Maybe today I am even happier with yesterday’s race than I already was yesterday. Why? Because my ankles feel good. Not numb, not painful, but good.
The Steam Trail in Dieren I ran yesterday was a test. Not just a test to see if my stamina was already up for it, but also to see if my ankles could handle it.
Tarsal tunnel syndrome
You probably know by now that I have flat feet and had an ankle operation (tarsal tunnel syndrome) years ago. Because of those problems I had to stop running. Now, after more than 25 years I’m giving it a serious go again.
Serious means I want to run long distances again. I don’t enjoy running 5 kilometers. I’m sorry for those who do. But to run 5 kilometers takes me anywhere between 20 and 25 minutes. I don’t see myself sitting in the car for an hour, to go home half an hour later.
RELATED: 25 kilometers; a distance to dream about
If I run, I want to be out there for a couple of hours. And out there, is in a forest, in the mountains, in nature. Not in a suburb or city center. I leave that to the road runners. To each its own.
Nervous
I admit I was a bit nervous for the race yesterday. This running life I hadn’t run 25 kilometers yet. And even in my first running life I only ran 3 times more than 25 kilometers. Twice during the Rotterdam Marathon and once as a try-out run for that same marathon. That’s it.
All went pretty well yesterday. Sure, I struggled halfway through the race, but was able to recover, as soon as we were out of the sun and under the trees. And I finished strong. The last 5 kilometers I ran were my fastest ones.
Yet, where I was a bit nervous yesterday morning, I was a lot more nervous last night. Because how would I wake up? With a numb feeling in my ankle again? A painful ankle?
Nothing happened
It was the first thing I checked this morning. As soon as Maus, our cat woke me up, I stretched and engaged my feet. Nothing happened. Or better: my feet reacted the way they have to. And when I stepped out of bed, I could actually stand on my right ankle. No numbness.
Sure, I can feel my feet. My heels are a bit sore. But I think that’s normal after running a 25 kilometer trail run. The good thing is, what I feel are only small pains. Sensitive ankles, sensitive knees. But no real pain.
24 hours
When I write this, I know the race is only 24 hours ago. I am not out of the clear yet. But so my ankles feel good. It looks and feels like I can run again.
