In the beginning....

Ok, new blog, first entry, where do I begin...?

I'm a 32 year old woman, recently married, and have been running for around four years.  I originally started as a way to get fit, and considering at the age of 28 the most excersize I'd had for years was dancing on a podium in a nightclub, or around a field at a festival or rave, whilst knocking back vodka shots and puffing away on 20 fags a day, it was pretty tough.

Two years later I had stopped smoking and could run a 5K comfortably, and a year after that I entered my first 5K race during July 2011, a Tesco's Race For Life, in Windsor, with my lunchtime running buddy Maxine.

That's when I got 'The Bug'.

For those of you new to running, or whom aren't runners yet, you have a great chance of catching 'The Bug', the desire to run faster, further and more often than ever.

Within days of my first 5K I had signed up for a 10K in October (the first Human Race Shock Absorber women's only 10K), which was a massive leap considering I had only ever run 5K before. I took myself down to Sweat Shop and purchased some new trainers, a very bouncy and comfortable pair if Pegasus 27's,  I threw myself into my training and ran my first 10K race.  October arrived quickly, and I had only covered the 10K distance in 57 minutes and 48 seconds.

From there I entered a number of 10K races and slowly but surely improved my time.  I just loved to run, and most of all I loved racing!  I never have been and never will be in contention to win, but I loved the buzz of a race day!

Two weeks before my wedding day I entered a local flat and fast road race, the Staines 10K, on May 14th. My PT and some friends were also running it, and I was eagerly anticipating how I'd do.  My training runs were now up to 10 miles so 10K should have been a walk in the park for me.

It was a warm morning, but I was loving the run. It was fun, and if I wasn't quite as quick as the guy dressed as a lion then so be it.  At around the 8K mark I noticed a slight twinge in my right foot, so slowed for around 1/2 a kilometre to check it was OK.

I'd not ever hurt myself running before, but sometimes would overwork a muscle or get the odd twinge, which a days rest would always fix.  This seemed to be one of those, so I sped back up and finished the 10K with a personal best of 54.46.  I crossed the line, queued for the bottle of water, and then couldn't walk another step due to the pain in my right foot.

Several ice packs and a couple of days later I go to get an X-Ray, and find there's no fracture, just a nasty sprain, and an instruction for two weeks total rest from running.  My wonderful physio, Martin, who I've been seeing for years due to a neck problem also found the joint had levered up into the joint casing, and needed to be manipulated back into place.

Two days before my wedding I'm still limping slightly, but on the day a couple of glasses of champaign helps to take the edge of so I can walk down the aisle in heels.  And a couple of bottles later I can also dance in them.

My foots well enough for the hiking and swimming on our Icelandic honeymoon, but my test jogs cause pain again, so I decide to leave it until our return home.

Back in Blightly I gingerly got for a gentle run.  There's no pain, but I can feel the weight isn't right in my foot, and know it will go out again if I continue running the way I have been.

I need to find a different way of running.