I don’t know about you, but I only feel inspired to write things if it’s something positive and upbeat. With that in mind I should apologise for not having posted any blog updates for a while. Lots of people have been asking about my progress so I felt it time I should write.
The last month has been a real challenge. At the start of February I began to suffer from shin splints. For those of you that may not know, shin splints are aggravation of the soft tissue that connects the muscles to the shin bones (I’m not a doctor so forgive me if that’s not a great explanation). In laymen’s terms it hurts when I walk and even more when I run. Causes vary between increasing training too quickly, over use, tight calf muscles, incorrect shoes and other factors.
The recommended treatment in my case is rest, so I haven’t been able to run. At such a crucial time in training this has been particularly hard to bear. I’m seeing a running injury physio and following his advice with regards to exercises to do to, and he’s reassuring me rest is the right thing. Fortunately he’s been very positive but still it’s hard.
Doing a marathon for a charity adds so much pressure as you have to publicise you’re running it to raise awareness and get sponsorship. In doing so you build up a lot of hype. With that hype comes questions. People ask you how you’re doing, and when you’re doing well that’s great. But unfortunately when you’re not doing well it’s not nice to have to tell people that. People’s reactions can be very different, some are very positive and reassuring, whereas others can worry you with talk of 'running out of time' or telling you horror stories of other runners who have tried and failed. I know they have good intentions but it still adds to the pressure. Training for a marathon with its highs and lows really is like a rollercoaster ride I’ve not experienced before.
As time has gone on the pain in my shins has decreased. There’s still a mild ache but following the physio’s advice I will try my first short run tonight. I’m full of fear. With any luck tonight’s run will go well and I’ll get back on track soon, but I’m scared running again will make things worse. This is probably the tensest time in my training programme so far.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.
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http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
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