Ups & downs...

I recovered from my tennis thump and had a good cardio tennis session with the girls on Friday morning. I had to run solo again on Sunday morning and set off loaded up with a good breakfast and some Powerade. I had my tunes strapped on and a plan to do a 15km training run. I set off about 1030am and the weather was perfect, clear & cool. I got the hilly part of the run done in the first 5k and it was all downhill and flat after that. I think this plan is a good one. I knew that I would finish the 15 at the base of our big hill and I did just that. Usually after 12k my mind plays tricks on me but I had a goal to run to Maccas so I did. Along the way I thought of the people I know who live nearby who I could pop in on and ask for a drink. But then I kept running. Past Tara's, past Mels, past Erin's, past Running Buddy's (who was in Sydney but her husband would have given me a drink), past Lucy & Alex's and even past Baby Black who would have let me have a drink too. A big motivating factor in the last 3 ks also was running down Gisborne Rd. It's a busy road and no doubt someone would have spotted me and told me 'I saw you walking'. I don't care if they see me walking back up the big hill but before that, now that spurs me on.
During the run at the 5.5k mark I began to get an intense pain in my left shin. The first time a pain like that has sprung up while running. Maybe it was the down hill running that stirred that up but I pushed through and it faded away after the 8k point. The next day was when I began to feel another new pain. This time right behind my left knee and feels like I could hyperextend my knee. I limped around for the next 2 days doing some gentle stretches when I remembered and played tennis on it on Monday night. Today that pain is completely gone but with one thing and another (Running Buddy caught a cold in Sydney) I haven't tested it with a proper run since. It will be interesting to see if it returns. I cant have an injury now! We are in to the countdown of days till the Melbourne Marathon Festival begins. There have been ads on telly and all!

Hayley is back in the UK and she never received her parcel from us for her birthday but she sent another little gift to us!

She'll have to come home to read it to us