose has that stuffy not quiet blocked thing going on and my eyes ache. Maybe this is why I was feeling so tired and drained at the weekend! Felt like eating some stodge but instead made some home made soup for tomorrow (hot stodge and low calorie/fat food ideal for "warming up" when feeling pants!). Instead I had Butter Nut Squash "wedges" which is actually roasted BNS but they were really nice! Think I may have them instead of roasted potatoes with Sunday lunch (point free on WW you see!). Workshop was Ok today. Lots of presentations to do and "being observed" so major wibbles...

So here starts THE week … when madness hits the forums. All those questions about cheques with people trying to work out when they will be cashed and what that implies! Are they in? did they bequeath? Oh so much excitement! So many questions! The madness will run for days and days, maybe even a month or more! And I'll miss out on it all :-( as I don't have access to the forums at work. Yes I can check up at night but it just isn't the same! The buzz isn't there! So even if I check my bank account 20 times a day it won't be the same. Without the forum I can't share the tension and excitement and grief/sorrow or joy at the outcome! Yes J and S are runners but they don't race so don't care about FLM entries! Anyway I have to say a MASSIVE WELL DONE to v-rap for a storming run at the weekend! If she carries on like that she'll be running a GFA time at FLM itself! Very inspirational! A 47minute PB for her! Mind you with my PB being 6hrs 43 I should be ab...

Been home south for the weekend. I hadn't realised just how tired I was until I started to drive home. I shouldn't have really I was zonked by the time I got there. Problem was not helped by mum wanting to chat so didn't get to bed early then Gnome woke me at 7.15 so Saturday I was still zonked. In fact I didn't get to see Fraggle and the boys because I feel asleep. Drove home tonight and still tired, think I am either coming down with something or need to get some herbal sleeping things to make me sleep more! Anyway it was lovely to see all the family but that was all I did! Work is the same but J has now had his papers. He is off as of 1st Dec for 6.5 months! Better get learning then! Apologise for bad maths ... above is now amended for Bear and hopefully I will be amending is again on Tuesday night! Foot is getting better and taking less drugs but it did not like the long driving :-(. Hopefully I will be swimming this week but I won't guarantee it!

I am SOOOooooo tired! Firstly let me just say X-Ray was clear so 2wks off and then try again!! Yippeee! Second, as you can see from above I have returned to WW. Well I can't run for 2 wks, then have a wks course making 3 weeks of seriously having to watch my food! If I follow a sensible plan I should lose within those 3wks, get all motivated and carry on! As for being tired? Well I think it is a combination of brain working with new job (which I still love!) and lack of sleep (hubby on nights) combined with lack of fresh air due to no running! In fact I am so tired that it's now 9:15 and I am getting ready for bed! How sad is that?!??!! Tomorrow I have a nice long drive as I am off south. Gnome is on half term last week so I am seeing all family members and leaving him there! So I need to try and be awake for that! I really want to get some swimming in or cycling next week but the way I have felt these last 2-3 days I doubt if I can get up in time to get to the pool or get the ...

That is indeed the question! This morning I went to the Drs and got an appointment for this afternoon. Very pleased. Get there and Dr has a prod and I squeal as I had on Saturday when v-rap prodded! GP does not think it is tendons as I have too much movement and it's very rare to get tendon problems there he says. He thinks yes it is probably an SF. Between his words I read "take 6wks off and if it still hurts we can look at it". His actual words "get and x-ray" I said only 2wks? would it show? He said "if it is a SF then it should be repairing and some bone should be visible after 2weeks, otherwise you have a problem". I mentioned a bone scan as that would show and he said he couldn't authorise it but the hossie could so if I went there and they thought I needed one then fine. Sounded like "I am not really sure what it is, have an x-ray to make it seem like I am being useful and come back in 6wks if it is still a problem" So I went to th...

I've been running since 2002. I've been no lighter than 10st 10lb and currently am about 11st too much! Not my heaviest but not good! Since starting running I have had the following: Jan 2004 - tendon strain in right foot Jan 2005 - stress fracture/reaction in right tibia Jan 2006 - Plantar Fasciitis in left heel Oct 2006 - tendon strain? Stress Fracture in right foot. The consistent factor is weight. So there it is if I want to carry on running I have to lose weight. Many people who are heavier than me run faster, further, more miles etc (Fat Buddha does IronMan events) but my body obviously does not like running at this weight. I don't want to give up running so I have no choice. I have to lose weight. So either Tuesday or Wednesday I will be going back to WW and telling the boys at home too. Tomorrow I will see the Dr ( may just be able to make an appointment). At lunch I will also visit the local (to work) leisure center. I think it will be too far away for a lunchtime...

Well I may not be able to afford the posh gym but there is a local council pool/leisure center just next to the business park. They have a pool. So I will be checking that out and soon. Why? Well V-Rap did the Dr thing and made me go big OUCH. Her conclusion was "see a Dr and ask for a bone scan. Probably a tendon strain but can't rule out stress fracture of the metatarsal" i.e. keep on taking the drugs, slap on a tubi grip bandage and no running until it's better which if if is a fracture could be 6-8wks. Husbands comment was ... all these injuries you should stop running! On the brighter side I have seen some lovely kit in Sutton Runner and I knew which shoes I want and very bling they are too! Oh and Gnome has some bling shoes too!!

