I guess the first post should be a current status update.
After running for four years with a lot of ups and downs (both figuratively and literally speaking) I was doing pretty well all things considered! I was regularly running over 30 miles a week, in all weather, and had even completed a half marathon over the moors in a storm, at points up to my thighs in bog, and in a fairly respectable time of 2 hours and 40 minutes – I really thought I had cracked it!
The say pride comes before a fall and sure enough, I hit a major block at the end of November 23′ when my club foot collapsed in on itself.
I could walk, I could even run, but sooner or later things would get very painful, to the point where I had to stop and carefully walk back home.
I think the long and short of it is that I simply overdid things. I think this is very common experience. If you have ever been for a run, you will probably relate.
It feels great to get out, feel the wind and rain on your face, get the blood pumping, the adrenaline hit as you reach that certain point and that this can be addicting, which can easily lead to overdoing it.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I rested, then tried again, to no avail, and rested, and then I realised I was in a bit of a state and I crashed.
I crashed pretty badly.
The depression hit me like a truck.
Dropping out of such an intense physical regime it was obvious this was going to happen, yet, I didn’t do anything to stop it, I don’t know why.
One thing became clear though. I needed to exercise.
I decided to buy a rowing machine so that I could exercise in safety, in the comfort of my own home. Okay, it’s not fell running, but it is a really good full body work out and can be just as demanding in terms of cardio vascular activity, but crucially for my particular situation, a tiny fraction of the impact stress.
I didn’t have enough cash to hand, and bizarrely, I was refused credit, I don’t know why. I was already down and this rejection felt like a hard kick in the guts.
In desperation, I turned to friends and asked for a ‘community loan’. I got some good advice from a company re. buying a rower and to cut a long story short, at the beginning of 2024, I started rowing.
2 months later, March 2024. and I am getting quite good at it and about to start re-introducing some strength training and targeted physiotherapy.
If you are interested in fell running, physiotherapy, nutrition, gear, mental health, and personal struggles with life long disabilities. Maybe you would like to follow my journey.