Shin treatment - pool jets

I had a prolonged shin bruise. Mentioned in earlier posts.

What I thought was a gooey dent in my shin was actually just the space between two deep bruises.

Kicking pads or bags was painful even through shin guards. I used tiger balm, Thai oil, and a ton of ibuprofen but the bruises were still around 4 weeks later.

I started to worry it was actually shin splints cause by Tarmac running or impact trauma from sparring.

After a little online research I put my mind at ease that it wasn't a bone issue and was just a deep bruise.

Here is where the tip comes in:

If you have prolonged shin bruising that won't go away.

Find a swimming pool or jacuzzi. Identify the most powerful water jet and use it to massage your shins.

I found this super powerful water jet in a pool recently and using it like an iron I just slowly moved my shins up and down it for about 15 mins twice a day. After 3 days the swelling that had been there for 6 weeks by then was gone and the shin was no longer tender to touch.

So whether it be a broom handle, a trainers elbow or a water jet in a pool. The key thing seems to be get that inflammation moving and increase blood flow to the area.

Worked a treat.

Faster runs

I have been doing 2 x 6km runs a day and taking my time. All has been going well and making slow progress. The fasted morning runs have been tough. Just plodding through the countryside on an empty tank is tough but something I need to get used too.

Today I got up a little later and had breakfast before running. 

Fuelled up I managed 12km with a little break around 6 to buy a yoga matt for the home gym.

Not wanting to scrimp I forced myself to go for my second run before a late dinner. Got out on the road and it was a cool evening and something about the podcast I was listening to just made me start off at a good pace. The Map My Run app chimed in at 1Km and I had done it in under 3mins. I decided to just try and keep the pace up. I did my usual 6km run in just over 20mins. Pretty happy with that. God knows if I'll be able to do it again tomorrow.

Living at Home

Surprisingly difficult. 

14 years out on my own has made me incredibly selfish. I would say self sufficient but I dont think thats true. I just want to cook for myself, clean my own stuff. Adjusting to a family enviroment of cooking for multiple people and doing mass laundry is proving difficult as I only really want to sort my own stuff.

I gotta say re adjusting to living under someone else's roof is damn hard. It's amazing having all the luxuries of the family home but with no method of escaping the village it's a little claustrophobic and I find my temper becoming extremely short and my patience for inter personal stuff is non existent. 

Must try harder.

I'm only here at home for a short time. Must make a good impression and not have a juvenile freak out.

York - 4 weeks to go

Ok so I am back from holiday. Been to A&E to get my foot checked out as it's still causing me problems and looks swollen. 2.5hr wait and then the Dr looked at it, said yeah it's broken but there is nothing we can do. 

I'm 2 weeks into what he thinks will be a 3 - 4 week recovery. Basically told me to splint it as I had been doing and avoid the kicks, but i should be Ok running as long as I take some ibuprofen to keep the swelling down as best as possible.

Seems like I am constantly on ibuprofen these days. Now I get why Americans say buy it in bulk before leaving for Thailand. Now that the Dr has given it the all clear i am going to increase the running to twice a day, first one in the morning before eating and the second either before or after my main meal depending on time. 

Each run I am doing is about 6Km. All feels good. Not having a yoga matt or somewhere to stretch is bothering me a bit though. I feel stiff a lot of the time but i dont want to be srawled out sweating on my dads carpet. Seems a little bit rude.

Been into town to have a wander around and see the Minster. Every time I come back to York I always swing by the Minster. It's just such a beautiful building and kind of sums up York for me. Beautiful, historical, traditional and stead fast. 

Anfi - Gran Canaria

Arrived back in York, manged to unpack or store most things and return the hire car. 

Now to pack a ruck sack and head off to Gran Canaria for 2 weeks. My dad and sister had a holiday booked for the first 2 weeks of September and as a lovely coincidence it starts just as I arrive home. 

So they bought me a flight and I am going with them to start my 6 weeks of training in the sunshine. 

Got really high hopes for these 2 weeks. Going to avoid the booze and big steaks and just cram in as much cardio as i can in the hope of getting a little fitter and aclimatised to training/running in the sunshine.

Broken Toe

This is not a training related injury. I was bare foot and a stubbed my little toe on my left foot. I kicked the leg of a sun lounger. Very bloody painful in that annoying hop around wanting to swear way. Side, bottom and between my toes has gone purple. 

 I'm still trying to exercise on it but it's proving rather painful and i'm getting blisters from running as my foot is swollen and rubbing in my shoe. not good. Very frustrating. I had such high hopes for these first 2 weeks of training camp. 

6 weeks before I am in Thailand and I have found myself with an injury thats going to hold me back for the next 2 weeks and then not sure how long before i can kick. Everyone says rest it as i'll just drag out the recovery period. But it's so hard to do when you have your mind so set on making porgress and certain goals.

I'm going to run anyway.

It's sweaty work.

Heading Home

Driving to York was brilliant. Never has the M1 offerred so much promise and excitement. Every shitty radio station for 200 miles and 4 hours just seemed to play good mood tunes and it had me singing along sat at 80mph making good progress. 

 It was a distinct feeling of liberation as I passed the turn off for the M25 and just headed straight North. The traffic fell away and it felt like day one of the trip.

 The waiting period was over. 

No turning back now. 

I had no house, no job, nowhere to be ever again. Rationally I know at some point i will need to get a job again in the future but I am pushing that thought down and away as much as possible. I am going to enjoy the abyss. 

 This freedom and lack of concern seems to be a real sticking point for people. Doubters seem to want to bring this up again and again as they reassure themselves of the facts of the rat race. 

"You do know you're going to have to get a job again someday!" 

