It’s time to get back to my running diary - I’m scared to look and see how long it’s been and I would like to lay the blame directly at Covid’s door.
I feel like that swine virus has stolen years from me. First it was the absolute and utter ridiculousness of lockdowns, masks and lack of social events, running races in particular. And the scary thing was that we all acted like sheep - why didn’t we rant and rave, riot and burn stuff en masse? Why did we let a select few decide stuff for us?
Then came the vaccines which I succumbed to because I was desperate to travel overseas to see my children.
Then came the clots, pulmonary embolisms and a wonky heart that requires a pace maker, theinsertion of which was traumatic to say the least. I still can’t touch that “matchbox” under my skin - it gives me the heeby jeebies.
What a shock - I have always been 100 percent healthy, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, running regularly etc etc. I may have had Covid - I never went for a test because I was buggered if someone was going to shove some stick up my nose - but I am convinced that my health problems are due to the virus or to the vaccine.
I have listened to several well known and brave medical professionals who have spoken out about the effects of the vaccine and the link to clotting and heart problems and I can’t help being angry. But then again I might have died of Covid, like so many did.
So where does that leave me and my running? I’m trying to get back to where I was but it is so damned difficult. I was always a slow runner and now I am even slower. I alternate running, walking and panic attacks over short distances and afterwards I am puffing and panting and sweating so profusely you would swear I had just paced Eliud Kipchoge.
I have done two 10km road races recently which I thoroughly enjoyed - me who used to say “I’m not travelling for a 10km, it’s too short, let’s do the marathon”! Ha ha, I live in hope of being able to get back to the marathon distance one day.
In between the running (I use the term loosely) I am doing lots of Pilates and in a month or two I will be a qualified instructor - at least the bloody virus didn’t snatch that away. I need loads of practice to be able to run a smoothly flowing class but the journey is highly enjoyable. And when I want to ward off the depression that comes from being absolutely useless on the road I turn to my Pilates mat.
Onwards and upwards - fuck you, Covid.