It felt so good to be back racing at the London Big Half. It was my first race since the London Marathon in April, and coming away with my third win at the race (and another British title) was pretty special.
My comeback from injury was actually relatively straightforward compared to some of the injuries I've had in the past. During the marathon, a bad blister meant I ran awkwardly for almost the entire distance and, by compensating, I ended up breaking my other toe! I took around two months completely away from running, let it heal, and then gradually started cross-training before building back into running.
So, I knew going into the London Big Half that the fitness and endurance required to race a half marathon were going to be a challenge. I'd only had around four weeks of proper training and was still running at roughly 70% of my normal volume. I hadn't even covered the full half marathon distance in training yet!
My only real goal was to enjoy being back on a start line and not put any pressure on myself. To come away with the win and another British title was brilliant. I was very happy with the fitness I'd managed to build in such a short period of time.
Unfortunately, it seems the skin on my feet hadn't quite recovered enough from the Half because, less than five miles into the Great North Run last Sunday, my other foot developed a bad blister under my toes. It was agony, and I could feel it bleeding and ripping further every time I hit even the slightest incline.
This time, instead of trying to muscle through it like I had in London, I made the sensible decision to stop. It was frustrating. Really frustrating! I felt embarrassed and even apologised to the organisers afterwards. It's the first road race I've ever not finished - that’s not the type of runner I am. But I knew it was the right decision.
One of the biggest things I've learned from the last few months is that, at this stage of my career, making the sensible decisions is what will ultimately give me longevity. There was no point in turning a blister into something much more serious just to finish a race. And typically, it was a beautiful day with perfect racing conditions! That probably made it even more frustrating.
There was one lovely positive, though. I got to watch my younger brother cross the finish line of his first-ever Great North Run, which was incredibly special.
It took a few days after the race before I could walk normally again, and I've had to keep the foot bandaged up with gel pads. Thankfully, though, it healed much more quickly than I expected, and I'm now back training again.
There hasn't been any change in my socks or shoes, so we aren't sure why I seem to be struggling with blisters. It first happened in April this year and again now, which seems odd considering I've raced for over two decades without experiencing any problems! But fingers crossed we get to the bottom of it soon.
I'm looking forward to getting back out on the roads, but my focus for the winter is actually very simple: training, consistency, and fitness.
I want to put together a big block of uninterrupted training and build myself back up properly before looking to target some PBs in 2027. Nothing crazy. Just simple, hard work that I know will eventually pay off.
Fitness takes time, and in our sport, there are no shortcuts. I know some people expect me to be back at full fitness straight away, but that's just not realistic. Athletes aren't robots, and running isn't a skill like golf or tennis, where you can maintain part of your ability without doing the work. It takes months and months of consistent training before you really see the returns, and when you've missed several months, it takes even longer!
I'm playing the long game. And I'm confident there are some PBs waiting for me at the end of it.
