Back running and planning to complete my challenge :)

So for the last month or so I have been back running! Very exciting given I had 8-9 months without going for a run which was very frustrating. Every week that passes and with every run or gym session my foot feels stronger and stronger!

Therefore, I feel it's time to crack on and finish my challenge! I have signed up for Run to the Beat half marathon in September, the one I completed being pushed round in a wheelchair, which will be my first one back. A fitting comeback I feel!

I may have to change some of the races however. The August 'Cross the bay' half marathon I don't think will be a good idea to do as my first one back and Bristol is only a week after Run to the Beat so may give that one a miss. Thinking of swapping in Leicester and Cardiff in October, both of which I have done before and are fantastic races!

The training starts now :) and as I haven't posted this yet, here is a little x-ray of my foot with the bit of screw that has been left in! Won't affect me though so bring on the rest of my challenge!

Yours, the bionic man

The beginning of the road to recovery begins ...

I can finally start to build the strength up in my foot properly as the screws are out and everything is healed :) well, won't know for certain for another few months how the injury has healed but should be fine! Physio starts this week and doing exercises every day to get back to fitness.

Stitches came out last Monday and the scabs are healing up fast. Scars are there and still aches quite a bit when walking on it but it's getting better by the day! Swimming and cycling in the gym to come within the next week or so and hopefully running in 6 weeks!

Just over 6 months later from breaking my foot and I can get back to normal :)

The screws are out :)

So it has been a while since my last post due to the annoying injury but on Friday, pretty much 6 months since they went in, I have had my screws removed from my foot! Well, one had broken so half was left in a bone but that shouldn't affect me! 2 weeks of rest and then the stitches can come out and I can start building my foot back up again :)

Doctor says it should be about 6-8 weeks and I can start running again, in the mean time, the swimming pool and gym shall be in full use (after sitting with it propped up for 2 weeks after the op!) with cycling etc. as these will involve less pressure on my foot. Fitness will improve and then I can ease back into running!

Had an email form Just Giving yesterday to say my page runs out in 2 days! That is now extended until the end of 2013 so hopefully I can fit in my remaining 4 half marathons that I have left before then, will just play it  by ear. I literally can't wait to get back, so frustrated with my lack of sport in the past 6 months, not looking forward to what my fitness will be like!

Anyway, the road to recovery is on its way, although it starts by spending a lot of time sitting with my foot propped up above my waist which, when trying to study at my table, is quite uncomfortable!

Yours, Cripple x

Run to the Beat ... pushed in a wheelchair!

I may have a broken foot but I can still do a half marathon!

Yesterday I did Run to the Beat half marathon, the October race I was planning on running before I broke my foot but did it by being pushed in a wheelchair! It was a fantastic race and we got so much support and cheers from runners and people watching throughout the course. Everyone loved the idea and spurred us on!

Thanks so much to my 9 pushers: Tom, Emily, Max, Matt, Michael, Rob, Graeme, Alex and Christian; you were all fantastic to push me round in that chair for the 13 miles, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Can't thank you all enough for giving up your time to do it. It was something a bit different and hopefully it can help raise awareness.

Check out the video Max took on his GoPro camera on the way round, it's brilliant!

https://vimeo.com/52343407

I have also raised over £2,000 now which is far more than I can ever have hoped for! Thanks so much to everyone who has donated. You can still donate to Cancer Research UK via my just giving page on the top of the page. I hope you can give what you can to this great cause and that events like this can help raise awareness.

Will probably be a while until I carry on with the challenge, will keep my blog updated with my recovery progress!

Thanks guys :) x

Not long to go!

9 and a half weeks down, 2 and a half to go! On Wednesday 17th October my boot will be coming off and I'll be able to start walking normally (probably in the loosest sense of the term to start with!) and I literally can't wait!

I'm getting a bit fed up with hobbling around and using crutches but getting on with things and looking forward to lots of physio and gym work to build myself back up to fitness and hopefully my foot back to somewhere close to normal! As you can see in the picture below, my right calf muscle has declined in size significantly in the past 10 weeks, going to take a lot of work to get it back strong again but I'm sure I can do it!

It is also looking possible to be able to do the Run to the Beat half marathon on 28th October, doing it in a wheelchair and having people push me around! Currently in the middle of organising it so will keep you posted!

James x

Injury update!

So I've been in for my 2 week check up and the cast is off but the boot is on! 

It will be on for 10 weeks, 4 more weeks of non-weight bearing. Saw the x-ray of the 3 screws in my foot too which was very strange! Should be able to have them out after the 10 weeks though :) then I can aim to get my fitness back by getting the physio right and ease my way back. Doing plenty of exercises even now!

Hopefully I'll be back fully sometime next year. I'm hoping to do the remaining 5 races in 2013 rather than 2012 for the August to December races. However I may still do Run to the Beat in October, looking into organising for 13 people to push me around in a wheelchair for a mile each! Will be in touch when I find out if I can do it.

Cheers, Hop-a-long :) x

Challenge on hold!

Last week (Tuesday 24/7/2012), whilst playing football, as I went into a tackle the other guy stretched for the ball. He fell as he stretched and my foot got scissored between his legs and got twisted as he fell. After going to A and E the following morning and having x-rays and a CT scan, it turned out I had fractured 1-2 bones in my foot and damaged some ligaments. The damaged ligaments required an operation which I had on Friday (27/7/2012) and got back home on Saturday.

Doctor says potentially 3 months of non weight bearing on my foot which is a long time but I'll be doing everything correctly to make sure it is right and fully repaired for when I can train again! Will take a bit of patience to wait until I can walk on it again but I'll be doing as much as possible to get back to fitness!

So my challenge has to be put on hold for now, I will be waiting until I am fully fit again and able to run the distance properly before finishing it off. I will keep you posted on my progress!