2014

[marathondan]

I saw the podiatrist this week, another fine and dedicated member of NHS staff, this time by the name of Dee. Some bending, some wiggling, some gait recording on the iPad - the basic conclusion is that I'm a basket case. Flat feet, significant toe-out on one side only, loose hips, weak quads, weak glutes, knees don't straighten... the list goes on. She's given me some heel inserts which I'm currently breaking in - these should reduce the load on the achilles - and may recommend upgrading to a more cushioned running shoe. My calves are also very stiff - the problematic right one more so - and she's prescribed an unpleasant calf stretch that I could barely get into the starting position for, let alone execute properly. I was admonished for not stretching on non-running days, and I suspect I'll get short shrift if I haven't loosened up in six weeks time when I return. Having said that, I don't feel an urgency to do these stretches. I'm not a high performance athlete and I'm not desperate to get back to peak fitness. My gut feeling is just to relax and let nature take its course. But common sense says that I should at least put in a bit of effort.

I'm still mostly getting three easy 3-milers in a week, with no side effects (as far as I can tell - it's hard to grade a low level background pain). Last night I took a slightly different route around the edges of Maidenhead Thicket, taking in a spot of wooded glade. The nocturnophobe in me might not appreciate that in the winter months, but at this time of year it's perfect.