Eight mile - sort of

Got up nice and early this morning for my 8-miler.

Avoided the temptation to hit the coffee after the mishap last time, and with eager anticipation, donned t-shirt, shorts and trainers. Also socks and scrots, but adding them would have ruined the rhythm of the sentence.

Alas, I left my earphones at work on Friday, so had no choice but to go without the encouraging - and usefully tempoed - "Don't stop me now".

Once I got into my stride it was actually pretty ok. I wouldn't call it fun, or enjoyable, but it didn't leave me wanting to staple my head to the inside of an industrial furnace.

Made it to the turnaround spot ok, and began the return leg.

Passing back through Laleham, I started to get a weird pain in my calf so I stopped for a stretch. Now, I'm not sure if this helps or not, but I've seen it on TV so it must do something.

I then started again, but just couldn't get back to a comfortable stride and the pain kept coming back. I then stubbornly decided to just "run it off" so grimaced, tried to channel some of my hatred of the world towards the existing hatred of myself in the hope that the combined rage would have a multiplying effect, and plodded on, determined that mental toughness would overcome physical frailty.

Half a mile later I thought my leg was going to come off.

I found a bench (when I say found, I mean, "I got to a bench". It wasn't like it was lost and approached me to take see if I would help take it home!) and continued stretching things - mainly so other people on the road thought I looked like I knew what I was doing.

Tried a jog but after 3 strides I nearly fell over. So I had to hobble back the remaining mile or so.

Unfortunately, that's the bit where most traffic/people are, so I had to do arm stretches etc. as I walked so it looked like I was warming down (which it was actually quite good for), thereby ensuring that complete strangers wouldn't think I was the failure that I know I am.

I'm now taking it easy. It's still uncomfortable, but having looked at it closely, I can't see any obvious weak points where the calf could completely detach itself. I'm not a doctor though, so will keep an eye on it.