This is getting annoying now!!

I seem to have done something to my foot during Fleet. Across the top of my left foot (approx in line with my middle toe) my foot is really painful when pushed and also now when I walk. It was sore for a day or so after Fleet and then seemed fine and then when I went for a run on Saturday morning, the pain came back immediately and now it just won't go away. It won't stop me running Prague (5 days YAY!!!) but just means that ibuprofen will be eaten as if they were jelly babies!

I've done plenty of research over the weekend and i've discounted the following: 1)Shoes too tight: My trainers are always relatively loose through the middle part of my foot as just one of the weird things about my feet is that I have extremely high arches. 2)Broken Metatarsal: I can walk and run without falling and rolling around on my back. Therefore, not enough pain to be broken. 3)Me being lazy: I was really looking forward to running tomorrow with eatingtrees but I don't think it's a good idea until Prague now so that idea's buggered too!

Assumptions: It's something to do with muscles/tendons in the top of my foot and I intend to rest it and ice it until Prague.

As I said though, I won't let it change the run. I'll still be aiming for a PB and my reward?? Well that will a few days of Staropramen, Shisha and feeding my geeky love of bridges!!

As a side note, my run on Saturday (8.74 miles, 1:17:56, 8.55 m/m) was interesting to say the least. My entire route was blocked with rowers and their 8 man boats (I'm sure there's a more technical name other than '8 man boat' but you ain't gonna get it from me). Therefore I spent the entire route trying to not be hit in the head with oars and boats as they moved them around and then by the time I got to the home stretch towards Putney Bridge, I had to deal with the General Public, their dogs, their grandkids and the numerous snack stalls set up all along the river too. Twas Madness I tell you!!! I found an article in the paper on Sunday saying there were over 400 boats. 400!!! Thats over an extra 3200 people to dodge not including the public! ARGH!!! Leave my river route alone. Well at least until around 9/9.30am once I've got home to my coffee and my sausage muffin!!

NOTE: I'm aware that 'sausage muffin' and my previous post about weight loss don't quite go together but I assure you... it's an extremely good painkiller. So there!

What's a day between friends!

Well 24 hours later then planned and with less pub based preparation and more pasta and bed based preparation, I did my longest run for 5 months this morning. Yup, 10.1 miles and you know what, I loved it. Really happy with the time of 1:27:35 too. I worked that out (probably incorrectly) somewhere in the region of 8.40/8.45's for the complete distance which I believe to be heading towards a time of proper runners and less of the slightly overweight bald bloke that I've been in the past.

I also learnt something too. Pace yourself. I know this isn't exactly a revelation to the majority of people but for me, it was a necessary lesson. Some of my runs in the past (training and Royal Park HM), I've been (rightly) accused of setting off to quickly on something around an 8/8.30 pace and have always struggled nearer the end. Reasons for this severe lack of genius training regime include the fact that I always think I'm going to struggle near the end so I try and build up the time in reserve to meet my target. WOW!!! How wrong can one person be?!?!?! A mate of mine has been nagging me about this for a while now and finally today, some of that nagging found it's way into my little pea brain.

The results: I ran my first 5 miles at 9 m/m pace but then what's his? I still have plenty of energy?? Maybe I'll pick up the pace. So I did. The second 5 was done of a pace around 8.20 m/m ish to give myself a time that I'm very happy with and also the knowledge that I can run 5 miles at 8.20 pace if I put my mind to it. How cool is that!!! That's made my day.

So 18 miles in the last 7 days. That's a good place to be I think. I'm off to make myself a cup of tea and bacon sarnie to celebrate!!