Running diary
Les' Flora London Marathon training diary 2006 - part one
Friday 24 February
Spend an hour or so working out a new route for tomorrow's long weekend run as I'm so fed up with the route I've used for the last three years it's untrue - Slightly worried about a 'niggle' in my right calf but convince myself that I'll run it off - Download some new music for tomorrow's ordeal - Email those nice people at UR to say how well my training is going - Famous last words!
Saturday 25 February
Go out at 7am - It's absolutely freezing - Remind myself that it's all for a good cause and what a buzz I got from the the marathon last year - Three miles into the run I feel a strange sensation in my calf and then a lot of pain - Stop immediately - Although I'm out in the sticks I'm lucky enough to have broken down within sight of a phone box so I can call home for a lift - Get home and phone my friendly sports injury person - She is delighted to be disturbed so early in the morning - Her advice is to ice the injury, take anti inflammatories and she'll see me on Monday - Feels like it's the end of the world.
Sunday 26 February
Spend most of the day watching TV feeling thoroughly depressed - Is four months training going to go to waste? The ice packs (large packs of Waitrose frozen peas; only the best and stuff the cost) go on and off at 20 minute intervals - Take Nurofen every four hours.
Monday 27 February
Keep explaining to people at work why I've got a slight limp - Some of them think I'm a skiver, looking for a way out of the marathon! See my sports injury person late afternoon - She doesn't think the injury is too bad and proceeds to inflict agony on me for an hour - She says I can jog for 20 minutes tomorrow - She also says that I must do plenty of calf stretches - Physically I come out feeling worse than I went in! Mentally though I am feeling better.
Tuesday 28 February
Light jog in the evening in the local park - As usual get chased by a couple of snappy Jack Russells - Feels like the muscle could go again at any time - My MP3 player also packs up which is another disaster - I don't think the machine can cope with 70s heavy metal - More ice and Nurofen until it's time for bed - Feels like it's the end of the world again.
Wednesday 1 March
A bit of discomfort in the morning but nothing too bad - Things start to improve as the day goes on.
Les' training diary - part two
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