ADVERTISEMENT
With just over a week to go before the race I needed to get back up to distance without aggravating my shin splint as it was finally starting to settle. I started with a gentle 2.5K around the park at a nice relaxed pace. Bliss! I made sure to have a rest day before my next run, which was just over 7K. This wasn’t such an easy run, but thankfully, it was nothing to do with me, it was the weather; crikey, it was hot! On the plus side though, my legs felt good so I felt confident and excited for the Race for Life a few days later.
Sunday morning, shortly before 11am, I joined the other 10K runners at the start line, got my music and tracking app ready, and set off. I was just getting comfortable when I turned my right ankle on a stony downhill, did a sort of messy somersault and ended up in the grass beside the track. I was 1 mile into the race. A few runners stopped to make sure I was OK, while a race marshal got on the radio in case I needed first aid. As it happened, there was no pain and everything seemed to be working as it should, so I opted to continue. I carried on running for a while but after a few minutes the pain started and I could feel instability in the joint, so I slowed to a walk.
The uneven ground got harder and harder to walk on, so I stopped and asked the next marshal if there was a shortcut back to the start line. She dug out her map and showed me that we were pretty much at the furthest point from the start/finish, so I would have to either keep going or get a lift back with a paramedic crew. Being the stubborn person I am, I chose the former. 20 minutes later, I was starting to struggle. Across the field, I saw runners heading in the opposite direction so I left the course and crossed the field to join them. It was when I saw the same marshal with the map that I realised my mistake – instead of taking a shortcut, I had gone round the same loop twice.
Demoralised, and in increasing pain, I gave up on the idea that I might still be able to continue to the second lap. As we descended back toward the open field of the start/finish, my shoe was getting tighter and tighter as my ankle swelled, and walking on the sideways incline was agony. I couldn’t go any further. I ducked under the tape and, unable to put weight on my right foot, phoned my husband for help. He got me checked by a paramedic and we headed home, all the while I was cursing with frustration; what about the Great Newham Run?!
By the time we got home, I had a solid blue golf ball sized lump over the outside of my ankle. I spent the rest of the day with my foot on a tower of cushions, on and off smothered in frozen peas. Luckily, I already had a GP appointment booked for the following morning, so I showed him my now very swollen ankle and he sent me for an X-ray. As it turns out, no bones were broken, just a lot of soft tissue damage and some very impressive bruising. My husband calls it my angry hippo foot.
So, what about the Great Newham London Run? The honest answer is, I don’t know. You can see the extent of the swelling and 
bruising in the pictures, but remarkably, there is very little pain. I’ve had differing advice from health professionals – RICE vs. gentle stretching and walking – so I’m doing a bit of both; I’m elevating and icing when sitting, yet still walking around (carefully!). Running
10K however, is a whole different ball game and I don’t want to risk permanent damage, so I guess I will just have to see how it feels nearer the time. Running or not though, I will be there to experience and report on the atmosphere of this great event and the iconic arena.
To run or not to run, that is the question.
