Steve Auston, the $6m man

The signs were all there.  I am going through a new pair of running shoes every 3-4 weeks and while I have increased my mileage, this is ridiculous and expensive.  The wear and tear was on the left shoe on the left side of the heal.  The rest of the sole looked brand new.  But with my "medical team" all on lockdown I can't get assessed or treated or a massage and I got a niggle at the back of my knee that almost had me walking at one stage.  Not great when running 30km the next day.  That run went well but I had to shorten my gate and take my time.  The dull ache was there throughout the run but as soon as I stopped running, it was fine.

I managed to get an emergency appointment with my podiatrist.  Full PPE and strict protocol followed and I found wearing the mask hellish for 1 hour.  I couldn't wear my glasses as they steamed up and I found breathing difficult.  Hat's off to the workers doing an 8 hour shift wearing the masks.

High tech equipment was used and a digital image of the pressure points came up on my feet.  It's a long story but there's a lot going on down there that isn't good so new orthotics are being made and I'm confident that they will help with the issues.  I also need to visit the chiropractor to get adjusted but that won't happen for a few weeks at least.  A massage would go down well and my sports therapist is needed to take my leg!  I'm surprised I've survived this long as I am usually seeing one of them every two weeks.

My orthotics have been "quarantined" for 3 days while they are repaired until my new pair are ready so my coach has me on a minimal running programme for the next week.  Today I went out for just over an hour to spin my legs on the bike and apart from the 10 minute rain shower, I really enjoyed it. I can see some more cycling in my training while we sort the biomechanical issues with my feet.

You have to work with what you've got and despite my various injuries over the years I've managed some big distances and aim to continue.  I'm not Steve Auston, the six million dollar man (1973 Sci-fi) but it feels like they are rebuilding me!