My Runing Mishaps and Injuries

I'll never forget the race where we were given race number thirteen and we had a whole range of problems that day including a smashed car, a broken bike and a strain injury.. It is for this reason that I forget one of the incidents of that day. Biscuit Boy and I were on the third and final loop I think of the bike course, and whilst I was getting quite into it by this point, I can be a bit 'jittery' on the bike. I think this is because on this type of off-road biking event I am accustomed to falling off the bike many times. I do not like falling off the bike so I will try and avoid it by slamming on the brakes... and this is exactly what I did on this day. However, and this is the 'biggy', I forgot that Biscuit Boy was directly behind me. He didn't brake, well not til later anyway. I distinctly remember him literally flying past me, over his handlebars, as he slammed his brakes on, but his body kept on travelling and landing in an untidy heap in front of me, with me saying 'Oh my gosh, sorry ...'. He could have been seriously injured, fortunately he wasn't but whilst we laughed about it afterwards, it has taught me to always look and think before I just brake without thinking.

Just before I ran Hastings Half Marathon I was really getting into my training.  It was just a couple of weeks before the race when I noticed what felt like shin splints. I pretty much ignored the pain (stupid me !), until the point when my daily 30min walk to work was agony and with every footfall I could feel a pain up my shin. Not nice ! That night I said to Biscuit Boy, "Please could you take a look at my leg and give it a massage it's agony !"  I put my leg up and he massaged along the sore part and said "Did you know this is swollen?". Of course I hadn't realised. Unlike shin splints, which I would usually get in both legs, this was only in one leg. I took the decision, although my half marathon was only a couple of weeks away, to take a whole week off training. Going back to training after a week off my leg felt good and the swelling was down. I went on to have a good half marathon and the swelling and pain has not returned. I guess the moral of the story here is that as soon as you feel pain... Stop Running until you figure out what is going on!

3. I guess the worst injury I had I sustained when I was running whilst I was tired. I can't remember why I was tired whether I had been training hard, or run too many days in a row, but I definitely know I was tired. Biscuit Boy and I were running together, it was a Sunday morning and nice weather. It was a relatively new route and about five miles long. We were near the end, running down a gravel lane with fields both sides. I ran down a pot hole, but didn't pick my foot up on the way out of it, so my foot clipped the top of the pothole and down I went. I remember sliding across the ground thinking 'This is like Superman, I guess I'll stop sliding in a minute' , and yes I did stop and that is when the pain set in. AfterwardsI had horrible lacerations on my hands, elbows and knees. I carried on running though. In the days that followed I got them checked  for possible infection, but luckily I was given the all clear. Next time I see a pothole-I'll be running round it !