Out of order

I’m unable to run at the moment. It’s been a month since the Atacama Crossing. I forgot to mention that in the last couple of days of the event I had some stomach pain when I was running. Especially on the last 10k stage. I think had the race continued for another day afterwards I could have been in real trouble. Every time I swung my right leg forward I would get a sharp pain in my very low right abdomen. Even walking around after the event for a couple of days was uncomfortable. I took two weeks off running completely when I got back. Then a friend asked if I wanted to go take part in an event in the Peak District exactly two weeks after I got back. I figured whatever strain I had would have healed by then. The first 10 miles of the event went fine, but the pain came back and got progressively worse for the next 10 miles, to the point where I would have to drag my right leg well behind to get some pain relief. Even walking eventually hurt just as much. We still finished the event in a respectable 4:15, even with 3000ft of ascent. However, had the race been any longer and I would have had to walk the rest and with gritted teeth. I had some sports massage a day or so after, but it made no difference to be honest. A few days later and the pain eased off when walking, but I still get a twinge sometimes; perhaps turning over in bed or bringing myself up to a seated position from lying down. Basically when some muscle is activated in a certain way I get pain. It’s now two weeks after the event and I still can’t run. I think I broke into a jog for half a dozen steps for some reason or another the other day and felt the pain straight away. So, whatever it is, it hasn’t gone away. I had to go to the doctor anyway last week with a bad case of food poisoning. I lost 10lbs over 4 days and just wanted to check I hadn’t picked up anything nasty in Chile. I’ve since recovered from the food poisoning, but I did take the opportunity to ask the doctor about my injury. As soon as I told him it was through sport, he didn’t even bother to examine me. He just said that I would have to pay to go to a sports injury clinic, but it was probably just a strain. It amazes me that If I was 25 stone, obese and smoking myself to death, then the NHS would be more than happy to pay to have my stomach stapled or for an expensive course of anti-smoking treatment, but as soon as you mention you’ve done something through being healthy then it’s your own fault and we’re not interested.


The doctor’s guess of a strain may well be correct, but it’s taking a long time to heal. I have no idea if it is indeed a strain or something worse, but right now I still can’t run and have no idea when I will be able to.