<\/p>\n
I immediately swore never again but five months later I took on Newport half and that I DID run\/walk all the way round.\u00a0 Since then I run\/walked two further half marathons and I had big plans for my return to Cardiff this year.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/irun.wales\/app\/uploads\/swansea-10k-2-199x300.jpg\")
I would return stronger, happier and in fancy dress.\u00a0 I would be Harley Quinn from the film Suicide Squad.\u00a0 My commitment to the costume even meant dying my hair blonde with pink and blue ends.\u00a0 They advise you to try out new clothes\/shoes before a big race and the same goes for fancy dress so Swansea 10k would be the costume\u2019s test run.<\/p>\n
The costume was brilliant and I had so much fun as Harley, complete with inflatable baseball bat but I hadn\u2019t counted on injuring myself which ultimately cost me my return to Cardiff half.<\/p>\n
I had stupidly done a new parkrun the day before Swansea and jarred my knee.\u00a0 I ignored the pain and went ahead with the 10k.\u00a0 By the 9k mark I was in agony. So much so that tears were running down my face.\u00a0 Thankfully it was pouring with rain so the tears were easily mistaken for rain drops. \u00a0And afterwards the pain just got worse.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A week off sick and the inability to walk was also the consequence of my stupidity.<\/p>\n
So Cardiff half was not meant to be this year, I cried, I got angry but I finally came around and realised it wasn\u2019t the end of the world.\u00a0 There would be 2018 and I would return to that one even stronger.<\/p>\n
But what to do with my injury? The pain was unbelievable! I couldn\u2019t put weight on my leg and every time I moved I would cry out in pain.\u00a0 I avoided the hospital as they would only tell me to rest which is what I was doing but there had to be some way of easing the pain.<\/p>\n
I had been recommended a Sports Masseuse from a running friend, at first I resisted because of a bad experience with a sports massage a few years ago but it was two weeks of constant pain that pushed me in the magical hands of Mal from Revive Sports Massage.<\/p>\n
I needn\u2019t have worried.\u00a0 Mal listened to my symptoms and appeared confident that he would be able to help me.\u00a0 Gently he massaged my leg, it hurt as the knots were loosened but I was amazed at how quickly it eased the pain and stiffness.\u00a0 He really did have magic hands!<\/p>\n
The pain has since eased significantly since my visit to Magic Mal and whilst I still have a long way to recovery at least I can walk properly now.\u00a0 Gone is my limp that made me resemble Long John Silver in Treasure Island!<\/p>\n
I did have a race planned for November but I have to be a \u2018grown up\u2019 and admit that I won\u2019t be ready to take that one on.\u00a0 Again, this is a race I\u2019ve been looking forward to returning to but I\u2019ve got to listen to my body.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a tough few weeks but I\u2019ve learnt a few things along the way.\u00a0 Never do a parkrun the day before a race, never run on an injury and sports masseuses aren\u2019t evil beings intent on causing us more pain.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead I need to build up the strength in my leg again and I\u2019ve been advised to walk.\u00a0 Thankfully parkrun is inclusive of all abilities and on the 28th<\/sup> October Swansea Bay are holding a special fancy dress event so all is not lost! Look out Swansea Harley\u2019s coming to get you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last year I took on The Diff.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t run all of Cardiff half, in fact I only managed to walk\/run it up until the six mile marker, my body […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n