See what I did there? Karin smiles or Karin's miles. I like to think I do a lot of the first one a while clocking up the second, my running partners may think differently... I went back to work on the Tuesday following the WHW race, because I didn’t want to waste annual leave if I couldn’t get out and run or walk, and there were bragging rights to be claimed. I had to wear my crocs because they were the only footwear I could get on and and I borrowed a box of paper to put my feet up under my desk. On Tuesday I went to see Magic Ray and he smoothed out some of the kinks in my muscles while I talked non-stop about the race. Apart from my feet, everything else just felt a bit abused and I started to think I could maybe start jogging into work the next week.
Unfortunately on the Friday I could barely get out of bed. My hips seemed to have seized up and my back and shoulders were sore. I put it down to compensation injuries from walking oddly and assumed it would ease off in a few days, but it didn’t. In fact if anything it got worse. I couldn’t bend down without stopping to think about it, and sometimers not even after thinking about it. After dosing on ibuprufen I managed to get out for a 3 mile run in week 2 but it didn’t feel good.
I kept waiting for it just to feel better, but it didn’t look it was going to without help, so in week 3 I decided to go and see Magic Ray again. Ray wasn’t available but I did see Magic Peter, who said that the muscles round my hips didn’t feel particularly tight or knotted, but he did feel a lot of tension in my back which he worked on. My right leg felt considerably looser afterwards and I think even the change in my mood made a difference and I consciously tried to relax at my desk, on the bus and sitting on the settee. But it didn’t last 
I don’t think I ever expected to feel unscathed after 95 miles and 33 hours, but other people were talking about running within a few days and some even racing (though I am aware Kate Jenkins is superhuman), so the odd gentle jog didn’t seem unrealistic. I still had an entry open for the Clyde Stride, though as each day started with me taking about 5 minutes to shuffle the 3 yards from the bedroom to the bathroom, it was getting unlikely without some sort of miracle recovery (but then again I still believe in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy). And I did go out with Bill on a couple of recces for the Stride because once I got warmed up the pain in my hips went away … well mostly.
I enjoyed these runs; it was good to share the bits I knew with Bill and on one of the recces I discovered that horses also wear midge nets.
I finally saw sense and withdrew from the Stride and I had a good day supporting Bill, though I proved that I’m no use either as a navigator or as a photographer. I think Bill was supposed to be in this shot:
I’m now seeing a physio who is working his way round everything that’s seized up and he thinks it will take a few sessions yet to free everything. In an effort to keep moving, I’ve dug my commuting bike out after two years languishing in the garage. It was creaking a bit too but a liberal dose of lube got the chain and gears working smoothly again. Does WD40 work on hips?
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Do remember that you were on the go for 33 hours @ WHW, while Kate was “only” out for 19 hours. That extra 14 hours is an enormous duration (even a 14 hour outing on its own is pretty enormous). So it is bound to take a while for your body to get over that hammering. I feel that you may have been hopeing to come back to doing too much too soon (given the 33 hours). Listen to your body; I’m sure it will tell you when it is ready and able and willing to resume.
Murdo tM
Comment by Murdo t M July 28, 2011 @ 11:39 amThanks Murdo, I think you’re right., I probably was expecting too much too soon – I was reckoning that since my WHW had been so much slower, it would also be easier to recover from. A totally flawed argument as you point out. In fact this weekend I feel I’ve turned a corner; I’ve finally stopped walking like John Wayne and I would bend down to pick up £1 from the ground (a fortnight ago it would have stayed there). I’m beginning to think I might get back out for a run soon but I’ll take my time and not force it.
Comment by karinsmiles July 31, 2011 @ 8:30 pm