Back on the Run

Checking out South Bank parkrun

 It's been aaaaages since my last post, simply because I have had no running to talk about!

The shin splints took a long time to heal up post-marathon - I was getting no pain walking or doing anything else, but it hurt to run.  Finally, 6 weeks after the marathon (just last week), I was able to do my first 5km run, completely pain-free - hooray!

I followed that up 2 days later with another 5km, then 3 days after that, my first parkrun (that I have run, not walked) in months.  Ahhhh, the feeling of achievement and satisfaction has been amazing!  It is just so good to be back out there - I have missed running so much!

However, the frustrating part of it, is how much fitness I've lost!  Dean & I decided to visit South Bank parkrun for the first time last Saturday and it was our first run together in such a long time.  We were without the kids, so it was nice just to be able to get out together and have fun!  It's a great course - I love that it's a loop, and the shade over on the city side of the river.  I had to really push it to keep up with Dean, which was good - I really want to gauge where my fitness was at.

A beautiful course on the Brisbane River

My PB is 22:33.  On Saturday, I ran 26:21.  Practically 4 whole minutes slower than I was :-(  I know it's to be expected, it's just annoying!  I also know it won't take me too long to get back to speed - I just have to keep up the consistency now.

I'm also so glad I attended an amazingly helpful workshop on the weekend, put on by Body Leadership, called Running Injury Free.  WOW!  I would recommend this to anyone, at any level of running.  It was free and soooo informative.  I learnt heaps, and am really confident now that I'll be able to get back into running without the setback of shin splints, or any other injury.

For a bit of a sneak peak, here's their blog, with the post on how to avoid shin splints.  If you're a runner, take a look around, because these guys know their stuff and are so passionate about getting people running injury free!

Keep a lookout for the next free workshop - you will learn so much!

Just another random thing that's happened in the last week (that all other distance runners will relate to!) is that the toenail on one of my second-biggest toes started turning black, then came off completely.  I'm really baffled as to why it happened now!  It happened on the same toe last year when I was training for and running half marathons.  I fully expected it to do the same in the lead up to the marathon, but every toenail stayed intact.  Then, after 6 weeks of no running, I do 3 x 5km and it comes off?!?  Strange!  But it doesn't gross me out anymore at all, I'm completely not phased by it.

Okay, so the plan now that I'm back on the run:  to start off with, about 3 x 5km runs a week.  Although tonight Dean pushed me to 6km.  And I might start doing a hill session, which will probably be about 6km also.  I'll just stick with these distances for a few weeks.

I'll be back at Sandgate parkrun this Saturday, running there for the first time since May (that's crazy!), pushing the green machine.  I'm also really keen to start going to a weekly bootcamp/fitness session to mix it up a bit, so hopefully I'll work that out this week.

Here's to running injury free!