"What are you going to do for work? well you cant just not have a plan!" 

"Are you going to sign on? you know you can't do that forever" 

"When you get back where are you going to work? you know for your industry you're going to have to end up back in London" 

"Have you thought about what you're going to do when you get back?" 

 I have heard every variation of this question. I say question, sometimes it feels more like a threat. A kind of, I have a job and i have to work even though i dont like it, don't think this doesnt apply to you sunny! You're not getting out of it that easily. 

 I think some people really don't see the value in not planning for the return. Live in the moment. Enjoy the moment for what it is, perfect in its contemporary nature and lack of planning or consequence. 

 The other option being more malicious in that they do see the value but jealousy makes them want to have a little snipe and bring you down a peg or two. 

Of course I think about all the logisitics and the rational steps I will have to take, both now and when I return. And I'm sure some people are just curious about my mind set. But... the rat race, it dont want you opting out! Cultural normality wants you back at your station peddling away. Screw that I'm hitting the highway listening to Viking FM and loving it.

Leaving London - The Final Exit

So I have now finally left London. Friday August 29th was my last day at work. I had been warming down for weeks now and everything was very chilled out. Very little to do, almost to the point of frustration. All in all a lovely day and I was genuinely surprised by the effort everyone at Technicolor had gone to celebrating my send off. I actually got more leaving presents and cards and drinks bought after 1 year at technicolor than I did after 9 years at my previous work. I guess when you are leaving to do something totally different it kind of engages people in a different way. You're not going round the corner to a competitor to earn more money doing the same work. As a result I got Thai baht, champagne, Burbon and even a battle axe silver necklace and a leaving card written in Viking Rune symbols. All very thoughtful and touching and I was genuinely moved... But no tears.

 Roll around 5 o'clock and more Champagne, Prosecco and beers were brought out with loads of bar snacks and nibbles. It was a really lovely gesture and one i let myself enjoy. There was a thought going through my head the whole time "You don't drink.... You dont eat sausage rolls" but everything in moderation, even moderation... right? at 6 o'clock we bailed on work and went to the pub . A client and long time friend of mine, Liz Pearson, was waiting at the bar with a bottle of Bolinger on ice. She had a vodka and coke for herself and just said "The bottles for you"... Such an insanely generous thing to do. Once again reminding me of the weird and wonderful places love, support and generosity have come from throughout this whole exit strategy. We talked work and the future and it left me feeling really positive about coming back to London and the film game one day.

 9pm and i'm half drunk and on my way home with all my new gifts and work stuff under my arms. Time to start packing. I had totally under estimated how much stuff I own. I live a pretty spartan life and dont own any furniture but its crazy how much space it all takes up once it comes down off the shelves and goes into boxes. By 2am I was about 80% done and crashed out. 

Waking up early I finished off the last of the packing and caught my flat mate Claire before she went out for the day. We said our goodbyes and Sam (currently away on tour) and Claire had bought me a little gift, a book called 'The Way of the Peaceful Warrior' which they had enscribed. I lied and said I hadnt read the book, which I had about 10 years previous so hopefully they are not following this (although in my defense I have re-read the copy they gave me and finished it already). 

Packing completed I went and collected the massively over priced hire car i would be using for my one-way trip up north. It was a weirdly surreal final trip through central London. Having not driven a car regularily in about 8 years, nevermind central London made it very weird. Cruising north bound over London bridge I just wanted to sack off the packing and drive around London and take in the sights and visit people. 

Public transport in London is the only sensible option but driving is just so liberating. Nevertheless i headed to the soho flat and parked up. Flat was empty. 

It took me just over an hour to carry everything from my flat on the third floor down and into the hire car. That was one solumn hour. Squeezing your life into bin bags then lugging it to the backseat of a car followed by covering it all in duvets to protect it. By the time i was done I had a right sweat on and the back of the car looked like it had a giant white tumour growing in it. 

 Final check of the flat... then seperated my keys, and left the flat keys on the kitchen table. Leaving me with one single key for my dad's York house. You know your responsibilites are at an all time low when you only own one key and the key ring is kinda looking at you like "mate, you need to grow up!". 

 One final photo of the exterior of my building for instagram (hedspan) and then got in the car and set off.

 No fan fair. 

 No help. 

 No one waving me off. 

 That made me a little sad. 

 It's my own fault. I hadn't asked for any help. I had made the leaving period so protracted that I guess everyone thought they had seen me enough and said their farewells. Which in truth 95% of people I expected to make the effort had. It was just in that moment of driving off the city had felt exactly as cold blooded as when I first arrived 14 years ago.

Shin splints vs bone bruising

4 weeks ago during a more heavy sparring session I threw a right kick which was very nicely checked with the end of my opponents knee.

I was wearing fairly heavy duty shin guards. But I felt it at the time and thought "doh, that's gonna swell up".

It did.

But now it's 4 weeks later and my shin is still giving me pain in that specific spot. It feels like there is a dent in my shin. There is  very minor redness at the exact spot but otherwise all looks good.

I have been running and training as usual. With no pain, With one exception, every time I throw a right kick against pads or a bag I get a shooting sharp pain from that exact spot.

I have done some pad work and sparred through the pain but the injury recovery seems to have plateau'd. 4 weeks on I really didn't expect this to be lingering.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what the injury could be?

Does it sound like shin splints?

Or just a deep bruise?

What is the recommended treatment? 

Can I still road run or should I be staying off it?

Any help would be massively appreciated as it is really effecting my training and with Thailand looming I really want to get on the road and run. 

But I'm being told shin splints, and that I'll just keep making it worse if I don't stay off it. Which is the hardest advice to take.

Sean/Sylvie - if your out there - any advise?