I had my second visit to sports therapist, Grant McLullich, yesterday for more painful massage. The good news is that my injury is improving, the bad news is that I’m still off the road. I’ve to go back again next Thursday after trying a very short run on Wednesday to see how I react.
It’s been strange going from running 5 times a week to wincing every time I stand up. I think this is the longest I’ve been injured or ill since I was 12, and I wasn’t supposed to be training for a marathon then!
We talk a lot about recovery in our house. It’s a big topic in the mental health world. What is recovery and what does ‘getting better’ mean?
It’s easier to quantify when the recovery is from physical injury. There is no reason why I shouldn’t make a full recovery and go on to be physically fitter than I was before. I’ll be more aware of the need to work on my overall strength and flexibility but I wonder how much mental recovery will be required?
I read the other day about Paula Radcliffe rushing off to hospital for a scan on what she thought was a tight hamstring only to find nothing was amiss. She’s terrified of injury before the Olympics.
I wonder if I’ll be the same every time I feel a twinge or a tightening? When you run things hurt, especially when you run any kind of distance. That’s just how it is.
So, another week of stretching, hot water bottles and rest. But I’m getting better… and the marathon is getting closer.