Well I took diclofenac again today and by lunch the foot felt better ... still there but not hurting. Anyway you always have the "it's there" feeling when something has been "wrong" don't you! Seeing as it was such a lovely day I went for some fresh air. Foot was fine! So I walked further. Got back and foot not so fine by the time I was at my desk. huh! Still have a bump, hopefully v-rap will be able to advise me 'cos I am not a happy pixie at all. Work is great though. Jan course was almost cancelled but is now in Manchester instead of London! I've been playing with scripts again too!! I've had one script update go live today, hopefully another tomorrow and will be updating our tracking system to go live tomorrow AM as well! >beams pathetically All really good. The only downside is I feel awful about not running and my weight. I'm seriously considering a proper return to WW on Tuesday and given it at least until Christmas. Not running thi...

Grumpy Pixie ... foot still hurts. That's a week now. Still on the brufen and still resting and still hurting. Today I tried my boots thinking that as they aren't so close fitting over the top of my foot that may be better ... wish I had brought shoes too cos yes the top isn't causing pressure but they are now hurting more! I did, however, get a big smiley feeling this afternoon as my manager said some work I had done was excellent! Then to make me feel better Oxfam called ... we haven't got to the £1000 and when will we? Bless them they even said if we don't get the £1000 then people may not be allowed to enter in 2007 even if they have done TW before and paid in full before! We're £230 short thanks to a combination of team member swap outs (twice if you recall) and unemployed team members. Can you do another team event? they asked! Car boot with all proceeds to Oxfam? If I had changed jobs before the TW I could have got money off work but now I can't (the ...

Monday: It's going to be a long week I think! Two reasons for this ... or is it 3? Anyway, J is away this week (trope movements in France!), foot is still hurting (have a lump on the top of my foot (about the size of a 50p) and minor limp cos it hurts when my toes flex) and I'm trying to watch what I eat (failed already due to being attacked by a blueberry muffin!) especially as I am not exercising this week (think the remainder of the hall wallpaper may die!) Bear has seen a picture of where my foot pain is and he also came up with the Morton's neuroma thing. Have read a few articles and they all mention pain on the ball of the foot but mine is the top of the foot so I am hoping that it's not that (as that needs needles and or ops!). I'm hoping it's just a tendon sprain, but the other option is a stress fracture (not again please!). In 2004 I had a tendon strain, same foot and area so I'm hoping it's just a weakness I have there. The "feels like it...

I hate being injured ... when I get injured I do stupid things like clean ovens and hack trees! Yes I'm bored so having to find other ways of exercising (keep it clean folks!) especially as my butt would not appreciate hours on a bike! Not that I can get to my bike at the minute anyway!! Further inspection of the foot confirms that the pain is indeed on the "knuckle" area of the middle toe. It's sore like a bruise so I think I may have just run uneven and twisted it or something. Mind you resting doesn't seem to have made much difference. If it is no better by the weekend I may ask a very nice friendly Dr what she thinks! Next weekend I hope to go shopping with v-rap and Gnome! I want new shoes (think the sore calves and foot are shoe related!) and gnome wants to do some fun runs ( there is a 1m fun run 20mins from home next month ) and he needs new trainers and has his mum's wide feet and NB do wide shoes fitting for kids so.... :-D Plus I should get my 1st p...

Yes I'm back on the bench :-( That sore foot thing on Wednesday... well it's still here. In typical bruised fashion it hurts more after a period of sitting down/sleep and I've been popping the brufen. There is a slight swelling too. Don't think it is laces ... on closer inspection the pain is (looks at google ... gives up and picks up "how to run injury free" instead) on the sesamoids area of the err middle phalanger (??? impressed hey!) In the same location where you would get morton's neuroma but the description is wrong so I don't think it's that!! (oh the perils of a little knowledge from a book or the web hey!) Anyways this means I'm on the bench. No running. I have 4 or 5 weeks until the Suicide Sixish so no panic, I will take 1 whole week off regardless and see what happens next weekend. Also think I will get some new shoes with more cushioning. Now all I need to do is locate my bike and/or exercise bike from the depths of the garage un...

I had a lovely long update for you but Blogger ate it! Anyway here is the short version! Saturday ... plan was 10k wasn't it? Yes well NO that just didn't happen. Everything went wrong! 201 wouldn't charge, ate too little, drank too little, PF niggled during morning, Timex batteries died after 1m and tightness in lower leg muscle made me walk then finally change the 10k run into a 5k walk. Not happy. For the medical ones out there .... left leg (one with PF) outside of calf gets really tight. Can feel like a bruise when I get home. Tight for 20-25mins then will go. Makes me walk and want to stretch as it feels so tight but hurts to stretch. Doesn't seem to happen when walking. Have had sports massage (3wks ago) and that doesn't seem to have made any difference. Ideas? Shoes? Surface? Too much too soon? Faster running and body not used to it after mainly walking for months? Weight? Warm up? Stretching? Sunday I hoped to go out and try again. 1hr of ironing and 2hrs o...