49. Take your mobile in case you fall

Mile 46 – A few aches and pains slowed me down.

It’s inevitable that runners will have the odd tumble. I have seen experienced runners kick their toe on a rock and elegantly perform a forward roll, land on their feet, unscathed, and leave the rest of the group wondering if they can believe what they have just seen.

To some extent, the more often you trip, the better you get at it. However, there are exceptions, like the time, years ago, when I went over on the South Downs Way at 7am on a Sunday morning and dislocated my shoulder. I had to walk down to the road and knock on doors until I found someone who could call an ambulance. Ever since I have made a point of taking my phone with me.

I have done more walking this sunny, chilly week, starting on Tuesday with a stroll to the Chattri, followed by lunch in Brighton, with an ex-work colleague. 

We discussed his digital inclusion volunteering work (it was he who planted the seed for my plan to help at the local library). To prove that you must expect the unexpected, memorable customers of his include one person struggling to put cash on his gas card and another wanting help to upload a mugshot onto Tinder.

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I started Couch to 5k week 5 but I took a break while we visited Sue’s mum, Jean, in Shropshire. My hip has been aching since this week’s run and walk, so it seemed like a good time for recovery. I also found myself with a sore throat and cough a few days after returning to mixing in public last week, my first cold in a year. (I tested for COVID and I’m negative.)

On our second night away we ventured out for dinner at The Horseshoes for a lovely meal, although they seemed to turn the heating down at 9pm to put off the stragglers.

Then we had the first accident of the week when Jean missed a step and landed on the floor. She had a few bruises and we headed home to warm up. She and Sue saved the trip to A&E for the next day: a six hour wait to be seen (without an offer of a latte and lunch, it’s different to going private) and eventually she was declared fit and well with no broken bones, although it is likely to take her a few weeks to fully recover.

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I was feeling more lively on Friday morning and set off for a seven mile walk up The Wrekin, the landmark hill, visible for miles around Shrewsbury and Telford. There were lots of us up there, on the icy ground. And yes, you guessed it! On the way down I found a frozen rivulet and executed a rather acrobatic backward roll, although sadly there was no one around at the time to appreciate it. I came away without any injuries except to my wallet – I smashed the glass on my phone and it will need a repair. Perhaps this week’s analogy advice should be to “take your mobile plus a spare”. I was, thankfully, able to salvage my photos.

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The chemotherapy has continued this week, the second treatment in my first cycle of consolidation therapy. I have felt no side effects: even the Dexamethasone is not keeping me up at night. I must be accustomed to it.

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It was a delight to attend the photography club in person for the first time in about nine months, and I was pleased with my results in the competitions. My entries for the panel print and digital image (PDI) competitions both did well. My Lego Lockdown London Landmarks accurately drew a comment from the judge about having been taken by “someone with too much time on their hands” but it still came third.

The hibiscus set of prints (A Few Days of Glory) were highly commended and he liked the way I had dealt with the reds (which must have been beginner’s luck).

We have another competition deadline approaching, so I’ll have to prepare some pictures for that. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for reading and take more care than I did.