Ok. It’s time for a rethink.
I have actually thought once before.
I seem to remember it was approximately 5 years ago.
And from what I recall it was a good thing.
So I figure, it might be good to think again.
This running lark… Have I had enough?
I’ve not run for aaaages. When was that triathlon I did? End of May? Yeah. Well the left ankle has been dodgy since then (I didn’t mention that before due to the ‘ignore it and it’s not real’ rule that I like to employ) but apart from a brief jaunt with a friend’s dog that is scared of heights and refused to run over a bridge (what a pain) forcing me to go the long way round, I have been pretty sedentary. Well… of course there’s been the odd game of tennis as able – but always with the ankle reminding me of its existence shortly after. I’m getting old, people. Old, I tell ya.
Oh… and that reminds me… There was one more run… a very short one. Less than 100 metres.
Picture the scene…
It’s a gorgeous day.
It’s school sports day for both my children… Different schools though, but both events starting at 1pm!
(Some of you might be able to spot what’s coming here)
Due to a less than favourable weather forecast, school 1 moves its sports day to the morning at short notice. Yay! I can go to both. I plaster myself in sun scream until I look like one of those people about to swim the channel in winter and settle down to watch child 1 do his stuff – sack race, relay, all that. Apart from cycling there, it was basically two hours+ of sitting around. Then it’s on to School2 to see child 2 do her stuff – further two hours+ of sitting, punctuated with eggs, spoons and skipping rope relays… All of which, of course are just warm up events to get the crowd going before the main feature events of the afternoon… THE PARENTS’ RACES!
Yes. After a whole day of sitting around in the sun, middle-aged would-be athletes jump up and take to the start line ‘ready’ to compete in the officially measured ‘length-of-the-school-field’ sprint!
I say ‘ready’ but clearly we’re not. There is a chap in a shady tent at the other end of the field taking bets on how many injuries are about to occur. No one wants to look like they are taking it seriously… so there is no stretching, no warming up, no practise starts, and no sense. There are some jeans, some bare feet, a thong or two (the flip-flop variety, not the butt-wedgie variety), and there’s me – shorts, technical tee, adidas boost running shoes, sunglasses, and a bit overweight (because I’ve been eating like I’ve been running – except I haven’t been running – apart from the scaredy dog episode… until now).
**BANG!**
That’s not the gun going off, that’s my hamstring!
Occurring shortly after this photo was taken…
I know this photo was taken before it happened because my left leg is moving. It didn’t really move after that.
That was over a week ago now. It still hurts.
What with that, and the ankle of doom… and my recent increasing weight gain, I’m seriously wondering weather I should just face the fact that perhaps my running days are done.
Or maybe they’re not…
….but maybe they are.
I’m now nearing closer to 100kg than in a long time. I need to do something different, at least temporarily. It should probably involve eating less…but I want to explore all other available options before taking such drastic action
Lots of thinking and rethinking needed here.