An awesome 10km and the suckiest reason not to be able to run

Before I went away on holiday, I finally ran a 10km! Not only was it the first time I had run this far since my half marathon, but it was also my first official 10km race! I ran in 59:28, and was very, very pleased to get a time under 1hr after all the faff and problems I've had with fractures and broken bones over the last year. It was only a minute-or-so off my PB, which I am now, of course, aiming to smash soon.

As for the course, it was a great flat route alongside the gorgeous River Thames in Richmond, London. It was a cool morning, but perfect temperature for running really, and the ground was moderately soft under-foot courtesy of some overnight rain, making the ground nice and soft for my poor injury-prone feet/legs.

It was also the second wear of my new compression socks, and so far, *touch wood*, they seem to be keeping the shin splints away. I know the jury is out bout their effectiveness at injury prevention during training (as opposed to recovery), but they seem to work for me and that's all that matters.

The whole experience also well-and-truly reminded me of the race day buzz, the excitement of the build up and the endorphins of the finish. I can't wait to sign up to some more! Only, oh yeah, it's the summer now. No-one races in the summer. Boohiss. But come the autumn, and I am hitting the races hard.

Plus, we got Haribo and lollypops at the finish, as well as the usual racebling and Lucozade. Who can complain about that?!

Anyway, so within a couple of days of the race, I was packed and on a plane to the sunny Greek island of Kos. This was a self-declared break from the hard graft I have been putting my body through recently, and although I stayed on the healthy eating train, shy of a few laps in the pool to cool off, I did absolutely nothing for the entire week, and I loved it. Honestly, I did...

Only, after about 5 days, I was looking forward to getting back to the gym and hitting the fields for a run. I was pretty much counting the hours until I was reunited with my running shoes, and despite a 4am flight home, fully intended to go out for a run the evening of that day (following a power nap of course!)

But, instead of being able to hit the pavements/meadows for a run, I'm stuck, unable to run, due to heat rash. I mean, seriously, what sort of medical condition means that you can't allow yourself to become excessively sweaty?! I know it's only for a few days whilst it clears itself up, but in the mean time, it's been nearly two weeks since I ran my 10km and I am now starting to go a bit mental.

I could go anyway, but it will make it last longer apparently, and I'm already struggling not to rip my skin off with my own nails. So I won't run. I really won't...

The lessons I have learnt from running post-injury.

 

For the last six months, I have really been struggling with my fitness. I've been injured, ill, injured again and, yep, ill again. I have had three fractures and three broken bones occurring across three different incidents (all of which were caused simply by being as clumsy as a new-born deer on an ice rink most of the time) but I'm finally through it, or so I hope. In fact, I have made it a month now of regular exercise, following two months of building up the miles gradually, and have had little to complain about. That is except for the occasional sore shin, which quickly subsides thanks to the bag of peas that I keep in the freezer.

But, as much as I loved running before and was excited to get back to it, I found starting to run again to be very demoralising and, with memories of a strong half marathon not quite six months old in my mind, quite frustrating. But I persevered and I learnt a few lessons I wish I had known before starting, so I thought I would share my top 5 with you, in case you find yourself in the same situation. These are also, I hope, more useful than the other relentless websites reminding you to build it up gradually. Yeah, we get it!

1) Get a new running app.
If you use one, I would seriously recommend starting a fresh. "That run was 1 minute, 45 seconds slower than the average pace of your last seven runs." Shut up, stupid Nike+ witch. Seriously, you don't need to be told by an app, judging you against your previous best, that you are indeed as rubbish as you feel. Ditch your app and download a new one, which treats you as a new runner and charts your progress accordingly, rather than comparing you to who you were. If you are really attached to your old running app, by all means go back to it when you are ready to compete with your old PBs, but definitely relegate it to the side-lines in the meantime.

2) Remember your old programme.
Did you follow a certain programme when you took up running, like a couch-to-5km, or did you start building up miles on a treadmill first? Whatever you did the first time, if it worked, do it again, even if it is really frustrating to reign in the miles. I tried using a new regime I found on Pinterest (aimed for complete beginners, might I add) but it didn't suit me as runs were longer and less frequent than I had previously been doing, and I ended up injured again. It was only by heading back to the gym and building up the miles on a treadmill, like I did in the very beginning (I'm a converted gymoholic), that I managed to get back to my former best. If it worked before, it will work again!

3) Be aware of your limitations.

My gorgeous new shoes :)

Don't let your body fool you. If you have been keeping up with fitness in other ways (Swimming, cycling, elliptical etc), your cardio will be sufficient to carry you many more miles than your muscles are ready for. (Ok, so that was a bit like the 'build it up gently' advice I said this post wasn't... Sorry!)

4) Buy new running shoes

The old ones were for the runner you were then. You are a new runner now, and new runners need new shoes. It's like the end of an era, right?! Plus, who doesn't like an excuse to buy new ones? It will therefore add more excitement to your runs if you are excited, literally, at the prospect of lacing up and getting going.

5) Change it up

I found that, when I ran the routes I used to love, I was disheartened at how much I struggled over the hills I used to blast, or I was disappointed with my times. It was through running a few new routes, which allowed me to see my progress rather than comparing myself to before, that I became more motivated. It allowed me to regain that determination most runners have to always beat their previous records, as I had a new goal to work towards. So, open MapMyRun right now and find somewhere new to run. As they say, a change is as good as a rest!

So there we go, those are my little tips and tricks. I hope they help and that, if you're reading this and are injured, you get better soon :)

Happy running!