14th December: Disaster

Well, I played footy at the weekend and had a full 90, scoring my first goal in a long time, albeit in a loss with our side having been 2 goals up at one point. As the match progressed I could feel my right heel getting more painful but it did not prevent me from finishing the game. Straight after the match I had to go off and do some work and as my adrenaline levels were dropping-off, I was finding it harder and harder to walk. When I returned home, LSS and I went out to do our normal dog walk, and the pain in my right heel was now excruciating, leading me to stop several times over the walk's duration to let the pain subside before continuing.

Over the last couple of days it has not improved. I have to take pain killers several times a day just get by and I am unable to walk with any speed, for any distance, or without limping. It seems that my running trainers and my work boots are the only footwear that seems to minimise discomfort when walking, and even then it is hardly any amount.

It seems that 3 Sundays ago when I previously played a game of football, I took a bad tackle to the sole of my boot, the guy kicking it incredibly hard. Yes it hurt at the time but I thought nothing of it and 'running it off' I played-out the game and carried-on with my normal life, even running the Grim last weekend (as detailed in the previous entry), with no ill effects. It transpires this tackle caused a stress fracture in my heel which on Sunday was exacerbated through playing once more; the twisting and turning rigours of the game from the continual changes in direction and explosive sprints from a stand-still split the bone further.

There is no easy fix for the heel fracture, these days they do not like to put you in plaster unless totally necessary, and as this is not a clean break I've dodged that. Only total rest and time will heal the heel. Apparantly I am supposed to keep weight off it whenever possible, which is easier to say than do when my job is an active one; continually on my feet and moving about as an electrician/ kitchen & bathroom fitter and to top it all, every man and his dog is wanting things finished before Christmas, so there is no chance of any rest. I'm pretty sure I will not be able to run the Jan 1st marathon along the canal as planned.