Hopalong Bowden...

Yep, I'm LIMPING! After my recent physio on the 'groin' strain, I was told gentle running was ok, so off I went on Tuesday night. In the dark. It was weird running down the lane in the dark - I really couldn't see where my feet were going and although I knew it was flat and safe, it felt very disjointed! It was also very cold, but it was only my thumbs that froze... I eventually kept them warm by tucking them inside my fingers and running with fists. Odd, but it stopped them getting frostbite. There were a lot of people out running on the pavements - I met at least five others, including two women with all the right gear looking very professional. I met them head on and then a bit later they were behind me, catching me up. I let them pass and then tried to keep up - which I could! That makes me as fast as them! Yay! I did notice, however, that the girl at the back had a much shorter stride pattern than me, so I tried to keep step with her - she was doing about 3 steps to each of mine and when I tried to keep step it felt very strange - teensy little steps. So, the BIG question is: Is it more knackering to do three times as many steps, but only little ones, or more knackering to do my long loping strides? Given that I haven't really been able to walk properly since, perhaps the little steps are the answer?

My leg stiffened up the next day and has been getting steadily worse since. We now have fairly major snow in Caerphilly and the cold isn't really helping. I have spent the weekend in hot baths, then reeking of Deep Heat, and with a hottie pretty much strapped to my leg. Has it helped? Has it heck! This morning in desperation I emailed Fit Mark to ask if he knew a physio who would work on Sundays... he responded that his tame physio is currently in Afghanistan and, whilst I am desperate, I'm probably not that desperate...

Fit Mark also said that he was moving like an 80 year old today as last night, in temperatures of -10C he did the Brecon Beacons Sleepwalk - 18.5 miles in the dark across the wild and windy Beacons. I told my friend Sarah B (yes, I know she's got the same name, it has got a bit complicated since I got married) about this and she said 'what's he made of - iron?' and I said I thought he probably was... Well done Fit Mark, absolutely brilliant, please don't ask me to join you next time!

Oh, and another thing: I've bought a new bike! Well, a bike. It's new, but as I haven't had one before it's not a 'new bike', is it? Guy is getting one too and we want to ride them home from the shop in Caerphilly. Last weekend was wet and cold, so we wimped out. And now we have snow and ice - totally unsafe for bicycles, so we couldn't pick them up again. Can I now ask for nice warm dry weather next Saturday?

And of course nice warm dry weather for a week today for the 5k Santa run. Yes, I have only got one working leg at the moment.

It'll be fine.... absolutely fine.

Probably.