Shoes, glorious shoes (with photos)!

I might not be able to walk without limping, and running might still be a distant hope, but that's no reason not to indulge in a shoe-buying frenzy.  (Thanks to Cathy for pointing me in the direction of Sportshoes.com and their fabulous sale!)

I'm now the very pleased owner of two new pairs of running shoes.  The first is another pair of Saucony Triumph 9s (in a different colour from my current T9s, which I love and which I've been wearing as my walking-around-shoes).

They're a bit more neon in real life.

The second pair sees the return of the Saucony Kinvara 3s.  You might remember that I tried the Kinvara 3s before and didn't get on with them due in part to the roomy toe box and in part to my fear of the 4mm heel-toe drop.  Now that I have wide marathon-runner feet, I though that I'd give them another go, and they do seem to fit better this time around.  I'm planning on using them as my walking-around-shoes and my going-to-the-gym shoes.  I'm not sure that I'm going to be running in them anytime soon - I'm still afraid of the drop- but they do look the biz!

Look!  Purple running shoes!  I am so happy!

I've also been amusing myself on ebay.  My favourite summer shoes EVER - black Rocket Dog flats with lots of bling on the toes - have now reached the end of their journey as I've pretty much worn through the soles, which was breaking my heart as Rocket Dog no longer do this shoe.  Woo hoo for ebay, then, and the endless string of lightly worn but still beautiful Rocket Dog flats!

I was thrilled to find a pair of identical Rocket Dogs to my soon-to-be-retired pair but was crushed when I was outbid with 2 seconds to go - it was my own fault as I misplayed the bidding game.  I learn from my mistakes though (at least when it comes to shopping) and won the auction for another pair of black flats AND a fab pair of red polka dot ones.

I now have more motivation than I could possibly need to get myself walking - and running - again.

Not quite as sparkly as the shoes they're replacing, but lovely nonetheless.

Who knew that I needed polka dots?

At a standstill

I haven't run at all since the marathon and haven't been to the gym in over two weeks. In fact, until the last three or four days, I've struggled even to walk.  And, as enjoyable as I myself find it, I didn't think that there'd be much interest in blog posts about me sitting on the sofa eating chocolates, reading trashy novels, and watching daytime television.  However, just like there finally are signs that Spring is springing (such as the first mowing of the garden, the subsequent first breaking of said mower, Bassman's first cold of the season, and the first passing on of Bassman's cold to me of the season), there finally are signs that my leg is beginning to recover from its ordeal.

I'm not quite ready for any springing around, but I can now walk from my car to my office without stopping every 10 steps to cry.  I can put weight on my leg again and can even go up the stairs again like a normal person, rather than hauling myself up by the handrails as though I'm climbing the north face of the Eiger.  I can sit down and stand up without an involuntarily shout of pain and I can go from a standstill to a walk without first fearing that my leg is going to collapse under me.  And although I'm still limping, I'm no longer listing from side to side quite so noticeably.  I remain in The Pain Zone but The Joy of Discomfort looms.  So, progress.

Adam, whom I saw yesterday, said that I can think about going back to the gym at the end of this week for some GENTLE stationary biking and some swimming (if I can stand the boredom and if it doesn't make my leg feel worse).  He is hopeful that I'll be able to start running again in a couple of weeks.

I'm trying to take it all in my stride (well, as much of a stride as someone with a hip flexor strain is able to have) and generally am staying remarkably calm about the whole enforced inactivity thing.  I'm not sure how long that will last - Juneathon starts in...well, in June - but, for now, I'm doing okay.

Because you can't be sad when there are lambs in the world!