Today was going to be a triumph. Today was going to be ‘one of those days’, a red flag day, a watershed moving on to something else.
It was going to be the end of the beginning and then the start of the next bit.
And so I arrived at work with my running gear, put it on and drove the car down to Rushcliffe Country Park close to where I live, not running around Rushcliffe Country Park for over 10 years. But the plan is to run park run, a 5-kilometre run with my daughter on Christmas Day, and that was going to be the target and has been the target since my knee was done in April, and so I decided I needed to trial it, no watch, just some running, not aware of any speed or anything.
Just run the 5 km loop now, I was ready for that. This wouldn't even be the furthest run that I've run since since during my recovery, but it would be one of the furthest.
It was exactly as it was supposed to be; there was a vale of smir (a Scottish word for that wet rain that you get, which is nice rain as far as we're concerned).
It was a country park where I'd done many a 5K race, I used to do my intervals, where I would run around the perimeter 20 and 25 years ago. I built a lot of my running here over the years. I know this place.
And so I set off with just a t-shirt on in the freezing rain (that's how I like it), and I ran the first lap. Generally feeling pretty good, aware of the leg that was operated on in April, but not in a bad way, and then I think I pulled my hamstring…
I don't think it's terrible, but it's bad enough. I stopped, I walked to the car, I checked the clock, (I've actually been running quite quick).
I convinced myself that it was OK, I had a meeting over lunchtime and forgot about it, and then I stood up to walk and realised that's probably that. Probably a problem for the next few weeks, probably wipes me out for Christmas Day, might keep me off the bike, who knows.
This is how it goes, isn't it? Everything's fine until it isn't, and then what you have to do is repurpose, realign, refocus, and go again.
If I can't run, I'll do press-ups, sit-ups, stretches, planks, that type of stuff, the stuff I should be doing when I can't. Try to get myself back on the bike as fast as I can.
Might be better tomorrow, eh? Be right in a minute.
Blog Post Number - 4375
Colin Campbell, Chris Barrow, and an intrepid group of dentists will be cycling across the plains of Tanzania from Kilimanjaro in early February 2026. If you would like to support the charity, Bridge to Aid, and this extraordinary challenge, please click here.
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